Please don't forget to donate to Nifty if you enjoy reading the stories!
Email feedback can be sent to trager2275@gmail.com. © 2015 by Eric Trager.
*** I will likely bring this story to a close soon. It's been an adventure. I may, or may not, write a new story. If any readers have suggestions of which character, or characters from this story that they would like to see take the lead roles in a new story, and how they'd like to see that please let me know! Thanks!
CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
Over the next weeks Brad had his work cut out for him, steadying his normally unflappable husband in the wake of the death of his father.
True to form Brad did not flag or fail. A few times Sean fell off the wagon by drowning his sorrows, but rather than overreact, Brad stood by Sean's side. Just as he said he would at the cemetery. Brad's steadfastness was rewarded as he observed that Sean hadn't gone off the deep end nearly as much as he had when Andy died and he had not withdrawn into himself.
Joe's funeral was held in a packed Saint John Vianney in Janesville and presided over by the visibly aging Cardinal Archbishop Taylor. The eulogy was delivered by J.R.
Taking the podium, J.R. adjusted the microphone and spoke without notes.
"Good morning. For those of you who don't know me, I'm John Richard Wyman. My brother Sean, who I'm pretty sure a lot of you know of far more than me, and I drew straws to see who would deliver dad's eulogy and it fell to me.
"I am honored. Honored to be able to call Joseph Wyman my dad.
"You see, unlike Sean I am not Joe's blood son. I was born Juan Ricardo Rodriguez. I am Joe Wyman's adopted son.
"I came from a broken home. My mother was murdered on the front yard of the rundown house we lived in. Right in front of me. My father beat me and abandoned me at the age of fifteen when I didn't care to continue to support his life of crime anymore.
"By a miracle, my future brother Sean saw me and rescued me when I got lost after walking for hours in the middle of a horrible thunderstorm. I'd passed out in a gully behind their house. I was bruised, hurt, hungry, cold, and wet.
"I had nothing to my name but the tattered, crummy clothes on my back. No money, no home, no food, no family, and nowhere to go.
"But Lady Luck smiled on me that day when I needed her the most. I've said this many times to you, brother Sean, but you always have been and always will be my hero."
"Dad took me into his home and treated me as if I'd always been there. He didn't have to do that, and one would have understood if he might have decided not to.
"You see, dad had just moved to Janesville to take on one of the biggest jobs in this town for maybe the last hundred years. To get the old GM plant up and running again, and to make a success of it when GM had really wanted to shut it down for good.
"Dad accomplished that goal.
"Handily.
"Arriving in Janesville, dad had with him my brother Sean, and his ward Andy Churchill whose memory I shall always cherish across the veil of time, Sean being seventeen and Andy sixteen.
"They lived in a two-bedroom condo while their home was being made ready and didn't really have extra room for me.
"And most people in Dad's position probably would have said that they didn't have the time for me, either.
"Why would he have wanted the trouble of a 15-year-old boy like me of whom he knew nothing?
"After all, who was I to him?
"But he took me in anyway...
"After a little while, dad filed a petition to adopt me. This kind, big-hearted man accepted me into his family as if I were truly his own son.
"I told him that all I wanted was a chance, just one chance, to have a normal life like everyone else. To prove myself by my own worth. I felt that if I went into `the system' my chances would be slim and none.
"And not only was I welcomed into the Wyman family, but dad taught me so many things I never would have known...
"He taught me the value of an education, and he saw to it that I got one.
"He taught me how to be a businessman.
"He taught me how to conduct myself as a gentleman.
"He taught me how to be a good husband to my good wife, Kathleen, and a good father to my seven children, who like any grandfather he spoiled rotten.
"And just for good measure, I got two big brothers who loved me and protected me.
"I got that one chance that I longed for so much.
"And then some.
"Everything that I am today I owe to dad and to dad's generous humanity. I would be nothing without the chance he gave me, and the guidance he gave me.
"Right here and now I offer my humble thanks to God that Joseph Patrick Wyman came into my life and became my dad.
"I only hope I didn't let him down...
"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for everything you did for all of us, dad. Your entire family already misses your wisdom and council. And we will try our best to live up to the standards you set for us by your example.
"There went a great man.
"I commend his soul to God."
After the funeral, Joe Wyman's body was transported to Kenosha and buried with full military honors in the same grave as Sean's mother, Valerie. The addition of Joe's name to the headstone had already been done, adding to Valerie's name to read "Joseph Patrick Wyman, Beloved Husband and Father, 1962-2046."
Sean had to content himself that 84 years was a good old age his father lived to. He also hadn't known until then that his father was six years older than his mother.
Still listless, a few days later Sean took Brad with him for a rare visit to see George Dickson, now 85 years old. It was for the reading of the will which did nothing for Sean's spirits.
Prior to the meeting, Sean told George that they could meet him at his house if that was more convenient, the same home on Winnebago Drive that the Dicksons had lived in for as long as Sean could remember. George wouldn't hear of it, chuckling that it would do him good to make an appearance downtown at the office, and that besides, he didn't want to lose the file in a mistake of, as George put it, `geritosis.'
Still able to drive, George Dickson made his way to the old Hayes Block building in his Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz coupe finished in Nocturne Blue Iridescent with a roofline reminiscent of the early 1960's GM bubbletops. George made it a point to purchase a new Cadillac every year.
Walking stiffly with his cane, old George Dickson made his way through the lobby of the Hayes Block and took the elevator to the top floor. Greeting the receptionist, he asked if she might bring him a carafe of strong black coffee as well as three mugs, and some bottled water and biscotti for two clients who were soon to arrive. He unlocked his office door, to which he hadn't been in at least a year, pulled a not-too-thick file from an old fashioned Pendaflex-style metal filing cabinet with roll-out drawers, and sat down.
After a few minutes, Sean and Brad were shown in.
"God, it's good to see you two!" George said, rising from his chair on his cane and extending his hand. "I can only wish it were under different circumstances..."
"Yes. Good to see you, too, George," Sean replied.
George opened the folder and withdrew a document. "If you care for coffee, water, or biscotti they're over there," George pointed with his cane to a sideboard. "There's cream and sugar if you want."
"I'll get myself a coffee," Brad said. "Sean?"
Sean said he'd like a black coffee and a biscotti.
Back in their seats, George began.
"This is your father's will, Sean. It was done many years ago. Shortly after you guys moved to town, in fact."
"He never updated it?" Sean asked, somewhat surprised.
"There really wasn't any need to update the will as the will itself is simple and straightforward. We built in contingencies for any surviving heirs. Basically, the will divides your father's estate into equal fifths after marital property going to Marigold is factored out and which would not have been part of the estate in any event.
"The marital property is one Miami Beach condo together with its furnishings, two cars, two bank accounts, and three investment accounts."
"Who are the heirs?" Sean asked. "I can only think of three. Marigold, J.R., and me..."
"Yes..." George said, fondling his wattles. "It would have been five heirs as I said. Let me outline it here for you... One of the contingencies was that if your father remarried, which he did, his wife would be an heir equal and together with the others. Therefore, the heirs are as follows: Marigold is an heir by virtue of having married your father. You are named as an heir. J.R. is named as an heir. Andy is named as an heir but since he predeceased your father he's eliminated, and the fifth that would have gone to him is divided equally among the surviving heirs. So, the four surviving heirs are Marigold, you, J.R., and the last-named heir is Patrick Joseph Wyman."
