-–
Given the lack of comments, I’m not sure if I should continue my story. Perhaps it’s my writing style… very detailed, and very cheong hei. But I used the same style when I wrote about Tingting and got a warm reception. This time it’s a little disappointing.
Anyway, I started out writing my story partly because I needed advice from fellow brothers. I now have the answer I need, so perhaps I should stop?
-–
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Tomahawk
-–
Given the lack of comments, I’m not sure if I should continue my story. Perhaps it’s my writing style… very detailed, and very cheong hei. But I used the same style when I wrote about Tingting and got a warm reception. This time it’s a little disappointing.
Anyway, I started out writing my story partly because I needed advice from fellow brothers. I now have the answer I need, so perhaps I should stop?
-–
continue bro.. still reading ur story.. v detailed indeed.. now i wondering if u kept notes along the way..
Quote:
Originally Posted by
Spud_Boy
continue bro.. still reading ur story.. v detailed indeed.. now i wondering if u kept notes along the way..
No, I don’t. But I tend to have a good memory, especially if the events are memorable.
Thanks for your kind words, Spud_Boy. I will carry on for the time being.
I don’t post much here in sammyboy…but I do follow your story closely.
very intriguing….please carry on…
nice one….
Friday came and went. Officially the conference ended around 5:00pm, but during a 2-hour break in the afternoon I managed to check out of the hotel and transfer my luggage to the place where I would be spending my final night in this city. It wasn’t that far away from the Caravelle. Mondial (Hoan Cau) Hotel was a decent, 2-star hotel in the immediate vicinity. I still had about an hour and a half of free time before I was due to appear at the Caravelle again. I called Lan.
Lan: Hello… *amidst the noise of road traffic*
Me: Hey Lan, this is John. How are you?
Lan: OK… I woke up at 8 o’clock.
Me: I see… So we are meeting tonight yah? I’ll see you at Bar Stop at 8pm.
Lan: Yes, see you tonight.
Me: Bye Lan. I miss you.
Lan: Bye… I miss you too.
I lay on my bed to catch up on lost sleep. But I couldn’t. My mind was filled with excitement. After the few hours of being with Lan earlier in the day, I yearned to see her again. This was especially true considering that I didn’t manage to bed her – Okay, technically I
did
get her onto a bed… You know what I mean. I wanted to make sure that I would achieve something tonight.
5:00pm. It was the end of the event. Finally, I had time for myself, and Lan. Following the customary handshakes and good-byes, the whole lot of us descended on the lobby. It was time for the rest to head for the airport. I walked over to the Mondial. It was still early, and it was raining cats and dogs anyway, so I spent some time watching Vietnamese TV. Not that I could understand anything… But I was caught by surprise when I saw an old Mediacorp show, complete with familiar faces like Zhu Houren and Li Jinmei, among others. The original Mandarin conversations weren’t taken off, but formed the background while a Vietnamese voice took centrestage. Interestingly and funnily, the same voice was used for every character, male or female. Those folks at the TV station had to brush up their dubbing skills.
By 7:00pm the rain had lessened into a drizzle. I had a quick shower and made my way down to the lobby. I asked the good Front Desk staff where I could get flowers. Were there any florists nearby, I asked. Back in Bar Stop the night before, Kym had advised me to get some flowers on Saturday, Lan’s alledged birthday. The whole lot of them would be celebrating in her honour at the bar. I decided to present some to her this evening, as a surprise. “You’ll find some florists near the Ben Thanh Market,” the Front Desk chap said helpfully. He gave me the directions and I was on my way.
Walking down Le Thanh Ton Street, I came across Parkson, a department store. No florists within, but the inside looked very Singaporean. The top level was occupied by a food court which offered local dishes at prices you’d normally pay at a Singapore food court. Not very interesting, is it, I thought. I would be better off sampling something more authentic at the market. I walked on, and eventually found myself standing before not one, but three flower shops. I picked one, and spent some time poring over their catalogue. I decided against buying a huge bouquet, preferring to save that for Saturday. Instead I got a set of 3 red roses. They cost me just 9,000 Dong, equivalent to S$0.90. Omigod… I was beginning to love Vietnam!
