ATOATS [Prologue - 7]

Chapter 5

The poker face officer had long returned to his base. Yet, before leaving, he didn't forget to remind Thien that the younger man wasn't allowed to wander around the Akha Village that held long a tradition.

The village's entrance was decorated with a "Loh Khong" -- an arch made of hardwood or a long shoot of bamboo with a beam over it, with engravings such as whirligig or a bird. No strangers were allowed to enter without permission, and the situation stated that the visitors must wait outside until a villager came out to greet them, or they should call out for someone in the village to invite them in as part of the tribe.

But he had arrived in the night through the back entrance. If it was other communities, who were more strict, he would be left to sleep roofless and had a real taste of forest camping.

Luckily, Pha Pan Dao village seemed to be open-minded and welcomed changes from the outside world. They'd made a decision to hold a welcome ceremony for the new teacher that evening.

Khama Bieng Lae volunteered to accompany Thien back to his hut from the waterfall. On the way, the elderly man told him that Captain Phupha had asked him to ask the young men in the village to fill water in the earthen jar and cooked the meal even before dawn break. He had no idea though why the captain brought Thien to the creek that served as the village's laundry.

Thien couldn't help but feel irked that the officer succeeded in pranking him. He gritted his teeth before muttering a sarcastic remark.

"Perhaps he wanted to sweat a little."

"Well, I was surprised that he took on the responsibility of taking care of you. Have you known him before, Kru Thien?"

The question stunned him. He hadn't known the captain before but his heart had. Thien shook his head. Once they arrived at the hut, he thanked the elderly man for giving him the freshly cooked rice and dried salty beef he could fill his stomach with before the evening party.

Having nowhere to go, he started with exploring the accommodation. First, he walked to the back of the hut and lifted the galvanized iron lid from the earthen jar to check, curious. Seeing how the jar was filled with freshwater, the handsome face frowned. He knew deep down that the imposing officer was thoughtful and generous, but he couldn't help swearing at him after realizing that he had been tricked to walk a distance for a bath.

"Fuck!"

He slammed the lid down to let out his frustration. Luckily, he had his immunosuppressant; otherwise, his limbs would be shaking. Even if he had become physically healthier, his conditions could rebound if he strained himself too much.

Thien went to look at the other side of the hut. A small, single room built from woven bamboos tight enough to leave no holes to be peered through was topped by a thatch roof. It stood alone with a sparse forest as a background. Once he opened the door, an unpleasant odor reeked out and he saw a hole in the ground with a wood plank over it. The plank had a hole in the middle -- an opening for human waste.

Thien frowned, slamming the door and turning his back on the tiny room. The life here looked more difficult than he had expected. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, feeling discouraged, and returned to the empty space under the hut that served as a high-rise basement.

A litter stood underneath the basement. On it stood a brazier that used charcoals as fuel, a pot a pan with a dent, an earthenware steamer, and a wooden jug in a cylinder shape with a lid that he had zero idea what it was for. The bottom of the pot was blackened, but the interior was clean, ready to use as if someone had already washed it.

Maybe this was a message to him that it was time to cook for himself. Thien slumped down on the litter, deflated. When he first joined a scout camp as a child, he was entrusted with a cooking duty that he didn't want to do. It turned out that the rice he made was uncooked, the omelet burnt, and the fried chicken was still bleeding. No one allowed him to do anything after that incident.