"WHO?!?" Sean asked, obviously surprised and clueless. "George, I've never heard of any such person..."
"Patrick Joseph..." George started to answer, being cut off by Sean.
"I heard the name the first time, George... I'm so sorry... I didn't mean to cut you off, but like I said, I've never heard of any Patrick Joseph Wyman. Who is he?"
"More specifically, his name is Pariwat Na Chiangmai, also known as Patrick Joseph Wyman."
"Pari-WHAT?!?" Sean asked, not knowing what to think. "What the hell kind of a name is THAT?!? And who the hell is he?"
"It's a Thai name, Sean. He's a citizen of Thailand. He's your half-brother," George answered.
"This isn't a joke then..." Brad said, somewhat rhetorically.
"Wait one... Are you telling me this is the first you've heard of this person, Sean?" George asked, completely puzzled.
"This is really the truth? I really have a half-brother?" Sean said quizzically.
"I'm afraid it looks that way," George replied. "I'm sorry Sean. I never would have thought that you didn't know you had a half- brother. It never crossed my mind to ask your dad if you knew."
"I didn't know," Sean said. "That is, until now... Do we know anything about him? I mean, this is really fucking weird..."
Sean still couldn't half believe it.
"I have some information that your father gave me. It's scant. I wrote it down on a card here in the folder. Let's see... Here it is!
"OK, according to this, he was born in 1991 in Bangkok. Apparently, your dad had a fling with a Thai girl when he was stationed in Thailand at the Consulate in the city of Chiang Mai. That was long before he met your mother. It appears that Pariwat was the result. The girl was from a very old and wealthy family of Thai former royalty, the Na Chiangmai family. Your dad said they ruled the vassal kingdom of Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand until the 1930's. Hence the Na Chiangmai' name. Apparently in Thailand Na' signifies a noble or formerly royal name pretty much the same way `von' does in Germany.
"Anyway, your dad said the pregnancy caused a major scandal in the Na Chiangmai family. The family considered it a loss of face, and face is important in Thailand. The girl's family exiled her to Bangkok for good where such things weren't noticed so much back in those days, and they kept her living an upper- class lifestyle. Or at least that's what your dad was told. She was forbidden to have any contact with your dad. As it turned out, before the boy was born your dad was shipped out of Thailand to Saudi Arabia in preparation for the Gulf War. The family sent a goon around before your dad left for Saudi to let him know that any return to Thailand could result in him leaving in a coffin. Your dad never met the boy, his son"
"Then how do we even know if he exists?"
"The only thing your dad had was a copy of the boy's birth certificate. And it is an original copy bearing a Thai government stamp. He gave it to me, and I have it here in the file. I'll retain the original and I'll give you a copy before you leave.
"It appears that, in spite of her family, the girl was decent enough to let your dad know that he had a son and to prove it by means of the birth certificate. Maybe she figured one day things might work out... Who knows? At any rate your dad gave me this birth certificate and believed he had a son in Thailand. What your dad told me, and the fact that there is a birth certificate both indicate to me that this isn't something we can ignore."
"OK, well, I'm gonna get Great Lakes to take a look at this and we'll see if this guy's real or not."
"Of course, this Thailand thing will result in some undetermined delay in settling your father's estate over what it would have been if we didn't have to contend with it," George advised. "But it's unavoidable given the circumstances. It's just one of those things."
"Well, J.R. and I certainly don't need the money. And if Marigold needs anything in the meantime, then I'll pay for it," Sean said. "She's still at the Alamo. Hasn't gone back to Florida yet, so I'll let her know what's going on. But about this Pari-whatever guy, if he's in the will then as you say we can't ignore it."
"No, we can't. And there is a legally sufficient attempt to find him that we are required to make and to show the probate court before the estate can be settled. Anyway, I guess that'd be about it for now, guys," George said. "Say, Peg and I aren't getting any younger. How about next Wednesday you guys come over for some burgers on the grill. Peg still makes `em as good as always. And she'd love to see you."
"I'd like that, George," Sean smiled.
"Me, too," Brad said, noting one of the few smiles from Sean he'd seen since Joe's death.
"Please invite Tim and Brett, too..." Sean added.
The next morning Sean, Brad, and Marigold left the Alamo for breakfast at the Country Club. Sean called in advance to see if they couldn't have a Full English Breakfast prepared for three people. Of course they obliged, and at least Marigold got a taste of home.
"Marigold," Sean began, "Do you have any plans? I know it's still early days, but I just would like to know what your thinking is..."
"Well, Sean, I never liked Florida as much as your dad did. He loved everything about it. To me it was only where we lived. If you want me to cut through the shite, I'd say that if you were to let me come back to the Alamo and if you'd rent me the apartment over the garage that's where I'd be happy. That house is where I raised the last of my boys."
"Of course we'd do that! And no rent! We'll take you up there later and you can tell us how you want it to look. We'll make it so. And... I have a portrait of King William to hang for you. We all miss you."
"You're too kind. And I do miss my boys..."
"The twins and T.J. are here in town. T.J.'s between here and Boston actually, and Scott's still in Washington, DC. They miss you, too..."
"Good! I'll come back. I'll see about putting the condo on the market tomorrow then," Marigold said. "Of course, I'll have to go back to Florida to list it and to pack. Sean, I want you to know that for the past few years your dad hadn't been in really robust health. I suggested that he might tell you about his health, but he didn't want to worry you. He thought you'd been through enough. And although I didn't agree with not telling you, it wasn't my place to interfere. Your father knew you were happy now, and he was content to leave it that way.
"And Bradley, Joe said many times what a debt of gratitude he owed to you. He kicked himself a lot for not noticing Sean's problems after Andy passed. Felt as a father that he'd let his own son down terribly. And he said you probably saved Sean's life. That you let him live again. He'd have wanted you to know that."
"Anyway, he'd had some heart problems, the doctors installed a stent, and he did the best he could. He felt well until the end. He even played a round of golf the day before the heart attack. I know I might not always have the best bedside manner, but I did love your father, he was a good husband to me, and we were happy together. I am truly sorry that you lost him. He was always so proud of you and John. And not to open an old wound any more than I already have, but he missed Andy, too."
"Marigold, this is kind of a weird question, but did my dad ever mention that I had a half-brother? It seems that I might... In Thailand," Sean said as he wondered to himself whatever could have made him think of a Thai song to sing at Andy's grave in anguish over his father's death when he, it seemed, might have a half-Thai half-brother.
Of whom he knew nothing.
"Really now! No, he never mentioned anything like that to me, Sean. He told me of your mother, though. Quite a few times. I think your mother and I might have been great friends from what he said. But of a half-brother to you? In Thailand? No. No, he never mentioned anything of the sort. I'd certainly remember something like that!"
"Marigold," Brad said. "Why don't you sell the condo furnished? The apartment upstairs is empty now. And like Sean said, we'll make it how you want it. You and I can sit together after we get back to the Alamo and then we can take a walk through the apartment. We'll figure out how you want it decorated. I'll make sure it's set up the way you want it to be by the time you come back."
"And just how many quid is THAT gonna bloody cost, Bradley?!?"
"Let me and Sean worry about that. You just tell us how you want it."
"That's too much..." Marigold said.
"It's the least we can do for you," Sean said. "And we'll be glad to have you back, too."
Marigold instructed Brad as to what she would like for decorating and furnishing. Brad was amused. The furniture would be the typically overstuffed middle-class British taste of perhaps a 1930's or 1940's era. The kind of furniture that would be comfortable on a crisp fall, or a cold winter day. With large floral patterns. And she wanted chintz drapes. And not paint on the walls, but wallpaper. Brad mentally rolled his eyes.
