Morning Fog,
The songtheo driver said the drive from Nas Qhob to Vinai won't be that long. People have walked successfully within the two places without hopping onto any songtheo or even mopeds. So, we should be there soon. We just left.
But as we get closer and closer to Vinai, more memories surged about things there. You must have heard so many tales and seen so many activities going on there yourself. Stories like yours and Steaming Bell's and others have prompted the writings of songs about parting and so forth. "Tomorrow, I will be leaving...", "When you leave me for America", "The 15th, when it's time for us to part" and the like. So much about parting and longing to reconnect but few have actually reconnected.
I remember an incident in another corner of the camp that involved a healer. His ailment exorcism powers never failed before. There was one time a boy had some rashes all over his body like they normally like to grow on, and this healer was called upon to remove the rashes with just his commanding words. Indeed, the process had to be specially done, tailored to the particular ailment. And if he failed, then the patient would have to consult higher healers such as the doctors or go to a building where there are a lot of healers like those doctors.
So, to heal this boy's rashes, the healer spoke into the unknown with his commanding words. Then he threw a rooster onto the ground. The rooster pooped immediately.
"Ah, they will go away soon," he told the family.
Sure enough, the next day, the rashes slowly melted into the boy's skin and then disappeared within the week.
The times the healer didn't succeed were when the roosters he used wouldn't poop upon alighting on the ground.
The healer recently passed away in the Twin Cities back in Minnesota. But he didn't hide all of his skills from the living; some of his skills have been passed onto his descendants.
Anyway, there's so much dust flying all over these pebble roads, Morning Fog. The leaves on the side plants are all covered up in brown. We are getting thirsty under this heat, too. But I feel we'll be there real soon.