A tragedy for everybody concerned!
Sorry, this does not really belong on a construction tread, but since the building is at a stand still for two weeks now, the builder-contractor has accepted another big job before finishing this one, which is contrary to the contract we had, him and me!
Like I said before, eternity is very long, especially at the end...
And I don't know how to start a new tread:mid:
I request your indulgence, and feedback. I'm pretty lonely at this point in time. I got used to you guys for a couple of years now!
Monday, everything looked like a normal Monday on the farm, except that my manager had not slept in his bed. For the first time in nine years, this Christian husband and father, a member of my wife's family, the manager of this farm, and my friend and confident was missing. I did not worry, thinking that he would show up during the day.
Around eleven thirty, three pick-ups loaded with policemen from Mae Taeng (45-50 km from here) arrived to tell me that they had a warrant to search his room, because he was driving a pick-up the evening before involved with three people who got caught with three kilogrames of amphetamine, or heroin? I'm not sure! They had the pick-up, but he ran away!
I protested that it was impossible that he could be involved in any drug related crime, I knew him for nine years, he would never do that, he did not need money, he was so excited to start the exploitation of the rubber trees, we had been waiting for this for seven years, and they were ready, finally, 500 of them. His dream was finally coming true, he had taken courses on how to tap heveas, and he was proud of his skill, ready to teach it.
Naturally, they found nothing with their search, they finally left telling me "Mae pan rye", I had nothing to fear, myself, and asking us to tell him to give himself up when contact was re established. As soon as they left, his wife started crying, completly destroyed. I had reached my wife, on Skype, and since she was the only one fluent in Thai, she talked to them and translated in english for me and in Lisu for her, and after they left, talked to his wife until 3 :30 in the morning for her in Canada, there is twelve hours difference.
She had the head of the local police called and he came to talk to her, always on Skype. We pay the local police a monthly tax to come and patrol the isolated farm every two days, so they show themselves more friendly. After this conversation, Amee knew that he had no chance whatsoever. Eventhough he is innocent, and I am 100% sure of this, in Thailand, there is no way to escape a life-long sentence in these circumstances. All this man did was accept to help somebody, driving them out of the party to Mae Taeng. When he saw that his passengers were being arrested, he ran away.
She had told me this, and repeated many times ever since I arrived : « Never pick a stranger on the road, even a monk. If this person has anything on him, and the police catches him, you go to jail for life too, no questions asked. »
So… Everything on and about this farm was in his hands, he knew everything, had all the contacts… This is a big loss for his wife, and for me. She did not eat in 3 days. I don’t know what to do. Whom to turn to. I’m convinced it will turn out OK for him, lots of people know and love him, he is stil in nature somewhere, and not in a jail. I’m also sure that there will be somewhat of a lesson in this for me, although this is not clear at this point and time.
My wife will have to take over as far as contact with the outside is concerned, and she will be able to do it, but she will have to learn fast! She will fly on the 9th of next month. Now, I’m concerned about the pick-up truck being seized, this leaves us with no means of carrying loads, like pig food as a first example, most urgent. This cannot be postponed. Pigs have to eat! The car will have to do, but it is limited in its load carrying capacity...
He was also my contact with the building contractor, who has to complete his work, and there are many details that need to be addressed, and this mf has not shown up in 15 days now!
Then there is the well to be dug, and he had the contact with the digging man. Water for the japanese house, and the the bottling factory, and the swimming pool depend on this well. We need to find seeds and plant them, corn and garlic, as soon as the paddies are ready. The man supposed to cut the rice stubs before seeding, is sick for the last five days. The plot thickens:spin:
I’m hoping that ex-employees, M. and J. will accept to stay and work again here. They came to visit as soon as they heard, they’re friends of his. We’ll see, they'll think about it for one week.
Twenty-four hours after the police came, the situation is still not clear. First, we need to know about him. After, we’ll have to cope, and the quicker the better, if we want to have the time to grow the corn and the garlic before it’s time for rice next June.
Wednesday before noon, we get a call from him, I don't know from where, he is safe and sound! This will not make the problem dissappear, but it’s not a desperate situation, like if he had been shot running away, or cought before escaping, and in jail for life. This was a very long 48 hours!
Now the stress is relieved on my brother’s safety, I’m able to think straight. On the other hand, he is very angry, these two people took advantage of him and ruined his life. He wants to kill! And I feel the same!
Coming out of the Thanksgiving party, 8-10 people asked for a lift in the back of the pick-up, not far, to the next road only. When most of them got out at the intersection to get a taxi to their village, this couple, Chinese and Lisu, asked to stay on further, and a Lisu farm worker he was raised with wanted to get to the Mae Taeng market, not very far. So, he let them ride on.
When they stopped at the police road check point, to check ID, it was taking longer than normal. He became aware of the time and observed suspicious packages coming out of their luggage. He opened the door of the pick-up and ran away. A survival reflex! It will take time before he stops being angry!
The third person, a simple farm worker with a wife and two children, knew nothing about the other two passengers, he got beaten and was bloodied when he came in front of the judge. The other two had family who intervene with money, they were rich and ready, so they had no trace of violence at the audience. To think that the other 8-10 passengers who got off before the drama unfolded would also have been sent to jail for life, and the effects of this on their spouse, children, parents... And they knew what they were doing to them the whole trip! They will probably get out earlier than the innocent!
So today, friday, as I was driving my car to Chiang Mai, I got pulled over at the Mae Taeng roadblock and the vehicle was thouroughly searched when they heard where I'm from, the first time for me in nine years!:pat: