One day I woke up far from home in a foreign city, naked and alone in the hotel room. I felt a throbbing pain, a pulsing and thumping as if there was an elephant stampede across my warm forehead. The first thing I craved for was a strong black coffee with one spoonful of white sugar and two Camel Turkish American cigarettes, water is never enough to resolve the morning hangover. I managed to stand up onto my feet without any effort to cover my body since the heat was too much to bare in the tropical climate. I navigated my way around the room by looking down onto the white marble floor. The black dose of liquid and le premier cigarette went into the works and gradually helped to shoo the elephants away. With the second cigarette lighted, my memory of the previous day began to return as I sat under the Thai sun.
I had laid on the beige sun bed by the hotel pool the day before. It was my last day in Karon Beach. There was nobody to strike up an open friendly conversation with. There were people everywhere but none of the guest spoke English. There were Russians to my left, Russians to my right and Russian children playing Marco Polo in the swimming pool. Russians had invaded half of Phuket and it had amazed me. The men were either ugly with huge bellies fed by money and power or stocky military-muscular scary. All the women were slim fit and insanely beautiful. My skin was the only tanned Caucasian male in the hotel, the Russian skin was white as snow. The sun had trouble turning their pale bodies brown. Their whiteness was permanently imprinted on them.
Slowly, I descended down the ladder into the pool and swam a few laps Breaststroke across the perfect temperature water. I felt that the Russian Mafia had steadily watched every stroke. The Australians are born under the sun to swim and do their best to win gold in the Olympics. The Russians can have their Vodka and gymnastics. After a ten laps, I changed my stroke to Butterfly position. I was in the mood to show off my skills. The Russian kids rested aside and did not move an inch until I was satisfied and off swimming towards the pool bar.
A young Thai man approached me and said something in Russian, I looked at him dazed and confused at him. English man I said considerately. He was relieved and said It is good to finally communicate in a language that I can speak. I chuckled and ordered two Bloody Mary's; It had clicked over to happy hour. The Barman performs his role and starts up a conversation, opening up without care. He told me that did not like Russians and thought that they are very rude and aggressive. He questioned if I was traveling solo. Traveling alone is the best way to go man! The road to open up to all possibilities, I explained to him with enthusiasm and order another drink. When Mary was in front of me, I tipped the server. Russians never tip, the young barman exclaimed. Australians and Americans at least give a little. He was very grateful for every Thai Baht for his pocket. It made me feel better about myself. He had shared more about his life and his daily struggles living in Thailand. It could have been his technique to sprinkle in some pity to make extra money from the guests. Regardless, I was grateful for his company on my last day in Phuket and paid the extra price to be kept occupied.
A huge bald man swam up to the bar and requested two drinks in his broken English accent, Vodka et Sprite. The barman got the glasses and filled them up with ice, pouring a single shot of Vodka into the cup. Instantly, after the single shot was poured, the large man pointed to the bottle and raised his right hand to the mid-air, closed his hand into a fist and shook his fist left and right rapidly. I am pretty sure he wants more Vodka than what you poured. I said to the barman, but he already knew and said something to the customer in Russian. The man got very frustrated and turned over his left shoulder and yelled in his native tongue to a young girl nearby. She swam up to the bar, her was body was absolutely gorgeous in the black bikini with her long, light brown hair pushed back. She looked ten years younger than the beast. She ordered the barman to level off the Vodka under half way. The situation got out of control between the three of them. A headache had grown over me just from watching them argue over extra price for two minutes. I decided that I could not handle any more drama in paradise. Listen buddy, I'll pay for the damn drinks just give them what they want and I'll have a beer while you're at it. The barman was relieved, Thank you, he said directly looking at me. The couple looked over to me and witnessed that I paid the bill with suspicion, rather more annoyed. American? The young girl asked me, Australian, I quickly answered with a half-smile. We held our drinks in the mid-air and the glasses touched.
Time drifted slowly in the water and I learned more about my new friends. The two of them had been married for nine years and had two children. They were from Moscow. Although with the language barrier between us, I consistently had to refer to a translating app on my iPhone when we got lost in words. There was an angry and rude vibe from the husband. He spoke with a soft tone in English rather the harsh Russian projecting from his throat when he spoke to his wife, Olga. She was very attractive and looked particularly delicate. She spoke very politely. I adore her accent. I consider her husband a lucky man and told him without thinking of my actions. He rolled his eyes backwards after I said that to him. Olga had noticed his reaction as he smeared a sound of disappointment.
I took up the invitation to have a drink with the couple in their room and followed them as they lead the way, arguing with each other in Russian. It seemed the life of a true married couple. Their sons were a separate room next door. The youngest was five years old and the eldest was eight. They were occupied playing games on their phones. Andrei was waiting by table holding a drink up to my face when I approached him. He poured two tequila shots half way up the glass. Are you crazy man! I cried. Too much? No? He asked looking direct into my eyes. I took the damn glass anyway and said cheers in Russian, Ypa (ura). We slammed the tequila and ate a strip of mango for the chaser. I had never tasted anything so smooth with a kick. He poured another shot half way up the glass again. Andrei held the drink up in my face again. Don't drink if you no want, I heard his wife say to behind me as she walked closer towards us, Andrei drinks too much. She ordered him to stop drinking and he told her to shut her mouth. They argued in front of me as I stood there lost in translation. It's all good, how about we smoke a cigarette? I suggested as I cut right in the middle of them and stopped them from going at each other. Andrei poured a vodka and Sprite for me and himself, he left his wife an empty cup beside the bottles and we sat on the balcony awkwardly after she made her mix.
