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Back The Third Brother Save as PDF
Chapters (116)
  1. Cover
  2. Also by the Author
  3. The Third Brother
  4. Copyright
  5. Dedication
  6. PART I
  7. 1
  8. 2
  9. 3
  10. 4
  11. 5
  12. 6
  13. 7
  14. 8
  15. 9
  16. 10
  17. 11
  18. 12
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. 22
  29. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. 39
  46. 40
  47. 41
  48. 42
  49. 43
  50. 44
  51. 45
  52. 46
  53. 47
  54. 48
  55. 49
  56. 50
  57. 51
  58. 52
  59. 53
  60. 54
  61. 55
  62. 56
  63. 57
  64. 58
  65. 59
  66. PART II
  67. 60
  68. 61
  69. 62
  70. 63
  71. 64
  72. 65
  73. 66
  74. 67
  75. 68
  76. 69
  77. 70
  78. 71
  79. 72
  80. 73
  81. 74
  82. 75
  83. 76
  84. 77
  85. 78
  86. 79
  87. 80
  88. 81
  89. 82
  90. 83
  91. 84
  92. 85
  93. 86
  94. 87
  95. 88
  96. PART III
  97. 89
  98. 90
  99. 91
  100. 92
  101. 93
  102. 94
  103. 95
  104. 96
  105. 97
  106. 98
  107. 99
  108. 100
  109. 101
  110. 102
  111. 103
  112. 104
  113. 105
  114. 106
  115. 107
  116. 108

The rain comes in a torrent. The noodle vendors flee the streets with woks held overhead. The café customers slide their chairs under the awnings. The motorcycle taxi drivers lean against the wall and smoke cigarettes. Mike sees the fake-ID guy packing his easel into a suitcase with his pens and razors, and decides suddenly that he must catch him and have a press credential made. No time to get change, so he leaves too much cash on the table and rushes off after the ID guy, who is now disappearing down an alley.

Around the corner the man steps into a doorway. When Mike catches up he sees two old women squatting in a tiny room. Their creased cheeks are red from a small fire.

The old women stare out at him and Mike makes a hurried half-bow and backs away.

Mike walks through the rain to his table at the café. He is soaked. His plate and money and beer are gone. He pulls his chair even farther under the overhang and lights a cigarette. Then, across the street, he sees Bridget and Paul, and jumps up again. They are walking under a great black umbrella and do not seem surprised to see Mike.

“Khao San Road is not New York,” says Bridget. Mike is not sure what she means by that. He’s always running into people he knows in New York.

“Where are you going?” asks Mike.

“A sex show,” Paul laughs. “Where else on Buddha Day?”

“It’s a kind of holiday,” Bridget tells Mike. “Everyone is supposed to be in prayer, around little fires. You should come with us.”

They are doing a story for an American men’s magazine. Paul is the one who got the assignment.

“It’s embarrassing,” says Bridget, “but it will help finance the animal book.”

“Isn’t life grand?” says Paul.

It occurs to Mike that they might have meant to run into him.

31

Mike follows Bridget as she navigates her giant umbrella down a narrow alley. The alley is not wide enough for the three of them to walk abreast. It’s like walking in a sweating water pipe. Mike is thinking that he would like to go back to his hotel room and sleep. But he also likes being with Bridget.

The bar is shut behind a corrugated metal door, like a garage. And it’s paid off tonight, like every night, Bridget explains, Buddha Day or no Buddha Day. This place never gets busted. Just watched. Paul makes a phone call and they wait until the door begins to rise with a grinding sound.

“Get in quickly,” Bridget tells Mike.

A yellow light spills out into the gutter, casting a glow on their shoes. Paul squats in first, and Mike follows Bridget as she ducks under the metal curtain that closes on the concrete behind them.