She told Brad he could have a free hand in the kitchen, but "Nothing fancy mind you, Bradley, or I'll have your bollocks for earrings!"
Brad already knew what he was going to do. He would give her what he knew she wanted for a kitchen but wouldn't ask for. She would get an authentic English kitchen with an authentic AGA stove and a chrome Dualit toaster and Dualit tea kettle. If she carped at Brad about the cost, he would just chuckle, play dumb, and tell her it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission.
Brad was the lone family member that never had any sort of fear of Mrs. Cheadle. He found her amusing with her quirky British ways. He knew that her bark was bigger than her bite. And he knew that she knew that he knew that, or why would she have told him to do the kitchen for her and not given him any input? She'd get what she wanted without asking, and then she'd pretend to complain about it.
Brad just shook his head and laughed to himself.
Sean had already put Great Lakes Security on the case of finding his supposed half-brother. They told Sean that a couple of names, and a birth certificate which appeared legitimate but hadn't been authenticated by Great Lakes weren't much at all to go on, and that their contact base in Thailand was nonexistent. They thought that one of their contacts in the State Department might be able to assist through the American Embassy in Bangkok but didn't hold out much hope of having anything happen quickly.
Sean was told that a quick-and-dirty Google search turned up no one by either of those names.
When Sean got home, he did some googling himself and came up with a tidbit.
He simply googled "P Na Chiangmai." A few names appeared on the screen and most of the hits weren't name related, appearing to be on the order of `garbage in, garbage out.'. On the third page of the search, he saw a hit for "Pat Na Chiangmai."
"Pat," Sean thought. "Hmmmmm...."
Sean hit the link. It didn't seem to be of much use. It appeared from what little Sean could decipher from all the abbreviations that there maybe was some reference to a school or a college, but Sean couldn't really tell anything useful. The rest of the short entry was one sentence, or what looked to be one sentence all written in Thai which Sean couldn't read. He didn't feel like fiddling around with an online translator. He checked to see if there were any similar links but by the time he got to the eighth page of the search he hadn't seen anything else that looked useful. He sent the one link he had to Great Lakes.
After all, he was paying them to handle the matter.
Just short of two months later Great Lakes contacted Sean letting him know that they had a hit they were pretty sure was the right guy. An employee at the United States Embassy in Bangkok called in a favor from the Central Civil Registration Office of the Royal Thai Government.
The man fit the profile. At 55 years of age, he was six years and a couple months older than Sean and the birth date matched that of the birth certificate. He had type Joe's type AB blood which matched the birth certificate as well. There was a court record of his name having been changed in 2009 to Tanawat Medathanon.
His drivers license photograph showed a handsome man clearly of mixed Asian and European heritage with the bridge of his nose set higher than normal for an Asian, and cheekbones set a bit lower and a bit more prominent. His eyes were just a bit round for an Asian and seemed to lack a bit of the skin flap common to Asian eyes. In addition, his hair was not the straight jet black that one might have expected but rather a slightly wavy dusty ash brown. He was listed as being 183 centimeters in height, or just about six feet, and weighing 72 kilograms, just shy of 160 pounds.
To Sean, the man-in-the-photograph's nose and jawline reminded him of his dad's.
According to the current record, the man was unmarried and lived in the older Dusit district of Bangkok, in the vicinity of the Grand Palace and the Dusit Palace, the seats of the Thai Royal family.
Other information indicated that the man had a son 34 years of age who lived in the city of Chiang Mai. The name of the son was listed as Duean Na Chiangmai. That the son carried the Na Chiangmai surname was important as it seemed to cement that Tanawat Medathanon was their man.
"OK," Sean told his contact at Great Lakes. "So, I guess I'll have to go to Bangkok to settle this. I'm not about to have a meeting here with a total stranger. So, how do we set up a meeting with this guy? I mean, he doesn't know me from dirt. Why would he even want to meet with me?"
"We included that in the favor we called in. Our U.S. Embassy contact has agreed to make initial contact with Mr. Medathanon if you authorize it. If Medathanon is receptive, we suggest just laying the cards on the table and saying straight up that the request for a meeting concerns your dad's death and Mr. Medathanon's possible inheritance. No point in trying to make a garden variety legal matter into something fancy..."
"Fine, and if he's agreeable to meet he's probably gonna be smart enough to know that our attorney will want a DNA test. It's hardly any hair off his ass or mine to give samples, and we can know in a day or two if we're blood half-brothers or not. I do think he should be told right up front that a DNA test will be required, though"
"When you go to Bangkok we'd suggest not traveling alone."
"Already thought about that. I'll take J.R. with me because he's also an heir. I'll offer to take Marigold, but I doubt she'd wanna go. She hates hot weather. And I'll take Tim Dickson as my attorney. George is too old for a trip like that."
"That sounds wise. Where would you want to hold the initial meeting?"
"How the hell would I know? I don't know shit about Bangkok... I couldn't even find it on a fucking map... I guess we'll book into a hotel that has meeting facilities. I mean, I dunno... One night in Bangkok* and the world's your oyster, hey?"
"We can ask our Embassy person if they might have any suggestions."
"Good. Do that."
"Very well."
"If this pans out and the Meda-whoever-he-is guy agrees to meet, just let him know that I can be there in two weeks but not less. I'll need to make arrangements. And so will everyone else."
"That's fine. We'll be in touch once we've made contact."
"Sounds good."
THREE WEEKS LATER
Sean, J.R., and Tim set out from O'Hare Field in Chicago aboard a Japan Airlines flight to Tokyo and a connecting JAL flight thence to Bangkok.
The flights were booked on routes flying the Boeing 847 Mach 2.2 supersonic liner capable of carrying 400 passengers at a cost a fraction of that of earlier supersonic aircraft. This was due to a quantum breakthrough in engine design jointly researched and brought into production by General Electric in the United States and Rolls Royce in Britain. The new engines were cornering the market. The 847s were graceful planes, resembling in looks a cleaner more aerodynamic version of the old U.S. Air Force B-1 Bombers.**
Sean booked their accommodations at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in the center of Bangkok which consisted of a relatively small European-style 1876 building flanked by a modern tower. Sean rented all of the suites in the original 1876 building. He made sure that the hotel would keep all of the employees working during their stay and added a large tip for them to his deposit.
In addition to Sean, J.R., and Tim there was also a Great Lakes bodyguard and a medical technician who could collect DNA samples and have a result on the spot. There would be no few days' time waiting for test results as Sean had earlier thought.
Prior to the trip, Tim asked Tanawat Medathanon through a letter to bring with him his drivers license and, as had been represented to Great Lakes Security, an original copy of the birth certificate stating that his father was Joseph Patrick Wyman, and the original court documents concerning his name change. Tim also stated the requirement for a DNA test.
Tanawat replied that he had those items, and in addition consented to the DNA test.
As a needle, when Tanawat's reply to Tim inquired as to the size of his possible inheritance, Tim, looking out for his old friend's interests and as the estate's attorney replied in writing that, "Any such information shall be made known to you in writing, or in person to be followed by a written memorial, but only once heirship has been established. Such information shall be made known to you only by me, or by my father George Dickson, as attorneys for the estate of Joseph Wyman."
Once at the hotel in Bangkok, an Embassy employee came by to give Sean, J.R, and Tim a basic crash course in Thai manners.
