A Real Story

Posted by: 7eak on: 七月 9, 2006

• In: Books
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A real story of Pheng

 

            In September 1998, it’s about 8:30am in the morning at Samdach Ouv High School in Banteay Meanchey. Many students were anxiously waiting for their result of the exam after they had taken weeks ago. In that situation, no one could keep quiet and there was buzz passed from one to another. Among the students, some were happy, some were nervous and some were both happy and frightened. Waiting for the result, two students were discussing…

“Pheng, will you pass?” Kol asked.

“I’m not sure—but I did well on my paper.” Pheng replied with a warm smile.

 After a short discussion, a group of teachers came and glued the result papers on the board. All students challenged each other to see their result. Suddenly, a loud sound shouted from the crowd…

“Kol, we passed… We passed already.” Everyone looked and found who shouted. It was Pheng, 18 years, a quite tall man who has brown skin and curly hair. They were so happy after learning their result. Then, they head hurriedly back home to report the result to their parents.

“Will you apply for any universities in Phnom Penh with me?” Kol asked Pheng while walking home.

 “I’ve lead a very difficult life; I don’t expect that I could go there.” Pheng respond with a sad face.

Kol stared at Pheng and said, “I would feel regret so much if a hard-working student like you were enable to move to study in Phnom Penh.”

“Why don’t you think about it again, my friend”, he urged.

After that, they said farewell to each other and went home. In front of a small hut which was built under the ground at the farthest of the village, a lady, Yan, who was drying unhorsed rice under the heat with old scarf wrapped around her head. Because she was a wretch and wearing old clothes, it made her look older than her forty-two years old.

Pheng arrived and said happily, “Mum… I have passed my exam!”

Lady Yan stood and asked in surprise, “Passed! — Did you pass, son?”

“Sure!” Pheng answered. Lady Yan smiled and hugged his son as if they had been apart for a long time. They both walked into the hut and enjoyed the lunch together.

“I want to ask you one thing,” Pheng hesitated to his mother while he was eating.

“What’s the matter?” said lady Yan.

“Kol asked me if I would go to study in Phnom Penh with him, what you think.” Pheng added

“Although I’m poor, I won’t let my son poor,” “I’ll try my best to support you.” she replied.

            “If I go, you’ll be more in trouble.” continued Pheng .

            “Don’t worry son, let finish your lunch.” said Lady Yan

It was a quiet at night. In its surrounded area, there was no sound because of nobody passing and crossing. One heard only the sound of bamboos touching each other, singing of crickets, barking of dogs from the distance. The whole village was sleeping peacefully. A small hut within candlelight, lady Yan burned some incense and spoke in front of photo of her beloved husband who had passed away 12 years ago. “Now I decided to sell this necklace you had left me for the bright future of our son.” Lady Yan said with her voice was hoarse and tears choked her.

“I’m not going to Phnom Penh,” said Pheng behind his mother. Pheng’s voice was so faint that he couldn’t hear it himself. But he continued, “I won’t go.” Lady Yan moved back to her son, embraced him and burst into tears. Lady Yan “Don’t say like this, my only aim is your bright future — don’t make me hopeless son,” she added “If you love me, you must go to continue your study in Phnom Penh.”

Pheng tried to speak, but words seemed refuse to leave from his lips.” I DO LOVE YOU MUM.” said Pheng.

It meant that, pheng agreed that he would continue his study in Phnom Penh. It’s a week for Kol and Pheng prepared and ready for their journey to a new place. They were taken by Kol’s father in a morning day.

Arriving at the station in Phnom Penh in the evening, Kol and Pheng was so afraid and wondering about the city. By the time, they all went to BouTum Pagoda and asked for permission to stay there. Kol, then his father bought him a bike.

“We might be spent a month for our bridging training courses before we can enroll to a university, and we must have a test too. Thus, we have to choose to study in a private school the nearest place.” Said Pheng who is taking a direction map to read under a very little lamp bright light in a small room with a few room mates.

In this quiet night, Pheng seemed not to feel sleepy among everyone who was ready for the bed as they had to attend the classes tomorrow.

“I think, we can go to ask and find some classes that available by tomorrow morning.” Kol said.

“Well anyway, I’m very tired and so are you. We’d better sleep now friend.”

The next day, two of them ride a bike together to search for the class in the nearest Bak TouK high school which is a very crowded place and educated one. They found that every class stored a lot of many number of students, yet sometime they feel it’s very difficult for them to pay attention to the instructors.

Kol suggested Pheng not to study in the morning but afternoon and evening shift, so that they could do a self study in their stayed. A week passed by, Kol and Pheng usually ride to study everyday. They focused on lesson and paid much attention to the explanations. Not that long, they felt very hard and exhausted from studying everyday. At night, rarely of them were taking the book to read or review.

