Oanna's Departure

“Why is daddy walking so fast?”

Khai was having a hard time trying to keep up with his father. It was difficult to walk as fast with his little legs. Maybe they were running late. They were on their way to see Khai’s big sister Oanna before she leaves for her long trip, and Khai didn’t want to miss her. So he was doing his best not to slow his father down.

Khai has always enjoyed taking a stroll in the village, especially on a beautiful day like this. The main street, with all the shops, vendors and food carts, was vibrant with activity. There were so many interesting things to experience! So many colors, smells and sounds! So many interesting people to watch and listen to! It was Khai’s favorite place in the village. But sadly, Khai didn’t have the time to pay attention to any of it right now. He was walking so fast that he needed to focus on making sure he didn’t miss a step and fall. But the more they were walking at this pace, the more tired Khai was becoming. And, after a while, he reached a point where his little legs couldn’t move fast enough to keep up. Letting go of his father’s hand, Khai tripped and fell. Using both of his hands, he stopped himself from hitting his head on the ground, at the cost of a couple of scratches. But Khai was a big boy. He wouldn’t let a couple of scratches ruin his day and prevent him from seeing his sister.

Still lying face down on the ground, Khai noticed what looks like a piece of paper a few inches in front of him. He reached to grab and inspect more closely what he’d just found. It had brown and red drawings on it, including one of a man’s face and a temple. There was some writing on it as well, some of it looked like numbers. Khai didn’t know how to read yet, but he knew his numbers. The number 20,000 was written on it. Khai knew he’d seen something similar before. Just yesterday, he was at the market with his father and he saw him exchange a similar piece of paper for some fruits and vegetables at a farmer’s stall. Yes! This was money! Khai had found a 20,000 Lao Kips banknote! He couldn’t believe his eyes. How lucky was he to fall at this exact spot and find this small fortune just lying there on the ground! What would he be spending it on? Some ice cream maybe? Or some coconut pancakes? No! He would get some grilled honeycombs!

Khai was still staring at the banknote when his father picked him up to help him get back on his feet. While his father was making sure he didn’t get hurt too bad, Khai looked up from the piece of paper he was holding and saw a little black notebook in the window of the shop in front of him. Khai’s sister Oanna loved to write, and seeing the little notebook made him think of her. She would write short stories every week-end and read them to him every night before he would go to bed. Khai’s favorite was the one about a giant that lived in the enchanted mountains. While watching over the small village at the foot of the mountain, the giant spotted a band of bandits and decided to get down and help the village. Although at first the villagers were scared of him, the story ended with the villagers becoming friends with the giant. That story was the first one she wrote after getting sick last year. Khai remembered she would spend most of her time then sitting at her desk, writing. She wrote so much that there were notebooks lying everywhere in their room! Speaking of which, Khai remembered seeing all of Oanna’s notebooks on her desk when he left that morning. She didn’t bring any with her for her long trip! Khai knew she would miss writing and she would regret not bringing anything to write on with her. So, not thinking twice, Khai rushed to the store, leaving his father, confused, on the sidewalk.

Entering the shop, Khai headed for the counter, where a gentle old lady welcomed him with a tender voice and a smile. “What can I do for you, my boy?”, she asked him. Khai pointed at the little black notebook in the window and explained to her it was for his sister. The lady went to pick it up and gave it to him. Seeing the banknote Khai was handing to her, she knew he didn’t have quite enough to pay for the notebook. But it didn’t matter. Khai seemed like a good little boy and he wanted to make his sister happy. So she took the money and even added a small pen so Oanna would have something to write with as well. With the most beautiful of smiles, Khai thanked the lady, and rushed back to his father, holding the little black notebook against his chest.

The rest of the way, Khai rode in his father’s arms. That way, Khai was sure not to slow him down so they would arrive on time to see Oanna. They were meeting her at the village’s temple, which was still a good distance away from the shop. When they arrived, the temple was full of people. So many came to see Oanna off on her big trip! Khai could see uncles and aunts, cousins and friends, even grandpa and grandma were there! Oanna was nowhere to be found, though. At the center of the crowd was a kind of four poster bed, tall, white and ornamented with so much gold that it was almost too bright for Khai to look at directly with the shining sun. Several monks were standing in front of it, wearing their usual orange robes. While his father and he were making their way to the front row to take their seat, Khai was finally able to see the central structure more clearly. There she was! Oanna was lying there, on the bed, wearing her most beautiful dress, ready to leave for her long trip. As they reached their seat, the monks started singing. Everyone immediately stopped talking and turned their attention to them. They had arrived just in time.

When the ceremony ended, everyone got up. Some people were bringing flowers and food to Oanna, leaving them beside her on the bed. Khai was still holding the little black book against his chest. He went up to the structure and climbed it so he could reach his sister. She looked peaceful, her hands joined on her chest. Khai gently lifted one of her hands and placed the notebook under it. He stayed beside her for some time, looking at her, knowing it would be the last time he would lay eyes on his sister. He softly placed his little hands on her cheeks and brought his face closer to hers, until their foreheads touched. Then, after laying down a kiss on her forehead, Khai climbed down the bed and went back to his father.

When everyone was done, the monks started singing again. They placed a wooden cover over Oanna’s bed, hiding her from everyone. The monks were each holding a torch, and, all at the same time, lit the base under Oanna. Holding his father’s hand, Khai stood and watched as the flames engulfed the bed, and thus, his sister.

“Goodbye, big sister. Have a safe trip.”