Sabaydii,

 

Here is the continuation of a series ‘Coming home’ entitled ‘Class of 1979’

 

Hakphaang,

 

 

Inside the building

Once housed the Khoa San department[1]

Now stood the new Vannasin[2] section

My classmate of 1979

The chief editor

Proudly occupied

 

Once seated

I saw myself reflected in his eyes

Yes I was once courted

To work at this information ministry

A writer on the rise

A mind to be manipulated

 

From what I heard

This classmate of mine did well

Schooled in the former Soviet Union

And traveled widely

Across the Eastern Bloc

And lately the Western World

 

As a young cadre

He did arrive!

 

Browsing through a pile of Vannasin copies

Stacking on his desk

I did find out

What price he had to pay

To get this high

Or maybe not

 

Sad to say

When I mentioned the quality of the new Vannasin

To Euay Dara its former chief editor

She just said

What could you expect?

Just look at the people

Who are in charge of it

 

Before I left

He mentioned

A class of ours did make it big

One in charge of a tourist industry

And not a few a key position

 in both medicine and education

 

If only I were to stay behind

I would do no less worse

Would I?

 

Not a revolutionary youth member

Not the right connection

And too nationalist to start with

How far could I go?

 

Like the saying

If it is not meant to be

It is not meant to be

A sad thing in itself

 

Will this life of mine

Be destined to wander in another land?

Or will it still stand another chance

Of a late boom

In the land

So much meant to this Lao?

 

I just don’t know

 

9.4.03