Ten Minutes with a Stranger

“I couldn’t understand her most of the time, but when I could it was a surreal feeling. I don’t know how to describe it.”

“Try me.”

“Well, you’re a…don’t tell me…”

“Graphic designer.”

“I was just about to say that. Anyway, have you ever had a project that you were just stuck on?”

“A few times.”

“Alright, it’s just like that.”

“I think you’re skipping a few steps; please, go on.”

“Okay, okay. So, you’re stuck on this project, right? You feel like you’re working so hard, but the damn thing won’t budge.”

“Okay, we’re getting somewhere.”

“It feels like you’ve been working on this thing for so long that you start to lose hope, but there’s this internal drive to keep going, to keep working because maybe you’ll crack the code. Still with me?”

“Slowly losing interest but keep going.”

“We can talk about something else, it’s stupid anyway.”

“KIDDING. We’re talking about your best friend here, lighten up.”

“Kinda difficult to judge someone’s sense of humor after just meeting them.”

“Fair enough.”

“Exactly.”

“Well? Don’t leave me hanging!”

 “Alright, where was I?”

“Big project, getting stuck, working through it.”

“Right, so, you continue to crack away at this project. You work and work and one day a piece falls into place. You’re pumped, right?”

“Well duh.”

“Just like that.”

“You had me and you lost me.”

“Where at?”

“So, this woman was your best friend because she excited you?”

“That is a pretty good word for the feeling I described, isn’t it…”

“I’d say it’s the only word. Try again.”

“Okay, let me think. It was like...a burst of inspiration. Like, suddenly everything made sense and I could see the whole picture. It was like a rush of adrenaline, but in my brain instead of my body. And she was the only person who could make me feel that way, like she was a key to unlocking my true self or something.”

“Okay, kinda deep.”

“Too much?”

“Not enough, tell me more.”

“Well, there was a massive language barrier, but the good ol’ point-and-shoot worked wonders.”

“The point-and-shoot?”

“Precisely.”

“Well, do inform me, sir.”

“You know, she points at something—say, a cat—and then she would say her word for it. Like…phone.”

“Ohhhh, I get it. Cow lick!”

“Not the first thing I would have pointed out, but yeah, you’ve got the hang of it.”

“I see. So, you two communicated through pointing and a mishmash of words.”

“Well, yes, in the beginning.”

“You’re telling me that you learned a language through this point-and-shoot system?”

“No, not entirely. Just your everyday objects and feelings. You know, the easy stuff.”

“That is so freaking cool. How did you meet this woman?”

“Okay, so there I was, lost in the Amazon…”

“Already not buying it, try again.”

“There was a killer joke at the end of that, but I suppose we’ll never know now, huh.”

“Come on, is it a cool story or did you just bump into this woman in the subway or something?”

“Cool is pretty subjective, don’t you think?”

“I think you’re avoiding the question.”

“Alright, alright. I was backpacking in Southeast Asia with my ex, and we actually ended up at the same hostel in Bangkok.”

“This is slightly more buyable. Go on.”

“I was trying to communicate with the hostel owner and wasn’t getting anywhere, but then this woman came out of nowhere and kinda shooed me away. Not in like a mean way or anything, she just kinda scooted me out of the way and started talking to the owner. Next thing I know she’s putting up fingers to ask how many of us there are and then handing me a key.”

“This woman a helped a tourist for no reason?”

“Right? Talk about culture shock.”

“And what happened next?”

“Well, language barrier, so obviously no details, but she had us follow her and took us on this ten-minute walk through downtown Bangkok.”

“A group of people or just you and your ex?”

“Just me and the ex. So, we follow her to what looks like an alleyway, but we turn into this door and it’s this woman’s house! First thing she does is take our bags and kinda point to the floor, telling us to sit. She ends up bringing us tea and motioning around at everything like an episode of MTV Cribs or–”

“Wonderful analogy…so sorry to cut you off, proceed.”

“So, my ex was obviously a little uncomfortable with this ordeal, but I figured a kidney wouldn’t be a bad trade for a place to stay if it came to it.”

“How optimistic! Got the scar to prove it?”

“Spoiler: my kidneys are intact.”

“Boo, no fun.”

“Well, she ends up making us dinner and we play charades up until we go to sleep.”

“Fava beans and a nice chianti?”

“Ha! Thankfully not.”

“Charades, huh? Give me a scene, see if I can get it.”

“More like pointing to a map and trying to communicate that I’m from Washington, which took much longer to convey than you’d think.”

“Next time the bar hosts that couple’s charades night, I’m giving you a call.”

“Oh, so we’re a couple now?”

“That depends, finish your story.”

“This is where it gets a little interesting. So, I wake up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and there’s a note next to my pillow: ‘Headed back to Washington. Best of luck.’”

“What?! She just left you??”

“I haven’t heard from her since. She won’t even respond to a text.”

“I take it that’s why you’re here now trying speed dating, huh?”

“That’d be it!”

“Well, we’ve got a couple of minutes left. I’d love to hear the end of this story if you’re willing to share.”

“Of course, where was I?”

“Girlfriend left you high and dry in some woman’s house in Bangkok.”

“Ah, the good ol’ days. So, I brush it off half asleep and try to forget about it until morning. Well, the woman wakes me up at like 5:30 in the morning and I assume she asked me where my ex was, so I pointed to the door and made airplane noises.”

“How genius.”

“Not long after, we had breakfast and I helped her gather groceries downtown. By lunch we were back at her place cooking and trying our best to make conversation. I managed to find somebody who spoke English and Thai, so I had them translate for us so I could learn her name and she ended up giving me this.”

“Aw, ‘Come see me soon – Tontawan.’ Is this her address, too??”

“You like backpacking?”

“I’m in.”