Camilla On The Way
CAMILLA RUSHED BACK TO THE Railway Hotel. It didn't take her long to pack her bag, pay her bill, and be on her way.
'Going so soon?' said the hotel's night receptionist.
'Yes, my sweet thing, I'll see you next time.'
The powerful liquid-cooled engine purred as it left the driveway. It must have realised it had a long journey ahead of it.
Hua Hin was a blur; Cha-Am came and went. Tha Yang, a gangster town, caused no problem. But as Camilla pulled into a petrol station through Phetchaburi, the gang of youths sitting with a bottle of cheap whisky leered. As the bouncy blonde waves were loosened and the black helmet lifted. Her skintight leather trousers were too much for the gang leader. He could not resist commenting. The Thai slang was lost on Camilla, but caused all the gang to laugh by adding their ribald thoughts.
Camilla answered by raising her middle finger; the meaning was not lost on the louts. The petrol pump attendant who had filled the tank turned and ran for the shelter of his cash booth, locking himself in. He knew these boys.
The twenty-something boys thrust their pelvis forward and strutted ahead in some strange movement, like a dance move. The gang knew and understood. They all slid towards her, with the gang leader at the front.
Cigarette hanging loosely from his sneering mouth. The leader moved closer; he hadn't stopped talking. Knowing the girl understood, not a word. Most Thais would struggle to understand, especially as he jabbered on in Phetchaburi slang. He was brave, with his friends a step behind. Camilla calmly removed the petrol nozzle from the full Trans-alp tank. She leaned against the machine, waiting for the brave boys to get in touching distance.
The leader's erect member was now on show. The excited lad loosened the front of his fake Levis. He grabbed himself to catcalls from his mates. Forgetting, he still held his half-smoked Marlboro. The blonde biker did not forget. Camilla calmly and slowly swished the petrol nozzle in his direction. The boy was doused in fuel from left shoulder to right hip. On contact with the glowing cigarette's tip, it caused a diagonal flash of flames. A yelp of fear caused the now flaccid young man to search for a bucket of water in vain. It is surprising how well fake Levis burns.
Camilla flicked her hair as she turned to replace the petrol nozzle in its holder. She said, 'If this place is full of idiots like you, it is no wonder this town has the most temples per capita. No surprise there are a lot of funerals.'
The lads missed her words; they were too busy dousing the flames.
'At least there would now be no son to follow in his father's footsteps,' she laughed.
Camilla mounted her bike, waved goodbye, and went on her journey.
The rest of the trip to Bangkok was uneventful. She parked and wandered into the lobby of her rented condo. She readied her front door key. Her neighbour rushed up and complained about the smell coming from her unit. Camilla noticed the stink and answered. 'Probably one of those delightful bar girls you usually bring round here.'
With that, she went in.
The office runner, a young, good-looking lad, had taken quite a shine to Camilla. He thought she was the girl for him; he had presented her with the cutest kitten before she left for Hua Hin. She had forgotten all about it. The heat of the city made a welcome host for maggots. She picked up the kitten's body and dumped it in the bin without a thought for the kitten or the boy.
There was not much else in the kitchen that could go bad. She found a packet of Ma-Ma instant noodles, poured on the boiling water, and enjoyed her meal. With the cat forgotten, she prepared a larger backpack, this time without a bikini. Camilla was ready to go. Soi Asoke, with its lively nightlife, would not miss her. Likewise, she would not long for the company of bar workers or their customers.
She had thought it would be good. Dreams of being a female Bernard Trink, writing a popular nightlife column as Bernard did, was a good idea. However, she was soon bored with that plan, and her real goal was coming to fruition.
She happily left the twenty bars behind in Soi Cowboy. It was named because of a long-term resident who always wore a cowboy hat, even in the bath, it was said.
The bike roared towards Lopburi; extraordinary, if you are a soldier or a monkey, there are plenty of both to be seen. She swerved a colossal fight, not squaddies, but rampant male monkeys. Both think they are the right male to breed with a young female. She shamelessly shunned both for a bigger and older male to father her first babies.
The Heavenly City of Nakhon Sawan, the place she had chosen for a break. A little saddle sore, she was happy to stretch her legs. She needed food and rest after about 180 miles from her deserted condo.
There is no better place for freshwater shrimps than the confluence of the Ping and the Nan rivers. These two rivers meet in Nakhon Sawan to form Bangkok's most significant river, the Chao Phraya. Although most of the area is flat, the city rises above swampy land. Camilla found a family-friendly restaurant offering some just-caught freshwater prawns. Served with extremely hot chillies, a shame as she lost the shrimp flavour in the fierce power of chilli.
She was not there to write about a food excursion in Thailand. The glass of cold water did not cool her burning lips; Pepsi helped, but not much.
She decided against staying longer; she would rest at the next stop.
She decided against spending time in the "Diamond Wall" known to Thais as Kamphaeng Phet.
Her bike appeared happy to get going towards the banana capital of Thailand. If they were lucky, they would see the banana festival. Camilla had had enough banana-shaped things, so she was not interested in the festival. She was happier to carry on through and head for Sukhothai. The Rising to Happiness was the next town to stop, needing petrol for the bike and rest for herself. Deciding the hotel near the old town ruins would suit her needs. She pulled up, checked in, and went to the second-floor room. Where she luxuriated in a foam bath, relaxing away the ache in her muscles. The free-standing tub was once again all the rage for hotel designers. This one, however, was original. The right-hand side gave a disjointed view of the town. Looking through its patterned frosted glass.
