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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

From behind him, Mike he hears a voice he recognizes. It’s the lieutenant from the bar, who cocks his head and tells Mike he doesn’t think it is a very good idea for them to all be getting together like this again. The Lieutenant thinks this is funny, but it’s not funny at all to Mike. He remembers the feel of the handcuffs coming off, and hearing the lieutenant say something to Burton about wanting to stay dry.

Harrison tells the lieutenant that they’ve actually met before, too, that he’s a friend of Burton’s, that they’re all friends and all do a lot of business together. The lieutenant seems to consider this for a moment, and tells Harrison to take the young farang and get on his motorcycle and leave. He says it is bad business to be friends with yaa baa dealers. And tell Burton, he says, there are going to be more changes.

The brother starts crying. Mike looks at Tweety. Her face is hard.

Sometimes life is very simple, is how Harrison explained it. They could stay and die with Tweety and her brother, or leave, and live, speeding away on the blue motorcycle when they hear the shots.

58

In the café across from his hotel, Mike and Harrison sit over beers, both of them staring out at Khao San Road. They sit in silence. Mike is waiting for Harrison to say something, anything.

“That was her brother,” is all Harrison says.

Mike knew that.

“Tweety wasn’t Thai,” Harrison continues. “She was Wa, from the north. Her family lives in the jungle. They’re opium farmers. She got out.”

“What happens now?”

“Nothing.” says Harrison. “We had nothing to do with it.”

Mike begins to feel sick.

“We’ll get another beer later,” says Harrison. He stands up, pulling money from his pocket to pay for his drink.

Mike throws up and has terrible diarrhea in the cramped bathroom. He leans his head on the wall as he sits on the toilet and tries to calm down. He doesn’t know what to think. Yes he does. He thinks about meeting Tweety in the Grace. Buying her out. Getting stoned with her. But in the end there’s only one track in Mike’s mind and it’s numb and floating him to a very bad place.

59

When he returns to the table Mike is not so sick anymore, just empty. It’s early evening. He sat there for an hour with Harrison, and now he will sit by himself, drinking beer until long after dark. He stares out at the other farangs as they pass by in the fading light.