“You’ve got to be kidding me,” she listened to Luhan grumble after the taxi left them standing there in front of a row of large houses and a major road beside them.

Traffic was ongoing and there didn’t even seem to be a second’s pause. It was crazy.

“This is a highway,” Luhan stated watching the cars go on by.

As the wind whished passed Namjoo also turned around to look at the busy road then twisted it back to the huge crowd on the other side of the street. Far down behind them, she spotted a lot of traffic lights and a large wide building.

Yes, she’d seen that place before. She’d caught sight of the faraway building towering over the smaller businesses tower connected to small shops. She’d caught sight of it when they’d been on the run from those two homeless men.

“He was joking with us…” Luhan kept going on under his breath before she turned him around.

“Over there,” Namjoo pointed out.

“What are you going on about?”

“There are houses over there,” Namjoo reminded him, “down by that river you fell in.”

A hint of remembrance glinted in his eyes, “Are you sure it’s over there?”

“Yes,” she nodded, “come on.”

After crossing those roads of terror by running as if fleeing from some sort of monster they finally arrived at the familiar cracked road along the river brigaded by that short brick wall. A rest stop with benches sat right around the corner and without stopping they continued on worn out. This road was definitely more casual and less common with cars, but motorcycles.

Two minutes passed by before the intersection leading to a narrower road on their right caught her attention. Right beside a shabby building was a small stream protected by tall weeds and very short grass.

Tugging on Luhan’s arm to stop him from going ahead she said, “Over here. There’s only the bigger road up ahead.”

Crossing the street they started down the narrower uneven road. There was a lot of fresh weed growing out of the common cracks along the side of the road where pieces of it had chipped off. At the far end of the street was another street busy with cars, which either meant the house was along this road or down the intersection at the right ahead.  

The houses each were blocked by a rusting, but sturdy gate. There was a blue house, but it wasn’t 708. At last they finally turned to the right where they heard three dogs furiously barking from inside a yellow house.

Up ahead stood a blue house, but before it was a splendid mahogany colored traditional open Thai house on the right. It looked handmade, bordered together with nails and strong wood. A tall staircase at the side led to the second floor and an open room on the first level had been decorated with a table, a grill, and a TV set. It looked like a nice home for vacation. A small rectangular pool of green water sat underneath the staircase, but she couldn’t see if there were any fish inside before Luhan caught sight of the house hidden behind a black gate along the left.

708 stared back at them in silver numbers. Luhan turned to look at her before stepping through the door of the open gate to standing in front of the blue home. Shoes were scattered along the small area of smooth red brick underneath their feet. Once her eyes drifted up to that silver front door she pressed her lips together.

“Wait, hold on,” Luhan grabbed her shoulder when she began to move forward. “Lets think this over.”

“What is there to think over?” Namjoo turned to look at him.  

“First, we don’t know what goes on in there,” Luhan stated, “two, we don’t know what this man does.”

Shrugging his hand off she turned away, “We have no choice right now and we’re finally here anyway. Lets just get this over with.”

Namjoo gently bit her tongue. Stupid Luhan was making her nervous and her nerves stand on end. This was a bad idea, it had been one from the start, but if this gun would benefit them in the long run they really did have no choice.

Her heart almost leapt out of her chest when she stepped forward and the door opened. A man paused; caught off guard by them, she halted, and they stared at each other.

“What are you here for?” the round man with two chins greeted.

“We’re here to see Fluke,” Namjoo responded hiding her intimidation by putting on a haughty posture.

The man eyed them again before turning his head and screamed out, “Someone here to see you, man!”

Then without any curiosity walked out and passed by. Namjoo stared at the silver door and took in a deep breath before stepping in. The sound of Luhan’s soft steps behind her coaxed her somewhat as she looked at the little drawers placed against the wall as she stepped in. A shelf with cubed holes serving as a small divider between this room and the next was filled with various collections of models and military toys.

There was an oval dining room table right behind the shelf and two little steps that led up to the living room furnished with a wooden couch and a TV. It was a neat little platform. After a turn to the right was a small kitchen with every little necessity; sink, cups, rice cooker, plates, cupboards, and a place for towels. Before she decided where the cooking was done a voice interrupted.

“Who are you?”

Turning to the right again she spotted a bald man in a casual Hawaiian button-down shirt sitting on another chair across from the couch she’d seen with crossed legs. She hadn’t seen him due to the angle she was at and felt intimidated by the presence of his baldness. He looked serious and mean. The expression on his face was very stern with business and didn’t look like the kind vulnerable to jokes.

Namjoo could see him wearing a black eye patch over one eye with a sword in one hand. That was it, he resembled an arrogant pirate.

With a wave of his finger he said, “Come up.”

Still weary over the fact that if they saw Luhan’s face up close and remembered how he looked like, they could dig out his real identity, so upon deciding she’d be the only one to go up she turned.

