Granddad

Originally serving with the British Army (Royal Engineers) I was posted to Thailand in 1964. Here I served with the Commonwealth Brigade and we built roads and airfields in the North East of the country to help the Thai effort against the threat of the invasion by communist forces (the Viet Min and Pathet Lao) who were at that time positioned just across the Mekong River in Laos. They were fighting the Royalist troops on the Plane of Jars and had been waging war on the neutralist government since the French colonial forces had left 10 years before. (The communists eventually won the war and now form the government which rules Laos)*

I was withdrawn to the UK in 1966 and left the Army to live a normal civilian life. I retired from work and in 2004 decided to have a holiday in the Land of Smiles and to look up my old airfield and some of the old haunts. It was a very nostalgic journey. During my holiday I cherished the hope that I might be able to spend some time looking for my old girlfriend. (We were separated rather suddenly with yours truly being escorted through Bangkok Airport under arrest and in handcuffs.)

It took some doing and there were many blind alleys, but with only two days of my four month holiday left, I eventually found my old girlfriend. We were both 38 years older than we were when we had last seen each other and she resembled her mother more than the raving beauty that I had left behind. The meeting was very formal and slightly embarrassing until she suddenly said to me, “Sit down, your granddaughter will bring you a drink.” Well, maybe you can imagine my shock. Granddaughter! When I left her I didn’t even know that she was pregnant and now she tells me I’ve got a granddaughter!

Two hours later, after I had got to know my new 14 year old granddaughter, my new daughter came back to the house and for her it was even more traumatic. “Welcome home. This is your Daddy!” Just imagine the thoughts running through her head when she saw her father for the first time.

Well, within eighteen months I had sold my bungalow in the UK and was well on the way to a new life with my new Thai family. Unfortunately, I was not quick enough. I had taken too much time selling my house and settling my affairs. My old girlfriend suffered a heart attack and died 6 weeks before I arrived in Thailand.

Now, I have bought a house for my daughter and the family in Ubon where I live a peaceful life as the “grumpy old grandpa” teaching the grandchildren English. My daughter tells me that there are many Thai widows that are “interested” in me, and so I tell her that she should auction me off to the highest bidder. “No way,” she says, “you are the venerable head of the family and everyone will take care of your every wish. Besides, you give me more money than my husband does.”

*For more information on this secret war read “The Ravens” by Christopher Robbins.