Walking to my old favourite Chinese restaurant near Toyota garage.
Once a year I had to bring my car to garage to have a check up and obtain a certicate for the renewal of car registration. Though I had moved away from the old house for ages, I still kept going back to the Toyota garage near my old home. I liked to drive around the narrow roads near my old house and to observe changes to the area. Most old families who had settled in this area still lived there; some houses had new coats of paint. I noticed two weakthy families who had moved in a few years ago; they had reconstructed the small old houses. Their new houses were six storey high with elevators! They had securuty guards in front of their houses. Unfortunately, they were unfriendly and kept to themselves.
The old Toyota garage situated in the old part of Bangkok. So skyscrapers weren’t allowed in this area in order to preserve the old houses and surroundings of yesteryear’s. So many old temples could be found on this ‘island of Rattanakosin’. The old Bangkok was called an island as it was surrounded by Chao Praya River. Several old bridges linked the new Bangkok to the old Bangkok seamlessly.
The staff at the garage could recognise me as old customer. So, going to this garage was like visiting old friends. I could even ask the old staff to hover the back seat of my car for me. I told him I spilled cat food pellets all over the seat. He had a good laugh at my clumsiness. The examination of the car took just over an hour so I told the staff I had better go for my lunch. He would phone me when the car was ready for collection.
It was a very warm afternoon with burning sunshine on my back. But the air was much cleaner and more invigorating as the river was only one kilometer away. I could smell the breeze flowing in from the river. The vibes of old Bangkok were so friendly and nostalgic as if a grandmother was singing in the garden while waiting for her grandchildren to come home. I felt so safe walking alone quiet roads in front of old houses.
Things changed very slowly in this part of Bangkok except for some renovated small hotels. I wondered how local people made their livings around here. Most modeen businesses and big spenders were crowded in the new Bangkok. Most government departments and buildings were still located in this old area. So, we would see many civil servants and official vehicles running on these roads. The Bank of Thailand was just ten minutes walk from the garage. The Bank operated in the ground of an old and beautiful palace right by the river.
My friends’ ancestors used to own this palace until the coup by graduates from France and Germany. These young and privileged upper class Thai scholars were groomed in Paris by the usurpers. These poisonous young Westernised scholars met up and secretly hatch their plans to set up a revolution in Siam later on in their careers. Several of these young traitors actually got the King’s scholarships and were sponsored by several royalties.
The night when they came to arrest their sponsors in night gowns were very heart breaking for these old royalties. Greed of power and money know no bounds. My friends told me that lots of valuables and jewelries were stolen after these officers
raided these palaces. So, walking along these roads where the coup makers traveled to arrest elderly royaties in pyjamas always got my blood boiled. Incidentally, years ago I was befriended by one nice great granddaughter of the coup commander at college. She was fond of decorated her clothes with old jewelries which looked more like costume jewelries because of old European designs.
Most people just ignored her for donning fake jewelries. During our coffee break one day, I told her she’s lucky that most people couldn’t tell that she had over one hundred carats of diamonds on her clothes. She had a good laugh and was surprised that she had antique jewelries on her body. Then I could enquire whether some pieces were from King Rama V reign. I was right these were family heirlooms from old kings to the princes and princesses. Fortunately my younger friend had no interest in her family history as she was spoiled by wealth and luxurious lifestyle. She was a beautiful social butterfly and many young men wanted to befriend her.
We promised to meet up in Bangkok after graduation one day. I had a brief conversation with her; she told about her indecision whether to marry this rich young man her family had suggested to her. Then one day I read the news about her marriage to a most eligible young man. They had a young baby but she told me over the phone of her unhappiness and quarrels. We had no chance to meet up; we were both too busy with our own problems. I was also reluctant to be too closed to rich people as they might think I wanted something from them.
