THE ORION STARS

Tai Mythology of
“ Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim”.
BY

Sao Noan Oo
( Mrs. Nel Adams )
 THE ORION STARS

Tai Mythology of
“ Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim”.

BY

Sao Noan Oo
( Mrs. Nel Adams )

The original Author

Summary - Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim
Background Introduction

“The Orion Stars”

Chapters:

Chapter I- The Birth of Khun Sam Law

Chapter II Khun Sam Law’s Childhood

Chapter III Khun Sam Law as Novice Monk and Education

Chapter IV The death of Hkun Sam Law’s Father

Chapter V The Caravan Trail

Chapter VI Mongkung
Chapter VII- The Jungle , A place of Danger and Beauty

Chapter VIII Fate brought them together

Chapter IX Beginning of Love and Friendship

Chapter X Nang’s meeting with her future mother-in-law

Chapter XI The Marriage of Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim

Chapter XII Parting is Grief

Chapter XIII - Nang Oo Peim travelled to Chaing Tawng to await her husband’s
return

Chapter XIV- Two Lover’s quest to forever be together

The original story of “Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim” was written in Tai
language by Nang Kham Ku around 1870 –1880.

She was the daughter of the famous and popular monk and great scholar, Sao Garng
Hsur, who later became the well known Honourable Teacher of Dhamma in the Shan
States.

As a child Sao Garng Hsur lived with his parents in Weing Lao, a village in the
principality of Mongnai. When he was eight years old he became a novice monk and
his parents sent him to study at a monastery in a quiet village, Hai Lao. The
monastery followed the Yuen Sect of Buddhism. Here he learned different scripts, Tai
Yai, Tai Yuen and Burmese. At the age of twenty he left Hai Lao Monastery and
travelled to Moulmein where he spent two years studying and researching further on
Buddhist literatures, history and Pali written in Mon and Burmese languages. Not
content with his knowledge in Buddhism he also studied Logic, Astrology and
Mathematics.
After learning Thai language he travelled to Chiangmai, Lampoon and Lakwan where
he stayed for four years before he finally returned to his home town of Weing Lao.

The Abbot of Weing Lao Monastery passed away and Sao Garng Hsur was appointed
the Chief Monk at that Monastery. Here he followed the Yuen Sect of Buddhism and
taught its concept to junior monks and students who came from different mongs.

During this period Tai principalities, west of the Salween including Mongnai were
tributary to the Burmese King, Bodawpaya. Bodawpaya and the Senior Bhikkhus in
Mong Marn (present day Myanmar) adopted the Thudhamma Sect of Buddhism. The
King wanted this Thudhamma Sect of Buddhism to spread throughout his vassal states
so he sent an armed missionary to Weing Lao and nearby areas to order all Shan
Sanghas (monks) who followed the Yuen Sect to change to the Thudhamma branch.
Tai monks who disobeyed were severely punished.

Sao Garng Hsur was threatened by members of the Thudhamma Organisation and
escaped to a small village east of the Salween River, Weing Garng Hsur. His original
name Sai Leik was permanently discarded, as he then became known as”Sao Garng
Hsur” named after the village where he devoted the greater part of his monkhood.
Here he lived and taught until the age of 65 when he returned to his home town,
Weing Lao.

At his home in Weing Lao he had been tracked down by Bodawpaya’s Thudhamma
organization which continuously terrorized him. He finally made a decision to
disrobe. As a layman he continued to teach, give advice and help people who came to
him for knowledge and education.

Not long after being disrobed he met and married a woman, Nang Hsen Shwe who
gave birth to a daughter, Nang Kham Ku.

Nang Kham Ku gained knowledge and education from her father’s attentive and
thorough teaching, and became if not the most, one of the most learned women of her
time. She was well known amongst Tai for her story of “Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo
Peim”, which she wrote around 1875-1880.

Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim

The original story of Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim written by Nang Kham Ku
was based on the real life of Khun Sam Law, the son of Sao Su Pinna, a very rich and
successful businessman. The tomb of Su Pinna and the family house are still standing
today in Par Sar, a village in Chiang Tawng in Mong Nai.

Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim is a story of two young lovers, who were deeply in
love but were unable to unite happily in marriage. Tai readers claim this story to be
similar to that of Shakespeare’s great love story Romeo and Juliet.

According to the Shan story, Khun Sam Law’s mother who was a very jealous and
possessive woman, made every attempt to keep the two lovers apart.

One day, while Khun Sam Law was away on a trade mission and had been absent
longer than she anticipated, Nang Oo Peim became worried. She went to her mother-
in-law’s house to inquire and, there she waited for his return. She was not welcomed
and was so cruelly treated by the selfish woman that, although carrying a child, she
made a decision to flee and return to her parent’s home in Mongkung.

Her sister met her half way, but throughout the journey Nang Oo Peim was so ill and
weary that she lost the baby. The baby was believed to have been reborn into a little
bird, which constantly calls for his father, “paw ouey, paw ouey” (daddy, daddy.)

When Khun Sam Law returned to Chiang Tawng from his trade mission and learned
that his wife had left for her parent’s home, he galloped on horseback as fast as he
could to catch up with her.

He was too late when he arrived in Mongkung; he found Nang Oo Peim seriously ill.

Many versions based on the theme of the original story have been written by Tai
writers in the form of poetry, drama, novels, song lyrics and plays over and over
again.

For the first time an English version is attempted by Sao Noan Oo under the title “The
Orion Stars - Tai Mythology of Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim”.

The story is a mixture of fiction, history, legends and myths, set in the Shan States or
Seing Mong Tai, the author’s country of birth and childhood.
 Introduction to History and Background

Tai is not the name of any political division or country of the world. It is the name of
people belonging to the same ethnic group and speaking the same group of languages,
the cultural force that binds them together.

They were the descendents of an ancient race that existed thousands of years ago
along the valleys of the Great Rivers of China, the Yangtze, the Lan Kiang or the
Mekong and the Nu Kiang, known to the Tais as the Nham Kong, or the Salween
River and the Nam Mao or Shweli.

During the Qin Dynasty, in 221- 210 B.C. the Chinese Army invaded and subdued Tai
(Dai) principalities located in Southern Yunnan and surrounding provinces.

These kingdoms were annexed and placed under a Central Chinese rule. The Tais
rebelled and succeeded in gaining back their sovereignty. Out of this victory grew the
Kingdom of Nanchao. The Emperor of the Tang Dynasty accepted its existence, and
through the Treaty of Friendship became an ally of China.

This lasted until the advent of the Mongols, who in a series of powerful campaigns,
conquered the whole of China and the Nanchao kingdom, burning the cities, killing
the rulers and replacing them with foreigners and causing mass migrations of people
southwards.

During the Yuan Dynasty (1271-1368 AD), the Nanchao Kingdom broke up into
several small principalities governed by feudal Princes, called Chaofa or Sao Hpa
(meaning Lords of the Sky). The Centre of Authority for these countries was the Mao
Long Kingdom in Yunnan which later known as the Nam Mao Long Dynasty.

Some of the Tais remained and made their permanent home in Yunnan, while others
went further south in search of their dreams, “the land of the free”.
 Chapter- 1 - The Birth of Khun Sam Law

Since hundreds of years ago Sao Pinna’s fore-fathers were amongst the early migrants
who came from Yunnan, travelled along the Nham Khong River and settled in Chiang
Tawng, a town in Mong Nai, an ancient principality on the pleasant and beautiful
plateau which they called Seing Mong Tai. This plateau became the permanent home
of some of the migrant Tais who gradually built many mongs, towns and villages
(principalities, towns and villages) ruled by a hereditary prince called Sao Hpa.

Born of a respectable, hardworking family for the last two or three generations he had
risen to the gentility of a property and land owner. Like his ancestors before him, he
was primarily a wet rice farmer but through hard work and determination had
prospered considerably.

Since birth, Sao Pinna had lived in the town of Chiang Tawng. He was hard working
and an astute business man, laying claim to more and more farmland.

Looking round for progress beyond working the land, he traded in a big way. He
would take his farm produce, rice and vegetables not only to the town’s market but
ventured further to all neighbouring towns, each of whose market rotated every five
days. When the farms began to produce surplus for the need of nearby towns Sao
Pinna and his elder brother, four years his senior, Khun Pang travelled to faraway
mongs, taking their farm produce to sell to the Hill People, the Palaungs, and bringing
back tea cultivated on the slopes of the mountain of Namhsan, the capital town of
Tawng Peng, and sweet and juicy oranges from Mong Kung and Mong Hsipaw.

Bullock drawn carts were used for carrying goods, and horses for people to ride. Sao
Pinna and his brother would lead caravans of traders to many places to sell their farm
produce in exchange for other commodities that were scarce in their own town. He
realized that being an astute trader, even in farming, a man needed a good head on his
shoulders to succeed. He had sensed that in combining farming with trading there
was potential for a thriving business.

Sao Pinna, was tall and slim with a determined expression, gentle eyes and a warm
smile. With a successful business and as an owner of land and properties he was quite
a catch for many upper class ladies looking for a husband. He could provide a wife
with security and a respectable position in society.

At the age of 30 Sao Pinna married Ba Yong; not a lady in the genteel sense but she
was somewhat above him in station. She was the niece of the Sao Hpa of Mongnai.
Ba Yong, 25 years of age, had her beautiful long and shiny black hair knotted into a
chignon at the base of her head. She dressed elegantly with her skirt and blouse
embroidered with the best quality silk. Her bracelets and necklaces were of gold and
precious stones. She looked the part of the wife of a man of authority, the Headman
of Chiang Tawng, a position bestowed to her husband by her brother, the Sao Hpa of
Mongnai.

