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Made in Thailand
Category:
Historical Fiction
Type: Fiction
When a Ai Yon's wife cheats on him, he can't stand the humiliation. In a flash of anger, he brutally murders his wife, only to be sentenced to death by beheading....with a sword.
Lifelines tells the story of Ai Yon, a jealous husband who murders his wife after discovering that she has been cheating on him . He sentenced to death by beheading, but due to inefficieny in the Siamese court proceedings, his sentence is not carried until two years after the actual crime.
On the day of his execution, Ai Yon is taken down the Chao Phraya River by boat to the temple where he is to be executed. As he drifts down Thailand's ancient river, he begins to contemplate life, and he considers his own journey to be like that of a flowing river. With these thoughts, Ai Yon comes to peace with himself before passing into the great unknown.....
Note: This story is soon to be published in the New Asian Writer's 2011 Anthology
Excerpt
Bangkok, April 7, 1893
A blanket of rain fell to the earth, pouring from the roof of the teakwood house, forming waterfalls that cascaded to the floor below and created a percussive spatter on the soft soil. The sky was veiled in a cloak of yellowish clouds. Ai Yon stood motionless: soaked to the skin, hair flat across his head, rain running down the contours of his face. His bloodshot eyes bulged forth as the cogs of hatred turned furiously within, fuelling his vengeful thoughts.
He stood amidst the banana trees, hidden by the broad green leaves, watching the house. His eyes narrowed as he saw his wife and her lover in the throes of passion. He tightened his grip on the knife in his right hand, stroking the handle with his thumb. His face contorted like some hideous dragon. He crouched down and slipped through the foliage, wet banana leaves clinging to his skin as he approached the house.
At the entrance, he paused, breathing heavily, feeling a rush of anxious excitement at what he was about to do. He crept silently through the doorway on bare feet, sprang forward, lifting the knife in the air, screaming a blood-curdling cry. The man – quick and agile – somehow responded, and jumped out of a nearby window. Only the unfortunate wife remained, her face frozen in a terrified expression. With unrestrained rage, he thrust the knife into her navel, pulled out the blade, and stabbed her in the chest; her head fell back against the floor. Blood trickled down her porcelain-white skin, branching off into little streams, like newly-formed rivers, searching for a channel.
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