(continued from flight, 6, written during November 2013) Phnom Penh I stepped out of the plane, holding my grandmother's elbow tightly as we descended the stairs onto the tarmac. The warm, dusty air pressed close immediately. I wonder what they did when planes landed during the rainy season. I had searched for Lakhena during the … Continue reading landing
Category: Fiction
familiar scene
An outdoor patio. Whiskey, Cigarettes. The same scene again, ten years later. More gray hairs, some baby crows feet. Alone this time. No boisterous exchanges. Just quiet. Watching the crowd. Observing the new crop of faces, with that same vulnerable look that they don't realize lingers on the soft edges of their young faces. Desiring … Continue reading familiar scene
flight, 6
2002 Pacific Ocean I returned to my seat and found my grandmother rummaging through her slah and mahlu kit. “Yey pbanh samrahn klah thdei?” I asked. Were you able to sleep at all? “Luh thda ndik thdei, chauw,” she answered. Slept just a little bit, grandchild. She placed her betel nut bundle in her mouth. … Continue reading flight, 6
flight, 5
2002 Pacific Ocean “Oh,” I said dumbly, “that sucks.” Did that mean she was dating a woman? I was not sure whether this might be an opportunity to disclose about myself. That I had dated a woman before, and that my dad had found out. I had never met another Khmer girl who liked girls. … Continue reading flight, 5
