And then finally he asked for my home phone number

And then, finally, he asked for my home phone number.I half whispered it, in relief.He tried three times before I remembered the phone was left off the hook at night.An escort took me to another part of the building Ahmed was sitting on a bench."Did they ... do anything?" He had come because he had been worried."No, how about you?""No worries, lah. They said they are jealous because of you."A uniformed policeman came over He crouched down in front of me I stared fixedly at the wall. Not yet." I knew that Ahmed hadn't' gone to Mecca yet."What were you doing with him?""Talking Please let me call my parents." I didn't like begging. I was there last year." "Schoolmate? I don't believe you! What is the name?""Elizabeth.""His name!""Ahmed.""Full name?""I don't know Abdul Ahmed something, I think.""Haji?""I don't think so.

Instead, I was taken to a tiny room and surrounded by plain-clothes policemen. One of them, leaning against some lockers, was sneering at me "So?" he said.So? "I want to call my parents," I tried."No. What were you doing with that boy?""I really think my parents should be here. We were talking.""I don't believe you!" He was shouting, now His English was surprisingly fluent "Who is that boy?""He is a schoolmate In the local school. Leaping up only when I heard Ahmed shout from a distant interview room. Handcuffs were waved at me and I sat down again.They took me to "Another place, not here", and told me that Ahmed would not be following. Suddenly, I became frightened, rather than just angry and worried.When we drove to the Central Police Station I was relieved.

Relieved that I was, at least, being taken somewhere official. But then I remembered the rumours I'd heard about what went on in the cells there.They wouldn't let me call my parents. He was, I discovered later, busily describing the "soft lighting", "romantic music" and the "beer".After much deliberation, they decided not to handcuff us They shoved us into separate cars. I sat, squashed between two of the policemen - who were pressing against me as closely as possible - while the tubby young man in the passenger seat was telling me that I would probably be forced to marry Ahmed.I went very quietly for the rest of the journey.I stayed quiet in the local police station. But it couldn't be too serious - he wasn't wearing cowboy boots.He asked, in Malay, for my ID card."I only speak English Sorry."He repeated the order, in broken English I insisted on seeing his first He gave me his card. I looked at it, and tried to smile - the type of smile I imagined you're supposed to flash, in the company of 12 secret policemen. I didn't have my ID Card, I had been caught alone with an unmarried Muslim boy, and I was a young, European girl.

This time, I was in Trouble.Another policeman was writing in his notebook, after some consultation with the others. I had counted them, and worked out that they definitely weren't friendly, even before two of them hurled Ahmed against the car.Definitely not friendly.One of the men came over, and stood above me as I sat on the kerb I stood up balancing on the raised kerb edge Trying to look taller and, of course, blonder than him Sometimes it worked He was wearing typical gang-gear. Suggest that if you don't get your rise, perhaps you should get another benefit like a company car, or joining the company pension scheme.". In some Islamic countries, being caught alone with someone of the opposite sex to whom you are not married is frowned upon It can even carry a jail sentence. Five years ago, Elizabeth Parker and her friend, Ahmed, were arrested for breaking Brunei's "Kawalat" laws.

iwas sitting on a black and white striped kerb under a street lamp in front of the dipped headlights of Ahmed's car. In my hand was a half- full bottle of Coca-Cola, and my ears were being assaulted by Brunei's musical equivalent of Ozzy Osbourne. When the sets of headlights swept towards us, we turned to see a large group of men getting out of three cars Twelve. Firstly, always use 'I' versus 'you' language - instead of saying, 'You are a terrible boss, you've never given me a pay rise' say 'I feel upset when my efforts are not rewarded financially' - this doesn't cast your boss as the villain. Use Anticipation; if you know there is a limited budget, voice the problem before the other person.