I hopped into a cab and made my way to Bui Vien Street. A big jam was waiting for me. In a developing country like Vietnam, you don’t expect a lot of order on the roads. Taxis and motorbikes zig-zagged their way around one another, with little care for the cars and pedestrians around them. I wasted a lot of time waiting in the cab. Eventually, we turned into Bui Vien Street. Good. The fare was still 15,000 Dong. But, good heavens. This street was flooded! The water must have been almost knee-deep. For the first time during my stay here, I saw what we normally saw on TV news back in Singapore: Cars and motorcycles moving slowly across the pond, people wading with half their bodies submerged in dirty water. I wasn’t sure if this was what I wanted on my second date.
The driver indicated that he would let me off somewhere near the bar and I would make my way ashore. He couldn’t see the kerb, he explained. But I managed to convince him to go as near the shops as possible. Eventually, through a combination of balance and skill, I managed to climb out from the cab and land on the corridor before an adjacent restaurant. I was still dry! It was 8:05pm, the bar was closed, and Lan was nowhere to be seen. I perched myself against a wall, the roses in my hand. By 8:15pm I was getting worried. I called Lan.
Me: Hello Lan, are you coming? I’m already at Bar Stop.
Lan: Yes, yes. I am leaving my home. 10 minutes okay?
And so I waited. 10 minutes later Lan had not appeared. Another 10 minutes later I was getting impatient, and tired from standing. A waitress from the restaurant next door took pity on me and offered me a chair. Whom was it I was waiting for, she enquired. “Lan,” I replied with a smile. She didn’t quite know this person, but advised that the bar wouldn’t be open for that evening. The owner and staff had gone to the temple, she explained. Thanking her for her kind advice, I sat down. I looked at the rain and flood around me and I told myself this was such a romantic way to be meeting my date. I had never experienced anything like this before. I also imagined seeing Lan appearing across the road and imagined myself playing the prince on a white horse as I ferried her across to this side on my back.
I watched as the shops all around us conducted their businesses. It was business as usual. Apparently, a small flood like this was common. I saw the people in the rice distributor across the road chatting, perhaps bemoaning the lousy weather. Diagonally to my left, people on scooters stopped by a provision shop to pick up some stuff. And diagonally on the right, a nicely-decorated Indian restaurant was open, though woefully it was more than half-empty. A mother-and-daughter team walked past me as they went to buy whatever the wanted to buy. Moments later they returned in the opposite direction. That was how long I waited. Inside me, I was hoping that Lan wasn’t playing me out.
8:50pm. It was still drizzling but the water had mostly subsided. The water was by now probably only ankle-deep. I watched as one man arrived on a motorbike and with the help of some metal structures, rode his way from the road into the shop next door in one step. I called Lan again.
Me: Hello Lan, where are you? I’m still at Bar Stop.
Lan: Sorry… Coming, coming! 5 minutes, okay?
I sat back down with mixed feelings… Confusion, disarray, disappointment, apprehension, you name it. The waitress next door poked her head out, concerned that I was still waiting. I got up and made small talk. Just then, someone appeared.
Lan had just made her way onto the pavement. She looked so ravishing that night. A pretty face with a proportionate body, clad in a black T-shirt, whole body protected by a light green raincoat. She gave me a wide, girly grin.
Me: Lan! You’re here!
I almost hugged her there and then, until I realised she was in a wet raincoat. She removed that offending shield.
Me: I have been waiting since 8, you know? One hour…
Lan: I know, I know… Sorry!
Me: This lady next door saw me standing for so long, and offered this chair *gesturing to the waitress*
Lan wanted to say something, but I put my finger on her lips. Then I whipped out the roses which I had hidden well behind me. “For you,” I said sweetly. Lan was taken aback, and smiled a smile so sweet it would have made any man’s heart melt.
Lan: Today, bar not open. Kym and the rest go temple.
Me: I see. And you didn’t know about it till now?
Lan: No. Kym called me afternoon, talk me bar not open. But I know you waiting, so I come.
Me: Oh… You already knew that the bar wouldn’t be open, but you still came all the way here, just to meet me?