Only at the moment, Kol asked if we had something else to do besides studying to Pheng. A silent moment breath that it could hardly hear from Pheng replied, “I have no idea about it but I can say that I’m so distress being with a narrow /tight class and such a very sad that I strongly urge myself every time to take the course.”

“That is so really upset for me too. I can not focus on what teachers have been explained in the time I was fighting for the seat to sit in a row.” Kol added angrily.

“I guess, I couldn’t stand any more. I need a rest now.”

Had been studying hard and not knowing any peoples, they felt life was so loneliness and depressed.  One day, Kol and Pheng were late to attend Math class in a rush hour along the private schools. They were standing at the back and learning the lesson that they missed the formula to note. Since they couldn’t get what they had wanted, they gave up and went back to Pagoda. By chance, they met their room mates on the way. Quietly and disappointed Kol and Pheng surprised while seeing each other.

 “Are that guys Kol and Pheng?” asked one of a group of peoples who planed to go out for a walk.

Just looked and visited around a fun night time with a bright light shining along the street around the city in a famous place, Royal Place and river side……

To talk back and forth, “where’re you all going?” wondered Kol.

“Hey, you don’t have class? Oh then, why don’t you go out with us right now. That must be fun!” asked one among them.

“Hmmm, we were so stressful with our sessions so we went back.” responded Pheng shrugging his shoulders. Kol push Pheng to go with them as he said if we have nothing to do right now. “Let’s go!” agreed Pheng finally.

As night fall down, the sun turn slightly set. They began to make a brain of where to go next. In mixed colors of light and beautifully singing sounds a slender beer to a table in a night club. Kol and Pheng had never seen or think of this crowded before. Enjoying the dancing and drinking, they forgot everything which made they upset. However, they felt so delighted and overjoyed.

“Hey Kol, what a mystery place such this noisy loud!” said Pheng doubtfully.

“Yeah, I think so. But it is fun, isn’t it?” enjoyable Kol went on. “I have never seen such a very enjoyable party like this before! What amazing!” continued Kol.

That night, most of them seemed to forget their purpose to study hard in order to enter the university. Only drinking and dancing bring them happy.

By following and waiting to go to the night club everyday, they missed and skipped class everyday. Once the exam comes they didn’t do well, so they failed the exam. Both of them were so disappointed because it was too late for them now to think that they had done the wrong way.

“Pheng, I decided to go back to our home town. I have no any feeling to stay here. My father asked me back to help him doing his business.” Kol told his friend.

“Kol, my dear friend, I’m very happy to hear that you would have run your own business. But for me I can’t be like you.” “Actually, we shouldn’t jump into that place. We should have studied hard. If we had studied hard, we wouldn’t have failed the exam.” said Pheng, instantly regretted what he had done. “Right now, I am ashamed to meet my mum.”

“Don’t worry Pheng, You have another chance to try for the next exam’s coming.” persuaded Kol. He went on” Anyway, you must stay here and do your best during the training courses again dude. I’ll go and tell your mum about it.”

Kol decided to run his own business at his home town with his father. He explained the situation during their stay in PP to Pheng’s mother. Lady Yan, after heard the bad news, she felf so down. Since then Lady Yan’s having a trouble illness.

There Pagoda, Pheng dropped into tear reading his mother letters which was about to encourage him for his study. “Son, I don’t angry you that you have failed your exam. I’m writing to remind you to study hard and think deeply about your future. I have no anything to give you beside this knowledge son. Please study hard and good luck for your exam.”

“Mum… I promise you I won’t let you down this time.” said Pheng in a very quiet, flat voice

Everything had to start again for the next academic year. Pheng this time was working-hard and ready for the exams. There were something unbelievable and was so different. The result was released; Pheng was really affectionate to hear the good news. He was so excited and immediately brought this new to his mother. Unluckily, his mother got a serious ill lying exhaustedly on the bed.

This was the last meeting for him and her mother. When there weren’t any important people inside the Lady Yan’s hut, only hers neighbors around looked after. At once, while lady Yan was really in serious problem half spirit. Pheng, had just reached at the hut with his shallow breath. Without caring about anything at his astonishingly, he ran straight inside and suddenly, the tear started falling down as he saw his mother face….

“Mum…Oh please hold on hold on….” cried poor Pheng said to his mother.

“Don’t leave me alone, please mum. Now, right now I have a good new for you. I passed my exam and I’m going to enroll the university of Law soon…” told Pheng in a very soft and… his voice rising. He was getting upset

“Son, I know you can do it. You probably have done the best things.” said Lady Yan to Pheng in a very soft voice, nearly no breath.

“Yes, I do” said Pheng firmly but sadly

“Good boy, I’m so happy…Don’t worry, I’ll die in peace. Life is like that every one will die just waiting for the time it comes; you are mature now. I hope you can do the best next” couldn’t stand anymore without any breath Lady Yan said to Pheng for the last time.

Overcome with grief, Pheng hugged his mother’s body painfully, and again he remembered all the activities that his mother had done for him until her final breath.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

———END–––