She taught them that when they meet with Tanawat for the first time, they should wait for him as the visitor to give the Wai, the Thai greeting of pressing the palms of the hands together, fingers pointing up and brought near the face while slightly bowing the head. She said that they needn't pay attention to what he said, but that they should Wai back and say, phonetically, "Sa-Wah-dee Crap" in that context meaning roughly "Hello, Sir."
The meeting was scheduled for Noon the following day. Sean ordered from the kitchen a typical Thai light luncheon that would be appropriate for a business meeting as well as making sure that the bar would be available. They were reminded that Thais have a relatively elastic sense of time compared with the expected punctuality of westerners, so Noon could be anytime between Noon and an hour or so later and that they should not take offense at that.
"Oh, he'll be on time alright," Sean said. "I'd lay a grand on it. He answered Dix's letter right quick..."
"I will be here a half hour in advance, and I'll wait outside should you need me as an interpreter," the Embassy employee said. "I'll be in the lobby. If you find that you won't need me, just let me know so I can head back to my office."
"Sure thing," Tim said.
The next morning, Sean, J.R. and Tim appeared in the meeting room. Tim dressed in a standard black business suit with a starched white shirt and a rust-colored tie setting off his auburn hair and hazel eyes. J.R. wore dark gray chinos, a white open-necked oxford shirt and a light gray sport coat. Sean, true to his fashion sense, had on a plain white cotton kimono shirt with an overlapping V neckline and medium length sleeves, and plain black cotton pants. The shirt was not tucked in. For shoes, he donned without socks his long-worn Allen Edmonds penny loafers that he'd had since high school.
Tim and J.R. sported their usual businessman's hair style while Sean kept his shoulder-length hair, and prior to leaving Janesville had it highlighted, and a soft wave added to it. For a middle-aged man, Sean still looked young. He probably could have passed for 35, if not younger.
And he was in for a surprise.
At precisely 12:00 Noon they were informed that a Mr. Tanawat Medathanon checked in at the hotel lobby and was being escorted to the meeting room.
Sean felt a brief attack of nerves but shrugged it off.
"Ready, Dix?" Sean asked.
"Let's git `er done, Bud," Tim answered.
"J.R.?"
"Let's roll."
A knock at the door was followed by a Hotel Captain announcing, "Mr. Tanawat Medathanon is here to see you, gentlemen."
"Show him in, please," Tim said.
In strode what Sean thought must be the most beautiful man he'd ever seen.
Easily about an inch taller than his drivers license stated, with a slim yet well-proportioned build not unlike Brad's, wavy hair without a trace of gray, sharp upward tilted eyebrows set off by round tortoise-shell colored metal-framed glasses and, as Sean saw in the drivers license photo, a clear resemblance to Joe Wyman's nose and jawline.
Like Sean, he too could have passed for being 35 years old.
The man approached the table at which the other three were seated. He spoke perfect English, albeit with a British accent. It sounded to Sean to be the "Received Pronunciation" accent common in middle-class-and-above London and the southeast of England. He misplaced not a word in sentence order, nor even slightly hesitated as he spoke.
"Thank you for inviting me to meet you today, gentlemen. I'm Tanawat Medathanon." He then made the obligatory Wai.
Sean rose. "Sa-wah-dee Crap" Sean said, making the Wai in return. "Sean Wyman."
Tanawat extended his hand to Sean. Sean shook it. The man had a firm handshake.
"Shall we get straight to it, then?" Tim asked. "I'm sorry, Mr. Medathanon, I failed to introduce myself. I'm Tim Dickson, one of the attorneys for the estate of Joseph Wyman." Tim then made a perfect Wai, stood up, and extended his hand to Tanawat.
"Yes, counselor, we've had some correspondence," Tanawat said, shaking Tim's hand. "Here's an envelope containing everything you asked me for. And a little more. Should I have a seat?"
"Certainly," Tim replied. "And thank you for bringing the materials that I requested. If you don't mind, I'd like to review them and then we can move on."
"By all means," Tanawat smiled. His smile lit up his face, but it bore more than a little bit of Sean's smirk. And his bearing bore more than a little bit of Sean's square-shouldered confidence.
Tim took the large Manila envelope and carefully opened it.
He withdrew two official-looking documents, and a photograph.
"There's one more thing in the envelope, Counselor," Tanawat said.
Tim peered into the envelope and took out what appeared to me a military dog tag.
Tim set it aside.
"Yes, this appears to be the original birth certificate. It appears to be in order," Tim said, handing the certificate to Sean. Sean looked it over, handed it to J.R. who perused it and returned it to Tim.
"And this one appears to be the court order for the name change." Tim passed that document around as well.
"I don't understand this photograph, though," Tim said to Tanawat. "Can you tell me what it is?"
"Yes. The two people in the photograph are my mother, and Joseph Wyman."
"Very well," Tim said. "Sean, why don't you take a look at this..."
Sean took the photo. He only needed a split second. "That's my dad, Dix. No doubt about it."
"And this dog tag. What is the significance of it?"
"Did you read it?" Tanawat asked.
Tim looked at it. It bore the name Wyman, J.P., AB+ signifying blood type, a serial number, USMC signifying the Marine Corps, M signifying male, and it listed the religion as simply Christian.
"Here you go, Sean," Tim said, handing over the dog tag.
"How did you happen to come into possession of this?" Tim asked Tanawat.
"My mum gave it to me when I was about twelve years old. She said my father left it with her and told her to give it to me when she thought I would be old enough to understand. She said my father gave it to her because he was threatened by my grandfather never to return to Thailand and told that he'd never see his son. I've kept it in a safe at my house all these years."
"I see..." Tim said. "Right! Sean, J.R., do you consider what you've seen enough for you to be comfortable going ahead with the DNA test?"
"Yes. I do," Sean answered.
"Agreed," J.R. nodded.
Tim motioned to the technician to get set up for the test.
"Gentlemen," the technician said to Sean and Tanawat, "I'm going to give you each two swabs. Grasp only the plastic stick part. Do NOT touch the cotton on the end. Swipe around the inside of your mouth and gums for at least five seconds for each swab. Place both swabs together into the glass test tubes then don't touch anything. While you're doing that, I'll get the machine ready. The whole thing shouldn't take but ten or fifteen minutes."
Sean and Tanawat did as bidden. The technician took the test tubes and placed them into cylinders, one cylinder on either side of the machine.
"Ten, fifteen minutes gentlemen!"
"I'm gonna go have a smoke..." Sean said.
"Mind if I join you?" Tanawat asked.
"Not at all. J.R., you coming?"
"Nah. I'll just stay here..."
Outside, Sean took out a pack of Camel straights and offered one up to Tanawat who nodded and took it while producing an old- fashioned Zippo lighter offering Sean a light.
"Thanks," Sean said. "So, um, whadya think?"
"What do I think about what?" Tanawat asked, again with a smirk.
"Well, like, what if we're brothers? Or half-brothers? Or whatever?"
"Let's just wait and see. You know, Sean, this came as a surprise to me. I mean, I knew that I had a father, after all everyone does. And I knew what my mother told me. Now, here in Thailand I'm what is called a half-blood' or half-child.' Not fully Asian. Anyone can see that by looking at me. And my grandfather branded me as a bastard. But I never expected a visit from an American attorney or a DNA test... It's something that I long put out of my mind."
"Sorry," Sean said.
"Don't be. Your attorney has to do his job. I like him. You seem to know him well."