Lan nodded. I was so touched. Never before did I love this girl so much. Lan said the rest would be going to Apocalypse Now, and suggested that we join them. Well, I would love to revisit that disco where I got to know Lan, but I had more important things in mind.
Me: Maybe we go to my hotel? Then we join them later if they’re still at Apocalypse?
Lan: OK!
We hailed a cab. Just as we were about to hop in, Lan turned around and wedged her wet raincoat between Bar Stop’s metal grilles. Yes, no point carrying that thing around, I thought. “Mondial Hotel, Dong Khoi Street,” Lan instructed the driver. We were on our way to our love nest.
Hey bro have been following your story and I must say its quite tastefully written…well done…Do continue as I am a ardent supporter of your story. All the way man!
-–
Thanks dirk_diggler, yanz and verisio for your encouragement. I had wanted to submit multiple posts today, but a busy day at work meant that I could only compose one. Enjoy…
-–
The journey to Mondial seemed to take forever. Perhaps it was because Lan and I had been reunited. Every second we spent together was so magical. As we sat in the cab, her head resting on my shoulder, her hand in mine, I told myself to cherish every moment we had together.
Me: Lan, do you like the flowers?
Lan: Yes… Very nice. Thank you. *sweet smile*
Me: So, you work in the evenings right? How do you normally spend your day?
Lan: … *she didn’t understand me, due to her lack of profiency in English*
Me: I mean, you work in Bar Stop. Right? Nighttime… So, daytime, what do you do?
Lan: I talk to my sisters. They have baby… Very cute. *She was referring to her housemates*
Me: Oh, you like babies?
Lan: Yes, I like babies!
Dong Khoi Street is a one-way street, so if you turned into it at certain junctions, you might miss our hotel altogether, with no way to do a U-turn. You would have to turn into a side road and start all over again. We did just that. Now, looking back, I am slightly more familiar with Saigon, but given that it was only my third day in town then, without having seen any map of the vicinity, the city appeared rather confusing to me. We looked for my elusive hotel.
“Here, here…” I uttered excitedly as I saw Mondial looming ahead. Lan instructed the driver to pull over. We got out of the cab and into the lobby. I was confident that tonight, Lan and I would make history. We would finally be united as one, if you know what I mean. With my heart pounding inside me, I approached the Front Desk. I had earlier confirmed that I would only need to pay an extra US$8 if I had a guest staying over.
Me: Hi… I have a friend with me. I believe I just have to pay US$8?
Staff: Is she Vietnamese? *looking at Lan*
I was confused. I didn’t quite expect this. Were there restrictions on Vietnamese staying in hotels? I stared at the counter staff with a blank look, then turned to Lan, not quite knowing how to respond. I saw her pretty face too, fixed on the lady. I turned back to face the front.
Me: Is there a problem?
Staff: Vietnamese cannot stay with foreigners.
Me: Is there such a rule?
Staff: Yes, Vietnamese are not allowed to share rooms with foreigners.
Shock overtook me for a few seconds before I regained my composure. I couldn’t believe that this was happening, not after having suffered the emotional setback at Caravelle, then the unnamed shophouse hotel, the night before. I had hit a wall yet again. I did not know then that I was in for something even more serious that night.
I turned and headed for the exit, Lan’s hand still in my mine. I didn’t know what was going on in Lan’s mind then, but mine was filled with disappointment and anger. What kind of rule was this? Vietnamese were not allowed to be in the same rooms as foreigners? Thinking back, I thought perhaps the small hotel we went the night before (actually, the same day, in the early morning) had illegally let us in and that we were lucky not to have been caught. (I have since found out that there are indeed girl-friendly hotels in Vietnam; Please correct me if I’m wrong here!)
The friendly doorman, who was actually one of the Front Desk staff, opened the door with a smile. I returned a smile, though deep inside I was feeling bitter. As Lan and I neared the road, I apologised to her.
Me: I’m sorry. I didn’t know we would have this problem… Vietnamese cannot stay with foreigners. Sigh.
Lan: It’s okay…
Me: What do we do now?
Lan: We go eat? I bring you… Highland Coffee.
