Sabaidee all

Following the kind introduction by Kongkeo that I would launch a novel =
project in May.  And here it is ... Tada ... Ladies and Gentlemen let me =
introduce to you Laddavanh and Keo - Nang Ek and Pha Ek who will play in =
To Paris with Love.  It's very important that you accept the disclaimer =
that all characters in this story are fictitious.  However, all places I =
mentioned in the story are real - they all exist.  Most scenes are =
filmed in Laos with a few scenes in Paris and in Sydney.  I am the story =
writer, script writer, producer and director.  Therefore, I will accept =
all the Academy Award/s all by myself.  And yes, all the criticisms from =
those cruel critics as well.

Another important disclaimer:  It is purely a coincidence that the name =
of Nang Ek - Laddavanh - sounds similar to my name Phayvanh.  But by no =
means, she is me and I am her.  Another coincidence, Pha Ek's name =
happens to be "Keo".  This definitely is not meant to be a shortened =
form of Kongkeo's name.  It's also purely a coincidence. =20

By the way, this story consists of 5 parts all together.  The story was =
initially written in Lao language, but I have decided to produce it =
bilingually.  The English translation is provided below. The Lao version =
is attached.  I somehow used Saysettha this time. If it is more =
convenient for everybody for me to use Lao Light, I am agreeable.  =
Remember Lao Light is a font downloaded by Alisak a while ago?

Well, this week, we have talked about something rather heavy - such as =
history, debates, religion, etc... Just to give SJDiers a little break, =
I hereby represent ... To Paris ... with Love.  Enjoy!

Pauline

To Paris . with Love

(Part one)

Having been away from her motherland for more than twenty years, =
Laddavanh suddenly found herself standing on the very land of Laos. Her =
feeling? There was a combination of excitement and amazement because =
many places have changed so much she could hardly recognised them. Today =
she intended to "fly a solo" . well since she's arrived, she was taken =
to places by her relatives in a car . to the point that her feet hardly =
touched the ground. That's no good . therefore she woke up very early in =
the morning and sneaked out of the hotel before anybody else woke up. =
There she was . strolling along the "Sedone River", she started to =
observe the surrounding. These things brought back the memories of the =
past and the good old days.

The old Sedone Bridge was still standing there . bridging the two shores =
- Thahine and the city of Pakse. A small island where Mekong River and =
Sedone River met . a spectacular old Chinese temple called "SobXe" =
proudly stood there. The other side of the river "Muang Kau" could be =
seen in the distance. If she wasn't wrong, if she kept walking just a =
little bit further "Lycee" a high school where she used to study when =
she was a teenager, where life was free of life complexity, should be =
just there. Yeap! That's right! There it was . That was her classroom, =
she could still remember the laboratory for chemistry subject.=20

Laddavanh walked quickly towards that old building . her arms crossed, =
she smiled to herself. The old memories flashed back in her mind just =
like a movie. Laddavanh remembered very well she knew "Keo" through her =
best friend "Vilay" who happened to be Keo's cousin. Keo and Laddavanh =
studied on the same grade but in different classroom. The fact that Keo =
was a rather shy boy, they were not that close. Apart from that, =
Laddavanh wouldn't have had time to pay much attention to somebody who's =
shy and well . a bit egocentric . like Keo. People like that would not =
catch her attention anyway. Why? Because she had so many boys writing =
love letters to her all the time, both from her own class mates and from =
the older boys. In those days, there was no telephone, no e-mail. =
Therefore boys and girls had to write until their fingers nearly got =
paralysed. For people who could afford, would use the paper and the =
envelope with fancy patterns - perhaps in pink color as well. For those =
who could afford more, would even spray perfume on the paper . and you =
would surely get extra marks for that.=20

Some letters, which were sent to Laddavanh, would not even spell out =
their real name, but used initials instead. For instance one letter said =
" . Love V. with all my heart . from S. who is awaiting your reply". Umm =
. S. would surely be waiting forever because the receiver of the letter =
wouldn't have a clue who "S." was. Therefore she wouldn't know who to =
reply to. OK, there wasn't really a major problem with the encoding of =
"V." because it has to be - V. for Vanh, which was actually Laddavanh's =
nickname, well known to all her friends. But who on earth "S" was, only =
God knows! There were actually so many S's around, to start with, =
there's plenty of boys with initial S's in the same class. But . frankly =
speaking, boys from the same class would not have had much chance =
anyway. Most girls would look up at those older boys who studied at a =
much higher grade, especially those who did well at school. In this =
manner, the girls would take advantage by asking them to teach =
mathematics.