Ba Yong was brought up by her old fashioned and reserved parents in the capital town
of Mongnai. During her adolescence she had little chance of mixing with young
people of her own age. When she was twenty five years of age, her parents were
anxious that their daughter should not remain a spinster all her life so they made
arrangements for her to marry Sao Pinna whom they considered a suitable match
because he was a successful businessman and had accumulated a reasonable amount
of wealth. Through a satisfactory arranged marriage Ba Yong and Sao Pinna became
husband and wife and Ba Yong followed her husband to live in the smaller and quieter
town of Chiang Tawng.

Chiang Tawng was a beautiful tree-shaded old town in the principality of Mongnai,
not far from the capital town with the same name, Mong Nai. It was surrounded by
ranges of forested mountains, the Loi Khong on the west, Loi Leang: on the south,
and Loi Leng, on the north. The Nam Teang River ran down the mountains, by-
passing the centre of the town before draining into the Nham Kong. Not far from the
town was the famous Chiang Tawng waterfall, a great attraction for holiday makers
and young lovers who came to view and enjoy its splendour.

Sao Pinna’s family house was set in private grounds. “Yong”, he said to his wife,
“this house is for you and our sons and daughters”. Although they planned to have a
houseful of children, sadly, they had only one son.

Passing the gateway in the wooden palisade, you would enter the garden where the
house stood with its floor raised eight feet from the ground. Ascending the stairs was
a platform or veranda which was partly roofed. On the outer, uncovered part of this
veranda were pots of herbs, flowers and orchids grown for the family use; in the
daytime for drying fruit and vegetables and betel nuts. At night after the heat of the
day, Sao Pinna and his wife would relax here, under the cooling sky.

The interior of the house was divided into several rooms. On the eastern side of the
room was a large family lounge, used for entertaining, and to conduct services
presided over by monks. Along the east wall was a shelf on which were placed
images of Buddha and Buddhist Saints. In front of the images were offerings of food,
flowers and water freshly prepared each morning by a member of the household.

Although Ba Yong was pleased with her new home and her position as the wife of the
Headman, the highest position in Chiang Tawng, she felt very lonely and wished she
was back in Mongnai with her family. There she felt safe and secure. As a child until
the day she married she had lived an insular life amongst a small circle of family and
friends chosen by her parents.

Ba Yong was unable to adapt to her married life and the responsibility that went with
it. She was indifferent to almost everything but she loved her garden passionately.
Here she loved working with her husband and felt at peace within herself and her
surrounding. She enjoyed the reward of her hard work, and from the veranda of her
house felt relaxed, viewing with pride the rows and rows of vegetables and an
extensive fruit orchard they had cultivated together. Her regret was that Sao Pinna
could only spare a short time in the garden with her; as he had other more important
jobs. In front of the house were beautiful flower beds, mainly of roses and orchids. In
the field near the house, a large quantity of chickens and ducks roamed amongst the
pigs, cattle and horses. Ai Lai, named after the white and brown stripes on his
feathers was a very special cock, which in the early mornings climbed routinely to the
top of the house and looking down on the town crowed to wish everybody a ‘good
morning’. Lower down in the valleys Sao Pinna also owned many rice fields.

As time went by, Ba Yong found her life in Chiang Tawng monotonous. If only her
husband could spend more time with her in the garden she would not find Chiang
Tawng so dull and lonely. Sao Pinna realised that his wife did not make friends easily,
and hence, soon after his marriage, he stopped going along with other traders to the
different mongs. He left the responsibility of leadership entirely to Hkun Pang. Even
so his job as Headman of the village demanded a lot of time, with having to travel to
Mongnai three or four times a year to attend the meetings summoned by the Sao Hpa.
Ba Yong had been in Chiang Tawng for a year yet she had not found any friends with
whom she could socialise. Her proud air and the way she carried herself made the
local people ignore her. She blamed it on the differences in the social class between
her and the people of Chiang Tawng. She expected the people here to bow down to
her because she was of an aristocratic descent.

To others, she was undoubtedly a pretty woman, but her grim and rather sour
expression gave the impression that she considered everybody else in the town below
her social standing.
Sao Pinna had come home from work and saw his wife, sitting on the balcony alone
looking fed up, “Yong, you look sad, is anything wrong?”

“The people here are ignorant and do not know their position”, she grumbled to her
husband.

“The people here are independent, to a fault and they take pride in themselves on
being simple, hard working people and are better than people in big towns”, Sao
Pinna explained kindly, and without losing his patience. “When you come to
understand them they are really very nice people”.

—ooo—-

On a Sunday, in April 1762, at midday a bouncy baby boy was born to Sao Pinna and
Ba Yong.

Ba Yong felt an unusual pain in her abdomen. A maid, Aye Ing was sent to fetch Nai
Oh, to attend to her mistress who was in labour. Nai Oh was not a qualified mid wife
as such, but she had for many long years been attending to women of Chiang Tawng
whenever they needed her to deliver their babies. She had a lot of experience in this
matter and knew the job well and looked the picture of a woman with great
confidence.

Nai Oh arrived and hurried to see to Ba Yong, who seemed to be in great pain. Nai
Oh glanced over her shoulder to see whether the maid, Aye Ing was bringing the cold
water she asked for. After several minutes Aye Ing slowly walked into the room, “It’s
about time too! I thought you had disappeared” Nai Oh, shaking her head shouted in
disgust. “Hurry girl, I need you to come and help me here”. Take the rag from the
cold water basin, wring it out well and wipe the mistress’s forehead”. Aye Ing did as
she was instructed and Ba Yong responded. She stopped straining and calmed down
to recover her strength.

Nai Oh, looked all of her fifty years, with her white hair escaping from the scarf on
her head, her plump face drained and wrinkled in the candle light, and her brown eyes
protruding, which normally twinkled with boisterousness, now dulled with tiredness
and anxiety. In the course of her work she had not seen many women in labour suffer
so much pain and take this long to give birth.

The room was warm and airless so Aye Ing opened the window and left it slightly ajar
to allow a ray of sunshine into the room. She had been up all night and felt very tired;
she felt she might go to sleep where she stood. She had just turned sixteen and had
been with Ba Yong since she was fourteen. Like all young girls of her age she was
still naive and innocent.

She had helped at her baby brother’s birth, but it had been nothing like this. Her
mother had been working until minutes before, and then she laid down, gave a bit of a
shout and out came the baby. Giving birth was so easy she thought until now.

But her mistress had started her screaming and cursing since yesterday evening and it
just got worse and worse through the night.

“Get the baby out, get the baby out” Ba Yong yelled.

“Push the baby out then, or you will die” Nai Oh shouted back. “Come on push, push,
only you can do that, nobody can do it for you”.

Whether it was Nai Oh’s threat of death that did it; Ba Yong screamed and was
pushing with all her strength. Aye Ing’s eyes grew wide as she finally saw the baby’s
head coming.

As if he knew what was happening inside the house Ai Lai, the cock did not perform
his usual morning crow. He trotted to and fro and only at midday flew to the top of
the house. As soon as he crowed, the baby began to cry simultaneously. “It’s a boy,
Sir. It’s a boy”, Nai Oh, shouted excitedly to the baby’s father who waited outside the
delivery room.

Ba Yong, tired and rather unconcerned, had a quick look at the baby and soon dropped
off to sleep, warmed by the pinewood fire roaring close to her bedside. The baby boy
was washed, clothed and wrapped up in a warm blanket, looking quite contented
before being put in a crib. Sao Pinna hurriedly came in to see his wife and gave a big
sigh as he looked at her, in deep sleep. He bent down and looked at his new born son.
“A perfect baby and it’s a boy” he exclaimed to himself and looking very proud left
the room. With a baby to look after he thought to himself his wife will not have so
much time on her hand to feel so lonely. He had come to love his wife but was
worried that he had not made her contented. If only he knew how to make her happy.

Ba Yong did not breast feed the baby but paid Nang Seng, one of the village women,
who had given birth to a baby girl to act as a wet nurse.
 Chapter II - KHUN SAM LAW’S CHILDHOOD

When the baby was a month old Sao Pinna and his wife decided to have a naming
ceremony for their newborn son. The grand parents from Mongnai arrived and elders
in the village were invited to the celebration. Khun Pang and his wife came to help
Ba Yong to prepare and cook the food.

On arriving at the house the guests each put a gold or silver coin into the earthenware
pot which was placed on a small table in the centre of the room. This was a gift for
the baby. The baby’s grandfather dipped a twig of sacred leaves into the water in the
pot and with it blessed the baby on his forehead, chanting “May you be healthy, happy
and free from all diseases”.

He then tied a pre-blessed thin cotton thread round the baby’s wrist. He was now
ready to accept his name chosen by a wise man after calculating the time and date of
his birth. He was named Khun Sam Law; Sai Sam to his parents, relatives and
friends; and Bi Sam to those younger than him.

Ba Yong was very nervous as she didn’t want to make any mistake with her
entertaining, and the food was to be perfect, especially in front of her parents. She
wanted them to think that she was a good and capable wife and mother. After the
party was over she gave a big sigh of relief, thanks to Khun Pang and his wife the
celebration was a success.

“Bi Pinna, don’t you think it went alright?” She asked her husband.

“Oh yes, it did, Yong, it is all credit to you. Doesn’t your father adore his grandson?”

Time had passed by quickly. Sai Sam was now an active eight month old baby
crawling all over the place and touching everything he could reach. Ba Yong glanced
towards the door to talk to Aye Ing and before she could turn her attention back to him
Sai Sam had reached out for the vase on the table and down came the vase, flowers
and water and fell right on his head. One would think a baby of eight months old
would start yelling, but Sai Sam just pointed to his head and giggled. It was so funny
that Aye Ing burst out laughing but his mother was not at all amused. Ba Yong
summoned Aye Ing, “Take him away, change him and give him his food”.

Sai Sam was getting too much for his mother, who was not the most patient of women.
She could not cope with his curiosity. “Sai Sam, stop touching things, stop it, do you
hear me!” Ba Yong yelled at the top of her voice which could be heard from miles
causing her neighbours to remark, “Madam is at it again!”