"He's my best friend. We go way back."
"Yes," Tanawat replied, not revealing that he knew a little bit more about Sean and about Joe than he was willing to let on.
Once finished with their cigarettes, Sean said, "Shall we?"
Tanawat nodded and they went back in.
One back in the meeting room, Tim informed them that the technician was not quite done yet.
The time required wasn't in the processing of the samples, but rather in the processing of the amount of data in human DNA which was due to the scaled-down nature of the portable testing station.
Presently, the technician returned. He plugged his tablet into a large video monitor so everyone could see.
"I have the results, gentlemen. I'll put them up on the screen here so everyone can see. Before I do that I'll just cut right to the chase. Mr. Wyman, Mr. Medathanon, by the results of my analysis it is beyond doubt that you two men are related in the Y-chromosome. In plain English, you have the same father but different mothers. The test result would stand up in an American court of law. Mr. Medathanon, Joseph Wyman was your father."
Sean and Tanawat stared at each other with wide eyes. The room was silent.
J.R. was the first one to speak. "So, where do we go from here?"
"I'll need three hard copies of your results," Tim told the technician. "And I have an affidavit prepared here wherein you testify to those results. The affidavit is prepared in triplicate as well. One copy for the probate court, one for my records on behalf of the estate, and one for Tanawat. Tanawat gets copies only in the case where Thai authorities might require them. I'll need your signature on all three and I'll notarize.
"Tanawat, when we get back to the United States, I'll update the file and then at that point the paperwork will be ready for submission to the probate court. I'll get you copies of everything in writing, and I'll send them to you here by UPS to your address, or to your business address if you prefer. In either case a delivery signature will be required. I also have a letter here that requires your signature as an heir. The letter consents to me and my father, George Dickson, who is also an attorney at my firm acting as executors for the estate of Joseph Wyman."
Tanawat didn't answer. His chin and lips were trembling.
Sean rose from his chair and excused himself from the room.
A few minutes later Tanawat exited the room as well. He figured Sean went outside to have a smoke. He was right.
Tanawat saw Sean sitting on a bench in the hotel yard, cigarette in hand, and with tears in his eyes.
Tanawat approached. He stood in front of Sean and bowed low.
"What are you doing?!?" Sen asked, surprised.
"I am honoring my long-lost brother."
"That's not necessary," Sean said.
"I suppose not, at least not to an American," Tanawat answered, smiling. "We're brothers and I am the elder..."
"When I was a little boy, I always wanted a brother and now I have one..." Sean said, sniffling through his tears.
"Don't cry, Nong Sean," Tanawat said.
"What?" Sean asked.
"You are Nong Sean. Nong is Thai for a younger brother, or mate. Please call me P'Pat. P' is for an elder brother, or mate. And Pat is the nickname my mum gave me when I was born. Almost all Thai children get nicknames at birth. It's what everyone who knows me has always called me."
Sean stood up and hugged Tanawat tight. He then let go and looked him in the eye. "P'Pat," Sean said, "I've been handling the estate stuff with Tim. I think since you are the senior brother that from now on you should handle it. I defer to my big brother."
"Are you sure?" Tanawat asked. "After all, you're back in the States and I'm here in Thailand..."
"None of this stuff requires physical presence," Sean answered. "Besides, it's the right thing to do. I think it's how dad would have wanted it."
"I see. Well, how do you think dad would have liked it if I invited you to ditch this hotel for the rest of your time in Bangkok and stayed with me? I have room for everyone..."
"Really?"
"Really. My house is an old Thai teak house from the 1880s. It's one of the few left in my area. It belonged to the family before it was gifted to me by my grandfather's brother. It's a very large home. I have the room."
"I'd like to hear about your family," Sean said.
"Yes, the good, the bad, and the ugly. I'll tell you guys all about it over dinner. Do you think Tim and J.R. will want to come?"
"Of course they would."
"I guess I have to think of J.R. as my second little brother."
"Yes, you do. He's a really good guy. He's got seven children."
"SEVEN?!?"
"Yes, seven. Victoria, John, Virginia, Christian, Patrick, Bradley, and Margaret."
"There's a Patrick?"
"Yes, Patrick Sean. He's got both our names," Sean smirked. "Some coincidence, hey? His wife's name is Kathleen. You'd like her. She's a firecracker. They were high school sweethearts... Hey, I know you have a son. Do you have a wife?"
"I did. A long time ago. That's part of the family story I'll tell you later. I have three grandsons as well. There's Patpasit and Phukong. They're eight and ten years old. They live with my son and his wife in Chiangmai. The third one I'll leave until later."
"I have four sons," Sean said. "The twins Joey and Lennie, then there's T.J., and then there's my youngest, Scott. I have five grandsons and a granddaughter."
"P'Pat?" Sean said.
"Nong Sean..."
"Once we're done with our business here, I want to invite you to come stay with us in Wisconsin for a while. I mean, if you want... Can you do that?"
"I can. I'm retired you know... I worked for a lot of years in the financial office of the Royal Household. I retired last year except for special projects. I don't have to answer to anyone about my time."
"Good. Shall we go back in? They're prolly thinking we're freaking out, the two of us..."
"Yes. They probably are. Nong Sean?"
"Yeah?"
"Thank you for accepting me as your brother."
"And you accept me?"
"Nong Sean, I wouldn't have any other brother..."
In that conversation, and at that moment, Sean knew he had the brother that he wanted when he was a little boy. Maybe, Sean thought, it was better this way in the end as the six-year difference in their ages might have been an impediment had they grown up together. As it was now, they were both middle-aged successful men. Equals in that respect.
Sean and Tanawat walked back into the meeting room with their arms over each other's shoulders.
"Guys," Sean said. "P'Pat and I have some stuff to tell ya... The two of us think that since P'Pat is the eldest brother here that he should be the one to deal with George and Dix to settle the estate. Whadya say, J.R.?"
"What's this `P'Pat' shit?" J.R. asked.
"You tell him, P'Pat..."
"OK, well, like I told Sean, almost all Thai kids get nicknames when they're born. My Thai name at birth was Pariwat which I changed later as you know. My mother gave me the nickname Pat after my English name, Patrick. The P' is what Sean calls me because that's what an elder brother is called. Nong is for a younger brother. So, to me you're Nong J.R. and Sean is Nong Sean. But you'd call Sean P'Sean."
"I guess that makes sense," J.R. said. "Anyway, I'm the adopted child. You and Sean are blood brothers. I'm glad to have another brother. And if Sean thinks you should handle the business with the attorneys, I have no objection."
"In Thai families, the younger siblings give the elder ones respect," Tanawat said, "and the elder ones do what we call `take care' of the younger ones which means to watch out for them."
J.R. nodded.
"I'm fine with that, too," Tim said. "And dad won't mind. There isn't much paperwork for you to do anyway as both me and my dad are co-executors of the estate, and the will is a simple one. It really just boils down to who is the point of contact for the family."
"I have something else, too," Tanawat said. "I talked to Sean about it so now I'll ask you guys. I suggested that you ditch this hotel and come stay at my home for the rest of the time you're here. I really do have enough room for everyone, and as I told Sean it's an old Thai teak home from the 1880's. You'll never stay in another place like it no matter how many times you come to Bangkok."
"I'm in," J.R. said.
"Ditto," echoed Tim.
"I'll settle the bill then," Sean said. "I'll just tell them to let the help have the food we're not gonna eat."