OK! In any case Laddavanh was determined to think that the person with =
that initial "S." ought to be "Ai S." who happened to be the most famous =
boy in the entire school because he was excellent in sports - mind you =
all kind of sports as well. Apart from that, he also happened to be the =
goalkeeper of the famous soccer team of Lycee de Pakse. Wow! Excellent =
in everything, as if that is not good enough, he was also very handsome =
- so handsome every where that "heartthrob" walked, all the girls would =
nearly scream, many of them would be close to collapse because they =
tried so hard to catch eye with him. What else do you expect?

But . again . not this girl . not Laddavanh. She wouldn't want to be =
looked down upon by anybody therefore she never managed to ask that =
heartthrob whether he was the writer of that letter? Look, there was =
actually a very good reason why she didn't ask. Well! She was so scared =
he would say "not me", if so, what would she do? She would definitely =
die out of embarrassment. But if magically, his answer was "yes", she =
would still surely die of heart attack due to the overexcitement. In any =
case, death would be her destiny so she cleverly decided not to ask. A =
truly clever girl! As a result, since then it's been more than twenty =
years, Laddavanh still had not found any truth. That's right . very =
likely that this story will remain a mystery forever. The truth will =
never be revealed . may be until the end of Laddavanh's life . Isn't =
that sad? A very sad story indeed! Huh?

Laddavanh was sighing and sighing . but the real reason why she was =
sighing was because of the boy who used to sit right in her heart . the =
boy by the name "Keo", who else? (By now he would have become a mature =
man or possibly even an old man?). Keo was actually very shy and quiet =
but his eyes were not as shy . when they walked pass each other to enter =
their classroom which was located at the opposite end of the building, =
Keo would look at her in such a way . that would make her . uh . well =
put it this way . she wouldn't dare look back at him. Her cheeks would =
become so hot as if they were grilled on a charcoal stove.=20

Thinking of this, Laddavanh unconsciously touched her cheeks . what? How =
come her cheeks were so hot now? "May be I am a bit mental?" she said to =
herself, shyly. "Keo, you wouldn't know that you have always haunted my =
heart" , Laddavanh has never been able to forget that boy, well . that =
man, rather. Keo was a tall boy and sportive because he liked playing =
sports, his hair was rather long - which was fashionable in the 70's, he =
was also a good guitar player. Laddavanh remembered he used to play =
guitar and sing those love songs . just for her . and those romantic =
eyes were fixed on her. They usually went everywhere as a group and all =
the friends tried to match the two of them, especially Vilay, she was =
totally behind this matching game and would prevent any other girl to =
get close to Keo.=20

"I think you and Keo are the best match" Vilay commented. "If you end up =
not being my sister-in-law, I would be very very disappointed". What =
could you do? Under this circumstance, and with strong support from a =
middle person like Vilay, the two of them started to get to know each =
other better.

Laddavanh remembered well, in those days, the teenagers would ride =
bicycles in a group towards the outskirts of the city. Those whose =
parents were a bit better financially would ride motorcycles. Only those =
who came from very wealthy families would have a car to drive. Those =
teenagers who drove a car usually would not do very well at school =
because they spent most of their time driving and trying to impress the =
girls. And incidentally, those girls who sat in their car usually would =
not do well at school either because they were busy showing off .

That day, Laddavanh and friends, as a big group, rode their bicycles =
towards "Nam tok luk paed" (Water Fall at the 8th Km) which was the most =
popular recreational place in those days. Each of them had a bag of =
lunch - their lives were na=EFve and carefree. Among people in the =
group, there may be some who may secretly liked somebody else and there =
were lots of matchings - of course nominated by their own friends. =
However, the relationship stopped at that - just special friends, not =
more than that. Believe or not, in those days, if their relationship =
went beyond that scope, they would be considered as bad boy or bad girl. =
There was no peer pressure either that they should have sex at certain =
age - well, quite different from nowadays.

Laddavanh smiled again when she thought about the incident when they all =
went to climb a mountain. Because she wanted to get to the top of the =
mountain first, she started to climb vigorously and of course . the way =
she climbed . she slipped and was about to fall down . the destination? =
Down there of course! But . believe or not Keo who coincidentally =
(intentionally?) was climbing somewhere not far away, managed to grab =
her hand before she reached her destination . ie down there! Laddavanh =
was hanging with her two legs dangling from the cliff . Keo eventually =
managed to pull her back up from falling. However, while they were =
struggling, their faces were not far from each other (they were =
struggling, you see?) and accidentally, Keo's nose was only as far as =
0.01 mm from Laddavanh's cheek which became so red due to the heat (and =
excitement?). Brrr. That was definitely a thrilling experience . in fact =
the most thrilling in Laddavanh's life . now when thinking about this =
incidence, she developed goose pimples all over her skin. But hang on, =
it was not the moment when she was about to fall from the cliff that =
she's talking about! She meant the incident when his nose nearly . =
nearly touched her cheek . that's the one.

(To be continued)

PPhoumindr