The Surprising Proposal
David nodded as he recognized there was a chance of recruiting this doctor for their NGO.
“Your base would be Singapore Nang, but you’d be expected to travel and evaluate hospital, and clinic project needs as well as doing village health training. Our current person filling that job doesn’t want to travel anymore and has a job lined up in Malaysia. We have projects scattered around Southeast Asia. Now what about the convention would you like to attend. I could strong arm the organizers to accept you as a delegate if you make a commitment to replace our retiring woman doctor.”
“I need to see the job description before committing to that David. Do you happen to have one on you.”
David stood and took his laptop from the overhead locker and inserted a portable device. Then he searched through until he found a list of the job descriptions and moved his laptop to her seat. She lowered the table from the seat in front of her and put the laptop on there so she could study the job description. Then handed the laptop back and sighed.
“David, this would require me to write project reports, and I’ve had no experience in that, so I guess that rules me out. But otherwise, that would be something I’m interested in. My adopted father and mother used to do that as I recall but I was only ever involved in the hands-on stuff.”
“If you agree to apply for the job, I’ll personally supervise your units of study in writing project reports. Now I take it you’re interested so this is what I’ll do. I’ll pay your convention attendance if you agree to apply, I know with your qualifications and familiarity with development work from childhood I can guarantee you’d get the job and I’d be reimbursed for your attendance at the convention, we could get you a residence permit in Singapore while you work with us and you’d be happy with the benefits though you’d probably make more as a doctor. Now how about it?”
“I’d rather work with you than go to Mombasa David. I think I made a mistake in anger at my father’s remarriage and it’s totally out of my Asian heritage area.”
David reached over and took his laptop back noting that Nang was looking sleepy.
“I think you need to sleep for a while Nang, and I’ll be doing the same. It’s a long and boring trip and the hum of engines and air-conditioning always makes me sleepy.”
She nodded in appreciation and closed her eyes. After a while she entered sleep mode and her breathing changed as she slept. Now that she was asleep David turned and studied her more carefully. He really liked this woman and had feelings in his chest he’d never experienced before. He didn’t want her to go to Mombasa as she planned and determined to do everything in his power to convince her to take this vacant position in Singapore so he could have her near him. He wondered what it would be like to have someone special to come home to after travels around his territory and even better to be able to travel with this woman as they worked together. He noticed her seat belt had been disconnected as permitted but the air staff liked to have it attached when sleeping. After a while Nang’s head fell to the side and she slowly slid toward his seat and her head rested on his shoulder. She stayed like that without waking and he took the pillow from behind his head and placed it gently between his shoulder and her head in a difficult manoeuvre, but she remained asleep despite him rearranging her position. After a while she woke and sat up straight apologizing profusely.
“I’m sorry David that was totally unprofessional and out of line. What will you think of me.”
David smiled.
“Frankly you did me the honour of trusting me by doing that Nang. Now let me suggest. You can trust me and sleeping on a plane you can end up with a sore neck. I suggest you curl up and put your head on my lap.”
He placed his pillow on his lap and indicated she should follow his suggestion. She shook her head and then thought it over. She felt she could trust him. So, she complied and was soon fast asleep curled up with the arm rest between them put back up to make their seats seamless. David reached for the airline blanket handed out to both on boarding and covered her up to keep her warm in the air-conditioning. She slept for two hours and then stirred turning her head to look up at David. Their eyes locked and they stayed mesmerised. Eventually David broke the silence in a whisper.
“Nang, I want to spend the rest of my life with you as for the first time in my life I feel a connection that would last if you said yes. Is there a chance for this man who no woman seems to want? I feel the need of someone to share my life with now I’ve met you.”
Nang continued to stare into his eyes reading his soul. She saw stability, honesty and continuous love if a commitment was made. She had no one now to be hers and desperately wanted someone in her life. So, she whispered in return.
“David I’d be honoured to be your wife. I have full trust in you despite the fact we’ve only met for the first time on this plane. I want you to guide me through life and I’ll be faithful and loyal to you staying by your side and defending you against anyone who tries to harm you in any way. I want to have your children and have us pouring our love into those children we produce together. I’ll work hard for the NGO you manage if they’ll have me. I’m yours now David.”
When they arrived in Nairobi and passed through immigration and customs, Nang was questioned about her forward journey to Mombasa and what she was going to do there. Where was the return ticket to Bangkok. She asked if she could speak with her future husband who was behind her and the immigration officer beckoned him forward. David explained that on the plane his offer of a job in Singapore had been accepted and they’d be returning to Bangkok together and he was responsible for her return ticket. They were there to attend the development convention taking place between many of the NGO’s internationally in Nairobi and would immediately return to Bangkok after the convention was over.
The immigration officer went to consult with his superior and the two returned to quiz David who told them Nang had consented to be his wife and he would be taking her back with him after the convention ended. The immigration officer inspected the gold pen in David’s shirt pocket and David well-travelled as he was understood the look. He took out the pen and asked if there was something he should sign and the officer directed him to the counter where he laid the gold pen down and the officer stamped Nang’s passport with the arrival stamp telling David to make sure he purchased a return ticket for Nang immediately so there’d be no trouble on the way out then wished them a happy life together.
Nang enjoyed the convention very much. It had been hard to get a room for her at the hotel as with the convention delegates already having their advanced bookings at hotels around Nairobi the hotels were booked out. But David with his understanding of the complexity of travel had a handshake with the hotel in charge and with the appropriate reward changing hands alterations were made to the bookings list and they ended up with a room together with a separate bed each. Nang noted her instincts were correct about her future husband. He was not going to take advantage of the situation, and he’d resolved to wait until married before they shared a bed together.
The more Nang got to understand her future husband the more she realized what fortune had found for her. She yearned for their return to Bangkok and her eventual marriage. She even found new fond feelings for her father’s wife Surapee and realized her father needed to have happiness in the last years of his life as the children had shown their displeasure toward him newly married to a Thai woman after choosing not to return for his retirement to the US. Nang would return to Chiang Mai to make things right with her father before her own marriage and welcome his new wife who she knew to be a good woman.
To be continued.
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