Page 65 of Common People

‘Yeah, I do, and maybe. I’m not sure what my—’

‘Can I join you?’ said a voice suddenly. They both turned and looked at a girl, early twenties, pretty with long blonde hair in a red bikini. The boy from Newcastle was beaming with a huge smile, and his pale northern English skin prickled with a sudden pinkness at her presence. ‘It’s Anthony, right?’

‘Aye, it is,’ he replied, as she sat down next to them.

‘I think you’re needed at reception. I was just there, and there was an issue with your room.’

‘What? That cannae be right. I was just there, like.’

‘I think you should probably check it out though. Don’t worry, we’ll be here when you get back,’ she replied with a warm, friendly smile.

‘Oh, aye, youse right. Won’t be a minute,’ he said, getting up and walking away, and the girl immediately turned to Max.

‘We have maybe five minutes. Do you want to get out of here?’

‘Sorry?’ Max replied.

‘Anthony from Newcastle. Geordie till he dies. My first day here, I didn’t know anyone and he wouldn’t leave me alone. I thought you might need saving. My name’s Abigail by the way, but all my friends call me Abs.’

‘Max,’ he said, and they shook hands.

Abigail was pretty with bright blue eyes, and it was clear she worked out or at least took good care of herself because she had barely an ounce of fat on her. Her dark tan suggested she had been in Thailand longer than Max, and she had a neutral southern English accent.

‘So, what do you say, Max? Do you want to get out of here? I’m taking a scooter up to a bar with the most incredible views for sunset.’

‘A scooter? I don’t know how to ride them.’

She laughed. ‘Don’t worry, it’s like riding a bike. I’ll show you. Come on.’

She stood up, offering him a hand, and he decided to take it. He had only arrived a day earlier, and didn’t have any friends yet, except Anthony it seemed, and so he wasn’t going to reject her invitation. Max’s worry about making friends in Bangkok was wiped away within hours of arriving. After he had checked into his hostel just off the Khao San Road, he made his waydownstairs where he met a group of people heading out to check out some local bars, and they invited him along. There were people from England, Ireland, Scotland, Holland, Germany, and a few Aussies. He spent the next week with them exploring the city, and when it was time to go, it was surprisingly difficult to say goodbye to them. They had become his little family in Bangkok, but some of them were heading north, some to other countries in Asia, and a few south, but not to Koh Phangan. He had their social media accounts and email addresses, and a couple from Ireland were heading there soon, so he might see them again.

Once in Koh Phangan, he had spent the first night alone, having a few chats at the bar, but it seemed quiet, and he was instantly worried about making friends again. Perhaps Bangkok had just been a fluke, but now he was heading on a scooter up to a bar that had the most incredible sunset views with a girl called Abigail. Max hadn’t ridden a scooter before, but Abigail assured him it was easy enough, and she told the people at the rental shop that he was an experienced rider, and before long, they were setting off together on their scooters. Abs had changed into a pair of denim shorts, and a loose white top, her blonde hair tied behind her. Max had thrown on a T-shirt, and a pair of flip-flops. He was grateful to Abs for rescuing him from Anthony, who was harmless enough, but clearly could talk for England, especially about the full-moon party and anything to do with Newcastle.

They whizzed past some incredible Thai countryside full of palm trees and dense foliage, broken up by old houses and the occasional roadside stand selling drinks and fruit. They passed fellow travellers on scooters, but otherwise the roads were quiet, and before long they were heading up a narrow single-track lane towards a bar called Amsterdam. The hill was steep and Max had the bike on full speed, the engine struggling, but eventually they made it up there. It had actually been quite exhilarating, andMax had loved the freedom of the scooter. It was something he had read about before the trip, and knew he wanted to try while he was there, but probably didn’t have the courage to do it by himself.

‘Fun, right?’ said Abs as they got off, taking off their helmets.

‘Yeah, really fun.’

‘They have these scooters all over Asia, so get used to them if you’re going to travel more.’

Amsterdam was set amongst jungle, and it didn’t look like much from the front, but when they walked through the bar and onto the huge deck at the back, Max immediately saw the attraction of it. It was incredible. There was a huge wooden deck with a pool in the middle, and there were small tables and chairs, comfortable seating and rugs, all looking out towards the sea. The view was breathtaking, and Max stood for a moment, taking it all in. This was one of the reasons why he had wanted to come to Thailand, to experience views like that.

‘Stunning, isn’t it?’

‘Yeah, it is. Have you been here before?’

‘Once with a couple of mates. They left a few days ago.’

‘And you didn’t go with them?’

‘Oh, they were heading north, and I’ve already been north.’

‘Where are you heading next?’

‘I’ve got a few more days here, then I’m heading back to the mainland, and south to Malaysia, before Australia. I’m doing my working holiday visa there, so I’m planning on staying for at least a year.’

‘Wow, a whole year away.’