I’ve stood behind this street food stall for decades and have never seen such a quiet night as this. Is it possible for Bangkok to be this quiet? Tonight must be a sign from God! Tonight must be the moment I have waited for all these years. The streets, usually bustling with life, are empty, as if the city itself is holding its breath, waiting for me to take my chance. As I peer into the still night, I wonder who it will be.

I watch carefully as people occasionally walk past my stall. First, I see a young couple lost in their youthful world. I wouldn’t dare separate them. Then comes a group of rowdy teenagers, laughter echoing through the deserted alleyways. They are just children with no real troubles to their name. Not what I am looking for.

As the night wears on, I become increasingly concerned that I won’t find a suitable candidate. Next, I see a tired-looking businessman in a suit, a street performer with a guitar slung over his shoulder, and a whore who was fresh from her work – none of them seem like the one I’ve been waiting for.

Then, someone new: a foreign man. He’s a typical European male, tall, with light hair and an air of curiosity about him as he walks near my stall. Something about the adventurous glint in his eyes tells me he’s the one.

“Hey, handsome man!” I call out to him in my broken English. “Want free food? Want try special dish!? You first time try!”

He seems surprised but delighted at the offer as I hold out a Moo Ping stick for him to grasp. He takes it carefully and looks at it.

“Moo Ping? What makes it special?” He asks warmly with a handsome smile. Yes, he is the one.

“It has special herb. Give it special flavor. Try!’ I reply truthfully, as I had definitely added special herbs, although not for their flavor. Instead, the herbs were carefully cultivated and blessed for something much greater. I watch intently as he eats the Moo Ping, the flavors of Thailand exploding in his mouth as he devours it.

“That was really good!” Says the foreigner brightly as he hands me the cleaned wooden skewer. “Can I have another one?” He adds.

“No. One enough. Trust me!” I reply, carefully watching for the herb’s power to take effect.

He looks like he is going to argue and demand that I sell him another, but his expression changes before he can. He suddenly doubles over and clutches his stomach, his face turning white. It’s starting.

I observe, fascinated, as the transformation begins: for a transformation is what is to happen, I must reform to match his new role. I see his body convulse slightly and a soft crackling sound like twigs snapping underfoot. Then a much bigger…

CRUNCH!

His height decreases dramatically in seconds as his shoulders narrow, and his entire frame compresses dramatically. “Oh God! What happening to… phom.” He cries out, and I can’t help but notice that perfect Thai word radiating out at the end of that sentence. He no longer says ‘me’ but says ‘phom’ instead. It’s a good change, as he will be Thai like me. But he will hopefully switch to ‘chan’ soon, as he will be she. A woman just like me. But young and beautiful, the perfect partner for my useless son, Somchai.

His body is continuing to shrink as I watch, and now he can’t be more than 155cm. Good, as he is now shorter than Somchai. It’s not just his height, either. His entire frame is now so slender and delicate, but with mass growing in all the right places. Fat on the ass, fat on the chest and hips wide to bare my future grandchildren. So little about him seems male now. Maybe even down below, though his now-ill-fitting clothes still hide that secret place. I don’t see a bulge; I guess he is already she.

“Gaen no stop changing! Lae meu arai nee thoughts mai taam nai my mind!?” She calls out in a voice that sounds more like a daughter than a son. It’s tough to understand that garble of English and Thai. She said her body is changing. I knew that. She said she hears strange thoughts in her mind. That is new. It must be another part of the process of making my new daughter-in-law.

Her hair now darkens, cascading towards the ground as it becomes long, luscious and black. Her eyes, too, once a pale blue, are now a deep, mesmerizing brown and resemble the quintessential Thai eyes. Her skin tone is changing too: a beautiful, golden hue of a Thai native spreading rapidly over her body.

“The thoughts… Nak raian… I no can resist… Chan mai pen tua… I am… Chan pen… Chan pen Malee!”

Ah, she switched to using chan? She is thinking as a woman now… And her name is Malee! I like it! But now I see the transformation has reached its end. Where the European man once stood now stands a delicate Thai beauty. The once perfectly fitting clothes now hanging loosely on a new, slender frame. Her oversized shirt drapes awkwardly, and her pants threaten to slip off her hips. I never could have imagined the change to be so perfect. She is not just a Thai woman but a gorgeous one. Can such a beauty really love my son?

In a voice now soft and melodious, Malee begins to speak in perfect Thai. She’s confused, understandably, but there’s an underlying acceptance in her tone. “Khun, I need a change of clothes! Can you help me?” she asks in respectful Thai, looking down at her oversized garments.

“New clothes? That’s all you want nong? I reply, happy to be using Thai instead of ghastly English.

She nods and smiles: a beautiful, youthful smile. She is perfect. Thank God she is perfect!

“Go to my house, it’s just over there!” I reply, pointing to some small buildings across the street. “My son is there; he will help you.”

“Thanks, khun!” Says the girl as she begins to walk in the direction I was pointing. As she walks, she holds onto her male clothes, trying to hold them on. She does this successfully, other than her sock and shows, which, now much too small, slip off of her. I notice her delicate brown feet walking along the ground. They are flawless: another sign of her youthful health, perfect for my grandchildren.

As I watch her walk away in the distance and knock on the door of my house, I can’t help but speculate on how long it will be until Somchai and Malee’s wedding. I instilled the herbs I used with the essence of my son, and she would fall in love the moment she saw him. On the other hand, he won’t be able to resist such youthful beauty. I imagine the coming wedding, a beautiful ceremony filled with joy. I imagine my grandchildren’s little faces looking up at me and calling me ‘Yaa.’

‘Hopefully before the end of the year!’ I think to myself as I smile. Truly, tonight was perfect.