Monday 6 August 2007

Hello Everyone!

I am still writing the second part of my memoir. It has been a long, long journey and writing with my full concentration has been hard at times, being a mother of four and a busy one at that, leaves me exhausted but somehow I am still finding the time to write down my words.
With much to do, I believe the book will be complete and ready for publication by October/November of this year. I hope you will all bare with me and keep your emails coming. Your love and support has been so appreciated and valued. Thank you all for your encouraging words of comfort, it gives me the inspiration and drive to write more and more.
Thank you again,

Love always

Vilai*

Wednesday 6 June 2007



I am born of Thai parentage. My parents were both from small rural villages of the farming provinces of North-East Thailand, just an hour's drive from Buriram, through the dusty dirt tracks and countless rice fields. Both wanted more than the rice fields and wooden huts could offer and separately pursued their own quests for a better life. My Por, father choose to rob, cheat and kill in the nearby towns, he became a notorious gangster, whilst my mother choose to find her dreams in Bangkok. After I was born, my father sat in jail some 40kms away from my birthplace and my mother became a labourer on a building site in the city. My Da, grandfather looked after me with every baht he was sent and smothered me with love. These early memories of 'home' gave me a solid and loving foundation and have stayed with me till now. It was a blissfully rich and beautiful beginning, one filled with vibrancy and belonging. Even though we come from one of the poorest provinces in Thailand, I did not understand wealth and monetary gain, all I knew was love and true happiness.

Eventually my mother’s hardships were heard and she started work as a seamstress in a prosperous part of Bangkok. She soon divorced my father. My mother did not go unnoticed and within months, married a ‘Farang’, in the hope that he would take her away from poverty and shame. My mother returned for me at the age of four after her second wedding. This came as a thunder bolt to me. My Da and I were torn apart and the beautiful relationship between my Por and I was severed forever. Heart broken and tearful, I left ungraciously and suddenly. It was the last time I saw my Por alive.

My Por was devasted, the thought of never seeing me again left him grieving but that grief soon turned to anger. In one night, my Por killed five men leaving a death sentence on his own head. He loved my mother so much that he married her youngest sister and they both lived on the run for nine years.

Alone and living in Singapore, my mother was unable to communicate, unknowingly she had signed our lives away. My life had drastically changed and I soon became homesick and withdrawn. When I started my life with my mother we moved to Malaysia and Libya then settled in England. We lived in luxury, her husband’s status allowed for private helicopters, chauffeur driven cars and private schools. But the novelty as expatriates soon wore off. She became a slave to her new husband whilst I endured years of physical, mental and sexual abuse at the hands of her new husband. All the while as I spent my childhood in fear, I kept my dream alive by clinging on to the memories of my Da and Por.

Too scared and uneducated, she did not have the strength to leave and my mother continued with her abusive husband for another eleven years, thus allowing me to be beaten at every given opportunity. Behind closed doors, my life was far from perfect. I truly believed that I was an unwanted 'imbecile,' a 'vile creature' from the poor paddy fields of Thailand. These were the words that were beaten into my head for many years and still today, they have never left me. During the day, I held my breath as my step-father served out my punishment, thrashing me from room to room with a hatred that I have never understood. At night, I suffered in silence as he crept his way into my bedroom and 'rewarded' me. This man stole my childhood, he stole my worth and my smile. Somewhere, somehow, in my young mind, I knew that being 'punished' and 'rewarded' were not something all little girls went through but I continued every day with 'our' secret.

My mother was forced to fend for herself and me. Her husband simply did not want to take care of his 'vile creature' any longer. Because my mother had no further education and her English speaking skills were poor; she had no option but to clean homes smaller than our own. During this time, my mother survived on tiny amounts of money to feed herself and me. I was fed on soup and bread for nearly a year. As my stomach arched with pain each night, I prayed for the strength to live.

Within a year or so, she had saved enough for the both of us to return to Thailand. I was just thirteen years of age. The thought of being in the arms of my Por once more was a dream come true. For the first time in nine years, I returned with her to my homeland and my eyes suddenly opened up. I started to see life in a new light, a beautiful light. What I saw and learnt in my country was far more inspiring and beautiful then anything I had imagined. I had been brainwashed to believe my step-father's cruel words; the Thai people all around me were not ugly, primitive and uncivilized. They are wonderfully warm and loving, intelligent and far more civilised and developed than he could have surmised. I instantly fell in love with my country. It was then that I realised that I was not unwanted, but cherished and truly loved; everything a child should rightfully be. Reunited with my Da once more, I became stronger and more determined, refusing to let my step-father win. For just two weeks, I lived in perfect safety, no one harmed me, and no one forced me to do the things I had learnt to do each night. But as I turned to face the wind, my Por did not come. He could not come. In hiding but desperate to hold me, he sat and cried for me and I left Thailand brokenhearted and lost.

