IBO - Brian R. Lundin (100 books to read in a lifetime .txt) 📗

of about a square mile.
“Let’s take a walk inside,” Askido said.
As they passed some of the people smiled at them and bowed in a prayer like gesture.
They returned the bows and Askido explained, “The bow is a form of greeting that goes back further back than I know and it is called a Wai.”
They walked through the outer gate before entering through an inner gate on the right-hand side was the Royal Thai Decoration and Coin Pavilion was located. The displays displayed coins and other monetary exchanges used in Thailand since the early 11th Century AD, as well as Royal regalia, decorations and medals used in the former royal courts.
“This palace begun in 1782 when Bangkok was founded as the capital of Thailand,” Askido said.
Askido led them into the compound that consisted of several buildings with highly decorated architectural designs, the royal chapel or Wat Phra Kaeo, which enshrined the Emerald Buddha image. After a short walk around the grounds, they returned to their car. As they the driver turned on to Na Phrarhat Road and Askido pointed out the Wat Mahathat, an old temple built during the reign of King Rama I. The temple now houses Mahaachulalongkorn Buddhist University, one of the two highest seats of Buddhist learning in Thailand and offers mediation classes for foreigners.
They returned to the vehicle and Askido told the driver to take them to Pak Khlongtalat.
“Pak Khlongtalat is a wholesale market for all kinds of cut flowers and vegetables and the colorful array of flowers and the bustling atmosphere give it its charm,” Askido said.

Their next stop was at an outdoor boxing ring. Two young, muscular well-tanned men wearing what looked like diapers were in a boxing ring performing graceful movements.
“They’re dancing,” Askido said, but your countrymen call it Thai Boxing.
The last stop on their tour was the Crocodile Farm 30 kilometers south of the city. It was a large farm that a sign revealed had over 30,000 fresh and saltwater crocodiles, trained elephants, gibbons, lions and snakes. It also advertised a Dinosaur Museum where various species of life-size creatures of dinosaurs and their skeletons were on display and exciting crocodile wrestling shows were performed every hour.
“Well I guess you guys have worked up an appetite and it’s about time to meet Morressy,” Askido said.
“Thank for the tour and the history lessons,” Malik said.
“You’re welcome she said, you can reciprocate when I visit your country she said smiling and looking at Malik.
“My pleasure,” he said.
“How did you get involved with all this?” Pops asked
“My father was a black soldier who served in the Vietnam War. He met and fell in love with my mother who was Thai. After the American, left the country in 1975 a few months later he was discharged from the army and came back to Bangkok and they were married. My mother’s family was well to do opium farmers and my father and mother took over the farm after their death. During those days opium was a cash crop and everyone was growing it. When the United States government pressured the Thai government to crack down they did, somewhat, but the people continued growing the plant. As a young girl, my father taught me how to grow and process the plants. After the death of my family by a rival opium farmer, I decided to sell the farm and moved to Paris, that is where I met Morressy, and we went in business together.
“What is Morressy is he black or what?” Pops asked.
Laughing Askido said, “Morressy is a Frenchman, a Black Frenchman” he was born in Algeria but he lived all his life in Paris.
“I though he talked and looked somewhat funny,” Pops said.
“Do you’ll do business in Europe?” Malik asked.
“Not a lot, our main customers are American, but we have some customers in Europe and England. I would suggest that your people, who pick up the goods, return to the US via Germany or Paris.”
“Good looking out,” Pops said.

