The Elephant Gate

After several more days by the blue waters of the Atlantic Ocean, Kevin was ready to brave the cold weather again. Not long after the airport shuttle dropped him off at his house, he was sitting on the deck off the kitchen, sipping a beer and watching his breath fog the late afternoon air.

Since there wasn't anything in the refrigerator, it was time to find something to eat for dinner. The only meal he had was a quick sandwich in Charlotte in between planes, so he was ready for something substantial.

He backed his dark gray Charger out of his garage. Although it had snowed while he was gone, the roads were clear, no doubt thanks to both the efforts of VDOT and the sun.

Just down the street from his house was a series of strip malls, dominated by small storefront businesses. He pulled into the parking lot of his favorite sushi place, dodging a small pile of melting snow from scraping the lot.

Unfortunately the "Open" light was turned off and the door was locked. His stomach growled.

Looking along the shopping center there was a new place at one end called "Lannas". He was willing to try anything right now, and it was the only other restaurant in this stretch of buildings.

He pulled open the outer door, and then pushed in another set. Warm air, redolent with strange spices, greeted his nostrils. His stomach perked up, as did his attitude.

A small, dark-skinned woman greeted him with a smile, bowing with her hands in a prayerful pose. He automatically returned the gesture, startled that it seem to be a natural response.

"How many, sir?" She asked in a heavily-accented voice.

In his gut there was a flash of recognition; he did not know this woman, but he knew her word sounds in a way that was impossible to describe. A sense of understanding, a realization that he had an intimate knowledge of her culture.

"Just one," he answered past the dryness in his throat. She led him to a corner booth. It was relatively empty, with just a few couples on either side of a central wall filled with greenery. The walls were vertical stripes of dark wood; there were carved dancers surrounded by lush plants. And in one corner, a large wooden elephant with a red headdress and blanket.

There was another flash, this time of sorrow and happiness combined. Just what was happening to him?

His scrutiny of the décor was interrupted when the woman returned with a metal pot of tea, a small white ceramic cup, and a menu. "I'll be back in a few minutes to take your order."

He perused the menu, before deciding on chicken coconut soup and a curry rice dish. The tea turned out to be a delicious jasmine blend.

She stopped by with a small salad with a spicy peanut dressing, and he almost g.r.o.a.n.e.d at how good it tasted. It was gone in a moment, but it wasn't long until the rest of the meal arrived. There weren't any chopsticks, but just a fork and spoon.

Without thinking, he picked up a utensil in both hands and proceeded to use both to eat his meal. It seemed a natural way to eat the dish, and it wasn't long before the plate and soup bowl were both empty, and his tummy was pleasantly full.

The waitress came by with another steaming teapot. "You ate like a native Thai. Have you ever been to Thailand?" She asked. He looked with consternation at the utensils before hastily dropping them on the plate.

"N- No," he replied. "I've never been there. I just used the silverware you gave me." She nodded and slip the receipt onto the table.

He sat there for a while, sipping his slowly cooling tea. The waitstaff took a break, and sat down in a booth not far from his location.

"It is really slow tonight, but I guess that is to be expected with the weather, Khun Sam."

"Yes, but we still can't close early unless we are sure there will be no more business tonight. And we still have a few patrons left to serve anyway."

It took Kevin a second to realize they were not speaking English. It took another one to realize he understood most of what they were saying. What in the world?

He left the payment for the food on the table, stood up and bowed himself out of the premises, all the while his mind in a whirl.

He barely remembered the drive home. Mechanically he opened the door and took the stairs to the living room. He sat down on the couch. Now what?