An Old Fart's Tale

‘An Old Fart’s Tale’ is about a U.S. retiree’s life in Hong Kong and Thailand. In Hong Kong, without looking for any romantic attachments he accidently meets the love of his life and remarries. This story is laced with humor and pokes fun at institutions, shopping habits, daily commuting, a medical profession where an operation deciding whether or not a person lives or dies is in the hands of a government, overwhelmed by the cost and needs of an ever ageing population. If you are fortunate enough to endure the waiting in line process until your turn comes up, you may survive, assuming you are still among the living. It is comparable to drawing a royal straight flush in a poker game. After surviving a rather difficult operation, our retiree is shuffled off to the recovery ward where he meets an insane, unstable doctor who heavily drugs all patients without offering any care or attention. Survival instincts arise and a duel between doctor and patient takes center stage. The doctor suddenly resigns, leaves the hospital and disappears.

In Thailand, the retiree was looking for a more affordable, tropical life style but found it to be near impossible until an unexpected opportunity knocked on the door. Our retiree is offered a job of assisting the running of a small resort on a beautiful small island with room and board. He discovers the owner’s family is involved in growing, smuggling and selling of marijuana in addition to owning some valuable real estate. He becomes deeply involved with their problems and finances, agreeing to invest money for them in the U.S. stock market.

Greedy real estate operators want the western side of the island and will do anything to obtain the land. Some of the local natives want to sell the land, most do not. World War II Japanese bunkers are in the jungle part of the island, partially concealing the marijuana operation. Lives are put on the line to continue their way of life without outside interference.

The hospital doctor is hiding out in Thailand quietly running a small clinic. His former patient, the retiree and wife are innocently brought in for some medical help. The doctor intends to even the score. The retiree and his wife are in mortal danger and no one knows where they are. They have vanished without a trace.