When we returned to England, my step-father's tyranny took a turn for the worse and I had had enough. I bravely began to speak out about my life. Esther Ranson’s Childline gave me the confidence and opportunity I needed. His exposure was masked with intelligent denial and monetary manipulation but his fear could not hide, divorcing my mother within months of the revelations.

I waited for years for my Por to rescue me. By the time I reached the age of fifteen, it was too late; my Por lay in a pool of blood, with three bullets embedded in his head; he was dead. My hero was gone. My dreams of being close to him were shattered forever.

With my path now free from danger, my life started to look up but the damage had already been done. Too young and unworldly, I left school for Art College in London. At the age of sixteen, I decided to pursue my own quest for a better life. With dreams of becoming an architect, I thought I had 'the world at my feet' and studied hard to keep the promise I had made to my Da, 'I will come back to you.' Instead, I fell into the path of more abuse, believing this was all there was for me. I continued to live most of my adult life in acceptance of abuse and tolerated what was thrown in my path. A few months after starting college, I fell pregnant through a horrific gang rape, and became imprisoned for three months by one of perpetrators. I lived with a dangerous schizophrenic, surviving everyday on potatoes and tomato ketch-up. I found myself starving and dirty, and my step-fathers words started to haunt me even more. 'You digusting vile creature. You will never be anything but an animal.' So there I was once more, living as an animal, unworthy and discarded. Far from home, I cried each night for my mother's warmth. After giving birth to my daughter, Mia, I ran away but not without the help of the police.

I then entered into a new relationship, believing I was with a good man and living in a safer environment to raise my daughter. Instead it became shrouded with lies, and I found myself being constantly cheated on. I endured more years of mental and violent physical abuse. By the time I had my second child; I found a way out through the easiest of means and became one of London’s highest paid escorts. I became a regular visitor to some of London's top hotels and restaurants, taking care of my own clients from all over the world and for two years, I lived a life of guilt free and therapeutic luxury. Revenge was by way of taking control and in my mind, I had landed. With this new found confidence and worth, came the money, clothes and lifestyle, I had more money than I could fathom. All the while, I was still living with my second child’s father in a run down council flat in South East London. He was a violent, manipulative and greedy man who enjoyed all the rewards of my success.

Eventually the feelings of unworthiness started to affect me and I knew I had to get out of this cycle of easy living and domestic violence. I had to make something of myself but how? Moving from women’s aid refuges and hostels all over London to protect myself and my girls, I returned to the flat to bravely get rid of my partner. The police saw to it that he would leave. Raining down blows onto his body until he was rendered helpless, they dragged him into the police van and continued.

I planned a new start for myself and my girls. We were now safe.

Finding a new and exciting career, I was pursued by the director of a Mercedes Benz franchise and begun a new life. My new partner was also one of the most well connected drug dealers in Kent, he was respected, adored and loved by all those that knew him. His money and lifestyle were far beyond my wildest dreams and we lived our days sweeping through restaurants and winebars, expecting the 'red-carpet' treatment where ever we went. The cars, the designer labels, homes and holidays soon became tiresome. This life became riddled with champagne and cocaine, and I spent many nights reliving my past, desperate for another 'buzz' to numb the pain that haunted me silently. He was a married man, twenty seven years my senior. Again I felt trapped. I pined for a normal life and embarked on an affair that led me to my first marriage.

Being four years my junior, our relationship at first seemed sweet and promising but several months later, I found out that not only him but his whole family too were illegal immigrants. After the wedding, my new husband was hastily detained and remanded in a detention centre at Gatwick airport. Too far gone in pregnancy and hopelessly blinded by love, I did my best to rally round and campaign, involving M.Ps and solicitors but none believed that I was eight months pregnant. Promptly handcuffed and stuck on a plane, he had no right to remain. Legalities and immigration became my forte as I fought for my new husband’s immigration status, traveling to Jamaica and back only to be lied to and used. I did not realise it then but I was the instrument his family used to gain access into the country, and before long, I found myself trapped again. Bringing up my third child and only son, I spent three more years being deceived. I had to break free from the death threats and Jamaican ‘Yardies’ and filed for divorce on the grounds of being cheated into the marriage.

Now married for the second time but extremely happy and settled, I have my fourth child, another son. True happiness and calm have been so hard to find and the road was often lonely and desperate. Finding trust was not easy but there have been so many beautiful people in my life that have made such in an impact on me; it has shown me how good God really is. My husband, Mark, troubled and alone too, he remained my ‘rock.' Now I have everything I wish for. Only now, I can say that I am a 'woman.' No one hurts me the way I've been hurt before, I simply won't let you. I take you through my true journey of thirty four years of hardship and pain, but always at the end of the tunnel, I have found a way out of my struggles and live on with my dreams, hopes and aspirations. I am normal, I am somebody, I am Vilai, a daughter of Thailand and more importantly, I am a child of God.



Pictures from my Childhood

Just a few pictures of myself as a child.

