TS Wife

difficult for me, but we settled on Tam, which she seemed happy with. I
was aware as we talked that we were flirting, or at least I was, smiling
and touching her just slightly on her hands as we sat at the table. I
smiled a lot, and laughed, and so did she. Neither of us certain what the
other was saying, but our friendly intentions were clear enough. I think
we were both enjoying ourselves when I heard the horn of the bus blowing.
I needed to get back.

I smiled and tried to explain and I left a lot of money behind as I
almost sadly and certainly reluctantly made my way back up the street.
Tam walked with me, though, which I thought was nice and when I arrived
at the bus I happened to wonder if it wouldn't be coming back to this
town in the afternoon, after the temple visit. I asked the driver and he
said that yes, they would be back around 5 or 5:30 for a rest stop. And
so it was I decided to remain behind, telling my Cambodian tour guide
that I would meet the bus on the return trip.

Tam was very happy with this news and she actually hugged me, leaping up
so I had to catch her small form in my arms and hold her as she giggled.
It was quite an experience, let me tell you, and I felt a little
flustered. Of course I wasn't sure what I was going to do for the next 5
hours, perhaps just sit at a café or kiosk and have cokes with Tam, that
would have been interesting enough. But she had other ideas.

She led me back to the small restaurant where I'd had my lunch and first
met her, and then through an alley to a small poor house where a man was
working, building a chair or stool of some sort. She spoke to him and
then he called someone else, an older girl, perhaps 18 or 19 who spoke
somewhat more English than all of the people I'd met in that town put
together. She interpreted for Tam and the man as they spoke.

"Tam would like very much to be with you." The woman told me. "But
this man is Tam's father, he says that you must pay for this."