“I talk to him,” Namjoo whispered underneath her breath to which Luhan only stared in return.   

“Careful,” his voice barely entered her ears before she bravely started up those two short steps.

Cautious to keep distance she paused after two big steps leaving a fair enough gap between them so that if something were to occur, she’d have enough distance to run.

“And you are?” his face barely moved as he spoke.

“Jade,” Namjoo immediately lied.

“And he is…”

“My husband, Jerry.”  

“And you’re here for…”

He asked and paused almost as if he’d been expecting them. Namjoo refuted the thought. This guy was in the market and it was perhaps normal for him to receive unfamiliar customers. These questions must be the norm for him. It was probably his way of being cautious.

“I want to get a gun, but I don’t have the requirements for it. I can’t afford the time to wait and register for a gun. Then I heard about you.”

Fluke chuckled, “Is this gun for you or that man over there?”

Namjoo tried not to turn back to look at Luhan, “We both need it.”

“You both need it?” he repeated slowly as if verifying the words she’d said. “So, why not two?”

Without expecting to, her brows shot up in mere surprise. Then she quickly worried if she’d made the wrong move and gave them away. But actually, it’d been a thought that had never been brought up between her and Luhan.

Two guns…

But what was the price for two guns?

Fluke smirked knowing he’d caught her. Further leaning back into his seat he crossed his arms, “If you carry out a job for me, I can get you two guns.”

A job…but jobs weren’t always clean. But then again, two guns sounded good. Again, what if this was a trick? Could this man even be trusted?

“What do you say?” he poked into her thoughts.

“What kind of job?”

“It’s not that bad,” was all he said. “So, what do you say? Would you rather pay $200 for one gun, or do a job for two?” Turning away he rubbed his forefinger and his thumb together. “It’s a good deal. You’re lucky you’ve come at a good time or else the fee would be yours to pay.”  

Luhan would kill her if this job was a bad one.

“We’ll do it,” Namjoo answered.

Fluke put his hands down and looked at her, “Wait here.”

She watched him get up and head toward the stairs a little down to their right and listened to him slowly walk up. When making sure that he’d disappeared she pressed her lips together praying for the best. She could feel Luhan’s eyes burning into the back of her head, calling for her to turn around to look at him and say something, but if she turned she was afraid. Namjoo was afraid that she’d tell him what she’d done and he’d do something reckless only to leave them paying the price for the gun, or they might not even get the gun at all.  

When footsteps trampled the air she quickly looked toward the stairs to see Fluke coming down with something in his hand. It was a square package wrapped in a long white envelope.

She knew. She knew it! It was something bad. Some kind of drug and they were being asked to deliver it. If the cops caught them, it’d be over. Or if they were able to complete the job, she’d feel guilty for the rest of her life.

Returning to his seat crossed his legs again, “Bring this money to my daughter in Thon Buri and make sure she’s living well. I’ll call tomorrow to make sure she’s got the money. I’ll give you the gun then.”

He wanted them to get the job done today? However, there was no way she could dispute with him.

“How do I know she’s your daughter?”

“Tell them you’re looking for Lord Fluke’s daughter, someone will bring you to her.”

She watched him hold the envelope out to her and took it without word. Turning around she started toward Luhan.

“I’ll explain on the way out, so don’t say anything,” Namjoo immediately whispered and as she went by.

Luhan tailed her out and once the door closed she waited for him to step up beside her. While they made their way to the busier road she pressed her fingers against the bundle of money. It felt like a lot and questions were springing in her head. What was Fluke’s daughter like? Why so much money? Why not have it delivered by mail?

“He wants us to deliver money to his daughter,” Namjoo explained, “in return for two guns.”

“Two guns?” Luhan repeated. “Two guns?”

“Better than one,” Namjoo said. “And he wants us to deliver it now.”

“Now!? It can’t wait until tomorrow?”

Namjoo nodded as she stopped and waved an arm out for a taxi.

“Then where is she? Where are we going?” Luhan followed her in and shut the door.

Namjoo turned to look at him, “Thon Buri.”

Thon Buri was located on the west bank of the Chao Phraya River; nothing like anything she or Luhan had ever imagined.

After a long drive along the highway the taxi dropped them off at an open pier, explaining that the most efficient way into Thon Buri was by boat. When the taxi left she and Luhan turned to stare at each other unexpecting this. Then without word they turned toward what looked like murky water and a wooden dock built by the edge. A few people were loading onto a Thai styled canal boat with just a metal roof overhead. It looked low, as if water could get into the boat when it started.

Noticing them the driver shouted toward them and she felt Luhan push her forward.

The boat rocked back and forth unsteadily as they climbed into the back seat together. They ended up sitting where the engine was and throughout the ride, unenjoyably listened to it roar loudly. Water splashed on her face and for miles she saw nothing, but murky water and more murky water.

