Hi Everyone! Here's the next installment:
Chapter 7
Phupha arrives in the morning at Tian's hut. He is upset that Tian left the gas lamp running all night and calms himself down reciting a "sutra" (a concise proverb found in Buddhism, and Hinduism). He orders Tian gruffly to get up and take a bath. He leads Tian to the village which is just a few dozen meters from his hut. Tian is led to the largest house in the village and is soon greeted by Khama, the village chief. Khama asks how he slept the previous night and Tian complains about being bitten by mosquitos. Phupha tells him he didn't put up the netting correctly. Tian's irritated at this asking why Phupha hadn't shown him how to do it. Phupha doesn't apologize but tells him he'll help him that night with it.
Phupha leads Tian to a place where he can bathe. It's the waterfall we're familiar with in the series. Tian is amazed at how crystal clear the water is - you can see the leaves piled up at the bottom of the stream. Tian asks if he can't take a bath near his hut, but Phupha tells him he would have to take a bucket from this stream to do that. Phupha also tells him that the military people actually have underground wells and electric generators so they didn't have that problem. Tian is very irritated hearing this.
Tian is given some disgusting looking soap and brown shampoo which he thinks must be made of dung but turns out to be made of some natural ingredients from an ancient recipe. He finds he actually quite likes it. Tian unfortunately swims toward the waterfall where there is an underground vortex. Phupha had tried to warn him to stay away from that area and now searches for him frantically. He finds him face down at the bottom of the waterfall. Tian soon comes to and it's apparent he's only been pretending. Phupha angrily takes the nearly naked Tian onto his shoulders. Tian tries to hit him on the chest. After a little while he drop Tian on the ground. Tian looks at him with a vicious expression until he notices a scar across Phupha's chest. Later on he keeps snatching glances at Phupha thinking how attractive he is as they are walking back.
After a while they reach the village. According to local customs he's not supposed to enter the village gate until the villagers come out to give him permission. He broke this rule the previous night but the people in this particular village are little bit flexible. He is met by Khama who wonders why Phupha has taken him to the waterfall where the villagers wash their clothes instead of letting him use the water they had provided him in his hut. He also wonders why Phupha personally takes care of him.
Tian stays in his hut until evening when Yod comes to pick him up. The village is preparing a traditional reception for him which will allow him to enter the village. Yod goes with him for some distance but tells him he has to go the last half kilometer by himself. Tian walks up to the elaborate village gate and starts to get frightened waiting in the cold dark night. Suddenly a bunch of torches are lit and some villagers in Indigo suits with three colored threads greet him and take him in. He is led to the village courtyard where "Mima" the religious head of the village is performing a ritual, twirling a cane around his head. At one point it seems Mima is about to hit him on the head with the cane and Tian tries to defend himself. Khama hits him gently on the back and tells him to relax. Mima uses the cane to put some red ash on Tian's forehead which is used to ward off evil forest spirits. Later the most important people village come to tie some sacred threads to Tian's wrists. Phupha has to do it as well which Tian resents. While Phupha is doing this the army doctor Nam suddenly appears and makes fun of Phupha for tieing a red thread on Tian which represents a marriage tie, I believe. Tian takes an instant liking to Nam. At the end of the ceremony the villagers prepare a meal for Tian.
End of Chapter 7
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