Post by Deleted on Oct 3, 2015 0:59:51 GMT 7
Nung had always wanted blue eyes since the day she saw her first farang back in 1945. There had been talk of a war somewhere, but it hadn't affected Nung's life one bit. The rice had still to be planted, the chores done for Meh, and if a minute was spare, it was spent in the Temple, asking Buddha to shine kindness and health on her family. And there, one day, stood before her a farang, in military uniform. Sent out by the government to check on rice production in her area. Lanna - the "land of a million rice fields." Another rumour had it that the farangs wanted the rice for the Burmese. That was a joke, everyone knew that the Thais would never feed the Burmese - not since the Sack of Ayuttayah. Nung didn't know much history - but she knew who to hate.
Those blue eyes entranced Nung. It was only later that she discovered that farangs had white skin too - the first man she had seen had been weather-beaten in the Asian sun. "Blue eyes, maybe if I ask Buddha, he will give me blue eyes," Nung thought to herself. Buddha hadn't listened, no matter how hard she prayed, Buddha didn't send her the blue eyes she dreamed of.
Until now. Eighty-five years of age, Nung looked in the mirror, trying to remember how she looked as a fifteen year old, the age she was when she started praying for those beautiful eyes. The sun had been harder on her than the farang, folds of skin where her smooth skin used to be, but now Buddha had granted her wish. It had started as a milkiness in her left eye, that soon turned blue and blind. "Cataracts," the doctor had said. "I can remove the one in your right eye, it's too late for the left."
"No, I prayed for blue eyes, and now Buddha has sent them to me," replied Nung. Her family begged her to reconsider. "I will go into the darknesss and I will remember all your faces," Nung had informed them. Now, in the mirror, she ran her finger along her eye-brows, knowing that the darkness was upon her. Nung kissed her fingers, and placed the kisses on her lips in the mirror.
"Now, Buddha has answered your prayer," she said to her younger self. "I'll see you in our dreams."
Those blue eyes entranced Nung. It was only later that she discovered that farangs had white skin too - the first man she had seen had been weather-beaten in the Asian sun. "Blue eyes, maybe if I ask Buddha, he will give me blue eyes," Nung thought to herself. Buddha hadn't listened, no matter how hard she prayed, Buddha didn't send her the blue eyes she dreamed of.
Until now. Eighty-five years of age, Nung looked in the mirror, trying to remember how she looked as a fifteen year old, the age she was when she started praying for those beautiful eyes. The sun had been harder on her than the farang, folds of skin where her smooth skin used to be, but now Buddha had granted her wish. It had started as a milkiness in her left eye, that soon turned blue and blind. "Cataracts," the doctor had said. "I can remove the one in your right eye, it's too late for the left."
"No, I prayed for blue eyes, and now Buddha has sent them to me," replied Nung. Her family begged her to reconsider. "I will go into the darknesss and I will remember all your faces," Nung had informed them. Now, in the mirror, she ran her finger along her eye-brows, knowing that the darkness was upon her. Nung kissed her fingers, and placed the kisses on her lips in the mirror.
"Now, Buddha has answered your prayer," she said to her younger self. "I'll see you in our dreams."