Did people really live out here? How? When it rained, was it scary? How did they deal with typhoons, if ever such hit? How many people have drowned here before?

She worried for a second that they were going somewhere out of Bangkok and at the same time still couldn’t believe they were still in the city. Tall green grass stuck out of the water swaying back and forth with the wind as if saying “Hi” as they passed.

Suddenly a steep wooden stairway built into the water leading up to the second floor of a tall home crushed between other houses came into sight. A clothesline was up and clothes were hanging to dry underneath the lower roof above it. Right above that lower roof were two open windows belonging to a bedroom and on the weak looking veranda were plotted plants in various pots.

The endearing sight quickly disappeared and Namjoo twisted around in her seat to stare at the five houses behind her. She was stunned by the sight she’d never have thought of before. Yet, she still couldn’t understand how people lived out here on the water.

A few minutes later the boat suddenly came to a stop by a concrete platform. A building came into sight and Namjoo spotted vendors standing inside with souvenirs for sale. There was a man with a fat yellow snake wrapped around his shoulders calling out to attract customers. That was when Namjoo noticed various tourist guides standing around with their group of tourists. She stared at them wondering if Sungjae was there before the driver yelled at them.

Namjoo turned to look at the dark man dressed in nothing, but a simple blue shirt and baggy clothed shorts; dressing as if he was from the countryside. His thin pile of black hair swirled over his head greasily and he looked almost unpleasant.   

Crossing over the seats she stopped when she finally reached him, “Excuse me, but I’m looking for Lord Fluke’s daughter. Have you, by any chance, heard of her?”

His face turned into utter surprise, “Lord Fluke’s daughter? Why are you looking for her?”

“I have something to deliver,” Namjoo replied, “can you take me to her?”

The man sighed as if troubled, “I’m supposed to head back and pick up more customers.” His eyes darted away to think some more before turning to her, “All right, since I feel a bit sorry, I will take you.”

Starting the engine again, they were off. The ride lasted almost another 15 minutes and this time around Namjoo spotted some kids sitting on docks outside of their homes playing traditional games or eating out of banana leaves or cheap silver bowls. Their lives looked very simple, but at the same time very difficult. How they bared the heat and ate fish their parents bought from the market or fished themselves daily, she couldn’t imagine. She even had difficulty eating the same thing two days in a row.

Watching these kids made her look spoiled in nature. She’d received too good of a life to complain about anything else. Yet, she also felt sorry. Living so far away from the city the kids probably couldn’t obtain normal everyday education and their parents must have to work so much harder for food.

How much food did they get per day? Two dollars’ worth?   

Some young children watched them go by from the second floor of their home and others from the stairs. Thinking about how they’d never tasted even a simple drink like soda made Namjoo feel sorry about how they lived, but anyhow; this was their lifestyle and their culture.

“She should be in this house,” the driver explained stopping the boat by a long, steep staircase of a faded turquoise home. “Poor thing, refuses to go back to her father after all this time. Well then, good luck.”

Wondering what he meant by what he’d said, she grabbed the railing of the staircase and felt the driver help steady her over. Luhan joined her a few seconds later by skillfully hopping off the boat.

For a few seconds she in-took the sounds of the water lapping against the staircase and slowly started up the staircase while listening to the engine of the canal boat drift into the distance. With a few more steps she reached the veranda and paused. Clutching onto the money she turned to look at Luhan.

“Do you think something is going on here?”

“What do you mean?”

“Doesn’t it look like Fluke is living a very comfortable lifestyle? But why is his daughter at a place like this?” Namjoo asked.

“It’s not our place to meddle in their business,” Luhan reminded. “Lets just give her the money and find a way back. I doubt it’s going to be easy getting back to land like this.”

“Who are you?” a voice caused them to turn surprised.

A little girl of six stared up at them dressed in a tank top and shorts. Her hair had been smartly bundled up into a strict bun. She didn’t look intimidated by them as her posture remained with arms at her sides, her head tilted up.

The last thing Namjoo had expected was encountering a child along the trip. Looking at her reminded her of her own daughter.

Did Fluke’s daughter live alone with her daughter here, like how she lived alone with Mi Yun?

The little girl continued staring up at them while waiting for an answer. The more Namjoo stared at her, the more she saw herself in the reflection of her eyes. Namjoo couldn’t tell if this was more haunting or a reminder to her about her own lifestyle. 

***And so here we are, Namjoo & Luhan are out on a job only to encounter the least expected: a child and to be stranded on a landless district. As Namjoo reflects on her own life and her decisions, she'll also come to think about other possibilities that could have happened if she hadn't been so hurt. And through all this, some hint of romance ^^

***I've been to Bangkok before, so I'm writing some of these places out of memory and most of it through quick research. I hope it's been a good read so far!