Muslim Prayer Mat

Nipa and Hla huddled under a tree away from the children.

"What's so secret?" Nick asked his sister.

"It's about me, I can sense it."

"Why did you lick up that blood? You've never done that before."

"I don't know what happened. It was like I lost control of my body. An outside force compelled me to drink. I can't explain it." Philippa shook her head.

"What did it taste like?"

Philippa looked as if bliss had tickled her feet.

"It tasted like… Like fresh strawberries and cream."

"Are you serious? Did it taste like that?"

"I don't know, but I want some more!"

Hla wandered back to them. "It's getting dark soon. We had better go."

"But, she's your friend, she won't eat you," Philippa laughed.

"It is not a laughing matter. Say goodbye and let's get moving."

Walking back to their car, Philippa asked, "Well, what was her answer?"

"About her attacking a friend?"

"No, I know you were talking about me," said the girl.

Hla clammed, silent for the rest of the trip to her home.

The condo was small but neat. The floor tiles were white with a grey vein pattern running across, the walls were plain light blue, all of them, except for the only bathroom, where, the non-slip floor tiles were plain grey, which was fine, but the walls. A hideous orange pattern shouted at you from all angles. Philippa and Nick barely noticed.

Philippa spent fifteen minutes in front of the mirror and grunted, "Time for a haircut."

During their incarceration haircuts were rare, female's hair was left to knot and tangle unless they needed stitches in a head wound. In Philippa's case, her hair was untouched. Although not clean, she tied it into a loose bun. The male's heads were shaved from time to time. Nick's hair had been left to grow for months and was dank and flat.

Hla had purchased some nit shampoo and insisted they both used it.

"Philippa, Nick, come here, please. I need to speak to you both."

Breakfast was on the table.

"Enjoy your food. Then we are off to town. We are going to the hairdressers. Us girls will have a tidy up and Nick I need you to have a schoolboy cut."

There were no arguments or comments. Philippa was pleased, and Nick couldn't care less.

Hla and Philippa had their heads backwards in sinks as hairdressers worked up lathers of sweet-smelling shampoo into their heads.

"We are travelling south tomorrow to start our quest."

Chatter was kept to a minimum.

"Okay," was all that Philippa could say. Still unhappy because Hla had not answered her question.

When she told her half-brother, she was rewarded with a leer. "Should be fun," he whispered.

"Have you got everything packed?" shouted Hla from the kitchen.

"It's not that we have much to pack," said Philippa, and snorted.

"We have a train to catch. Let's go."

The priest's car was left in a side street near the railway station.

Thai trains are not fast, it's not just that the engines are dated, there is only one track, meaning either the northerly or the southerly vehicle has to pull across to allow the other train to continue on its route.

"Anybody hungry?" asked Hla.

"We're bored, let's move to the restaurant carriage at least it breaks up the journey," said Philippa.

"Where do you think you're going?" asked a surly railway official.

"We're going to find the restaurant carriage," answered Hla.

"Ha, you'll be lucky, it's closed."

"You mean we have to wait until we reach Bangkok?" asked Hla.

"Your problem," grinned the uniformed man. "Some street hawkers will come aboard at the next stop. You can buy some of their inedible rubbish if you dare."

"Why are you so nasty?" asked Philippa.

"Because stuck-up little ladies like you leave a mess all over my train."

"Oh, it's your train, is it? Aren't you just a lowly employee?" asked Hla.

"When I'm here, in this uniform it is mine. Now get back to your seats."

"I thought they were your seats," huffed Philippa.

He turned and marched towards the front.

Philippa and Nick had huge smiles.

"What are your two up to?" asked Hla.

The trio followed the guard. They reached the link between carriages. The air whisked as Philippa bent to her knees.

"Sir, sir come quick, your train is coming apart," she called.

Hla bent to see what she was looking at. Nick stepped back, allowing the guard to peer at a loose bolt.

"Idiot children, it is supposed to be like that…"

Nick summoned all his power to shove the man. He somersaulted through the gap, impaling himself on a broken branch as the train whistled by.

The idiot children gave the thumbs-up as they waved farewell. Philippa watched as blood ran down the trunk, licking her lips.

Police were waiting at Bangkok's Hua Lamphong railway station.

"Did you see anything?" they asked each passenger.

"No," came the answer in each case.

"Must have been a tragic accident," they said, shutting the case.

"I think we will enjoy working together," breathes Hla as they switched trains for the southern stretch of their trip.

There were no rude staff to brighten their trip. They all clambered into their 2nd class sleeping bunks and slept until they were woken by hawkers shouting at Hat Yai station.

A ladyboy with a basket of goodies on her head called, "Who is hungry, get fed here!"

Philippa turned up her nose. But Nick was keen to eat. Hla jumped down and negotiated a price for their breakfast. An elderly man sold coffee and even delivered the polystyrene cups to the carriage.

"What's next?" asked Philippa.

"We are going to Sungai Kalok."

"Right on the border with Malaysia, won't we need passports?"

"We will not be crossing out of Thailand. We are to visit a mosque. Won't that be fun?" said Hla.

Nick tapped Philippa's leg. He whispered, "Sungai means river in Malay and Kalok means sword."

When Philippa told Hla what Nick said, she was amazed. "How do you know all that?"

"I told you we read a lot. Nick keeps what he learns. Anyway, we like the sound of river-sword, we hope it has something to do with our quest?"

"Yes, my dear, it certainly has. You will soon see."

When they arrived at the station, Hla signalled a battered taxi. "Take us to the Moonshadow Hotel."

"Excuse me, but the Moonshadow is not a hotel. I can take you somewhere much better," said the driver.

"We don't care what you can do, we want to go to the Moonshadow Guesthouse, thank you."

"No, it is a homestay, you would be much happier in the Venice Palace, and it is a hotel."

"Let me guess, you get commission there?" asked Philippa.

"I am only trying to make my passengers happy."

Nick was staring in the driver's mirror, catching his eye. The driver's face turned grey as if he had rubbed his cheeks in an overflowing ashtray.

"Certainly, sir, we'll go straight there. And no charge for the ride."

The driver raced to the Moonshadow. Barely looking round to see if the passengers were clear of the vehicle he disappeared at the first right turn.

The children giggled.

"I'm so sorry, we are full," said a lady at the door.

"May we look around, perhaps we could stay next time?"

"Of course, follow me."

The Moonshadow was more a house than a hotel. All the bedrooms were occupied. Nick tapped on the first door.

"Oh no, please don't disturb these guests, they are resting," said the lady.

The door opened. A young twenty-ish Aussie backpacker stood glaring at the intrusion.

"Didn't I say, let us rest?"

"Yes, yes, so sorry, these people wanted to look around."

Philippa put her foot in the doorway. "What's that I can smell?"

"Nothing, mind your own fucking business," said the girl, who joined her friend.

Nick stepped forward and stared eye to eye with each.

"Please make up our bill, we've just remembered we must go to Bangkok."

On the way back to the reception desk, Hla said, "We can come back in an hour after you've tidied. See you soon."

In a small cafe, the trio was enjoying cold drinks as two young hippies rushed up the road, trying to keep their bags closed as items were spilling.

Philippa and Nick high-fived.

"This room will do us fine, thank you. I love the smell of polish. It clears the air of the ganja smell, don't you agree?" said Hla as they settled.