In The Shadow Of The Banyan

The next morning, after a long journey by truck, the family arrives at Prey Veng, a small rural town that is home to a Buddhist temple. As Buddhists themselves, the family takes care to show deference to a fallen Walking Buddha statue. The soldiers, meanwhile, blow snot on the ground surrounding the statue. Along with other families, Raami and her kin arrive at a large, abandoned school complex which will be their home for the time being. In the room where Raami’s family settles, there is a blackboard with the words “Knowing comes from” written on it, presumably by a monk; Papa finishes the sentence: “Knowing comes from learning, finding from seeking” (69).

Early the next morning in the predawn hours, Papa wakes up Raami to show her the serene beauty of the surrounding fog as it settles in ribbons through the open-air prayer hall. He does this to impress upon her the importance of remaining open to beauty, especially amid so much ugliness. An old man sweeping the temple grounds interrupts them. The sweeper recognizes Papa by both his royal lineage and his poetry. He invites Papa and Raami to explore the meditation pavilion, which has gone unused since the Khmer Rouge killed or cast out all the temple’s monks.