There was peace and harmony for a short amount of time as the cool breeze blew over us. I sat there studying them, their language was deep and sounded real hard and aggressive. You know women, Andrei said looking at me, make man unhappy, he grinned as placed his both hands on his throat and pretend to choke himself. He sleep with many women, Olga said shortly with an intense frown on upon her face and she insisted that I go with them to the restaurant. I tied to refuse the offer and told them that it would be awkward with their sons, knowing that I felt rather drunk to be involved. They stay. We go. You come! She said stiffly as I leaped back in my chair from the force of her demanding tone. She gave me no choice and I agreed to join them for dinner. Andrei lit up another cigarette and gave me one as he transformed himself into a happier mood as Olga left the veranda delighted.
After we killed our cigarettes and he asked, You come да? I shook my head and we both stood up. He made his way to see his sons and I went to my backpack beside the washroom. The door was ajar and the gap was wide enough to see right through it. I looked right into the reflection of the large mirror. Olga was drying her naked body with a towel. One leg was raised up as she patted it down softly. My heart was beating very hard. Impossible to resist and turn away. It only took less than five-seconds until she had noticed me and did not flinch with embarrassment and continued to dry her body. We meet soon? да? She said loudly behind the door and I slid back, Very soon! I said nervously and exited the room.
Karon road was filled with tourist on the narrow path way. We moved in segments. Stalled in a few spots to let the other people pass. Olga looked very attractive with her black and white striped shirt dress with a black belt around her waist. Andrei was very plain and simple; Large blue golf shirt with white shorts and flip flops. I left the hotel with some effort; blue denim jeans and black V-neck. We found a nice little restaurant on the main strip that served a range of dishes from western to local. Dinner was smooth and delicious with me and Olga eyeing each other, trying to read each other's minds privately. Andrei ordered far too much to drink. I came to my conclusion that he was an alcoholic. Olga lost her patience with him. I failed to aid her to slowing the big guy down. Andrei kept on refilling the empty glasses with bourbon. This man is mad! Olga raised her voice loud enough for opposite table to hear. Let him be. I suggested. It was not long until he began to drift sideways and mumbled his words, mixing them in three languages in English, French and Russian within one sentence. Olga reached out her hand and tried to snatched his drink away. Andrei leaped out of his seat and moved in towards her with his stomach on the edge of the table. He had pushed her shoulder back and she dropped her glass to on the ground. She had shown no signs of fear. It was clear it was not the first time she has been mistreated badly. Andrei face was red. The scene had reminded me of something that I read from Junky; The main character beats his wife after she hid the dope from him. He slapped her furiously until the poor girl surrendered and returned the drugs. Andrei ordered another drink while Olga sat with her arms and legs crossed without a word. I was speechless in the chair and shaped the ash of my cigarette on the rim of the ashtray, waiting for Andrei to drown his damn drink and return to the hotel.
It was a long walk back to the hotel with Andrei stumbling all over the sidewalk. Raging on his words and he pushed Olga off the sidewalk and pushed me up against a wall. It was hard to make sense of his anger and why he had behaved so violently. There was nothing that could prevent the man from terrorising us. In the room, he slowly fell onto the mattress and was out cold, ending his night in a shape of a star. Will you be ok? I asked Olga, looking at her beautiful brown eyes. She told me not to fear for her and noticed that the bottle of Sprite was empty. I had a lemon soda in my room. We decided to have one last Vodka mix together in my room, we felt that we needed it.
The hot humid air filled my room when we entered and I fit the key card in to brighten up the dark room and switched on the aircon. Olga took a seat on the sofa when I poured the drinks. We did not say much to each other for the first five minutes. She cursed about her husband and I listened to her as I sat on the edge of the bed. The veranda doors were wide open to let the blue waves of the cigarettes smoke escape. She whined about the heat and waved her hand as a fan against her face. It is because the door is open for the smoke. I will close it after. I explained to her sarcastically and went to make another round of drinks. Olga lit up another cigarette and blew out an enormous cloud of smoke. She moved back against the green cushion, with her white thin pretty legs across the sofa. She loosens her three top buttons from her dress and rested her weight on her right side of her body. One of her breast was exposed and the other one was still covered under the dress. Everything inside me got very excited. I passed her the drink with the most wicked grin of joy and sat back down on the bed and watched her take a swing from her glass. She demanded to know if I was turned on and I had to admit, I liked what I saw. Olga stood up from the sofa and threw the cigarette out the door before closing it and took my drink off my hand. Her face was so close to mine that I could smell the sweetness of the lemon Vodka from her breath and then her tongue was in my mouth, contortive sweeps of my mouth as it turned upside down. I unstrapped her belt and her dress fell to the floor. We moved further up onto the mattress, striping every material off our bodies until I slid in while she was on top of me. Both of her hands moved slowly around my hair and worked their way down to my round shoulders, gripping them so tightly as she began to thrust onto me. I held her tight by the calves and squeeze them hard. She panted harder and harder as she moved against my body. It was difficult to switch position and it took every bone in my body to force while her hands pressed me into the mattress. Eventually, we slowed down and she lifted herself off me, turning her pale body around and leaning back she arched and rested on her arms on the bed and let me appreciate the occasion with a feeling of total bliss.
Leaving the room was terrifying. I wheeled my suitcase on the longest route to the front desk to avoid Andrei. The fear of him was tremendous; the idea of him ripping me in half with his big white bear hands. I quickly signed the receipt and checked out as fast as possible. I hid behind a wall, chain smoking cigarette after cigarette until the airport shuttle arrived...Olga would not soon be forgotten.
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