Sabaydii,

 

Here is the continuation of a series ‘Coming home’ entitled ‘DouangChampa – Mala[1] Muang Lao’

 

Hakphaang,

 

 

Of all Lao writers

There is one

I owed a lot to

 

 

Euay[2] Dara is her name

And DouangChampa is her pen name

 

Back in the late 70s to early 80s

My friend, Phouvong Phalakhone,

Took me to see her

 

Strange as it may be

She lived in the same block as mine

But never once I ran into her

Or maybe I did

But didn’t know

Like strangers

Who could remember?

 

Today

With her on my mind

I set off to see the place

As it turned out to be

She wasn’t living there

Any more

 

Was later told

After her husband had passed away

Moved she did to ThongSangNang[3]

Where her kids built a nice home

 

Euay Dara

The eldest child of Maha Sila Viravong

The father of Lao history

And the ardent protector of Lao culture

 

Along with her dad and siblings

Came to produce

what the best of Lao magazine

Had ever been

‘PhaiNam[4]’

 

And through this premiere magazine

We came to know her

DouangChampa – the flower of Muang Lao

 

Sooner that the new regime took power

PhaiNam was asked to close down

And in its place

Came another famous magazine Vannasinh[5]

With her as the chief editor

 

It was at this Vannasinh headquarter

Namphu square[6] to be exact

She and I became friends

Of the Lao literary world

 

There she showed me

What good literature was

And how to create one

 

With her encouragement

I managed to produce one

Good enough to be in

The much sought after Vannasinh

 

Unfortunately

At the very last minute

My piece was pulled out

 

Obviously

Some higher authorities didn’t like

What I wrote

For reasons

She couldn’t explain

 

And there went down

My one chance of fame

In the eyes of fellow writers

 

With the help of the phone book

A new phenomenon in Laos

I found her number

And all was a history

 

When we met again

She was working

As a deputy director of NeoLao SangXat[7]

An extension of the now defunct NeoLao HakXat[8]

And no lesser important

A director of BaiLarn[9] preservation

Funded by Germany

 

 

Euay Dara

As she appeared in front of me

Mostly covered with grey hair

Still she was as feisty as ever

 

Been overlooked for a party membership

When it meant something

When the fire was still her belly

This time around

When offered one

She came out rejecting it

 

After all

What is the use for her?

Old and disenchanted

At the privilege so much ruined

So many lives

Would she want to be

A part of this heartless machine?

 

When I last left her

I knew

True Lao blood

Was still intense in her

No much difference from her proud dad

 

Muang Lao

If you just poke around

Hard enough

You will see

There is still light

At the end of the tunnel…

 

9.3.03