It was not that Ba Yong did not love her son; she regarded children as her ownership,
to be loved and cared for only when it was convenient and when she was in the right
mood. She was possessive and demanding, though not a woman of great
understanding. She was more distressed over her boredom and new motherhood.

From the age of five his father would teach Sai Sam the basic Tai characters, and
sometimes sat him on his lap and would count first on his fingers and then on paper.
Sai Sam thought this was a game and found much enjoyment doing it. Father would
then go off to work, leaving him with his mother. He would then be asked to do
chores, like fetching little things for his mother. This was always unbearable for him,
since outside there were myriads of things going on. The birds and the sun spoke to
him and seemed to be telling him that he should go out and play. As soon as he had
been given permission that he could go he would dash out. All his friends would be
waiting to greet him with beaming smiles and they would run off and lose themselves
in the world of childhood. The rest of the day was spent playing, exploring and
forgetting everything else.

Sai Twee, Sai Sam’s cousin on his father’s side was his play mate and the two were
inseparable. Their friendship was based on mutual admiration, Sai Sam respected his
cousin’s size as he was a head taller, and was fascinated by his knowledge of the
countryside. He broadened Sai Sam’s horizons by leading him on adventures further
and further from home while Sai Sam although a year younger, was more intelligent
and introduced his peasant cousin to stories and a world of imagination.

Khun Sam Law grew up among the bamboo groves, rice fields and water buffalos.
Sai Sam and Sai Twee learnt to ride a water buffalo when they were seven years old.
They would take the buffaloes to bathe in the stream, and splashed and swam with
these gentle beasts. Sai Sam did not like to just ride; he had more fun by standing on
the buffalo and sometimes balancing on it with his knees.

Sai Sam, Sai Twee and a group of friends roamed the countryside and treated their
homes only as a place for eating and sleeping; a place of peace and quiet. Sometimes
they had to drive buffaloes and cattle into the jungle where they could feed on grass
and leaves. As soon as they arrived in the jungle, the animals were allowed to roam
freely and the children just had to listen to the clinking and clanging of the bells on
their necks to know whether they were nearby or had wandered off afar. Sai Sam and
his friends spent long, happy days in the jungle.

The jungle and woods around Chiang Tawng became their private haven which rang
with their shrill voices or the tumbling of rocks and leaves. Sai Twee knew all the
paths, today he led Sai Sam to the summit, and the little woodcutter’s hamlet below.
“Ooooo!” they shouted, which was their signal to the woodcutter. Oooo!” the
woodcutter called back. He was glad to have a break from a hard day’s work. He had
cut enough logs to sell for to-morrow’s market. He had brewed some tea and poured
it into three bamboo cups and when he saw the boys running down the hill he shouted,
Mah le, mah le, mah swoort nam naeng.”(Come, come and drink tea) The three sat by
the fire and drank the tea together.

Every evening the sunset painted the sky with an array of colours: red, yellow, blue
and purple. In the evenings Sai Sam and his parents would sit around a fire place,
under the comforting glow of beeswax candle light. Sai Sam was glad today; his
mother seemed relaxed and looked quite happy and not angry with him or with his
father. He wondered why his mother got angry so often. He tried to please her but it
was not easy. His father was different, he could laugh and joke with him and he was
very clever. He told him stories, taught him to read Tai script, how to count and a lot
of other things.

At the end of a full day, Sai Sam would get into bed under a mosquito net, and soon
dozed off to sleep with memories of the day, and dreams of adventures of tomorrow.

The rainy season was the most boring time for Sai Sam and his friends. It started with
a mighty thunderstorm. It had been raining for several days and Sai Sam was
beginning to get restless; he fretted from room to room, looking out of the window for
a break in the weather. He was bored and was beginning to get under his mother’s
feet. He could no longer stay cooped up in the house and when it seemed the rain had
stopped he quietly sneaked out of the house. Sai Sam went out with his friends and
when he looked up he saw black clouds covering the mountain range in the horizon.
He and his friends stood and watched the clouds, which came closer and closer with
great speed. There was a rumbling of thunder and flashes of lighting coming from the
midst of the clouds. Within a short time everything grew dark and a strong wind of
immense force blew over them.

Sai Sam felt a large rain drop on his skin, then another one, another one and then three
or four all at once. Then a great downpour from the sky as if they would be
swallowed up by the storm. Sai Sam spread his arms and the rest followed. They
closed their eyes, turned their faces upwards feeling an unusual but pleasant sensation
pass through their bodies.

By this time the boys were soaking wet.

Sai Sam ran all the way home and thought he would again quietly sneak in but he
failed to escape his mother’s attention. “Come here, Sai Sam” she shouted, “Bring
me that stick”, and her son could not do or say anything but obey. “I told you not to
go out and you disobeyed me” Ba Yong grumbled.

“I am sorry Mei”, Sai Sam pleaded. With a tear-stained face he looked round for his
father. “No point in looking for your father, he is not here to rescue you”.

It was Chiang Tawng’s market day. Sai Sam quickly ate his breakfast and waited for
his cousin and friends to arrive. It was getting late, and no one had arrived; Sai Sam
was beginning to get worried when he heard Sai Twee, Sai Huck and Sai Lake coming
towards him. “I thought you weren’t coming”, he grumbled at them. Together they
ran to the market to be the first to ask the market traders, “Any job for the lads, Sir, in
exchange for fruit or biscuits?” When the market closed they walked to the farm to
claim from the farmers a cup of milk after offering to do odd jobs. As they took a
quick gulp of the fresh milk from the cow the boys thought nothing was more
delicious and enjoyable. It was something they looked forward to.

It was the month of March, a day with a blue sky and steady wind, just the right day
for flying kites. Sai Sam got hold of his brightly coloured kites and ran off with the
village boys to fly his kite in the meadow by the river bank. To begin their game the
boys divided themselves into two groups; each group had to cut the string attached to
the kites of their opponent. It was a battle of kites up in the sky, “Come on, get him,
get him” the boys shouted excitedly. One could never tell who would win because
kite flying depended so much on the wind, which can change its course very suddenly.
Sai Sam and his friends loved being in the open air and their young minds often filled
with curiosity and wonder, “Where does the wind come from and where does it go? It
is so free, roaring away, over the hills and far away.”

After a kite flying session the boys chased each other in and out of the bamboo groves
and the forest. Then they had a swim in the stream at the bottom of the hills, until
their teeth were clattering and their lips blue. They lay on the grass verge, gasping for
breath and then clambered up the steep bank until they reached the track again.
Sai Sam loved nothing better than being out in the open country to discover the sun,
the moon and the stars. The vast expanse of the countryside made him feel free. His
parents didn’t worry that he might get lost, or drowned, or gored by the bull or tiger,
or fall out of a tree and break his neck. Like all young Tai boys, Sai Sam had learned
to look after himself. In Tai society children were not the main focus of their parent’s
life; work and survival were.

With a little food in his pockets accompanied by the noisy singing and twittering of
birds Sai Sam and his friend explored the countryside from morning to night, getting
hotter as the day wore on. They climbed hills and mountains, robbed birds’ nests; but
being very careful not to kill the little chicks because their parents had told them that
it was wrong to destroy lives. They mimicked bird calls, plucked berries and chased
butterflies all through the dry season, with arms stretched out they ran as free as the
wind.

Having ran to a standstill, shouting “Let’s make a bed of turf” the boys slept among
the wild flowers. Lying on their backs they watched the clouds moving smoke-like
across the green hills and downs. The hills echoed the whistle of streams and the
ringing of bells on the necks of the grazing cattle and the sound of wind pipes played
by boys tending the animals. Before dark they rushed home with grazed knees and
elbows in time for evening meals.

It was a bright day with no signs of rain and the boys didn’t expect it to rain, but all of
a sudden there was thunder, and then lightening followed by a great downpour. They
quickly took shelter under a huge tree but still they were drenched. They waited for
the rain to stop but it seemed it would never cease. “We better find our way home”,
said Sai Twee, “it is nearly dinner time”. Being the older of the two, Sai Twee felt
responsible for Sai Sam and he knew that if they got home late they all would be in
trouble with Ba Yong.

They ran back along the slushy lane with mud splashing all over their clothes; Sai
Sam tried to hide his wet clothes, but he did not manage to by-pass his mother’s
watchful eyes, “Sai Sam, how on earth did you get yourself so dirty? I have warned
you not to get mud on your clothes” his mother scolded him angrily.

Sao Pinna defended his son, “Yong, let the boy have fun; There is no harm done; after
all, the dirt will easily wash off”. Sai Sam was grateful that his father was present and
he did not get his usual spanking. Ba Yong’s discipline for his son was never
consistent and the poor boy never knew where he stood.
His father was totally different; he was always gentle and patient, strict only when he
needed to be, and Sai Sam knew exactly what his father expected of him and although
very busy he knew his father always had time and patience for him.

Sai Sam played with muck-nim, now and again but he found the game a bit too quiet,
not active or exciting enough for his liking. Muck-nim is the seed of a huge bean, 1½
inches in diameter. Several muck-nims were set up on end in a row and each boy,
using a single bean, had to knock down a muck-nim one at a time without touching
the others.

Chapter III - Khun Sam Law’s Education and Novice Monkhood

Childhood was short-lived amongst Tai boys when discipline, chores and duty began
to creep into their lives. At the age between 8 and 14, parents prepared their sons to
follow an age-old Buddhist tradition of sending their sons to the monastery to be
ordained as novice monks.

Sai Sam went through the stages of being a Sang Lawng and becoming a novice
monk. It was in June, when Sai Sam was ten years old his father decided that it was
time for his son to be sent to the monastery to be ordained as a novice monk and to
gain some education. He didn’t want to send him too early, because he thought that
when a child was too young, he would not be able to cope with and grasp the meaning
of the Pali and Buddhist scriptures taught by the monks.

