And so this chapter ends.....

I had completed, and as far as I could tell, passed my thesis examination.  I pushed open the heavy glass doors that separated the over-air conditioned lobby of the building from the hot and wild smells of Bangkok.   Accompanied by my newest accomplishment, I walked alone down the street.   Like a robot I walked to the familiarity of the Irish pub down the road where I was sure to get a cheap pint on happy hour and lose myself to the soothing voice of Bono in his earlier years.  I opened my computer, as if to open a conversation with a dear friend whose mere presence was soothing.  In a fit of celebratory abundance, I booked a Thai massage and a hotel room out of my budget. 

After 90 minutes of the grueling relaxation a Thai massage offers, the day succumbed to night.  I hopped on the Sky Train to the comfort of Soi 11, but tonight I was not staying at the hostel, I was to occupy one of the hotel rooms I had so longingly looked up at so many nights before.   Upon check in, they did not have my room ready so I plopped down in the lobby, exhausted, exhilarated, confident and alone.   On my left and right were two older Middle-Eastern men tossing a lighter back and forth and laughing.   Around toss ten I felt compelled to ask “are you planning to smoke something with that?”    My voice was a bit horse from overexertion during thesis presentation followed by complete silence for the 6 hours since.   I immediately regretted my sassy inquisitiveness.   “Why yes, are you planning to join?”  As one man stood the other offered to stay with my bags.  Everything that meant anything to me was in those bags.  Passport, computer, wallet, credit card.   Overtaken by full confidence in the altruistic man, I agreed.  Leaving all my belongings with an unknown man, I walked outside to smoke a cigarette.  I find smoking revolting, however, at this moment, there was a clear winner in my inner battle between disgust and intrigue.   

The older gentleman and I walked out to the hotel patio and lit up a couple of cigarettes.   “Iraq”, he answered when I asked him from where he came.  “I live here in Bangkok”, I replied.  In a moment of bizarre kinship, I told him the news of my thesis.  His eyes lit up as if he was an old friend of the family.   Another man, a friend of the others, walked up and the first man shared the news, “Meet Geneva. Today, she presented her thesis!” Each man cupped my head in their hands and kissed my forehead. The fierceness of their kind gesture reminded me of a childhood memory of how my grandfather used to press the cross into my forehead with his thumb when he tucked me in.    

The moment ended, and we all walked back into the hotel to check on the rooms.  The men went before me while I stayed back to gather my things.  When I went to check in, the men had vanished into the elevator without a goodbye.  The hotel front desk informed me the men had upgraded me to a suite, as a gift for completing my thesis.   My face contorted between a furled brow and a silly smirk.  I took the keys, hopped in the elevator, and turned the door handle to a 1000 square foot suite with way too many amenities for one person.    Nearly handicapped by the presence of my loneliness and the absence of Tim, I changed into the giant white hotel robe.  I jumped from couch to couch like a disobedient child.  I ordered take-out.  I drank half of the small bottle of red wine.  Once realizing the price, I then spent the next 15 minutes filling it up again with water and perfectly resealing it.   Overwhelmed with reflection of the events of the year, I tucked into the crisp white sheets of the king size bed and fell into a deep, deep slumber.

And so this chapter ends with an American celebrating a completed thesis in Thailand with two Iraqis while daydreaming of meeting up with her Canadian fiancé in New Zealand.