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Sabaydii,
Here is the continuation of a series ‘Coming home’ entitled ‘To the ex-USAID compound’
Hakphaang,
Kongkeo Saycocie
The other day arrived
First thing in the morning
I went to the former USAID[1] compound
Where now hosted
the center for art and culture preservation
not to mention
the heavily guarded prime minister office
I had no business whatsoever
On the way to the compound
Passing through Bane Nahaidieo[2]
General Vang Pao[3]’s grand residence
And his cohorts
Now occupied by the new regime
No surprise
Not to see any Hmong[4]
Left wandering around this area
Like before
Apart from that
Bane Nahaidieo or Khum Sisavat[5]
Where Wat Sisavat[6] as a centerpiece
Looked pretty much the same
Though less lively
And more in the somber mood
Its movie theater
Like other theaters in
Was put into an early retirement
When VCR with its movies-for-rent
Took
Very much like
Where the fad first began
With this modern gadget
Since I had never entered
the forbidden compound
once a seat of the shadow government
run by the
it took me a while to find a gate
A stern looking guard
With his rifle leaning on the post
Asked about the purpose of my visit
Knowing who I meant to see
He had no choice but let me in
The other day
I called to make an appointment
To see Mr. Houmphanh Rattanavong
The head of art and culture preservation center
I had never met before
Kindly enough
He said he would see me in the morning
When I got there
A little bit before the time
I was told
He was still in the meeting
In the prime minister office
Didn’t know
When he could get out
Maybe I should try another day
My friend
Once visiting Loung[7] Houmphanh
Seemed to have an impression
He was closely watched
By a comrade speaking no Lao
Maybe
They thought
He was too much Lao
Not at the liking of the comrades-in-arms at all
When Loung Houmphanh finally made a presence
Close to
Luckily no one was following him
Or maybe
I didn’t see
I was not sure
We talked a long time
About the subject we were both interested in
The Tai
Where we came from
Where we were going
And what it meant to us the Lao
With Luangprabang accent[8]
He weaved a story
Sometimes in an angry tone
Sometimes in a defiant mode
All against the Thai
The self-proclaimed Big Brother
Not a time
I didn’t detect his enthusiasm
His scholarly stand
And his love for Muang Lao and Quon Lao
Couldn’t help to think
If we had the many of him
In the higher echelon
Muang Lao for truly Quon Lao
Wouldn’t be such a mere dream
When we parted
I saw a tinge of hope in his eyes
At least he found someone
Sharing his deep interest
Despite all of our different political stripes
As I was about to take off
He thrust a couple of books
Into my hand
Among them was the one on Chao Souphanouvong[9]
He himself wrote
Fully admired of the man
And the reason he was still here
With a last glance at the former USAID compound
I felt like
Despite all the darkness
I had encountered almost everywhere
Muang Lao wasn’t lost yet
Yes it just needs one
To raise our hope
Dim as it may be
At the present moment
9.3.03
[1] The United States Agency for International Development
[2] a section of the city I used to live
[3] He was the army commander
for the 2nd region in charge of the area around Xiengkhouang where
both sides fought heavily to gain control of that strategic region. Also,
General Vang Pao was the CIA man in the secret war in
[4] One of the three main
ethnic groups in
[5] Khum Sisavat is a bigger section of the town in which Bane Nahaidieo resides in its jurisdiction.
[6] The temple
[7] a term addressed to a male person much older than you are
[8] a soft and melodious accent typical of people from the north
[9] The leader of the Pathet
Lao and when