On the morning of the celebration, Sai Sam and eleven boys had their hair shaved,
bathed in specially anointed water and dressed in elaborate costumes adorned with
jewellery. Their faces were made up to look attractive, like “Jewel Princes” or “Luke
Kiao” also called “Sang Lawng”. Sai Sam was not sure whether he liked being
dressed as such, but he did not dare to object.

After dressing as “Sang Lawng”, Sai Sam and the boys each mounted on a horse
followed by adult volunteers carrying decorative umbrellas to shade them from the
sun. They formed part of a parade, accompanied by music, gongs, drums and cymbals
that proceeded along the main streets of the town, stopping at each boy’s home so that
he could pay respect, and receive blessings from his parents.
On the second day, there was a parade, with the boys being taken to the monastery;
followed by young people carrying food and yellow robes for senior monks as well as
for the novices.

At the monastery before the ordination ceremony, cooked hot food which lady
volunteers had been preparing since the early morning was served to the monks so
that they could eat their lunch before noon.

During the ordination ceremony the boys changed from their princely clothes into the
yellow robes. After prayers, and being blessed by the senior monks, the novices were
finally ordained. They then sat crossed legged and were ready to join the senior
monks to perform the service and to chant the mantra.

The whole congregation, parents and friends of the “Sang Laung” sat on the carpeted
floor on the opposite side facing the monks. The monks chanted the mantra followed
by the whole congregation.

At the final stage of the ceremony, food was served to the guests, relatives and friends
present. It was believed by Buddhists that the ceremony re-enacts the story of Prince
Rahula, the Buddha’s own young son, who renounced the world to follow his father’s
spiritual path.

During their stay at the monastery the novice monks learned Buddhist philosophy,
Sanskrit, meditation and other religious subjects taught by the senior monks. Since
these lessons and prayers were memorised, most boys did not grasp the full meaning
of what they were saying although the monks tried to explain and translate the ancient
writings to them. Sai Sam, however, was not satisfied until he really understood what
he was chanting. Tai boys had great respect and love for their teachers.

In the early mornings the novice monks, led by more experienced older monks,
walked through the village carrying large bowls or baskets to collect food donated by
villagers. More often baskets were used than bowls; each basket slung on to the
centre of a pole and at each end carried on the shoulder of a young monk. Food given
by the villagers were usually very generous; the rice, vegetables and fruit donated
were more than the monks and their novices could consume so the extra food was
often fed to weary and hungry travellers who came to the monastery for a short rest in
between their journey. Travellers of various races and religions were welcomed
without any discrimination.
Sai Sam was more intelligent than most boys of his age and he was eager to learn and
was always hungry for more knowledge. Most Shan boys stayed at the monastery
only for a short term, but Sai Sam was in and out of the monastery until the age of
sixteen. He also had a special gift in music, composing and singing Tai lyrics which
were taught by experienced and learned elders.

When Sai Sam reached his sixteenth birthday, one day his father beckoned him to sit
by his side; he wanted to know how Sai Sam was progressing at the monastery. He
was pleased to know what his son had achieved and now he could stop worrying
about him.

At the end of their conversation Sao Pinna informed his son, “Syrah Kham Long, a
tattoo expert from Mongnai is coming to Chiang Tawng. All the lads from here will
have a chance to be tattooed.”

“Should I have my body tattooed, Baw? What do you think?”

“Why not Sai, this is your chance. Tattoo is a sign of manhood and masculinity and it
is believed that some forms of tattoo protect you from harm and danger”

“When and where is the tattoo taking place?”

“Syrah Kham Long will be at the Sule Pagoda tomorrow morning and will start his
work early in the morning. You should be there early if you want to be the first in the
queue.”

Sai Sam started to think where he would like to be tattooed and what design he should
have, when through the window he saw Sai Twee coming along the lane. He shouted,
“Sai Twee, have you heard the news?”

“What news?”

“Syrah Kham Long is coming to Chiang Tawng; you are going to be tattooed, aren’t
you?”

“Of course, I am. I’ll have a tiger on each of my thighs, What about you, have you
chosen your designs?”

“I haven’t yet made up my mind.”

The next morning Sai Sam waited for Sai Twee and together they walked to the
Pagoda. They hoped to be there before every one else but a few boys had already
arrived before them. Everybody looked excited. For such a quiet town it was unusual
for this to happen.

Having chosen an auspicious corner at the temple, Sayah Kham Long arranged his
inks and instruments on the table and was ready to begin tattooing.

Before he started he narrated a story to his clients about how tattoo came to be part of
Tai culture.

“According to legend, in ancient times before the Tais lived in permanent shelters and
learned to farm on the land they wandered freely along the river banks, and spent their
time fishing and swimming. In the river they were attacked by huge monsters. The
monsters attacked anything that was yellow like human flesh so the Tais searched for
something black to paint their skin. This seemed to frighten the monsters away but
there was still a problem because the paint soon got washed off by water. They had to
find something that would not dissolve in water and would remain on the skin
permanently. They tried a black paint made from soot and vegetable oil, but later
found that the bile from the gall bladder of pigs gave a better result. Instead of just
painting the ink on the skin they used a pointed metal needle dipped in the black ink
made from the bile and injected it into the skin on the design which had been first
drawn in pencil. This worked very well and from then on the art of tattooing came to
be part of Tai culture.

“As time went by tattooing lost its original function and was regarded as a symbol of
maturity, boldness and bravery for men, and beauty for women. There were no fixed
designs although most men liked to have a figure of a tiger or dragon tattooed on their
bodies, arms and thighs right down to their ankles; women preferred a pretty flower
on the back of their hands or just a dot between the eyebrows. Tattooing was
considered to be not only a symbol of maturity but to have a spiritual power, bringing
the bearer prosperity and ability to conquer evil spirits, and to extend one’s life and
even to protect the body from being pierced by gunshot, knives and other weapons”.

“Is that so?” Sai Sam wondered.

Sarah Kham Long had a busy day at the temple as all the lads from Chiang Tawng
queued for their turn one by one. Before being tattooed Sai Sam was given a small
amount of opium to deaden the pain. On his arm Sai Sam asked Maw Yah Kham
Long to have a fine gold wire inserted under the skin to ward off evil spirits.
On both his legs, from the waist downwards to his ankles he had elaborate designs, of
birds and animals and of course of tigers too. On his back he had two crossed daggers
and magic lettering and signs to protect him from harm. Very cleverly, the tattoo
expert injected the ink according to the designs he wanted.

Chapter IV- The Death of Khun Sam Law’s Father

Sai Sam was now sixteen years of age and had more or less completed his study at the
monastery. When he arrived home he was sad to find that his father was very ill. He
was very fond of his father and his condition affected his daily behaviour; he was
often moody and depressed. Perhaps he could be happier if only he could understand
why his mother’s personality had also changed.

There had been a distinct coolness between his parents since his father was unable to
work due to ill health. He had to give up his position as a Headman of the village but
Ba Yong lacked understanding and compassion, and failed to accept that her husband
was very ill. She resented his incapacity to work. “Bi, she said to her husband, the
more you stay in bed the more ill you will be; I hope you realise that there’s a lot of
work to be done”. “It is plain laziness!” she grumbled under her breath. Sao Pinna
was too ill to defend himself.

She also complained that Sai Sam was spending too much time at the monastery when
he ought to be working at the farm and learning the business especially now that Sao
Pinna was unable to work to full capacity. She thought that it was about time Sai Sam
started working instead of spending easy time at the monastery.

When lunch time came the three sat down to eat. Sai Sam looked at his father and
noticed the deep lines under his eyes and how ill he looked. Sai Sam was quiet and
there was little conversation between his parents. He looked across the table and then
at his father. He thought that his father had something on his mind.

After dinner his father said, “I need to have a word with you, Sai Sam”.

“Yes, Father?”…

Sai Sam waited for him to go on, but he was clearing his throat which became
uncontrollable coughs.
When he finally stopped coughing , “You know” he said, that I always wanted the
best for you and have encouraged you to stay on at the monastery so that you could
learn everything that would fulfil you and give you a successful life. It is not going to
be possible for you to go on studying at the monastery. I am not very well and it is up
to you to learn to take over the farm and the business.

“This is not a discussion. It is a must and you have got to accept it”, his mother piped
in.

“Yes, Father, as you say. I am ready to do everything that is required of me”.

Just over a week later, Sai Sam’ returned home from the farm and found his father
sitting alone in deep thought. His father looked ill, he thought to himself.

“I am just going to the orchard to pick a few fruits”, Sao Pinna said as Sai Sam
entered the sitting room.

“I’ll come and help you Father “, and so Sai Sam followed his father to the orchard.
He was pleased to have his father’s company away from the interruption of his
mother. He learnt a lot from their conversation.

Sai Sam, one day overheard his uncle talking to his wife, “Sao Pinna is very ill, I’ll
have to stop by to see him. Bi Yong has not been very understanding lately. Last time
I visited I heard her shouting at her husband; she seemed to have no love or
compassion for him, even when he is so ill”.

“Of, course, you must go and see him. I feel sorry for your brother; he is such a nice
person”.

Khun Pang got to his brother’s house only to be met by Ba Yong in the lounge.

“Bi Yong, how is he today?”

“He is very ill” Ba Yong for once admitted. “The Medicine man, Maw Yah Lek is
with him”.

Khun Pang walked softly into the bedroom to find Maw Leik and Sai Sam by his
brother’s bed. Sai Sam was looking worried and holding his father’s hand. Sao Pinna
looked weak and was in a coma, but as he saw Khun Pang he seemed to recognise him
and regain consciousness, and murmured to his brother, “please look after Sai Sam
and t-teach him the trade”, and then he was gone.

Maw Yah Leik felt his pulse and shook his head. Sai Sam buried his face against
father’s jacket and took his hand in his, willing the life back into him. But it was the
hopeless gesture of a grief stricken young lad. Overcome with sadness, it was several
moments before he was able to force himself to rise with Khun Pang pulling him up
and taking him by the hand led him into the lounge where his mother and relatives
were.