I didn’t quite know this place that Lan was referring to. I would have preferred that we adjourned to another hotel, but I did not want to appear to be pushing Lan too hard. In any case, I had not had my dinner myself, so I thought we could do with some food. Fun could always come after that. Lan brought me to this coffee joint not far from where we were. Highland Coffee is Vietnam’s answer to Starbucks and Coffee Bean. It’s targeted at the young and trendy, and of course the yuppies too. The branch that Lan brought me too was next to the Opera House. This outlet offered mostly-outdoor dining. As it had rained heavily earlier in the night, the chairs were wet. I thoughtfully took out my pack of tissue and began wiping a chair for Lan. She protested, saying she could always sit somewhere else, but I didn’t want her to compromise her seating preference. I hope she saw the caring side of me through this little gesture.
We settled into our seats. I didn’t want anything heavy, so I ordered what I thought was a small side order, something consisting of hash browns and ham. It turned out to be almost a main course in its own right. Lan ordered something with beef in it. Over our casual dinner, I tried to know her better.
Me: Lan, can you show me your IC? You know, the thing that you used for registration at the hotel?
Lan took her IC out. I tried to read her name. Pointing to her name, I tried to read, with utmost inaccuracy, “Hoang Thi Lan”. Of course, there were the squiggles, dashes and dots above and below the alphabets, but I tried to pronounce the words as though they were in English.
Me: Ho-ang Teh Lan, is that correct?
Lan: Yes, your Vietnamese good!
Me: Your surname Hoang… I should read Ho-ang, right?
Lan: Hoang *gesturing in a straight line with her hand, like an orchestra conductor giving cues to the musicians*
Me: OK… Hoang Teh Lan *managing to read the surname in one syllable*
We smiled to each other. As we resumed our meal I realised again how beautiful Lan looked tonight. I couldn’t resist whipping out my camera phone. I snapped two pictures of her. As I offered a piece of hash brown to her, I wondered where we would be heading next.
Me: Where do we go later? *hoping to score a hotel visit*
Lan: We go Lush *she could not pronounce the word Lush properly*
I did not quite know what that place was about. It was only when we were on our way did I realise that Lan was bringing me to a disco. This girl really knew how to enjoy herself. I asked for the bill and produced my card, only to find that this coffee place did not quite accept cards. I struggled to look for the correct set of notes. Lan beat me to it, and put 150,000 Dong on the table. I didn’t quite expect her to pay, but did not reject her offer. I had paid for everything the night before, drinks, cab rides and the hotel, so I was quite happy to have her foot the bill this time. We were on our way.
I enjoyed taking the walk with my girl. We walked like a couple in this foreign city, with her hand in mine. Back at home, I wouldn’t have attempted such a stunt, but here, nobody knew me, so I felt very comfortable flaunting my new girlfriend. The destination seemed further than she made it out to be. She had told me it was just 10 minutes from Highland Coffee. 10 minutes later, we were still walking. Apparently Vietnamese did not have a sense of time.
Me: Where’s Lush? Are we reaching soon?
Lan: 5 minutes. *smile*
5 minutes later, I could finally see a structure in the distance with bright lights. I knew we were approaching Lush. I decided to tease Lan.
Me: How long more? Another 5 minutes?
Lan: 2 minutes. *smile again*
We were at Lush’s entrance. Lush was like any disco in Singapore. Smart, contemporary, happening. It was a far cry from Apocalypse Now, the old, run-down disco which I had visited over the past two nights.
The stylishly-dressed staff greeted us at the door. In between ogling at the girls’ bare shoulders (one side wasn’t covered by the low-cut dress on each girl) I asked to pay in US$, as I was fast running out of Vietnamese Dong. They did a quick calculation and decided that the cover charge for us would be US$20.
As Lan and I strolled into the nightspot, I cast my eyes on the candies all around me. We entered the airconditioned area and went up the stairs. I was going to have a handful of fun that night – literally.
Lan and I made our way through the crowded dance floor and up a flight of steps. Most of the seats were taken, but we managed to find ourselves a small patch of space on a large sofa-bed. We sat at the edge such that we were facing the walkway, with a good view of the dance floor below through the railing. Behind us was a group of young people, slouched on the bed. They did not mind that we were blocking their view, preferring to indulge in their own small talk.