Now it's time for food. Feeling great, Camilla wandered to the small but busy night market. She checked out the local fare. Sitting at a metal folding table waiting for her food, a young man approached her, offering a bicycling tour. 'See the historical sites,' he said. She laughed at the tour agent. Telling him in no uncertain terms that bicycling was the last thing she needed. While this somewhat heated confrontation was taking place, a pair of blue falang eyes were taking an interest.
The good-looking German signalled to the cyclist to come across. The lad, thinking he had a punter for his next ride around the old town, hastily joined the German at his table. Meanwhile, Camilla was concentrating on her som tam Thai. It was not as spicy but nearly as lively and delicious as her previous meal.
The local Thai lad pocketed the money offered by the German. Whose left eye started twitching; the tic only appeared when he was excited.
The German, whose Thai language command was faultless, watched as his new employee wander the few steps to Camilla's table. He clumsily walked straight into the rickety table. The som tam landed in her lap, the spicy fluids soaked straight through her jeans and underwear. The chillies made her jump as the spicy wetness burned deep into her. The German was quick to her aide, berating the Thai lad in fluent Thai. A smile passed between the males without the girl noticing.
'Let me help you back to your room,' said a very gracious German.
'Thank you, but I can manage.'
'I insist,' he said as he helped her across the road. Camilla resisted the need to scratch in public. Her room key was in her pocket, which she fumbled for as the ever-helpful German tried to assist.
Camilla leaned on the wall next to her room, slapped the door as hard as she could, and glared at the man until he opened it.
'Thank you, but you can go now!' she screamed at him.
The half-open door was pushed back. She squeezed through, slamming it behind her. The only thought in her mind was to jump into the bath to salve the burning sensation.
The German pocketed the room key.
Camilla lay back in the hot bath. She added the hotel's bubble bath, and the bubbles reached her chin. She closed her eyes, and the pain slowly eased. She enjoyed the sensation, thriving on her body's reaction to pain.
Silently, the German entered the room. He crossed the bedroom and edged towards the bathroom. Going inside, he stood behind her head, staring down at her bubble-covered, lithe body. He bent, leaning forward, and slowly encircled her throat with his strong fingers. He was panting with excitement. His tic was disco dancing.
At his first touch, her eyes opened. Instantly alert.
A glimmer of a smile creased her lips. A small show of surprise crossed his brow; this would not have been so much fun. She must enjoy it.
Camilla bent her legs and slid forward. Sinking deeper, the bathwater now covered her face. The man's arms were now straight; he had to lean further forward to keep his grip; he was now off balance. The underwater girl grabbed his elbows. Pushed them together, forcing his joints inward, he had to release his hold. Camilla slid along the bath's bottom. She did a backward somersault and crashed her knees into the back of the German's neck. His mouth opened, trying to fill his lungs with air; he was too slow; he filled his lungs with soapy water.
His face was now submerged; she pinned him that way. The bubbles escaping from the corners of his mouth were lost in millions of cosmetic friends.
He was now lying on his chest underwater, except for his shins and feet, which were sticking up in the air.
She remained on his back; without the water, he would have enjoyed that position.
Camilla had some thinking to do. She remained on his back, which was comfortable, at least for her, while she decided what to do next.
She was not at fault for his attack. But she could not afford the time until the police were satisfied with the reports and statements. She needed a rest and then must get going, not waste time at a local police station.
Earlier, she had noticed a large laundry basket further along the corridor. She wrapped herself in a large bath towel and opened the door. Looking left and right, no one was about. The basket was at the end of the passage, even better than she remembered, as it had wheels. Pacing the corridor to the basket, one of the neighbouring bedroom doors opened. A man came out dressed for a stroll.
'Hello, no clothes?' he inquired.
'If it's any of your business, I'm looking for a clean, dry towel.'
'Behind the big basket at the end is a storage room; they keep all the laundry.'
'Thank you, and no need to keep staring at my legs.'
The guest huffed as he strolled past her. Camilla grinned as she reached the storage room and glanced in, 'Perfect.'
She wheeled the basket back to her bathroom. Slid the corpse to the edge of the bath, with a considerable effort, she rolled him over the edge and into the basket.
The now much heavier laundry basket was pushed back towards the storage room. Camilla had to think and maybe take a gamble. She needed to buy herself some critical time. Scratching her wet hair, she had a choice. She could leave the body where it was. But the staff would arrive for their next shift organising the washing. Sliding the dirty sheets and towels along with the German down the chute may be noticed immediately. Camilla did not know if the washing was done in the basement or taken away daily by a laundry company. Either way, she needed to gain time. The decision was made quickly; she would have to hide the body, and somewhere here would be ideal.
Looking around the store, she spotted a stack of washed and ironed linen. It looked like it was all old and kept as spare or backup stuff. All she had to do was slide the body onto the third shelf and cover it with sheets and towels. That sounds easy until you try moving a still, warm, soft body. Sweat was pouring from pores she didn't know she had.
The German looked very comfortable on his shelf, but he looked less happy when he was covered in white cotton. He was hidden at least for a day or two when he started smelling, which was no problem; by then, Camilla would be well gone.
She calmly returned the basket precisely as she had found it. She then went back to her room, ran a new hot tub using the last of the bubble bath, and, very pleased with herself, jumped in.
After bathing, she had a long and very relaxing sleep.
Setting off and determined to have no incidents during the next stage. She rode safely but as quickly as she felt comfortable, wasting no time.
She skirted the Mae Wa National Park, heading for Thailand's second city of Chiang Mai. Route Number One before switching to Route Eleven to the walled second city.