Sabaydii,

 

Here is the continuation of a series ‘Coming Home’ entitled ‘Xekong schools – its future.

 

Hakphaang,

Kongkeo Saycocie

 

 

 

We arrived at school site #2

Still in the Xekong[1] area

This one just began to lay the groundwork

With only the cement floor

And a couple of walls partly erected

 

With nothing to see

To inspect

Like the Japanese architect

Tagging along with us

I took time to fully enjoy

The Panoramic view

All around me

 

Lush forest

I would say

Green and green everywhere

 

Down below my feet

The soil rich in minerals

Part of PakSong[2]

And Boloven plateau[3]

Known for its famous coffee

All over the country

 

Still

Xekong was one of the poorest provinces

Left most untapped

Unspoiled

And un-everything

 

Its population

A heavy mixture of Lao Theung[4]

A few Lao Lum[5]

Mostly from Pakse[6]

Holding most of Xekong’s administrative jobs

 

I myself met a number of them

One a teacher

A regular Radio Free Asia[7] listener

Even heard of me

Of Satjadham[8]

 

Another an employee at Xekong school systems

Spending hours and hours on the cranky typewriter

With just one single piece of paper to type

When he was done

He sighed with a heavy relief

And showing off his hands

Smearing with black ink

 

 

Two Lao Theung women

His helpers

Grandly celebrated his gigantic feat

By taping his sweat soaking shoulder

And ready to face

A stack of papers

Lying impatiently in front

 

At the reception counter

I saw a kid sleeping

At the corner of the room

While his mom stood behind the information desk

Hardly seen a visitor

Dropping by

 

 

At another school

Where the principal was so young

That I took for a village boy

Tried it hard to explain

Why there weren’t any classes

For the first day of school

 

 

Seeing the school for myself

I understood what he tried to convey

 

In front of me

What was known as a ‘school’

Was almost blown off by the gusty wind

Raging the area for quite some time

 

 

He said with no uncertainty

When the school would open

Maybe the week after

Or even the month after

 

His teachers

All local graduates of this very school

They were to teach

Didn’t make it back

From their other supplementary income jobs

 

Thinking that I might be

A government official

With power to bestow

The boy principal couldn’t help but

Inquiring a little bit about

The late salary

He and his teacher

Had never received

 

Not to humiliate him

I just smiled

And let my Lao acquaintance

Accompanying me do the unenviable job

Of explaining

The government was as broke as he was

 

Or was it really?

 

8.7.03