“My Baw is dead”, Sai Sam announced with a shaken voice.

There was a brief stunned silence as mother and son stared at each other in the dim
light. Maw Yah Leik nodded to confirm that Sao Pinna was dead. Even then, Ba
Yong would not believe that her husband was dead.

Wanting to be alone Sai Sam went out of the room, leaving his mother, with his uncle
to convince her. He could not comprehend that his mother was refusing to believe
what he and Maw Yah Leik were telling her.

Khun Pang got up and went and sat by Ba Yong and tried to convince her that her
husband had died but still she was in shock. “Don’t be foolish, Khun Pang”, Ba Yong
answered irritably. “He is going to be alright, he is just cold and tired”. Then she
walked into the bed room and stood by her husband’s body and looked down at his
white face.

“Bi Yong, come away. It’s no use. It’s too late. He’s – he’s gone”, Khun Pang tried to
coax her gently.

“What on earth are you talking about?” Ba Yong snapped. “Will you all get out and
leave me alone?”

Ba Yong remained at her husband’s body and stared at him once more. There was a
second of silence and then everybody in the lounge jumped up physically as Ba Yong
let out a heart rending scream and threw herself at the lifeless body.

Sai Sam hearing the scream came back inside and went to his mother, thinking he
might be able to console her. He tried to pull his mother away; his uncle followed him
into the room and having realised what was going on moved forward and lifted Ba
Yong bodily and took her to the sitting room.
At last they got her to calm down, but it took them a long time to coax her to sit down.
She was in a limbo and had not awakened into reality.

Sai Sam felt a huge lump in his throat and tried to hold back the tears. With a sob, he
allowed himself to give way to his own grief, again leaving for a moment, to his uncle
to cope with his hysterical mother.

Young as he was, Sai Sam knew that his mother in her present condition would not be
capable of doing anything. With the advice and help of his uncle, Khun Pang, he had
to make arrangements for his father’s funeral. He dealt with all the Buddhist monks
and services, and received members of the community who had crowded into the
house with condolences, and to pay their respect to their late Headman. During his
term of office as a Headman, Sao Suu Pinna had been fair, reasonable and
compassionate and was loved and respected by the town folks.

After her husband’s death, Ba Yong became hard, bitter, paranoid and suspicious that
everybody was against her. People tried to be kind and excuse her unreasonable
behaviour because she had just lost her husband, but she did know how to respond to
kindness. She was rude and antagonised everybody. She had actually remained dry-
eyed at the funeral at which many people noticed and gossiped about. During the
memorial service held ten days after her husband’s death she flapped about clumsily
to show that she was in control.

“There is no point in pining over your father now”, Ba Yong told Sai Sam. “He’s gone
and you are now man of the house and as a man of the house you must learn about
farming and the trading business. Your uncle will train you.”

From then on she kept watch on Sai Sam’s movement and set out to mould his
personality, and to control his life, which Sai Sam felt stifling. She continued to
manage the farm and take the produce to sell at the five day markets with the help of
young assistants. Since her husband’s death she had adopted Mo Mo, a sixteen year
old daughter of a distant relative. Mo Mo was orphaned when both her parents died
of malaria that was endemic in the village where she lived. Mo Mo now became Ba
Yong’s possession and the only person she thought she could trust.

Ba Yong finally got a grip on herself and took over the day to day running of the farm
and the management of the household chores. But the workers and domestic staff
were beginning to rebel; they ridiculed her unreasonable orders and mocked her even
in front of Sai Sam who was devastated because after all Ba Yong was his mother and
so he wanted the workers to respect her. He knew that she had no tact in dealing with
people but was eager to show that she was the boss. She gave out orders instead of
asking the workers politely. But to Ba Yong her authority must not be undermined
and everybody, even Sai Sam had to do exactly as she wanted.

Things had never been the same since Sao Suu Pinna died. The workers missed the
calmness of their master who allowed them to do their job with ease. They were used
to his way, and the way the mistress flaunted herself in front of the servants was not
what they were used to.

Sai Sam asked his Uncle, Khun Pang to have a word with his mother, to treat the farm
workers more kindly. Khun Pang was not a man who liked to interfere in other
people’s business but for Sai Sam’s sake he agreed to talk to Ba Yong.

“Bi Yong, it must be difficult for you without Sao Suu Pinna; if you want any help in
dealing with the staff I will be only too please to help “. Ba Yong flew into a rage,
“Who asked you to interfere in my business; I don’t want your help”

Sai Sam could not contain himself any longer, “Mother, don’t you think you could
calm down and accept uncle’s help?”

“You are all plotting against me” she shouted and stormed out of the room.

Sai Sam was glad his father was not present to witness this horrible scene as it would
have upset him very much. Yet, his father was the only person that Ba Yong took any
notice of. With his calm and gentle ways he could make his wife do things his way.

The funeral service and gathering of well wishers went well and after the burial Sai
Sam was exhausted, and only then did the full force of what had happened hit him.
He spent days wandering the countryside and visiting his childhood haunts, sitting for
hours on wet rocks drenched by rain, and shivering in the sunshine that followed the
downpour of the monsoon rain.

As years went by Sai Sam kept himself busy and the memory of his father faded to the
point that he had almost forgotten what he looked like, but now he saw his features
delineated in the passing clouds, and grieved for him. In the solitude of the country
he saw his father’s wise and kindly face. He was suddenly close to him, but as
quickly as he appeared the realization that his father whom he had loved so very much
was gone forever. He was now alone.
Sai Sam paced up and down alone in the yard and thought to himself, “I must be
strong for Mother’s sake”. Now his father had gone he’s man of the house.

At seventeen, he felt the burden of responsibility settle like a heavy weight on his
young shoulders. He straightened up and lifted his head, and as he did, he turned into
a young man overnight. He would be the man his father would be proud of.

Now he had been left with his mother, the woman he could hardly understand or
please; she was now worse than when her husband was alive and was uncontrollable
by her mood swings.

The caravan trade was now completely the responsibility of Khun Pang who was also
left with the task of instructing and teaching Sai Sam the ropes of the trade. Sai Sam
took his lessons seriously and his education at the Monastery put him in good stead.
He must now stop being a boy and become a man, he told himself, and that he was on
the outward journey and felt proud of himself.

Khun Pang, Sao Pinna’s elder brother, being very fond of his fatherless nephew was
prepared to work with Sai Sam and take him on as an apprentice. He saw that though
Sai Sam was very young he had the aptitude to learn and become a good businessman.

Khun Pang was a good man; he was however traditional. To be with him meant to
obey; “Sai Sam, Sai Sam, Sai Sam” he called. Sai Sam hastened to obey, but before
he could reach his uncle’s room, running as fast as he could, he was shouting again,
“Sai Sam!” He cried in an impatient tone, “Are you coming?”

Sai Sam, after working, was more interested in food than anything else. But his uncle
was not a man to be kept waiting. He was a very learned man and he knew everything
that a pedlar should know about the goods to be sold and bought at the markets in
every town of Seing Mong Tai. Khun Pang had ample experience and was very kind
to Sai Sam. He was bound to him by the double ties of interest and affection. He took
deep interest in all his doings, and planned and hoped someday he would be as good
as his benefactor. Sai Sam was also taken along on the caravan trail.

Khun Pang was nearing sixty and the long and dangerous trek and the responsibility
he had undertaken year after year was beginning to take a toll on his body. He had a
secret hope that his young protégé would one day replace him. During the 18 months
he had Sai Sam working with him he saw that he had great potential and ambition.
Khun Pang was stouter than his brother and physically stronger. He lived with his
wife in a village not far away from Chiang Tawng. He had a wooden house on the hill
east of his large farm. His wife grew vegetables on a plot near the house. All his life
he had lived in this village and was the pillar of the community. When his brother,
Sao Suu Pinna was appointed the Headman of Chiang Tawng by the Sao Hpa he took
over as the Leader of the Caravan trail and also looked after his brother’s trading
business which now belonged to Sai Sam. He and his wife wanted children but they
were not so lucky hence, Sai Sam was like a son to him and the bond grew closer after
his brother died.

After work, Sai Sam relaxed under the moonlit sky. He took out his harp played on it
and sang his heart away. The musical melody drifted along the cool, gentle breeze to
the nearby houses. “Who is the lucky girl?” he was often teased but Sai Sam had no
wish to be tied down yet, someday perhaps, when he had found a special girl. Every
young maiden in the neighbourhood had a secret wish that Sai Sam was serenading
her when he played his harp and sang. At the age of nineteen, turning twenty in a few
months, very talented and handsome he was the most eligible bachelor in town. When
away from home on the caravan trail the whole town missed his unusual but
welcomed music.

Chapter V - THE CARAVAN TRAIL

When Khun Pang retired he made a proposal to the traders that Sai Sam should lead
the caravan trail, to which everybody agreed.

In his baggy trousers, jacket and a pink turban with a bamboo sunshade hung round
his neck, Sai Sam said good-bye to his mother who was standing on the balcony. His
mother suggested that he wore a white turban instead of pink.

“Sai Sam, you will have trouble with undesirable, low breed girls chasing after you”,
she warned. The colour pink on a man signalled that he was a bachelor whereas white
gave the opposite meaning that he was courting a girl to whom he already had made a
promise to marry.

He thought how ridiculous his mother’s idea was but restrained himself from
retaliating. The idea of marriage had not even crossed his mind; his mind was only on
his job, and besides, he had not yet found anybody special he would like to share his
life with. His mother had great plans for him. She had made up her mind that her son
would marry the person she had her mind set on. Sai Sam would marry Mo Mo, his
adopted sister. The two would be an ideal couple with both living under the same roof
and she could have complete control over them.

