Dtit Jai (ติดใจ – close to heart) To be fond of or to yearn for.

Chapter - Nineteen

Angie – The Switch

I knew Mike and Ben were the best of friends. The brawling in public was just a show to convince the infamous five to expose themselves to everyone. My husband and his buddy were conspiring with Royal Thai Agents to capture the bad guys. A warmth was tingling within my arms and legs. My heart was running over with a sense of desire for Ben.

How did they let these maggot level creatures find their way into the final round? It must have taken a lot of coordination and convincing the aspirants to give up their chance to land at the top. Albeit, Mike did withdraw from the finals. Yet by vote of the top one hundred grand masters in MDCC, Mike claimed second place in the World of MDCC. It was evident Malsa was struck with awe of Mike, as I was with Ben.

Both guys donated their winnings to help the families of those who lost their lives protecting the borders of Thailand. A knot swelled in my throat. Looking at Ben made me feel like I was a giant who could rise above any obstacle in my way. My breath was calm and swollen because of the shouting. I wanted everyone in the world know who my husband was.

I socked Ben on the shoulder and called him a big showoff. He acted like I hurt him. Dog came over and moaned with him. They howled louder. Then they were wrestling on the floor like brothers. They made a beautiful couple.

Ben is the world's greatest athlete, but he can act like a kid. He is just proud to be a husband and a Daddy. He regards Lilly as if she is his biological daughter. When she hurts, he hurts. He treats others better than he was treated in his growing years. He is the most compassionate man I know. After everything I put him through, he has accepted me as if nothing happened. He is a forgive and forget person. I do not know how to repay him. A simple thank you would be superficial. I could fall on my knees and kiss his feet.

The local television station contracted with a company in Bangkok to reproduce the film previously recorded. It was packaged with the new film from the final round of the fight. The two versions sold together for one hundred Baht ($5.00). Within a week it sold one hundred fifty thousand sets.

Ben's royalty was twenty Baht ($1.00) per set. Another twenty Baht for each unit went to help the families of the deceased veterans. The TV station's parent company received forty Baht a bundle. The production company received a final twenty Baht from each sale.

Ben decided he could not keep all that money to himself. We created a trust fund for Lilly's college education and expenses. Any amount left over after that would come to her at graduation. Her intellect is exceptional. My daughter excels in every area that challenges her. She is already a Master in MDCC, and on her way to become a Grand Master. She is a version of the best of Ben and the best of me. She is our little girl, but much wiser.

Twenty-five thousand dollars went to The Respected Mothers Garden Club to help battered women. Twenty-five thousand was given to The Regal Garments Coop to help young women restore their lives. Twenty-five thousand dollars was donated to Rufus' Village to set up a scholarship fund for exceptional students. Another twenty-five thousand dollars went to the Village to upgrade their houses and pave the roads in the community.

The last twenty-five thousand was put into a tax-free retirement account for Ben and me. We were informed that sales from the films would slow down, but would create a little income every month, possibly for a couple of years. Any future films would add to the earnings. We decided that ten percent of the money would go to the church, and the remainder would be added to our retirement program.

Presently is the moment when my life is like a river devoid of ripples, or a boat3 slowly moving on that river without making a wake. The breeze is gentle, and the air flows over the back of my neck. The desire has me wanting the four or five seconds to last forever.

However, there are those times where the waves attack the shore, and the wind rages violently and twist like a crazed woman tormented with pain.

Additionally, there arises the phase when we slip under the covers basting in the warmth that is removed from a world of time or concern. In that state compassion runs the extremes from abandonment to exhausting ourselves in concerns over which we have no power.

I live in a world of abundance. There are ten rooms in my house. Just two kilometers away is a forgotten city of whose only protection for a family from the sun or the rain is a piece of discarded plywood and a few leftover planks from a construction site where a millionaire built his third mansion. The Daddy is a hard worker. He is happy if he gets a one-day job paying ten Baht ($0.50) with which he can buy a fish head and a few vegetables allowing his wife to make soup. He is too proud to accept charity, and to honorable to steal.

I hired him to do a few odd jobs and help take care of my yard once a week. I offered to pay four hundred Baht ($20,00), for one day's work. He refused, and in broken English he chimed, "Pay too much!" I could not believe it, but he negotiated me down to one hundred Baht ($5.00.) Upon discovering where he lived, my heart ached to help him and his family without embarrassing or insulting him.

Dawkmymy was the one who told me that a lot of rich Thais are snobs and probably would pay him only sixty Baht ($3.00,) for a day's work, at the most. She said, "For the four hundred Baht you originally offered him he will work seven days a week, and you will have one faithful employee. If you let him live in that little house on the back of your property he will adore you and your family."

I renegotiated with Raawl to work for Ben and me. He accepted the deal. His wife came with the package. She cleans my house and does the laundry, and would cook for us and watch Lilly when needed. For sixteen hundred Baht ($80.00) a month, I have two grateful employees. I do not know how we got along without them. They are more like family than paid workers.

They live on the property. We feel safe when we are away. They are more than happy about the arrangement. There is a little bit of guilt in my heart. By my standards, they are grossly under paid. Dawkmymy reassured me that by Thai standards the Raawl's family was overpaid. My mind is shifting rapidly producing jumbled thoughts. A warmth swamped me causing my face to turn crimson. I wanted to hide under a table.

Dawmymy went on to say that if I tried to pay him more, he would feel disrespected and lose face. She reminded me that he and his family would expect to be paid a little extra for Thai national holidays, because that is a long-established custom. I was presented a little handbook titled Customs, Standards and Thai Holidays by Wilbert B. Watson in English. I did not know enough to respond. I shook my head positively and said, "Okay! Thank you."

Dawkmymy shared that since I was a Thai citizen by adoption and Ben was a national hero that I would be esteemed as a most favored person in Thailand. Along with that comes a responsibility to be kind, humble and charitable. Present a smile even when you do not feel like it. If someone angers you, always smile. Return a Thai Wye immediately. When sitting, never raise your leg too high. It is an insult with whom you are speaking. Attempting to recall whether my body language was an embarrassment, caused me to cringe.

Dawkmymy finally said, "Immerse yourself in the Thai language. Some phrases mean more than the words themselves. These are written in the pamphlet. If you are not sure what to do just smile." The advice was deeply appreciated initiating in me an aspiration that I had not already made a grave error.

I asked Ben that evening, "Did you know that if you turned a glass upside down in public you were insulting the King?"

"Yes darling. You must have been studying Thai etiquette."

"I hope that my actions have not created a boo boo."

"The Thais are very forgiving people and expect Americans to make mistakes. Don't worry about it."

"But I am concerned!"

"That is what makes you a caring person. Thais are perceptive people and they will know whether you like them. You'll be alright."