Lan and I made ourselves comfortable. She was seated to my right, my hand mostly on her waist. Between sips of liquor I kissed her. Not just light pecks on the lips, but deep, passionate French kisses.
Me: I like this place. Very nice.
Lan: Yes, very nice. *smile*
We watched as the energetic youths on the dance floor below gyrated to the loud music. Lan ordered a fruit platter, made possible with sponsorship by yours truly. She fed me pieces of fruit, occasionally handing me my shot glass containing intoxicating liquor. More than once, I took half a bite of fruit and pushed the remaining half into her mouth, in lame attempts to steal more French kisses from her. More interestingly, I sipped some liquor and let the liquid flow onto her tongue and gums, while our lips were locked in perfect harmony. This evening was truly heaven.
By now, Lan and I had been distracted by the group of youths on our right. While the girl was mostly slouching on the cushion, the pair of guys was making a nuisance of themselves. Between them, they attempted to ride on each other, both facing the front, in simulated offending motion. As a bemused me looked on, Lan turned to look at me with a knowing smile. “Gays,” she told me. I smiled back at her. “Yes, gays… *chuckle*” Next, the guy actually sitting on the sofa let his hands roam on his friend’s chest, as if he was carressing his breasts. Disgusting. “Gays…” I said again to Lan. I turned to the front.
The waitresses at Lush were heavenly. While not quite many of them were busty, they were dressed in black, low-cut dresses that betrayed their cleavage. Each dress was supported on one shoulder, leaving the other bared. I looked intently on one particular waitresses as she leaned forward to pass drinks to the group seated behind Lan and me. Lan gently turned my head back to the front, with that “I know what you’re looking at!” look on her face. On another occasion, there was this waitress who was standing right smack before us as she tried to serve someone to my left. Because Lan and I were on a raised platform, the waitress’ bosom were level with my eyes. I feasted hungrily on the superb view. As I turned instanteneously to my right, I could see Lan giving me that disapproving look.
Time for my own action. I got Lan to sit on my lap. Making sure she was carefully balanced on me, I poked my head out to the front, alternating between her left and right, and reach upwards for her lips. We indulged in many French kisses this way. It was fun. I tried my luck with touching her. Given the dark conditions, I was rather daring, allowing my left hand to stroke her tummy, then, without warning, reaching upwards and squeezing Lan’s breasts. I looked as she displayed that agonising look, while her mouth gave that silent “Ouch!”. She hit my arm as punishment. Next, my right hand roamed her thighs, through her denim jeans. Starting with the lower part of the upper thighs, I went upwards slowly till I touched her groin area, then her pubic area. I rubbed that part hard. Lan pushed my hand away. Fun… I sensed something hard in her left pocket, and tried to fish it out. It turned out to be her mobile phone. I had never seen such a thin phone before. Mobile devices were to form the central part of our relationship henceforth, I was to realise.
As the night wore on, Lan began to receive calls and SMS on her mobile. Obviously, she spoke in Vietnamese, and I couldn’t make out what was going on. But I did know that each time she wanted to send an SMS, she unlocked her phone and the English words “Welcome back!” flashed across the screen. At about 12:30am, Lan wanted to go. I was looking forward to spending the night in a hotel with her.
Lan: John, we go.
Me: OK… We go to the hotel okay?
Lan: Me want go Bar Stop.
Me: Huh? Why go to Bar Stop? We go to the hotel okay?
Lan: We go Bar Stop, talking friends me okay? (She wanted to meet up and gossip with her colleagues)
Me: … *disappointed look*
Lan: You don’t like? You don’t like, we don’t go okay?
Me: No, it’s okay. We go to Bar Stop. *in a disgruntled voice*
I hoped that this was the last time we would make a detour. I had had enough of nonsence tonight. The last thing I wanted was yet another wasted night where nothing got done. We headed for the exit.
