Redemption — Supernatural Thailand 14

“It’s the human condition to understand the present only when it has passed,” he says, “while events are unfolding, their jagged edges puncturing our hearts, bleeding out precious emotions, we can only react the best we can. True understanding only comes later, and in my case it came after I passed from this world.”

I am at a bus stop in the Bangkok broil, taking refuge under a sliver of shade provided by a narrow metal sign displaying routes and schedules of the cheapest form of public transport in the city. The fumes of the unmoving cars mixes with the smoke from the pork skewers being expertly flipped by the man talking to me.

My mouth waters.

Passed on from the world? I ask for clarification.

“Oh yes I’m long gone, dead as the pigs whose flesh I cook and sell,” he says, “dead as my wife who was killed as she worked her early morning shift helping to construct that luxury apartment building across the road from us.” He nods at the gleaming skyscraper behind us.

I turn to look at the tall building, a marvel of construction, a modern sculpture of steel, glass and cement.

“How in love we were,” he sighs, “how stupid I was to accuse her of being unfaithful, how foolish of me to to have pushed her off the ledge down the empty elevator shaft. But how was I…