On Tuesday, August 25 was our big trip to visit Saitha's extended family and to attempt to find one or two of his sisters. Elephant, the orphanage director and Martha's taxi driver 15 years ago, picked us up early and took us on bumpy Highway 6 towards Baray District of Kampong Thom province.
Highway 6 leads to Siem Reap, the temples, and was mostly paved. Even though it was only about 30 miles it took an hour. Saitha's village was just off the highway. 15 years ago it took almost 4 hours to get there. We took some pictures of the school: now stone, then wood.
Once in the village we went to the piece of land that Elephant had bought for Saitha's siblings. One half was sold off, the lay bracken as his sister considered to be Saitha's. The villagers recognized Saitha immediately and all of them came out. Two aunts hugged him and pinched his cheeks. His mother's brother put his hand on Saitha's shoulder and asked to share a beer with Saitha. The uncle was lean and wiry, probably in his 70s. Other villagers came out and crowded around the car. "You are quite the celebrity in town, Saitha", said Elephant. The financial support had been taken note. Max took some great pictures that Saitha posted on facebook that I hope to share.
We learned what had happened to Saitha's parents. His mother had died at child birth of another sibling. His father had died of illness in the fields, probably malaria. His elder sisters, almost adults at the time agreed to have Saitha be put up for adoption, because he had an eye problem, ptosis, and was sick with pneumonia. They did not agree to his one or two year older brother, because he was healthy.
All the siblings had left though, so the job now was to find them. We got an address of one elder sister, Youen. We drove for another hour through rubber plantations to find it. Towards the end, often asking the way and we found the house on stilts. But she had moved to the remote province of Ratanakiri that borders Vietnam in the north. In Ratanikiri, jungle is being cut down for rubber plantations. Natives are being displaced and Khmers hired to work in the plantations. A neighbor gave us a number.
The number rang, but no answer for quite some time. Then an answer, but cut off quick before we could make out if the number was still good. Tried again, not connection at all, we hoped the phone battery had died.
I asked how people charge their batteries in villages with no power. Elephant said that people run a service with car batteries. They drive around picking up people's batteries in the morning and return them charged at night. And indeed, at night I asked a hotel desk staff to call and he got through. It was his sister Youen and she wanted to see Saitha! She also gave the number of another sister SaiMom. I informed Elephant and he recommended a meeting in Phnom Penh. He wanted to keep it controlled to avoid people claiming a false adoption and asking for money: "People are poor" he said. So we agreed on September 4 at 3:00 PM. I have not gotten confirmation from Elephant yet, so we are on pins and needles.
It was goofy riding with Elephant. So often we would see cars, motorcycles and Tuk Tuks driving the wrong way on a lane and he would grouse about it. People do that here as a shortcuts like we do on a bicycle sometimes.
Dinner was at the eclectic restaurant Remdang with the boys. That is where we ate the tarantulas. They were kind of squishy and interesting. The restaurant is associated with Friends, where I had eaten with Saitha on Thursday. There are Teachers and Students. Students are street kids that get to work there for a couple of weeks. They get fed, housed, medical checks and trained in the hope that they can find a more permanent job later.
Saitha's Photos 154 - 131
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