In the cab, Lan asked again if I didn’t like going back to the bar, and offered to drop the idea if I was unhappy. It’s alright, I told her, though I knew things weren’t quite alright. I noticed the cab driver had forgotten to reset the meter. I expressed my concern to Lan, who talked to him. She assured me that she would handle the matter, and things were in control. Lan talked on the phone again. She must have been up to something. Before I knew it, we were outside her house. I asked her what we were doing there, instead of at returning the bar as agreed.
Lan: Me go take this *pointing to her phone*
With that, she disappeared up the steps, leaving me confused and to
jaga
the cab. The fare on the meter ticked upwards slowly but surely. Soon enough, Lan was back. She had gone to take her phone charger. Apparently her phone battery was running low in power. In a minute, we pulled up outside Bar Stop. We were back at the place where many smooches and kisses had been exchanged the night before. Lan saw two men at the entrance and got out excitedly.
Me: Hey, how much do I pay? (The meter was showing more than 50,000 Dong by now)
Lan: 50.
Me: Huh? 50? (How could I be paying 50,000 Dong? The driver had forgotten to reset the meter, remember?)
Lan: 50! 50! *sounding agitated*
Me: How can it be 50? The meter wasn’t reset just now…
Lan: 50! *gesturing the figure 3 with her hand*
This girl meant 30,000 Dong but because of her poor English, told me to pay 50,000. I hurriedly fished out three 10,000 Dong notes and made my way out of the vehicle. As I walked up the steps into the nightspot, I could see Lan engaging in animated conversation with the two men. I walked into the bar, past Lan, who was by now giving full attention to the guys. Tonight was to turn out to be the worst night of my short stay in Saigon.
I settled myself on a high chair. One of Lan’s colleagues was already seated on my right, while another two girls were behind the counter, pottering around. The seated girl introduced herself as Chau. She, like Kym, could speak Mandarin. She asked where I was from, how long I would be staying in Saigon, and such. Then, she shocked me when she complemented me on my looks. I brushed that aside.
Really, I wasn’t interested in talking to Chau. My attention was actually on Lan, who was making herself very approachable and accessible to the two Caucasian men. One was an old man, perhaps in his 60s. He had a belly and could easily be my father. The other man was definitely much younger; He looked about 25 to 30. And he sported curly hair that made him look Italian or French. Lan saw me looking at her and, gesturing to them, said “My friends!” I smiled. OK, I thought. I would wait while she entertained her friends, then we would move on to some R&R.
One of the girls behind the counter, Lien, saw the set of three roses I had brought along and proceeded to put them in a vase. Seeing how Chau was chatting me up, she came out to the front and sat to my left. I knew she wanted to get close to me. All night, she had her eyes fixed on me. Lien spoke good English, and I suggested that perhaps one day she could work in Singapore. She, like Chau, asked me questions in an attempt to get to know me better. And both took turns to ask me to buy drinks for them. Lien definitely looked better than Chau, being slim and young – she was only 19. However, I wasn’t quite interested in her. I was still observing Lan and the two men, sometimes through the mirror behind the drinks rack. Lan was getting very close to them, perhaps a little too close for comfort. Chau and Lien sensed my uneasiness and sought to assure me they were just friends. Lan was just entertaining them as they were both friends and customers, they told me. Lan came by, on the way to the counter area to plug in her phone charger, and checked that I was alright.
Lan: You okay? They my friends…
Me: *smile*
I couldn’t fathom how anyone who had made herself a guy’s girlfriend could prance around a bar with two men, getting intimate and all, right in front of him, under his nose. I couldn’t help but notice Lan hugging them once in a while. While she was close to the older man, at least she kept a distance from him; The most she gave was a friendly hug, sort of like what business associates of the opposite sex do when the meet. But she really flirted with the younger guy. They held hands and once, they were locked in an embrance and the man planted a kiss on her lips. I was fuming mad. How could this happen? I felt so humiliated. Chau attempted to divert my attention away from the spectacle still unfolding before me.
Chau: 你回酒店，带 Lan 回去。 Lan 给你 massage!
John: 带她回去？她跟那个男人在一起嘛! *seething with anger*
Chau: *pointing to Lien, seated on my left* Lien 好。你带 Lien 回去。 Lien 给你 massage!