Looking back, Sai Sam realised he had led a normal boy’s life, thanks entirely to his
father! After his father’s death the responsibility of the farm as well as the trade
business fell upon him. His parents never loved each other; they married just for
convenience. His mother never knew what love really was - she was trying to put
ideas into Sai Sam that he would one day marry his adopted sister, Mo Mo. She had
not given him time to spread his wings but he realised that this idea of his mother’s
was mad, because he had always regarded Mo Mo as his own sister. When Mo Mo
came to live in the same house, she was only fourteen, a naïve little tomboy of a girl;
but now he was not sure, due to his mother putting nonsense into her head.

Going on the caravan trail allowed him to be himself, and to be amongst other men
whose company he enjoyed, and he felt free from his mother’s constant nagging. Sai
Sam arrived at the camp still disturbed by his mother’s remarks, but he tried to
concentrate on what needed doing and joined the rest of the traders to prepare for the
next morning’s journey.

On the eve of the journey traders, young and old, some beginners and others with
more experience assembled at the compound of the pagoda, Chong Parah Long.
There were five hundred oxen, each carrying on its back two well balanced bamboo
baskets containing local goods to be sold or exchanged for things not obtainable in
Chiang Tawng.

Sai Sam was very excited and at the same time quite apprehensive, boosted his
confidence by thinking that if he followed his uncle’s teachings closely, he would be
in good stead.

In the early morning just before sunrise, Sai Sam delegated a job to each of his able
men. He made his cousin, Sai Twee, his childhood play mate and now, his trusted
friend his deputy. The journey had to be started very early, just before dawn so that
the animals could rest and feed during hottest part of the day.

“Please see that your animals are well fed so that they will be able to endure the long
journey ahead of us” he advised the assembled traders. “The journey will be a long
trek and could be treacherous and dangerous. We might encounter dacoits, and wild
animals, tigers and bears. We must all be vigilant”.

“Every one should have a good, hearty meal too before we start”.
Each man ready to move got on his horse and Sai Sam after fixing his silver embossed
sword to his belt, and his harp and fiddle round his horse’s neck did the same on his
beautiful white horse.

Sai Sam called to his deputy, “Sai Twee, are we ready?”

“Yes Sir!”

With a hand signal Sai Sam ordered the caravan train to proceed, and so the oxen,
horses and men started their journey to Nhamsan, the capital town of Tawngpeng, one
of many mongs of Seing Moengtai.

The morning was breaking; after the mist lifted the whole scene teemed with music,
life and light. The breeze rustled in the tree tops and the delicious cold morning air
bathed their faces. They passed Loi Leng a village which nestled amongst coconut,
bamboo and fruit trees. The air was scented with the fragrance of flowers; bells toiled
by the breeze tinkled from the Pagoda and the yellow clad monks clasping their black
bowls, silently strolled out for their morning rounds.

A short distance from Chiang Tawng the traders crossed the Nam Teng River near the
village of Waing Kao, which to their surprise was rather a calm and smooth crossing.

After passing through several valley villages surrounded by forested hills they arrived
at a large village, Nam Zarng. Here they stopped for the night and set up camp a short
distant away from the town centre in a wild spot closed in by hills on all sides. Many
of the trees were like giants of the forests, with buttresses springing out from the trunk
several feet from the ground; others were being slowly strangled by creepers of large
girth, which twined round their trunks and branches like gigantic snakes. From
beneath the branches of a tree called mai ngoon semicircular beehives were
suspended, and pegs had been driven into its trunk to serve as a ladder for honey and
wax collectors.

The men were exhausted after their journey and slept soundly under the moonlit sky
stirring only by the sudden bites of mosquitoes. The next morning without stopping at
the Nam Zarng market, the traders headed towards Laikha.

Nearing sunset, as they approached the town of Laikha, the locals heard the tingling
of the bells on the neck of the bullocks. This sound had stirred life and excitement
into an otherwise quiet town. The next morning was a market day where people from
nearby towns as well as the locals, came to buy and sell, with silver coins or silver
bars, or exchange goods according to the barter system.

Sai Sam rode to the front of the trail, and signalled the crowd to stop, “We are
camping here underneath the banyan trees” he shouted.

One by one the traders, horses and bullocks came to a halt and the sound of the bells
gradually quietened down. The travellers fed and tethered the animals, and many of
whom uttered a sigh of relief, and soon settled down to fill their hungry stomachs.

After the meal, the crowd became more boisterous. As darkness came on, the
travellers moved to the middle of the space under the huge rock that provided a roof
for the group and a large fire was lit. The fire threw out heat and as the rock warmed,
it added to the comfort of the surroundings. So did the friendliness of the crowd as
they gathered around the fire to cook the catch of day and ate their meals followed by
their favourite cup of Shan tea. The young men sang and danced until they were
completely exhausted.

So far things had turned out smoothly, Sai Sam thought to himself satisfactorily. He
looked at the moonlit sky and just marvelled at the pleasant evening as he unwound
and plucked the strings of his harp.

The Chiang Tawng traders brought with them wooden crafts, mats, beautiful sun
shades and boxes of different sizes and colours made of bamboo. In the early
morning they took a portion of their products to the market. “Look over there!” A lad
shouted. From a distance they spied a stream of women and girls from neighbouring
villages crossing a bridge on their way to the market. They walked along in a single
file, with their baskets dangling from each end of a bamboo balanced on their
shoulder, or accurately poised on their heads, making a lovely sight which nobody
could help but admire.

These graceful maidens had flowers in their hair, which shone like a raven’s wing, and
was combed back and arranged in a neat and beautiful knot; their long skirt or sinn
frequently embroidered near the bottom with silk, cotton, gold or silver thread. Some
had a pretty silk or netting scarf cast over their bosom and over one shoulder. The
elder women wore a dark blue cotton scarf.

The early morning market in Laikha opened with the hustle and bustle of traders from
the local area as well as nearby towns settling down to exhibit their goods on
temporary stalls. The five day market, like any other markets in Seing Moengtai
could be described as a trading as well as a meeting place for people from different
mongs to come and exchange goods and to interact socially; to make new friends and
renew old friendship. It is usually here that young men meet young maidens, leading
to romance and lasting relationships. Courting usually began by a young man singing
meaningful lyrics to his chosen maiden who would also respond with one of her own
songs.

Being a market day, people began to arrive early from the hills and outlying villages.
Those who had to walk a long distance arrived on the previous evening, so that they
could have a rest before commencing their business. Visiting traders also acted as
postmen delivering letters and parcels for relatives and friends from one mong to the
other. All town and village folks went to the market not only to sell their goods but
also to hear and exchange news and gossips.

Laikha was noted for its brilliantly made Shan daggers and swords. With the rich
deposits of iron ore found in the area the blacksmiths had also produced useful
implements such as spades, axes, mattocks, scissors and tongs, which were on sale at
the market together with beautiful lacquer ware, silverware and pottery.

Having traded and exchanged or bought goods at the Laikha market until noon Sai
Sam and the Chiang Tawng traders returned to their camping site to rest, dine or
explore the town; the rest of the day was theirs to spend as they wished.

Chapter VI –MONGKUNG

Nang Oo Peim, a beautiful girl with a comfortable and happy disposition was blessed
with a loving family. She was nearly seventeen years of age; the younger of two
daughters of most affectionate and warm-hearted parents.

Lao Kham, just two years older than Nang Oo Peim, had a calmer, deeper nature, and
a special ability to put people at their ease; whether it was through her engaging smile
or her easy, friendly manner.

The family lived in a village some distance away from the town centre, in the
principality of Mongkung. The village looked elegant and peaceful, set off by
bamboo groves and randomly scattered bamboo houses. As a gentle breeze blew
through the white Pagoda on the hill the bells chimed rhythmically. The beauty of the
natural subtropical scene was enhanced by exquisite bamboo houses.
The villagers lived in distinct two storey houses made of bamboo and wood. They
lived in the upper storey to escape humidity and insects. The villagers led simple
lives in compact, close knit communities. Every household had a building in an
independent courtyard, and planted around the house were subtropical fruits such as
papaya, grapefruit, banana and pineapple. The bamboo house was square in shape
and had two stories. The upper story, supported by twenty wooden poles, was more
than two metres above the ground, and formed the living quarters. The lower story,
not enclosed by walls, was for raising domestic animals and storing odds and ends.
The building had an oblique roof, shaped as an upside down V, covered with tiles,
made from woven grass. The upper story of the house was divided into two parts: the
inner part was divided into bedrooms and the living room. Outside the upper story
were a corridor and a balcony.

At the centre of the living room was large bamboo matting, on which was kept a
central fireplace burning all year through. On the stove stood an iron rivet, used for
cooking and boiling water. Around this fireplace family and friends gathered to share
the latest news and to have a chat.

The bedroom was separated from the living room by walls made of thin bamboo
matting. Almost all the furniture in the house, such as tables, chairs and beds were
made of bamboo. The bamboo house was sturdy and dry inside the rooms due to
good ventilation.

Nang’s family house was larger than most of the cottages occupied by other farmers.
Khun Oak and Ba Leang were farmers cum traders and were also important people of
the town. Ba Leang was forty years of age but she looked far younger than her age.
Her olive skin was unlined and her eyes were dark and expressive. When she laughed
as she frequently did, her lips parted to show small but even, white teeth; she had,
what people describe as a compassionate sparkle.

Ba Leang looked at her two girls coming towards her, and smiled at them. They were
both very attractive and she was proud of them. They had never been any real trouble
she thought. She loved them both but Nang was special, perhaps a little spoilt,
especially by her father. She was also rather rebellious at times. She was, since the
day she was born, bouncy and full of life, and both girls had been a joy, and had
brought sunshine into their lives in different ways. They had no son but the girls were
strong and healthy and, as they grew older, they were a godsend to her in their
helpfulness, especially during her declining years.
She looked at her girls and sighed contentedly. It didn’t seem very long since they
were children and certain memorable scenes came into picture. Hkun Oak had just
come home from ploughing the rice field when the girls bullied him to make them a
see-saw. Toys were not expensive and pretty easy to make when everything in Seing
Moeng Tai was made of bamboo.
Ba Leang could remember the two girls on the see-saw (“Gha Suck Luck”) with their
sweet, innocent laughter ringing in her ears.

