Escape from Thailand! (part 2)

There was one difficulty with the connection in Mae Sot. That was that they knew nothing. James got a guy on a motorcycle to give him a lift for 40 bhat. A fair price, and there he was at 7 a.m. calling Oil to answer the door. She did. She was just waking up, but was not too mad.

“Hey, good morning!” He greeted her warmly. His only goal was to convince her that nothing was wrong. He was successful.

The day was spent driving around the city and seeing the sights. As it is a border town, going to the border market with Burma was in fact a must. James stood out. He was white, tall, and smiled all the time. Fortunately he was carrying a camera and looked like a tourist. He walked right by soldiers who did not say anything. As he walked through the open market, ducking his head to miss the low roof tops and hanging merchandise, he planned his getaway run if it was necessary. It never was, but he was prepared.

That night his friend gave him a ride to the bus station. He bumbled with his wallet while attempting to get the right amount to pay the fair. His friend felt so bad for the confused looking traveler that she showed him to the bus and told the attendant to look after him and help him get off at the right spot. He got on the bus, smiling, and resuming his confident pose. He felt under his shirt, it was still there. He sat confidently and happily in his seat.

The bus ride was long. Twelve hours long. Luckily he was sitting where there wasn’t enough leg room to be comfortable, otherwise he may have fallen asleep. But no, he stayed up all night long. No one could even attempt to check the contents of his gear.

At 4 a.m. he arrived. Aud was there waiting.

“Good to see you, Aud.”

“You also, James. Get in the car.”

James jumped into the old pickup truck and they began the two hour journey to the small village where he would lay low for a few days before the final push. After hours of consulting, they decided it was the best strategy to make sure everything was ready.

About an hour into the drive, James felt his shirt, and suddenly felt alarmed. It was gone.

He searched his bags, he dug through is pockets. Nothing. It was not there.

“What do we do?” Aud said.

“What do you mean, what do we do?” James roared, “This isn’t a freaking game of Crochet! We drive back and we get it.”

“What if we can’t find it.”

“We have to find it.”

Aud pulled over and quickly turned around, going as fast as the 1990 small Honda pickup truck could carry them back to the bus station from which they had just barely come. James sweat as his mind raced with possibilities of what could have happened. He went over his every move. He considered where he had gone and what he had done. Was it when he stood up? Did he drop it? Was there a someone on the bus who had noticed him feeling it and carefully placed themselves to grab it while he was getting off.

The hour drive back could not go back quick enough.  The thoughts of the ramifications of what would happen could he not find the documents began to creep into his mind, but he refused to let himself think about it. He had to find them.

His heart had nearly beat itself out of his chest by the time they pulled up to the bus station.

Aud drove around looking for a place to park, then found a place to parallel park and was carefully attempting to line up in it.

“Just pull over and stop the car already!” James screamed, losing patience. Aud came to a sudden stop.

James opened the door, and there his bag tumbled toward the concrete. James reached out and grabbed it before it hit the ground. He raised it to show Aud, in near disbelief.

“I guess it was between the door and the seat.” James said quietly smiling.

Aud rolled his eyes as they turned around and made their way back to the village. He had woken up at 2 a.m. to be there on time. It was now 6, and they still had two hours till they got home. “At least the documents are safe.”

“Indeed.” James smiled, and they both laughed.

To be continued…