She directed the driver to the Baan Kanitha Restaurant. Already seated at a reserved table was Morressy who rose when they approached.
“Lady and gentlemen,” Morressy said kissing Askido on both cheeks and shaking Pops and Malik’s hand.
“Have you been enjoying our city,” he asked as they all took their seats.
“Yes we have, Askido took us on a tour and gave us some history, very interesting,” Pops said.
“My sister could have been an excellent tour guide; she knows the city so well.”
An olive-skinned young Asian women wearing a name tag that read Sanshe came to the table with menus and bowing asked, “Something to drink before ordering?” she asked in faultless English.
“A bottle of your finest Chateau Margaux,” Morressy said looking around the table.
Malik, Pops and Askido nodded their heads in agreement and the waitress placed the menus and left. She returned shortly with the wine, poured everyone a glass and placed it in a golden bottle holder that she set up next to Morressy.
“A toast,” Morressy said, “To a mutually profitable enterprise.”
They all clinked their glasses together.
“If you gentlemen don’t mind I would suggest we delay business until after dinner, although I hope it won’t be the case here, I’ve found that discussing business before dinner can have disastrous results especially if the meeting does not go well,” Morressy said.
“Fine Malik,” said.
“Baan Kanitha serve outstanding Thai food and I sure you will enjoy it,” Askido said.
The menu was in English and Thai and Pops asked Askido, “What do you recommend.”
“Try everything, it’s all-good,” she laughed.
“Tell you what, let’s mix it up everyone order something different that way we can sample a lot of different dishes,”Malik suggested.
“Good idea,” Morressy said.
When the waitress returned for their orders, Askido had been designated to place the order.
“Ready?” she asked the waitress.
“Ready,” The waitress said smiling.
As Askido begin ordering she said, “I will translate for you guys, what I am ordering.
“Yam Som O or Pomelo salad and the Som Dtam, a green papaya salad. For appetizers the Gai Hor Bai Toey, which is chicken in pandanus leaves, the Tod Man Kung, which is deep fried shrimps cakes and the Mee Grob, chicken with lemon grass. For soup, four bowls of the Dtom Kah Taleh, a coconut seafood soup. Now for the entrees,” she said smacking her lips.
“Gkai Pad Gkaprow or spicy basil chicken, Gaeng Mussaman or Indian-style curries chicken and pork, two Andaman Lobster, a small order of shrimps and crabs and lastly the Dtom Kem Gkati Bplag Doog or catfish in coconut sauce.
After they finished, their entrees Sanshe asked if they wanted desert, they all refused, but Morressy ordered another bottle of wine. He poured Askido, Pops and himself a glass, but Malik refused.
“How does this work?” Malik asked.
“The goods will be brought to your people at a hotel here in Bangkok, and we will arrange transportation for him or her to the airport,” Morressy said.
“How are the goods delivered?” Pops asked.”
“In a special suitcase, with a false bottom, he may bring two suitcases depending on the amount of goods,” Askido said.
“What about customs at the airport?” Pops asked.
“No problem, they’re friends of ours,” Askido responds.
“We want ten kilos, can you handle that?” Pops asked.
“No problem, when do you want your first delivery,” Morressy asked.
“In about two weeks,” Pops said.
“What is the purity, Pops asked?” “Seventy five,” Askido responded.
“Anything else Malik?” Pops asked.
“Yes, how much?” Malik asked.
“One hundred thousand a key,” Askido answered.
“I’ll be in Chicago next week; we’ll finalize the deal then.”
Morressy got up from the table and after shaking Pop’s and Malik hands and kissing Askido on the cheek, he said he had some business to tend to and he would see them next week. When Malik, Pops and Askido left the restaurant she asked if they would like to accompany her while she visited some friends, they agreed and got into the limo.
They drove through the city into a rural area that was hilly and forested. It had started getting dark and high humidity and a slight rain replaced the hotness of the day. Askido instructed the driver to pull over alongside a steep hill and they got out. Askido stood in the rain that had started to fall harder and faced the sky as the rain washed over her face and body.
“I love the rain,” she said.
“It washes away the dirt and grime of the earth and makes the flowers bloom.”
She led them down a steep hill and onto a dirt road, which was covered by brush and dense trees, the ground was covered with wet leaves and Malik slipped twice and was saved from falling by Askido and as they walked, she held back the branches for Pops and Malik. Under the canopy of the foliage and the setting of the sun, the area was very dark. As Malik’s eyes slowly adjusted to the darkness he saw green objects that he couldn’t identify but as they continued to walk and had went about twenty-five feet he recognized that the green objects were plastic tarps, the same kind he had saw earlier during their tour that was used as roofs on some of the houses. As they got closer, he saw that the area was full of the tarps that were used as roofs for the tents. Malik heard voices coming from underneath one if the tents. An avuncular old man with a white beard and long white hair tied into a ponytail stooping, emerged from under the tarp. When he saw Askido, he smiled broadly, bowed and kissed her hands. Askido kissed and hugged the old man and in their language introduced him to Pops and Malik.
He bowed and shook both of their hands warmly as he held up one end of the tarp and waived them in. The tent was Spartan-old stacks of newspapers were neatly laid out on the ground and covered with another tarp. Two old but clean canvas mats that apparently served as beds were in separate corners. An even older woman was sitting on a cut-off tree log next to a folding card table and a little girl was playing in a corner with an Asian doll. The old woman wore a simple cotton dress and her straight white shoulder length hair seemed to glow under the lights of the candles. Her face, though worn by care lines around the mouth, was set off by dark black eyes. She slowly got off the log and bowed, than she also kissed Aikido’s hands as she motioned them to sit. The tarp was attached at two corners to two trees and it was hung over another tree branch creating the roof. There was a teakettle brewing atop a can of Sterno and