"I've got a limo to pick us up. I reserved it before I came," Tanawat said.
"You did?" said J.R.
"I had a good feeling," Tanawat answered. "I'm not sure exactly why, but I did have a good feeling. The evidence I had told me that Joe Wyman was my dad, and I was anxious to meet my two brothers."
"I wanna hear about your life here," J.R. said.
"Yes," Tanawat replied. "As I told Sean, I'll tell you all about my family... The good. The bad. And the ugly."
"I have one other thing, gentlemen." the DNA technician said. "I need all of your signatures, and also Mr. Dickson as a witness, that you are satisfied with the results of the test."
With that done, and the hotel bill paid, the men decamped in Tanawat's hired limousine, a vintage 1967 Cadillac Fleetwood 75***. Sean was agape. Tanawat smiled knowingly to himself.
They were in for another surprise once they arrived at Tanawat's home.
It was a massive two-story home with Victorian lines and gingerbread trim, most of which was in unpainted Teak, only the gable ends and the roof soffits being clad in copper sheathing, the gable ends of which were sculpted in a seashell pattern, and all of which was weathered with a jade green patina. The roof was of terra cotta tile with ornate iron lightning rods at the top of each gable.
The home lay along one of Bangkok's countless narrow alleys and had the typical wall and gate in front, but even from the front it was clearly seen that the property backed up to the Chao Phraya River, the main river cutting through the city.
Tanawat explained that back in the days when his house was built, the river was how deliveries were made of food, fuel and other things needed to run such a large home. Small flat- bottomed barges were rowed downriver fully laden so that once unloaded to their customers it resulted in a much lighter vessel having to fight the river current back upstream to their warehouses. He said that the old stone dock leading from the river to the back of the house was still there.
The big Cadillac swung through the automatic gate, stopping in front of what appeared to be a deep outdoor screened porch extending not out from the home but into the first story.
"Welcome to my home," Tanawat said. "Before we go in, I just want to say make yourselves at home."
Just then one of the ubiquitous Tuk Tuks pulled in the driveway with big straw picnic baskets lashed tight where a passenger or two would normally sit.
A cheerful looking young man about 16 or 17 years old or so alighted from the little vehicle, greeting Tanawat in Thai as if he knew him well. He was tall for a Thai teenager, appearing to be maybe six feet, and quite slim. Sean mentally estimated him to be about 145-150 pounds.
Tanawat introduced the young man to his guests, again in Thai, and the young man smiled brightly giving each one of them a Wai.
The young man, who after being introduced they knew as Dollawee, hefted the baskets into the house followed by the others.
At the door, Tim barreled ahead until Sean slapped him rudely on the shoulder blade. "Jesus Christ, Dix! Take your shoes off!"
"Oh, um, yeah..." Tim replied sheepishly which drew a laugh from Tanawat.
"This way, guys," Tanawat said. "The food is from the restaurant where Dollawee works. Their food is high quality. Dollawee will stay to serve us, and make sure we have what we need for drinks and anything else. He'll take your luggage to your rooms, too. There's a bedroom for everyone and two bathrooms upstairs. Thank you, Dollawee." Tanawat then handed Dollawee a fat wad of Thai Baht bills.
Dollawee made a Wai and half-bowed"
The men feasted upon a seemingly endless number of Thai dishes, some a little bit sweet with coconut milk and bright with basil, some simple tempura-style seafood, others with the burn of hot peppers and Thai curry paste. And all washed down with the classic Thai Singha beer served ice cold.
"I'm going to tell you all the story of my Thai family now," Tanawat said.
"As you all probably know, I was born Pariwat Na Chiangmai. And I was also born Patrick Joseph Wyman. As a child that wasn't too confusing to me really because my mum gave me the nickname Pat. I was always just Pat...
"Until one day when I was about eight or nine years old. See, my mum and I always lived here in Bangkok, not in this house but in a condo. The rest of the family was all up north in Chiang Mai. Anyway, one time when we went to visit my grandparents, I overheard my grandfather talking to his brother.
"Now my grandfather was a mean man. He could be a real bastard. Oh, my mum and I never wanted for anything money-wise. I mean, she was a professional, a college professor actually. She taught political science. And granddad always made sure we had extra. That wasn't his issue.
"His issue was with me.
"So, right, I overheard them. And they were talking about me. Granddad called me `that half-blood bastard foreigner. He's no real Na Chiangmai. His mother might be my daughter, and I'd never see her suffer, but that kid of hers, he's a different story. His very existence shames our family. He'll get nothing from this family once his schooling is done and we can send him off somewhere else out of the country. Snot-nosed little fucking bastard!'"
"Wow!" J.R. said. "That's rough..."
"I cried my eyes out," Tanawat replied. "I told my mum what I'd heard, and she tried to comfort me. Later I found out she had a huge fight with my grandfather over it, and he threatened to cut her off and cut her out of her inheritance. All she could do after that was explain to me that sometimes in life we come across mean people."
"So how did your son end up being a Na Chiangmai?" Sean asked.
"I'll get to that, Nong Sean."
"Anyway, where was I now... Oh, yeah... So we went back to Bangkok and that was the last I ever saw of that man."
"What happened?" Sean asked.
"Well, he died. And then his brother took over as head of the family. You see, my mum was an only child and in the Na Chiangmai family the position of head of the family can only be passed to a male. So, my mum was never gonna be head of the family. And when my grandfather died his brother took over. He was not as mean as my grandfather but being a younger brother and a very traditional Thai, he basically went along with my grandfather's wishes when it came to me.
"So, at age 13 I was shipped off to England. To Eton College, believe it or not, so that no one could ever say they sent me off to get a second-rate education. I was in school with the cream of the crop. In England. A stone's throw from Windsor Castle. But I took to it, and I did well. I made a lot of friends and when I was a Senior boy I was a Pop, that is a member of the Eton Society. One has to be chosen by other Society members. King William was a Pop when he was at Eton. His awful brother Harry wasn't chosen. I also played football, or soccer as you call it. I was quite good. I got to like it in England. I could speak some English when I got there, but I learned fast and I spent a lot of years there so that's why I speak with a British accent. Because it's how I learned fluency.
"My grandfather's brother, or "Uncle" as I called him said I could come back to Thailand when I finished up at Eton, but I chose not to because I liked it so much there. I stayed in England and got accepted to the London School of Economics where I got what in the States would be an MBA in Accounting and Finance. A lot of my Eton friends were at school there, and those were probably the best years of my life. I've always loved London and I still have a little condominium there when I go a couple of times a year, in Whitechapel just near The City.****"
"We've got a place in Chelsea," Sean said. "Small world, innit, P'..."
"Quite," Tanawat replied. "Is everyone getting enough to eat and drink?" Tanawat asked. "And you, there, Dollawee, are you taking care of our guests?"
Dollawee turned beet red until Tim came to his rescue.
"You're awesome, Dollawee. Wanna visit the United States? We'll get you a ticket, and you got a free place to stay and some pocket money..."
Dollawee looked at Tanawat.
Tanawat smiled and said in Thai "If it's Ok with your parents."
Dollawee grinned from ear to ear.
Tanawat looked at Tim, "Dollawee's parents are old friends of mine. I'm sure we can get the lad a trip."
Dollawee bowed slightly and made a Wai to everyone.
"I'll keep on with my story now," Tanawat said.
"I need to get on to the part of the story of how I spent so much time in England and then came back and had a Thai wife and son. He's something I'll always be proud of, but not my marriage. It shames me until this day."