I couldn’t believe it. Were Vietnamese girls so cheap? Here I was, trying to get close to Lan and here, she was kissing other men. Did my time spent the previous night at Apocalypse Now, this bar and the hotel count for nothing? And how about this evening? I had waited for her for an hour amidst rain and flood, and kept her company at Highland Coffee and Lush, and this was what I got? And to make things worse, now another girl was offered to me? What was this world coming to? Still, I wanted Lan.
John: 我等 Lan.
I was prepared to wait till Lan was done, then do what we were supposed to do. The old Caucasian man pretended – Really, he was just playing the fool – to grope Lan and she gave a flying kick, only to lose her balance and fall, her bums hitting the hard floor. Although I was angry with Lan, I rushed to her rescue. As I helped her up I wondered why I was doing this when she had humiliated me. Perhaps this was the humanitarian side of me. No matter how bad others treated you, you still helped when they were really in need of help.
Between sips of liquor, Chau and Lien continued talking rubbish to me. Among other things, they said they liked my foldable umbrella. I thought these things were common and could be found everywhere, but I was told that those you could buy in Vietnam looked awful. They made me promise to bring nice ones over the next time I visited Saigon.
I didn’t know how much time had passed since we talked, but when I turned around, Lan was gone. So was the young chap and the older man. I asked the girls around me where they had disappeared to. “They’re having supper”, I was told. Were they coming back? “Not sure. Maybe.”
And so I waited. After about 15 minutes I sensed that things didn’t look quite right. I stepped out of the bar and onto the road. Most of the shops were closed. I headed for the only two eating places that were still open. No sign of Lan and the two jokers. As I walked back to the bar I passed a 24-hour convenience store. I felt so sad when I saw that place. Just the night before I had gotten for Lan and me a pack of Durex which never got used. And this evening, she had to disappear to heaven-knew-where. Back at the bar, I waited a while more. I called Lan on her mobile. It was off. I remembered I had seen her plugging the desktop charger at the power outlet earlier. When I went to check, the device was no longer there. Strangely, Lan’s phone was off. I had no way to contact her.
By 2:00am it was clear that Lan wasn’t going to return. I was getting impatient. I interrogated Lien, who was by now mopping the floor, preparing to close the bar for the night.
Me: It’s so late already. Do you know where Lan is?
Lien: She’s sleeping with the man.
Me: WHAT? She’s sleeping with the man? Which man?
Lien: The young one. *afraid to look at me*
Me: Does she always do this?
Lien: Yes.
I was damn pissed by now. Fuming mad, I stumbled out of the bar and walked to a waiting cab. Halfway during the walk I turned around. I walked back to the bar and went straight to the table where my roses sat prettily in the vase. Out of courtesy, I turned to Lien, warning her of my action ahead.
Me: Lien, I know you put these roses here in this vase. I’m sorry okay?
With that, I pulled the stalks away from the glass enclosure.
Me: Where can I throw these? Where’s the rubbish bin?
Lien pointed to an area to my left. I dropped the now-useless roses. Then I brought the vase to the sink, emptying it of water.
Lien: Okay, okay!
Lien was afraid I was going to smash the vase.
Me: Don’t worry. I won’t turn violent.
I washed the vase and placed it back on the table. Before I left, I turned to Lien again.
Me: Lien, you said Lan always does this? She always sleeps with men?
Lien: I don’t know! *looking down, continuing to mop the floor*
I got into the waiting cab and headed back for my hotel, again having achieved nothing. I arrived at Mondial Hotel, the very place where Lan had been barred from entering earlier in the night. The cheerful staff greeted me as I reentered the lobby. Back in my room, I recounted the series of incidents that had taken place so far. Was I being unlucky? Was fate playing a trick on me? Fate had allowed me to get to know this wild girl at the disco, and fate had made her offer herself to me at the hotel, but fate had also made sure I got nothing out of all these. Fate had reunited us amidst the rain and flood, and fate had made us share a meal and dance our way into the night. But in the end, fate let this girl elope with some Caucasian man! I felt so hurt.
I tried calling Lan repeatedly on her mobile, and each time I heard the “The subscriber is not available” message. She must have been having a good time with her new-found boyfriend. I fell into a troubled sleep.