Bangkla: Tying Up Lose Ends, Surprise for Maw Willis, and Korean Fondue

I tend to remember last days, my last day of high school, my last day of college, my last day of any given job. There is something about the near sight of change that plucks a sentimental string and encourages me to make the most of what is left. While my life is no “Carpe Diem” scene played out from The Dead Poet Society, occasionally, I get it right an appreciate what is around me. Thursday is my last day in Bangkla.

I wake up to the same familiar routine that now seems like home and make a list of all of the things I would like to do before I leave Bangkla: take pictures for Aunt Kaye, scan old photographs of the hospital, visit the Baptist Church, spend time writing at Ran Jeck Cheu’s, spend nit noi more time at the hospital watching Granddaddy. I accomplish all of the things on my list and end the workday with my grandfather at the hospital. I sit and observe as he sees his last patient and walk with him back to the apartment for rest some before dinner.

All my grandfather knows about dinner is that Gai and Et have asked us if they can take us out. Gai shares with John Mark and I that she is planning a surprise for Maw Willis. They pick us up at 6:00pm and take us to an open-air restaurant similar to most of the other restaurants we have eaten at. Waiting outside the restaurant is a small group of people. I see the same look on my grandfather’s face that I saw when we first came into view of the hospital, two weeks before. The surprise Gai has planned was calling three or four of the original hospital staff, all senior citizens now, and having them meet us for dinner. What we did not anticipate was those people would call more people. I watch the group of nine as they crowd around my grandfather, who is thrilled beyond measure at his surprise.

We walk into the Korean fondue restaurant and sit down at four tables that have been placed together. Soon our waiter walks to our table with a large stone pot that has burning wood inside. He places the pot on the table, then places a pan on the pot, a guard on the pan and puts a soup in the pan. The pan has a raised dome in the center. Soon bowls filled with different assortments of meat are delivered to our table. A piece of pork fat is place in the top center of the dome and the meat is put around the rest of the dome to cook. Cabbage, noodles, and carrots are placed in the soup to cook. The meal is one of the most interesting I have ever had. The food tastes good and there is plenty to pass around. As the hospital veterans look at old photos, Et commandeers my camera and spends time photographing the group. Towards the end of the meal Agan Neetat arrives to say hello to everyone. He tells me that the tailor has already finished my coat and gives me a bag with my present inside. We laugh, smile for pictures, and stay later then we intend, but it is worth ti to see how much fun my grandfather has. He comments, “This is the perfect cap to a great two weeks.”



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