t was early afternoon in the temple, and Cass had done little Iall day except call Kevin and then Ritchie. He had eaten rice and a dish of spicy pork and drunk several litres of water but was still feeling feverish with a throbbing headache. His feet were still sore and his legs ached, but all he could do now was sit and wait to be rescued.
It was a very quiet temple, far different to the one where he’d been with Ajahn Lee and Jon. He had not seen the three monks since early morning. Earlier, there had been some
visitors who arrived by car or truck, looked around, prayed in the temple, dropped money into collection boxes, and climbed the steps to the statue. Everyone had now gone andtThe place seemed empty as Cass sat in the shade of one of the buildings, to wait.
Around 4:00 p.m., his phone rang. The screen showed Thai writing, so he had no idea who was calling, but he answered it and said, “Hello?” In reply, there was silence and then a click.
Cass stared at it and then, to calm his nerves, stood up and walked around, limping because of his blisters.
***
It was around twenty minutes later that I called him. The guys in London had somehow traced his number and then called me.“Cass, it’s me Kurt,” I said. “Remember me?”
“Yeh. Am I glad to…Where are you?”
“We reckon we’re about twenty minutes away. You spoke to Ritchie earlier.”
“Yes. Who are all these guys, Kurt? And why are you in Thailand? I need to get out of here. Did you call me about twenty minutes ago and put the phone down?”
Jimmy was standing right behind me, nudging me not to waste time but just to reassure Cass we were close by. “I’m being told to stop talking and tell you everything later,” I said.
“Just hold on, mate. Stay where you are. We’ll be there soon.”
I imagine, or at least I hope, Cass might have smiled at hearing my voice after all we’d not spoken for two years. Cass was the one who, in school, had told everyone not to mock my name, Courtney, at registration. When the teacher called out
Courtney Learner, everyone used to snigger behind their hands or turn and grin and I would raise a hidden middle finger. Cass would just wink. Funny what you remember.
It was when I switched off and looked at Jimmy that I then realised what Cass had just asked about whether I’d called him twenty minutes before. I hadn’t. Had Ritchie or someone else tried?
I told Jimmy, and he just shrugged but I know we were both thinking the same thing. Someone else had Cass’s number.
We headed north again but my mind was on the last time I’d seen Cass. It had been outside Bashir’s in Park Road, and I had been looking for him to tell him I was moving out of Shipley Street.
“London, Cass. Too much stress with Khan and all that.
Know what I mean? Money’s short and my ma’s got a new fellah. Get the train up sometime, Cass. The night scene is cool, so I heard. More chance of getting laid there than around Shipley Street. But steer clear of Khan, OK? See you around.”
It was just fifteen and sixteen-year-old talk, you understand?
I’m not sure either of us had ever got properly laid by then.
There’d been some minimal messing about down by the Park, but it was nothing I’d want to write about here. As for highlighting the nightlife, I had no idea what I was talking about. But that was it - general chat because I was feeling a bit emotional about leaving Cass, Kevin, and Winston.
I remember nearly fighting back something growing in my throat, because to well up and burst was just too embarrassing but we high-fived, and he sort of punched me in the chest before disappearing back inside Bashir’s to continue stacking shelves.
We’d kept in touch by phone until Winston told me he’d gone off somewhere. His phone had never worked again.