Singapore, my first ever ice lolly

At kindergarten, Miri

Seemingly happy and fearless

Running in Lutong Beach, Miri

Me in Miri, Sarawak, just after my step-father broke my arm

What Made Me Write My Memoirs

It was September 2005. That day, I sat down and really thought about the events of my life. I was spiraling into depression, I felt confused and lost, not knowing what to do. I was in denial, refusing to believe that my memories and experiences had blighted most of my life. I picked up a pen and started to write. The last time I did this, I had scribbled a suicide note for my mother, rolled it up and stuffed it into a curtain pole.

The feelings of sadness temporarily lifted. I had written down my inner most thoughts, apologised for all the problems I had caused and said goodbye to my Da and Por. I was thirteen years old.

I remember feeling incredibly sad at that time of my life, I had no where to turn, no one to guide me and tell me everything would be OK. I was scared because I did not want to die, I just wanted to be loved and be able to trust those that were supposed to be my role models. In my case, I had nobody to look up to, my trust had been twisted, manipulated and abused. I went on to live like this for many years.

It was not until I reached the age of thirty-two that I realised how therapeutic writing could be. I started to write about things I found beautiful and uplifting then gradually, I went on to write about my childhood. Those were wonderful memories and whilst I wrote, I found myself immersed. The feelings of happiness that surrounded me as a child, came back to me. I was a child again, free and wild, wandering the rice-fields, barefoot and free from harm.

The more I wrote, the more I felt at peace. But that has not always been the case. When I started writing about my first memories of abuse, I found myself shaking physically, crying quietly and wanting to give up. It was horrible, all the bad memories came flooding back. I carried on somehow, pushing myself to face my past. Before I knew it, I had chapters.

When I completed each chapter, I felt a wonderful sense of achievement. I had never addressed my past like this before and slowly, bit by bit, I was healing. I had an adult view of life all of a sudden, things became clearer to me and I started to see things the way they were. Locking up my emotions and hiding them from myself, was not the way to move forward.

To me, writing about it worked. It may not be the way for everybody, because we are all made differently, our emotions can only take a certain amount but for me it helped and my pain gradually faded away each time I finished writing about the most painful parts.

I am not good with words face to face. I clam up and I can be shy. I am also very weary of people, especially men that might resemble my step-father. I can be excitable and humourous and I love to laugh and smile but these things never seemed to last. Since I've been writing my memoirs, I had seen life in a different light.

For the first time in years, I believed in myself, I was not a mad person with strange issues. I was made to feel as if I was weird since the age of four so it was only natural for me to believe that I was 'mad.' Anyone that has been abused - is not mad. Our experiences can turn us mad but really we are people that are desperate for normality, stability and most of all, we need to be loved, just like anyone else on this planet. So how different are we really from the average person?

Not everything that has happened in my life can be explained in a one page synopsis, that would be great but quite impossible. Some of my experiences are hard to believe, even to myself but that does not take away the fact that these things actually happened. Even as an adult, I have friends and relatives who witnessed the violence that surrounded myself and children. They helped me at my time of need. They also lived through my good times when I thought I was lucky, driving them mad with my choice of lifestyle.

Writing has bought me closure. I am now a grown woman with four children and they need me, they have always needed me. I am happier now that I have faced my past and I am moving on.

I want to make my readers understand what goes through the mind of a damaged person, how we think, how we cope and how we move forward. I would never have healed if it wasn't for my family. When I say 'my family,' I mean my children and loving husband. Those are the ones I chose to have in my life, to love and to trust.

So, the reasons why I have written a book about 'me,' is firstly, it helped me to heal and find out who I really was. Secondly, I realised I was accomplishing something for the first time in my life. Thirdly, I believe that it can help others, those that have not been abused in the past and those that have. It is my way of showing you how normal I am, and also give something back in the hope that I can help someone out there who may need to be listened to.

I am no angel, I am no saint, I am just Vilai, someone who has never been listened to, someone who wants to write about her past because she does not have the words to speak confidently about it.

I have no desire to make money, I have a 'fiver' in my purse right now and I am smiling, I have no materialistic desires, (I've been there done it so many times, it never made me happy.) I don't want to be famous,(just want a nice quiet life and go home to Thailand.)

Even if the book never gets to publishing stage, my biggest achievement yet will be the fact that my children and husband know about me. They know the truth about what happened to Mummy and what Mummy went through to get where she is now. Through my words, they have learnt how much I treasured and protected them from the type of life I endured as a child, keeping them safe and free from harm. No amount of money can buy this. I have given them everything I lost out on but most of all, I have given them my love. Love is priceless.

I just want is to heal whilst I write, I just want to be happy and somehow make someone else out there happy too. If I can reach out to even one person, it would be so worthwhile, it would mean the world to me.

Thank you for taking the time out to read this post.
Thank you for your emails of support and encouragement, believe me, reading them makes my day. Thank you!


Love Always

Vilai*

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