In The Shadow Of The Banyan

After suffering so many ordeals, Ksach feels like “a deliverance” for Raami. Families receive rations fairly, residents are allowed to farm vegetables and catch fish, and simple trades can take place between neighbors. Children between the ages of five and 11 like Raami attend school, though all they do there is memorize Revolutionary anthems. Her family even makes friends with a Kamaphibal member named Comrade Keng, his wife Chae Bui, and their daughter Mui. Chae Bui tells them that Ksach’s district leader is one of the few Revolutionaries who remains committed to the Cause as opposed to those who profess blind loyalty to the Party.

One evening, when he doesn’t think Raami can hear, Big Uncle tells Mama what happened to the rest of his family. Two soldiers came to their hut and accused Big Uncle of being a member of the CIA. They took him to a secret prison nearby where they beat and tortured him in an effort to extract a confession. Only when the soldiers threatened to torture his family did Big Uncle finally agree that their ludicrous claims were true. After many more days of beatings, the soldiers released him. Big Uncle came home to find Tata, Auntie India, and the twins hanging dead from the ceiling.