What Happened In Thailand Stays In Thailand

Chapter 16: Stolen Sunsets

The whole LCDP cast and crew spent their last day in Thailand in various leisure of their choice. Some opted to relax by swimming or sunbathing while others went to the nearby market to shop for souvenirs and Thai dried delicacies such as koh kae peanuts or salmon skin crackers. A private bus will bring all of them to U-Tapao airport for their scheduled flight before midnight.

Álvaro and Itziar decided to go on a short tour at the Pattaya Floating Market. They walked through the various stalls and ate some of the local street foods but took care to only drink bottled water. When they have been walking nonstop for less than two hours, they decided to stop at a restaurant.

The noonday heat is not that hot in the season but the country still had a higher temperature compared to anywhere in Spain. It was a good thing they were just in their cotton shirts, cargo pants and flip-flops, plus the token tourist sunglasses. They sat on a booth and ordered local dishes, which they have both grown accustomed to. Itziar ordered spicy shrimp soup and Álvaro got himself a green chicken curry. They shared a bowl of stir-fried noodles called pad thai, so as not to have a full stomach while on the long flight to Madrid.

Álvaro's phone suddenly beeped. He got it out and saw an SMS.

"Video chamada, mi amado? The twins just had their breakfast and when I told them that we will soon fetch Papa at the airport, they goaded me nonstop to have a video call now."

He looked at Itziar, who was heartily eating their lunch. He replied back.

"Lo siento, querida. Appease the twins and tell them Papa got a nice surprise for them when I get home. The Internet signal here is very bad." He turned off his phone and put it in his pants pocket.

"Todo bien?" Itzi asked him.

"Si, si." He said as he started to help himself to lunch. Their bottled water was put by the server in front of them, and Itzi opened one and drank. He opened his bottle and took a sip.

Suddenly, Itzi stopped eating and left almost half of the shrimp she ordered and more than half of their shared noodles.

"Hey, you done with lunch?" Álvaro asked, concerned.

"Yes. You can have the rest. Looks like you want them." She smiled but it did not reach her eyes. Álvaro tried to eat the whole lot and finished everything off with another order of almost frozen bottled water. The air temperature was starting to rise that afternoon.

After paying the bill, they went out and walked slowly, passing several souvenir stores at the market. He held her hand as they walked without saying anything. When they went near another store that sells kids toys, Itzi stopped him.

"Aren't you going to buy toys for the twins?"

Álvaro was taken aback. "Uh, maybe at the airport..."

"What for? We both know airport souvenirs are more expensive. Might as well buy them while we're here."

Álvaro sighed, "Por favor, Itziar--"

"Maitasun..." she said softly while she faced him and touched his cheek with her right hand. "I know. I've known since the beginning that we are on borrowed time. In fact, we are not borrowing time, we are stealing it. From them. From my life. From your life. And like a thing that was stolen, we have to give it back. And soon--"

No one can stop Álvaro from hugging Itzi tightly even if wild horses carried him. She hugged him back even if it was a bit constricting. She didn't fucking care. He kissed the top of her head as she rested her cheek on his chest, hearing his heart beat in time with hers.

"Why?!" he asked in anguish.

"I don't know either," her eyes were filled with tears.

He held her face and kissed her softly, not caring at all the other tourists passing by them nor the heat of the sun bearing down the whole open place. He dried her tears with his thumbs and also wiped his own with the back of his hand. They both took a deep breath and sighed.

"Would you go with me and buy the toys?"

"Vamos," she nodded. They both went inside the stall.

Álvaro picked the wooden frog for Leon and a wooden kitchen set for Julieta. After the parcels were wrapped, he paid for the gifts and they continued walking.

Itzi stopped when they passed at an accessories shop and went inside. Álvaro followed her.

The store sells pure silver jewelries with interesting designs. The vendor pointed to Itziar the small shelves where each kind of jewelry were displayed: bracelets, rings, necklaces, ear rings, toe rings, etc. Itziar looked and examined almost each design. Then one of the rings caught her attention. It looked like an encircled palm frond. Álvaro immediately asked for it.

"Can we look at this ring, please?" The vendor got it from inside the glass shelf and put the open box in front of them. "Do you like it?" He asked Itzi.

She didn't notice him but kept looking at the intricate silverwork.

"Do you have a ring sizer?" He asked the vendor, who immediately got the stainless steel apparatus. Álvaro held Itzi's left hand and looked for the one that might fit her ring finger. When he saw that it was a size 5, he got the box containing the palm frond ring, closed the box, held it upside down and looked at the label at the bottom. It was a 5. Perfecto! He paid for the ring and gave it to Itzi as he kissed her on the lips.

"Is it a gift?"

"No. Not a gift. A remembrance. As you said, for all that we stole, this is our lone payment."

She hugged him. "I didn't get you one."

"No need. That way, it would be as if we both paid for it. It's a shared token, which only you will be able to keep."

"Ainsss! When did you become the Professor, talking in circles?" She smiled.

He continued hugging her. "I'm sorry if I'm not making any sense." He was serious. "What I'm trying to tell you--the both of us--is that this ring means the only thing it can mean."

"Which is...?"

"What happened in Thailand stays in Thailand."

They kissed each other for a good long while before Itzi heard the alarm on her phone. It was time to go back to the villa.

In a few hours, they would be at the airport. Then back to Spain. Back to their lives. Back to reality.