Just to put you in the picture, well as best I can as I tend to go off on tangents. I'm English, female and really don't like to say this but I'm sixty something. Well in years but not in my head. And right now I'm in Phnom Penh, just for those people who dont quite know where that is its the captial of Cambodia, I've lived here on and off for three years, thats another story we won't worry about it as yet.

When I mention to other Westeners here ,the area I'm living they gush and and say ''Oh the French Quarter'','well I didn't know this,when I took the apartment on.I've never met a French person here and the buildings really don't look French.but I sort of nod as if I'm aware of my luck!

The road I live on is ok, at one end across the bottom we have 'Raffles Hotel' very handy for 'Happy Hour Cocktails,' and the other end is The British Embassy, again handy for lost relatives, here we another story, but later!. Well , Í'Il tell you just a snipett, loosing one relative was not too bad, but loosing two got a bit embarrasing, especially as the first lost one was about to have his picture on wanted posters around town. Yea Yea

Anyway my apartment is over a cafe on this main road, access is up a tiny alleyway where it becomes typically Khmer with little shack dwellings. My apartment is very tiny on the second floor, but has a great balcony overlooking the main road and is extreamly sunny. Flipping hot in fact. Actually checking the balcony right now I have these two huge stone pillars, would this be classed as French? Oh I dont know ,and it does it matter?

My apartment block is mainly full of westeners all thirty something except me of course. Markie an English ,red headed (dyed) highly dramatic guy lives in apartment two ,next door,to me, ( again another story) Well his goodlooking, quiet, kind, Khmer friend who speaks excellent English, was leaving and going to Siem Reap to try to get a job being a tour guide at Angkor Watt. Ty had just come out of the monastery a couple of weeks ago after being a monk for six months and was obviously now needing to find work.There was actually slight confusion as to their relationshion as to whether they were together or not ! Markie said they were and Ty said they weren't, not a problem for me but obviosly for them!

Em ( Oh dear ,thats my lovely bright bubbly daughter, are you confused yet) she lives in apartment three, well she and I were sad Ty was leaving but not as sad as Markie!. He was not at all happy.

On the morning Ty was due to leave the boys came round to mine,
'There's this monkey at the Post office, behind bars" Markie tells me and Em .
I wanted to laugh as I had visions of a monkey sort of selling stamps behind the counter, but Markie wasn't amused and he went on to say he had seen it a few times "
"OUTSIDE the Post Office Sarah ,behind railings and it it looks very sick, it has alot of sores as if its been attacked by other monkey's."
He went on to say he had been feeding it fruit whenever he went to the Post Office, which was pretty often.
''Í think I will bring it back here where it will be safe from attackers and I'll clean its sores,'' said Markie.
I thought that was a terrible idea, this is a wild animal. but I kept quiet. Em thought different
'''Thats a great idea Markie"she said." Í'll help you look after it'.

Tangent.... this is right now...watching the news on CNN we have a crisis here on the Thailand, Cambodia border re ownership of a temple Preah Vihear which has just been given status as a World Heritage Site, both countries say they own it but it was declared in 1962 by the International Court of Justice it belongs to Cambodia. But access is via Thailand, this being because Thailand encroached the land from Cambodia. Must keep up dated on whats happening.

Back to the monkey, the boys left ,Em went off to work, she teaches English here and I hung around as per normal.It wasn't long before Ty knocked on my door
'Sarah we've got the monkey here, come and see him, he''s lovely.'
Even though I didn't approve I was quite excited, as a child back in the UK I'd always wanted a monkey but just got given dolls!

So I went round to the boys place and there was monkey who Markie had named "Billy". Billy was sitting on a cushion eating papaya he was huge and fat ,not under nourished his tail was enormous and I couldn't really say he looked sick he had one or two sores but I would expect that from a wild animal. I tentatively stoked him, he was friendly, so no problem with being attacked then!

Markie said he had smuggled Billy into the apartment block so the landlady didnt see him, he'd gived Billy a shower and put Tiger Balm on his sores. Ty seemed to be in his element and was busy cutting up more fruit for the visitor. Markie was uttering remarks to Ty like
" You love Billy so much, don't go to Siem Reap stay here and help me look after him"
But Ty was having none of that and said no he must leave.
I thought ,I'm going back to mine , I could feel an agument brewing between them so left them to it..

A little later the boys knocked on my door it was time to say goodbye to Ty, and Markie was taking him to the bus station.
''Sarah would you monkey sit until I get back ,just in case he wrecks the place?' Markie asked me'.
I now had visions of Billy swinging around Markies apartment and the place ending up in chaos
"Yes of course I will '' I said ,thinking 'I've got Pookie here ( the puppy ..another story) and monkey next door it would best they didn't meet but I will sort it, no problem.
I asked Markie if he would buy me and Em bus tickets we needed to go Sihanoukville ( to be now know as Sniggers) the coastal town in South Cambodia the next day.Hugs and kisses and goodbyes said to Ty the boys went off and I was left holding the meanagery..I couldn't leave Pookie alone in my aparment she was too distructive and my apartment was newly furnished, she'd be eating all the bamboo furniture so I took her to Em's, locked her in and went to see Billy.

Billy was busy opening dried drink sachets, tipping the content all over the floor, and seemed happy. I sat on the bed and he came to sit with me and started to check me out for flees I looked at him and realises Billy wasn't a boy but a girl but the name was still ok didn't want any confusion on that score, so we sat for a while .then I thought I'd better check on Pookie well this regime went on for a coupleof hours. Where the fuck was Markie he was only going to the bus station, I had an apointment in town in the next fifteen minuites, I text Markie to say I had to leave. So making sure Billy was locked in ok at Markies and Pookie was alright at Em's I left and went into town.

Getting back later Markies apartment was in darkness I went in and fucking hell no Billy, Oh my Buddha! The window was slightly open, did I do that and she''d escaped but no I'm sure I didn't. Oh what will Markie say

Em came home and I told her what had happened She was upset as she had never got to see Billy. By this time Markie would be at work so we waited really worried about his reaction and also wondering where Billy was.

Later we heard Markie trying to open his apartment door we rushed out to tell him the bad news but he didnt seem upset or suprised. He said he got home just after he received my text and Billy was still there. When he left to go to work later he had left the window open slightly so Billy must have climbed out, that was a bit odd as there were square iron bars at the windows but maybe Billy could have manuvered herself through., but maybe not.

So was Billy a ploy to try and keep Ty in Phnom Pehn or was Markie really the caring person he made himself out to be

What do you think?