forced out by deliberately rowdy sexual liaisons, making his or her
exit no different than menstruation. With enough shaking of the can of
soda pop all beings disgorged the same when the tab was opened. Thai
babies knew. They had their instinct to smile because of the cellular
replication planned by the DNA architect who made all Thai babies the
same as an American subdivision. How gullible was a human to the wish
of being struck down with pleasant feelings. When a mendicant salesman
with teeth sparkled them from his tanned face even an impoverished Thai
couldn't resist the inclination to buy. It was the congenial feeling
more than the product itself that a consumer wished to gain. Consumers
bought to get a fuzzy feeling and forget the hostile 9 to 5 working
world (9 to 9 Thai time). How manipulative were the benevolent lies of
Thais in the business of survival. Jatupon bought one of those
purposeless products. He argued to himself that he could put it on a
shelf-that is, if he had a shelf to put it on.
On the bench he pulled out of his book bag the Lao classic, "Thao
Nok Kaba Phuak which in English meant "The White Nightjar." The back
cover said that it depicted the second queen consort's birth of a bird
and her exile from the kingdom. The preface stated that both Laotian
queens had prayed that life be recycled in their wombs but only the
youngest became pregnant. At the consort's request, the oldest queen
blindfolded her when the labor pains ensued. She solicited the help of
the court magician in particular to take advantage of the younger
queen's squeamishness over the sight of blood by using the time to
switch the baby for that of a bird. When the child was replaced the
soothsayer could then deceive the king by making him believe that the
younger consort had had sexual relations with a foul bird months
earlier. This was not needed since the consort actually begot a bird.
Jatupon stopped reading the preface. It was spoiling the book. He
began to read the first chapter. "I, who have composed this narrative