Ba Leang and her husband were humble country folks and never considered
themselves to be above other town folks, and they valued things important to the
family, like love and understanding.

It was market day. Soon after sun rise the two sisters Nang Oo Peim and Lao Kham
had been to the allotment to pick fruits and vegetables. They put them in several
baskets and loaded them on to the back end of the bullock cart. Their father had
already loaded bags of rice and pots of sesame oil in the front, close to the seats.

It was chilly in the early morning air as they drove their cart to the market. It was a
large space, filled with lines of stalls, selling different things. Nang had been
accompanying her sister to the market since she was fifteen. Before that it was her
mother and Lao Kham who took the goods to sell at the market.

Now that Nang was old enough and, with her sister to guide her, Ba Leang would get
on with helping her husband in the farm and feeding the animals or, when work in the
farm was slack, she would weave clothes for her daughters, or to sell the clothes in the
market.

Nang and Lao Kham worked hard with great concentration to make their stall look
attractive, and when finished, they made sure that the fruit and vegetables looked most
picturesque. The sisters always took pride in their display.

It was a hard life being a market stall trader, out in all weather, fighting the elements
of wind and rain that swept through the market; yet it had its advantages. The market
could be an interesting place, buzzing with stall holders urging their customers to buy
the goods on display. The Tais, Palaungs, Taung Su, Lisu and Chinese in their
charming, colourful costumes made up the diverse groups of shoppers; and the
different goods on sale, all added up to the typical market scene in Seing Mong Tai.

Later the shoppers started to trickle in and another market day began. Long lines of
traders streamed in from near and far places, some carrying two baskets of the same
weight, nicely balanced on their shoulders, suspended on each end of a bamboo pole.
On a market day such as this, the quiet town was filled with diverse groups of people
each wearing their own colourful costumes. After the rainy season even traders from
Yunnan came down in caravans of mules, bringing goods such as persimmons and
walnuts; or silk from China.

A child looked at the store; he looked half starved. Nang would give him a bruised
fruit, a guava, an orange or a piece of pineapple. “You’re too soft hearted,” her sister
remarked when she saw what was happening.

Nang Lao tried to attract the customer to buy her goods, while Nang tidied up and
rearranged the display of her stall as the baskets of fruit and vegetables became empty
one by one. She thought about her parents. Her father was a decent father and
husband but he had been working too hard. Her mother was always there for the
whole family and she too worked too hard. Both she and Lao Kham were lucky to
have them as their parents.

A customer arrived, taking away such thoughts from her mind. As the day progressed,
traders from far away towns arrived. Most distinguished were the traders from
Chiang Tawng with their horses and bullocks.

The next morning at sunrise the Chiang Tawng traders continued their trek, and by
closely following the Nam Teang River they came to a village where they stopped for
lunch. As they approached Mongkung the valleys became wide, and plains of several
hundred feet width were a frequent occurrence. The traders were merry and sang
lyrics in praise of the countryside. Mong Kung was a town nestled in the valley of
Nam Taeng, with gardens of graceful palms and fruit trees on both sides of the river.
The air was scented with the fragrance of orange and lime blossoms. Girls tripped
gaily along the banks with their water pots balanced on their heads; children who
could barely walk dragged great big buffalos along by the nose-rings, breaking the
harmony of the scene. The Nam Taeng River that passed through the valleys of the
plain was broad and the panoramic views of the hills stretching from north to south
was magnificent. At the top of the hills looms Loi Tzang.

Where there were dips in the plateau near the village were paddy fields where rice was
grown. The fields were irrigated by branches of streams from the Nam Taeng River,
the water being led to the fields through bamboo pipes.
Large herds of cattle and buffaloes grazed on the plain, and waged war on myriads of
flies with their tails; also common were the blood thirsty elephant flies or the vicious
horse flies.

At the centre of the town Sai Sam and his team of traders set up camp under a big tree
at the entrance of the market ready for the next morning’s trading. The sun seemed
still high and bright; soon the sky was tinged with red and purple, as if a vast fire had
been lit below the horizon. The sun sunk lower and lower as dusk crept in.

The morning dawned and the market began to fill with sellers and buyers; trading was
in full swing with booths and stalls set up. Some women sat on a mat with their
baskets by their sides, while others had their provisions laid out on trays or freshly cut
banana leaves. Many freshly picked vegetables, sweet potatoes, yams, onions,
mushrooms, cucumbers, pumpkins, gourds, beans, onion, garlic, maize, young
bamboo shoots and chillies were necessities for the housewives.

Some women brought ducks and fowls, others cheroots, native confectioneries,
jaggery, rice wax and flowers; besides oranges, pomelos, other citrus fruits, mangoes,
jack fruits, papaya, tamarind, bananas and other fruit to sell. In the meat market
usually served by men were pork, fish, buffalo meat and beef.

In the shops adjoining the markets there were also general goods, lacquered goods,
brass ware, crockery ware, native embroideries, Shan cotton cloths and, silk material
mainly from China. Shan papers were folded into bundles of twenty five, fifty sheets
or one hundred sheets to be sold whole-sale. Mong Kung was said to produce the best
quality paper, say hsar, from the bark of the hsar tree found in abundance in the nearby
forests.

The Chiang Tawng traders took turns to explore the market, inspecting what goods
they could exchange with their own, or what were best to buy.

The unmarried lads were interested not only on the goods but on young women who
sat behind their products. Sai Sam had, for sometime been secretly eyeing the two
sisters, Lao Kham and Nang Oo Peim, but it was the younger sister, Nang Oo Peim,
who was the girl he admired most. On previous occasions his mind was bent on
making success of his leadership amongst the traders that he had little time for girls.
Now that he had gained a lot of self confidence, he could afford to amuse himself. He
sang love lyrics, attracting many young girls, including Nang Oo Peim. Just then, a
magical moment occurred between the singer and Nang Oo Peim, their eyes met and
there was no denying that there was a strong unfathomable attraction between the two.
Nang Oo Peim had heard stories of a handsome man and his harp; a man with an
unusual voice, who could charm any woman. This was the first time she had seen him
and heard his voice and, as a young woman, she felt enamoured to the full effect of his
charm.

With gently curved black eyebrows above dark brown eyes, a straight nose and
prominent jaws that showed strong will power and determination, Nang Oo Peim
thought he was the most handsome man. The early morning sun behind him tinted his
hair peeping through his pink turban. His white shirt gleamed through his brown
jacket. Whenever she glanced at him, Nang felt her heart beating faster and her body
trembled.

Sam noticed her reaction, and smiled warmly at her sweet confusion. He then began
to study her. She looked very young. Her olive skin was smooth and her eyes were
dark and expressive. When she laughed, lips parted to show small, even white teeth;
she had, what people referred to as a sparkle. Sam’s brown eyes turned dreamy as he
stared admiringly across at the girl.

Chapter VII- The Jungle, A Place of Beauty and Danger

As the traders journeyed on, the plain gradually rose and teak trees were sprinkled
through the forest with numerous yellow flowering orchids hung in clusters from their
branches.

The forest that they went through had one of the most magnificent and varied trees,
such as mai hsar, padauk, thyngan, teak, wild mango, banyan and many others.

Sai Sam warned the crowd that the journey would be long, tedious and dangerous but
he forgot to mention that it was not all doom and gloom. As they marched along the
jungle road, the young newcomers were astounded and in awe of the natural beauty of
the countryside. As dawn broke, the sun poured its rays through the trees and the
flood of light shone upon the thickets on the opposite bank of the river, together with
the glistening dewdrops of various hues and colours which provided the most
delightful scenery.

Loong Maha was a martial arts expert and a man of great wisdom. He had an
abundance of knowledge of herbal medicine, the raw material of which he would
collect during each caravan trail. He had been on the caravan trail for many years,
collecting roots and leaves of herbs to make into medicines when he got home. He
also knew every inch of the trail route, and was able to recognise the sounds of
different animals and birds in the forest.

“Loong Maha, Loong Maha”, Sai Leo, one of the young lads shouted, “Is the forest
always this beautiful?”

“Yes, Sai, it is always beautiful but the jungle can sometimes be dangerous too”.

“Oh, look! There are so many birds!” said another astounded lad.

“Yes”, said Loong Maha, “more than you can imagine”.

“That huge black bird, with a forked tail is the king crow; it is the biggest of all the
crows. It can fight off every bird that tries to invade its territory”. Mynahs are also
blackbirds but they have white patches on the wings and tails. They are very good
imitators of sounds; some better than others depending on the types”.

“That colourful bird, with the metallic plumage, white at the tip of its tail, green beak
and scarlet patch around its eyes is the malkoha cuckoo.

“Some birds are very clever. Can you see the funnel-shaped nests among the bamboo
groves? Those belong to the weaver birds. See, they are flying to and fro? They are
collecting fibres to weave into the nests, and at night they will catch fire-flies which
they embed into a lump of clay at the mouth to illuminate their nests”.

Sai Leo couldn’t believe what he was seeing and hearing. “Do birds talk to each
other?” he wanted to know.

“Birds communicate with their own kind by the sounds they make. Some like the owl
make very ghastly hoots at night. The coppersmith with its handsome green plumage,
scarlet crest and yellow gorget makes a noise not unlike that of the woodpecker as it
tries to carve a nest out of the tree trunk”.

“If you are patient and listen carefully you will hear the Shama Thrush whistling the
most beautiful song. This is one of the world’s finest song-birds. Listen! Its song is
loud, melodious and varied. Its wings and tail are held stiffly and somewhat bowed
when it sings”.
Sai Leo and his young friends could not stop admiring everything they came across on
their journey; every bit was a joyful experience for them. The gentle swaying of the
bamboo, the humming of bees, the sight of the dancing peacock courting the peahen,
displaying his colourful plumage and the criss-crossing flights of multicoloured
butterflies, all made the journey very interesting and worthwhile. Everything was so
new to them that they forgot about their aching feet and tired body.