What do you mean?" Sean asked.
"I'll put it in as much of a nutshell as I can." Tanawat said. "There were a couple things going on at the same time. My Uncle had taken over as head of the family but beyond him there were no male heirs. He was married but they had no children.
"My Uncle vowed to uphold his brother's basic exclusion of me from the family name and succession, but they needed an heir, or the Na Chiangmai line would end. He couldn't let that happen. So, he offered me a deal. Or I should say a deal I couldn't refuse.
"The deal was I come back from England and I'd get this house deeded to me free and clear, an amount of money equal at the time to ten million British Pounds, and I'd be given a share of the family inheritance. But I could not be the head of the family no matter that technically I was the only male heir at the time, albeit illegitimate. Anyway, I couldn't pass it up because family is important to Thais and no matter how my grandfather had treated me he was gone and this was still family."
"There was a catch, though, for all the good stuff I just mentioned...."
"There always is," Sean smirked.
"Oh my God!" Tanawat exclaimed. "We have the same smirk!"
"I was wondering when you'd notice that..." Sean laughed.
"OK, back to the story... The catch was that I had to marry and produce a male heir. My Uncle deemed he would be following the instructions of his brother, my grandfather, by not letting me into the line of succession due to my bastard status. But he also deemed that since I carried Na Chiangmai blood that a male born legitimately of my blood would qualify to succeed. So, I married and produced a male heir.
"My wife was chosen for me. She came from another noble family, the Na Songkhla family. That way the child would have fully noble blood. Apart, of course, from my bastard American bloodline which so bothered my grandfather. She was a lot older than me, 39, when we married. She was a good person. I liked her even though I didn't love her, but there was a basic problem.
"What's that?" J.R. asked.
"I don't like girls. I like boys."
Tim and Sean both gasped.
"Problem?" Tanawat asked.
"Nope," Tim said. "Your brother and I like boys, too...."
"You don't say.... All my life that was another thing my family hated about me. And now I have a brother who's the same as me that way.... Life is funny sometimes...
"Anyway, enough with that," Tanawat continued. "So, we had a child who was conceived by artificial insemination. And as luck would have it the child was a boy. So I didn't need to repeat the process. That's my son, Duean. He married well, and lives in Chiang Mai with his wife and his two sons.
"After we married, my ex-wife moved here and I had this house made into two suites, which I've since changed back to its original form. My ex-wife lived in one suite, and I lived in the other. That way she could have her boys in, and I could have my boys in. We kept that arrangement until Duean finished high school because we felt it was best for him to have both parents around, and also so that there would not be the stigma of him being the child of divorced parents. We didn't know how our families might react to that. After Duean turned 18 years old we divorced amicably. She got half of everything except this house, and we've remained friends. She was a good mother to Duean. Her family had made her a deal, too, so in the end all both of us were doing was just playing out our roles...
"That's the unattractive, and often unseen underbelly of Thailand. Deals. Corruption. Quid pro quos. Some petty, some not so petty. Whatever it is that you see on the surface, there's likely some kind of a deal underneath I can assure you. Or at least it was more so at the time. Our society still operates that way but it's less now than it was then.
"You see, my uncle got me a position in the finance department of the Royal Household when I returned from England, but that was only part of my job. At the time we had a King who was, shall we say, mentally deficient, and who acceded to the throne on the death of his thoroughly disgraced father. He proved incompetent. Things became so bad with the deficient King that Parliament finally had to declare a Regency with the King's elder sister as Princess Regent. That was a big deal since a woman had never ruled Thailand before, but there was no one else.
"The country was seething after years of revolving door elected governments being deposed in military coups and a monarchy that instead of being constitutional was in reality extra- constitutional and did not exist to uphold good government. Oh, sure, money poured into our economy from overseas investors, and if one only looked at Bangkok one would think Thailand a modern, wealthy country. But that was far from the truth. The farther out of Bangkok one got the poorer and more backward the country was. And I'm not talking about how it is in England, or in the United States. Going from Bangkok to the interior of the country was like going from New York or London to a totally third world country. It was embarrassing and untenable.
"And to think you're hearing this from me, a Thai who would gladly have lived the rest of his life in England. But my family called, and my country called, so what could I do...
"Anyway, ostensibly my job was to oversee the finances of the Royal Household, but together with a small clique organized by the Princess Regent, who was a wise and good woman and who ruled capably within her bounds as a Regent, we were really tasked with rooting out corruption within the Royal Household and to a certain degree as much as we could within the government, too. And to see to it that the King's son, the Crown Prince who is now King, got a proper preparation for being a modern constitutional monarch who would not tolerate the overthrow of an elected government.
"I was on the small committee, there was just one other person together with the Princess Regent, who were in charge of the Crown Prince's education. I was chosen because of my family connection and my British education. Anyway, the Crown Prince was sent to normal Thai schools, although good ones, and his education concentrated on Political Science and Economics. He finished his university degree with honors in Political Science. I double checked to make sure that his honors were real and that he earned them himself. They were, and he had. A damn sight better than his useless father and debauched grandfather ever could have done...
"And, as luck would have it, the deficient King died seven years ago, fairly young, such a pity (said with obvious British understated sarcasm). His heir, the Crown Prince, was 24 years old at the time and succeeded to the throne in his own right without a Regency. Wisely, he kept his aunt, the Princess Regent, close to him as an advisor and the new King showed his strength from his first day. He had been prepared well. And he had a young man's drive. He took over during one of the military governments and his first declaration, which was within his powers, was to sack the government, dissolve parliament, and call for a snap election in two weeks' time.
"Two weeks might not have been enough time for the opposition civilian parties to properly prepare for an election, but neither was it enough time for the military government to rig it in their favor, either. The King knew that. And luck was with him for taking that chance as the military government lost their majority in parliament and were replaced by a civilian coalition government that lasted two years until the present government we have of a standard-issue center-right party that one could compare to, say, the Japanese Liberal Democrats. The present government has a small but decent majority and is trying their best to make headway. And so far, the public seems willing to give them a fair chance.
"Then, right after the King sacked the military government, he exercised his authority as Commander in Chief of the armed forces to revoke the commissions of any military officers who had been part of any coup on the simple grounds that they lacked the legal authority to overthrow an elected government. He did not recommend that the coup officers be put on trial, telling the country that he did not wish to litigate the past for the risk of losing the future, and that as a country we needed to put that behind us and move forward.
"Instead, he wished the coup officers a peaceful and quiet retirement. Our present King so far has been wise beyond his years. I know for a fact that he spends a lot of time studying past British monarchs and that his two favorites and his models are Queen Victoria who while headstrong and who sparred regularly with her ministers did so within her constitutional limits, and King George VI who was a shy man thrust unprepared onto the throne but who was a man of great steadfastness and courage seeing his country through World War II.
"Our King does not mean to be a failure and knows that he's got a long reign ahead of him.
"He's also done away with the antiquated lèse majesté laws that separated the Royal family from the people as if they were some kind of Communist dictators against whom one could never speak on pain of going to jail. He thought those laws were absurd.
"Anyway, the present government will face a general election in eight months' time unless the Prime Minister asks for an earlier dissolution, and they look set fair to be returned to power. There are only nine members of the former military government's party still holding seats in Parliament and they are of no import at all. They'll probably all lose their seats at the next election. Things are improving as far as responsible democratic governance goes.
