Chhaya

I remember that once I was angry with Chhaya, the driver for Palm Tree, because he wasn't around to drive the bus when I wanted to take everyone to the river for a boat ride. I was talking to Srey Art about it, how I was so upset about it. Half of the kids couldn't go because we didn't have any transportation. She told me that it couldn't be his fault. A few years ago, he and Phearun had gotten in a huge fight, and they didn't speak to each other any more after that. I'd only told Phearun about my plan, and he never told Chhaya. She also told me about how he would take care of her when she was little, like she was his own daughter even though he didn't have one yet and wouldn't for years, and how he'd put blankets on her at night when he thought she was cold.

He was a child soldier in the Khmer Rouge. He has tattoos all over his body because he, like many other terrified enlistees, believed they made them bullet proof. He can drive a tank.  He can play guitar.

Peace out.