Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Seng motioned to the walls and imitated the rainfall coming through. The sadness in her
eyes needed no translation.
I found out that Seng had no food to eat that night—that she and her son, Mai, only
had enough food to eat lunch. They lived on the kindness of others—isolated by a disease
that Seng had not even known existed until she contracted it. She gently stroked her son's
hair—her last remaining connection to love.
“What do you want to see for the future of your son?” I asked through Sophia.
Sophia translated Seng's reply: “She wants her son to study, but it is difficult because
there's no money to support him to study.”
When the rains came, they both got wet. When the winds came, their roof fell apart.
Now, I knew why I had come to this village, because it had led me to this woman and the
sad and lonely life she had been forced to live. Seng had already agreed that I could stay
the night in their hut, sleeping on the raised bamboo platform. Sophia would stay nearby.
There was little more to say. Words could never heal Seng's life, but I hoped to offer her
something that might help.
I asked if Sophia would translate for me again as I explained to Seng how I tried to give
back along my trip.
Sophia looked at me, waiting for me to speak. I wasn't sure how to say it, I wasn't even
sure how I would pull it off, but I knew if I could only give one gift this entire trip, I would
want it to be this: “I want to build Seng and Mai a new house.“
Sophia explained to her what I had said, but both women seemed confused.
I explained further, “I will build her a proper house with tile floors and a place to cook
and everything. She's never going to have to worry about her son sleeping in the rain
again.”
Sophia translated, shrugging her shoulders as though her English were failing her.
“Does she understand?” I asked.
“Yes,” Sophia said. “But you build house yourself?”
Apparently, they weren't too convinced of my construction abilities. Smart ladies. I told
Sophia that I would make sure someone local did it. I wasn't quite the right chap for that
particular job.
Again, Sophia translated, but this time, Seng wasn't confused by the words; she was
confused by the gesture.
Sophia smiled, “She does not believe that someone would do this for her.”
“You deserve this, Seng. You and Mai. You deserve a safe home.”