"So, moving on, when I felt that I'd discharged the duties I'd been given, to my country and my family, and once I felt sure that we had a Sovereign on the throne equipped to competently fulfill his duties as a modern constitutional monarch, I retired. My job was done. There. That's my story.
"Except for one more thing. As you might have expected, my uncle is long dead now, too, and following the chain of succession Duean is the head of the Na Chiangmai family."
"Wow," Sean and Tim said in unison.
J.R. sat in wide-eyed silence.
Over after dinner drinks, Tanawat motioned Sean and J.R. to a discreet corner of the large dining room.
"I didn't want to say anything in front of Dollawee, guys but Dollawee is Duean's illegitimate son. So I guess having illegitimate children skips a generation in my family. We found a childless couple nearby who had the means to raise him well. Dollawee doesn't have any money now of course not, because he's a teenager, but someday he will. I always tell Patpasit that he is my pride and Phukong that he is my joy. Dollawee is my pride AND my joy. He's such a good lad. He was an easy boy to raise and never gave anyone any trouble.
"When Dollawee was 12 years old he was told of his parentage and adoption, and he was offered the choice of staying here in Bangkok with his adoptive family or going to Chiang Mai to live with his father's family. He decided to stay here. Duean has assured Dollawee that he is a full member of the Na Chiangmai family and has been told he can carry the name if he chooses once he turns 18. And you and J.R. are his uncles as far as he's concerned."
"Will Dollawee be the head of the family someday?" Sean asked.
"On Duean's request, I asked him about that just a couple of weeks ago on his 17th birthday. He said he wouldn't like to be the head of the family. He wants to be, as he put it, a regular person. He's a hard worker, he knows his own mind, and he always has a smile for everyone. That's why I say he's a good lad. He will be well taken care of, though. Duean has seen to that."
"I want you to bring him with you when you visit the United States," Sean said. "Your other grandsons probably wouldn't appreciate the trip at their age. We can bring them later when they're old enough if they wish. Anyway, if Dollawee likes it, and if he wants to, I'd offer him the chance to finish his high school in the United States. If nothing else, it would improve his English. But the choice, of course, would be his. I have to admit, he is a charming boy, or young man really... Does he play sports?"
"Like I did in my school days, Dollawee plays soccer. And he's good. He's a big kid for a Thai as you can see, he's got good speed and ball control, and as polite as he is in company, on the soccer field he's single-mindedly competitive. He plays Center Forward, first team. He goes to Assumption College which is a private Catholic High School. It's not Eton, but it is an excellent school. He's in the English Honors program. So, about finishing high school in the United States, I'd suspect that's not going to be on with Dollawee if he were asked. You see, he has a good friend at school who I'll tell you about later and I know the two of them have been in cahoots eyeing colleges in America. I've suspected for a while that they're more than friends if you catch my drift, but at his age he wouldn't appreciate me prying into his life."
"No, I suppose he wouldn't like that at all... Has he gotten his dinner yet?" Sean asked.
"He brought enough food so there's plenty for him, too. Why?"
"Can J.R. and I talk to him? Or better yet, let's go back to the table and ask him to fix himself a plate of food and join us... He can have a beer with us, right?"
"That's not a bad idea..."
Dollawee seated himself and for the first time all evening spoke in English He had perfect grammar and syntax, but a perceptible Thai accent interspersed with his grandfather's British accent.
"Thank you for letting me eat with you. My grandfather says you are his brothers?"
"We are," J.R. responded. "I'm adopted, and Sean here and your grandfather have the same father."
"You guys seem nice, crap..."****** Dollawee replied, smiling as always.
"Yes, we're crap," Sean replied.
"Did you like the food?" Dollawee asked, laughing at Sean's play on words.
"I did," Sean replied. "And I'm glad to know you're part of my family. You seem like a good kid. I have a question for you, too, young man. Tim asked you earlier if you might care to visit the United States. So, how would you like to come to the United States with your grandfather when he visits?"
"Really? Can I?"
"If your mum and dad say so," Tanawat reminded Dollawee. "And we'll have to make sure you can do all of your schoolwork while we're away, too."
"I can do that! Do you think I could I bring Haebom?"
"I've got a huge library at my house where you can do your schoolwork. If you need anything special like laptops or anything else, I'll make sure it's there for you. Anyway, who or what is Haebom..." Sean laughed.
"Haebom's my best friend..." Dollawee said. "His nickname is Boom. I don't think grandpa told you my nickname. It's Fighter."
"Haebom and Dollawee have been friends and schoolmates since they were just little boys," Tanawat said. "Haebom's the one I mentioned earlier. Those two boys are practically joined at the hip. They're in the same program at school, they play football together, they go to taekwondo together, and they both have third degree black belts.
"They do everything together. Haebom is a Korean name. His mother is Korean, and his father is Thai. He speaks Thai and Korean, although his Korean is the rough Busan accent***** where his mother's family is from, not the posh Seoul accent. He speaks some English, too, but not quite as well as Dollawee. Haebom is a fine young man."
"That was a lot to digest, but if it's OK with your parents, and Haebom's parents then it's OK with me!" Sean said. "My house is big enough for everyone!"
"Wow! I feel really lucky! How long would we be gone for?"
"You're welcome to stay as long as you like but with your school and stuff I'd say maybe two weeks or so. Would that be about right, P'Pat?"
"I should think so," Tanawat answered.
"And if you like it, you know that you can always come back..." Sean said.
"Thank you," Dollawee said. "I never dreamed I could take a trip like that at my age..."
"Oh, you'll take a lot of trips before you kick the bucket, Dollawee," J.R. teased.
"Kick the bucket?" Dollawee asked.
"Die," Sean said. "In American English to kick the bucket is to croak."
"Croak?"
"Die."
"English is funny," Dollawee laughed.
"Why do you think I speak it?" Sean smirked.
Dollawee laughed. "I like you guys, Uncle Sean and Uncle J.R. Grandpa? Can we wait to go until our football season is over? We've only got three more games... Haebom isn't going to want to miss games, and the team needs both of us..."
"Yes, we'll wait until your season is over..."
"We're glad you like us, Dollawee," Sean said. "We like you, too. In fact, it was our honor to be served tonight by a young man such as you. And when you come to the United States, you'll meet a whole new part of your family. The part that you didn't even know you had. And I can tell you stories about your great- grandfather and show you the places where he lived and worked. We'll all do that together, right P'Pat?"
"Yes. I want to know about my father and about my overseas family. After all these years... I've waited a long time..."
END CHAPTER SEVENTY-EIGHT
*https://youtu.be/8kVLtpkHTvM
**https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/military/images/2/2f/B-1- 8650.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20080804044732
***https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1967_Cadillac_Series_ 75_Fleetwood_(15918298231).jpg
****The City: An area of approximately one square mile considered to be the center of London. Landmarks include St Paul's Cathedral, the London Stock Exchange, and the Bank of England. The City is the historical heart of London's banking, insurance, legal, and finance industries. The City occupies the rough area of the Roman town of Londinium.
*****In South Korea the Seoul accent is considered the standard. Seoul is in the extreme north of the country while Busan is in the extreme south. A rough comparison to American English would have the standard accent being what one might hear on the nightly news show, while the Busan accent would be comparable to a Brooklyn accent.
****** Thai-speaking males typically end a sentence with what to an English ear sounds more or less like the word "crap" which has no real translation into English. It's a particle word that can convey many different meanings, but it is generally meant to be polite speech however it is used. Female Thai speakers use a corresponding word that sounds like "cah."