One day I had a shock reading the news that my rich friend had died of drug overdose. She had a big quarrel with her husband. So, we rammed her car into all the parked cars in the garage. Then she went upstairs to take sleeping pills. Her sevant found her lying dead on her bed in the morning. It was very sad and such a shame for young life to be lost like this tragedy. Her baby was only a few months’ old. From what I could gather: her husband started to see other girls. So, she was very upset; she should have beaten up her husband instead of harming herself. I was expecting that one day she would show me all the trays of antique jewelries.
The old Bangkok did pull out old and sad memories with connections to contemporary history of my country. I was very hungry and aiming for the old Chinese restaurant called Poonsinn, which was almost a hundred years old. It used to be one of the top Chinese restaurants frequented by high level army officers, civil servants and royalties in the old days of trams, rickshaws and classic cars.
But things had changed according to fashions and new social trends. My father used to take me to this restaurant for lunch when I was a kid. He told me that the top general, who would later staged a coup, would often buy roast duck to take home during the weekend. So we sat there, the two of us at a table for a long time waiting for the general jeep to stop in front of the restaurant with his officers. We failed to see him the first time but the second time was a sounding success. The charismatic general gave big smiles to all the people and staff. He was in a very good mood and extremely friendly. I started to like this tall and powerful general.
My father was like most Chinese who respected authoritative and charismatic figures. It was as if the general was a famous singer with admiring fan club. I thought his adoration of authoritative army officers had led to lots of pressure on my brothers to enter military college. Luckily they couldn’t pass the entrance exams and we didn’t have the right connections. Though much later, my father and siblings were quite surprised with my connections with the police and military officers. I never told them about my connections as I never wanted to use any of these friendly connections. It’s better to be free and independent morally.
This old restaurant had turned into a skeleton restaurant after the two years’ lockdown. I was quite shocked to see a lively and boisterous eatery turned into empty school canteen. Most of the old staff were gone and the roast duck kitchen appeared to be on holiday. I felt very melancholy as I was hoping to have a small celebration at this place in memory of my father and long lost friends. The menu had been reduced to a few selections of popular dishes.
Oh! How we used to splash out with several plates of seafood on the round table. Four unlikely friends often met up once a month at this restaurant on the second floor to catch up with political stories. My protege who was an adviser to a politicians and his two senior friends who were friends with other politicians and police force had a great time discussing politics over a big dinner. This was a very special round table where we could speak our mind without retribution. It was amazing that they all trusted me with their special news and insights. I did learned a lot from them.
One year before the plandemic hit Bangkok, my protege pas cancer. I did warn him several months about having cancer as I could ‘smell’ illness around him. But he didn’t see the doctor until it had spreaded around the body. This was a big loss to me as he was like my big brother. The other two elderly gentlemen also became ill with diabetes and cancer. They all hurriedly got away from the coronavirus plandemic. So, I had no one to share dinner with me and discussing about the future of Thailand. I had invitations to get involved with political parties and parliamentary work. But I was too lazy to work hard and compete for powerful positions. My father would have been very disappointed with me for my strange decisions.
So, I walked around the area quietly in memory of my dear old friends and father. They all had their aspirations and ambitions to be somebody important and be acknowledged for their good work. Somehow I lost my ambition at a very young age; I stopped trying to br the best in my classes. Too much competition and envy in my family put me off from trying ti do my best. As I used to be the best in my family, my siblings hated me and assassinated my character. So, I gave up studying but I never failed. They were pleased that I became lazy and became slouching. Going abroad was a big adventure and a relief. I could start to be myself and enjoy life without being judged all the time. I didn’t mind their misunderstanding as I preferred to be peaceful with myself.
The old shophouses could still weather changes and flow of time. But the old restaurant could never become rejuvenated once again. Her time has passed and so had my father’s and my old friends. I missed them all terribly as I had no one I could trust with my thoughts any more. I hope this old restaurant would last twenty more years. So, I could visit this place to have a nice meal while reminiscing about our good old days together. I hoped if they were still up their in the heavens, they would smile at me and wish me good luck.
Wishing you peace, good health and prosperity.
Stay strong and cheerful.
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