“Loong Maha” Sai Sam shouted, “How are we doing?”

“We are now going through a very thick jungle so we must be on our guard. We are
invading the territories of wild animals and this can be dangerous”, Loong Maha
warned. “We might encounter tigers, bears and wild elephants. Sometimes, a cobra
can hiss out from hiding in vegetation.”

Everybody listened and went very quiet.

“Listen! Is that the growling of a tiger?” Loong Maha drew out his long, sharp dagger
ready to strike down the tiger. As they walked on the noise grew fainter and fainter.
Loong Maha was rather disappointed he did not have the chance to show off his
martial art and strength.

Loong Maha kept the journey interesting with his many tales, which were usually
mixed with facts and myths. The younger traders listened with admiration; the older
ones had already heard the stories many times over. Myths or exaggerated facts he
had the gift of turning something ordinary into an amazing tale.

Soon the crowd arrived at a river, flowing through the forest. At first it was clear and
flowing silently, but gradually it became more treacherous with rapids, making almost
impossible for the animals to cross.

To Sai Sam the journey from Mong Kung to Hsipaw seemed to go on forever and the
night was drawing in, and the men and animals were getting weary. Sai Sam decided
that they should make a stop at Nam Lan. Here, it was pretty cold and windy but they
managed to find a sheltered spot surrounded by hills on all sides. The men hastened
to gather broken branches to light a fire which, in no time, was blazing and providing
them with warmth and comfort. The fire also drove mosquitoes and other insects
away.
The next morning at dawn the Chiang Tawng traders continued their trek through the
deep forest scented by the fragrance of bauhinia-blossoms and sprays of several
varieties of orchids draping down from branches of the trees in the thick forest.

The early morning was most enjoyable, the birds were singing their morning orisons;
the doves were cooing from the cotton trees which were shedding scarlet lily-shaped
blossoms; blue-jays flopped from tree to tree, croaking as they flew; gaudy
woodpeckers tapped at the old trunks.

The whole scene teemed with music, life and light. The leaves rustled in the tree tops
and the delicious cold morning bathed one’s face and seemed to wash all the cares
away. Even Sai Sam managed to divert his thoughts away from Nang Oo Peim and to
take in the pleasantness of the environment and enjoy himself.

Hsipaw town was warmer than Nam Lan. Mong Hsipaw was an ancient Shan
principality which according to its chronicle went back to the year 58 BC. It was said
to have been founded by Sao Hkun Hkam Saw, the fourth son of the Sao Hpa of Mong
Mao, Sao Hkun Lai.

Hsipaw consisted of one big valley drained by the Namtu, which in Mong Marn
(Burma Proper) continued as the Myitnge that flowed into the Irrawaddy. The
principality was one of the most productive mongs as it was a trade route to places
like Lashio and other parts of Northern Shan State and some areas of Upper Burma.

On the job at hand, the traders entered a large rice plain, fringed with beautiful
orchards which also contained many clumps of bamboo. The people grew rice
extensively in all the valleys. You could see the tender green of the sprouting paddy
under the lowering spring clouds. Upland rice was cultivated on the lower slopes of
the mountains. The Palaungs grew tea on the hills but the area used for tea cultivation
was not as extensive as that in Tawngpeng. Hsipaw, with Mongkung and Lawksawk
grew the best oranges in Seing Mong Tai.

When the caravan passed Hsipaw the traders knew the journey was drawing closer to
Nam Hsan but it was to be the most treacherous part of the journey. Cresting the hill
the traders were again amongst the fragrant pine forest. The air was deliciously cool,
and the view was superb. The scene in front looked like chopping sea of hills.

The tract to the capital town, Nam Hsan was wooded on all sides. At first the trail
was gentle but gradually got steeper and in some places very slippery and very
dangerous for both humans and animals. The tract was narrow and clung to the steep
and high narrow ridge, surrounded by valleys and mountains which rose to an
exceptionally high plateau. Along the tract the views were screened by trees, and the
branches had to be chopped down before they could climb. Several caravans were
climbing up, while others were coming down. Like others, Sai Sam and his group had
come during the early season to buy the best early tea, which was said to be of a better
quality because the good ingredients had not been washed away by the rain. The tea
garden had made Nam Hsan’s market bigger and busier than any lowland towns in Tai
Mongs. The town and adjoining villages were filled with sizable stores of
merchandise from Moeng Marn, China and Thailand.

Mong Tawngpeng, was a conglomerate of 9 mountains; It was one of the highest

plateau amongst the Tai mongs. In the midst of this plateau was a huge valley at the
bottom of which was the “Trembling Water” or “Nam Hsan”. Nam Hsan, the capital
town of Tawngpeng was at the centre of the State at a height of six thousand feet.
There was a vale and in the midst, ten miles away, was a ridge, on one end of which
stood the town of Nam Hsan with the palace over it on a circular hill. The vale was
one vast tea garden. On the lower levels of the hillsides, Palaungs and Shans grew tea
whilst higher up Kachins and Lisus practiced shifting agriculture. Shans predominate
in the valleys where rice was the staple crop. Along the ridge was the famous Loi
Hseng Pagoda and groups of villages of Palaung people. The whole area was one vast
garden of tea plantation which was harvested from May until November.

Higher up, the Kachins and Lisus practiced shifting agriculture. The Tais
predominated in the valleys where they grew wet rice, their staple crop. There was a
dip in the plateau near the Tai village where paddy was grown on a slip of land in the
valleys surrounded by hills. It was irrigated by a small stream, the water being led to
the fields through bamboo pipes. Here family life was evident with groups of
relatives, male and female planting young rice plants from the nursery into the rice
plots.

Knowing the area and well acquainted with the tea producers the Chiang Tawng
traders knocked on every house so that they could buy good quality tea and to bargain
for the right price.

Khun Sam Law spurred his men on, “Sai Twee”, he shouted, “Please see that the men
complete their transaction tonight before dusk. I am sure they would like to get home
to their family as soon as possible; we should set out at dawn to-morrow morning”.

“Yes, Sir, most of them have finished; only a few are still trying to get the best
bargain.”
“What about you, how have you done?”

“Pretty, well. I have managed to buy twenty baskets, which I hope will keep me going
for sometime, unless I sell out before we reach home.”

The next morning, they were in motion again and camping whenever they got tired
and before the sun went down.

On the return journey when they reached Mongkung they decided it was time to settle
for the night. They covered in a sleeping area and unfolded their bedding and when
bed time came, found it difficult to get comfortable on the uneven ground and
makeshift lumpy mattresses.

Sai Sam had a plan of his own. He couldn’t wait to get to Monkung to see Nang Oo
Peim again. Sleep deluded him for a different reason from the rest of the crowd; his
mind was on the day ahead, planning what he would do and say to Nang. He turned
to Sai Twee who was sleeping beside him, “Do you think I will see her at the Festival?
How shall I approach her?”

“You are really smitten with her! Aren’t you?”

“Who wouldn’t be, when she is so beautiful?”

“I am sure you will know what to do when the time comes. You just act naturally”.

“Have you got some one you really like, Sai Twee?”

“No, I haven’t found anyone yet. Who would like to go out with me when I have
nothing to offer?” Sao Twee, unlike Sai Sam was very good at hiding his feelings. He
liked Lao Kham very much and was hoping that one day he would be brave enough to
ask Nang’s elder sister, Lao Kham for an encounter.

“You, talk rubbish. You have been a successful business man for sometime and your
business is improving every year. It shows what a successful young man you are.
Any sensible girl will be attracted to you. You are good looking, honest and
dependable. I don’t know what I would do without you”.
“Go to sleep, Sai Sam or else you will not feel fresh enough when you meet your
young lady”.

Chapter VI- Fate brought them together

This was the third year Sai Sam took over the leadership of the caravan trail
travelling from Chiang Tawng to Nam Hsan, and it marked an extra special year for
him.

The next morning the Chiang Tawng traders were again on the move. Sai Sam’s mind
was on his new found interest, Nang Oo Peim, and this new miracle of feeling good
drove him into a trance of complete silence and confined in his own private thoughts.

“Sai Sam is in love”, his friend teased. “Come, sing and laugh with us, and make the
journey fun and the crowd merry again”. Feeling a bit guilty, he concentrated on the
job at hand as they entered a large rice plain, fringed with beautiful orchards which
also contained many clamps of bamboo, hiding several villages. The houses along the
river valleys were situated in orchards of fruit trees separated from each other by
palisades.

It was nearly the end of June and it was the Annual Religious Festival in Mongkung.
It was to be celebrated at one of the most worshipped Pagodas where food and yellow
saffron robes were being offered to Buddha and the chief monks.

The crowd gathered at the enormous green pasture next to the Pagoda to celebrate the
auspicious festival. Here, all sorts of goods were bought and sold, and menageries
and travelling shows drew folk from different parts of Seing Mong Tai. The stalls
were filled with everything from food to hand crafted earthenware artefacts, cotton
materials, woven by local Shan women and the latest silk materials from China.

The Prince of Mongkung, the Sao Hpa also came on an elegantly decorated elephant,
with a man carrying a huge, white umbrella on each side to shade the rider from the
heat of the sun. Although his visit was brief the crowd stood and watched in
appreciation. When silence was obtained and the children were hushed, the Sao Hpa
waved his hand to the crowd and wished the crowd, “Enjoy and have fun”.
Lead by a marshal on horseback, ministers and policemen, the royal procession slowly
went through every section of the festival, leaving behind the roaring band of gongs,
drums and cymbals accompanying the bird, the yak and the martial art dancers.

The Tai “Bird Dance” had its origin in an ancient Buddhist tale, when Buddha
Gotama visited Deva and returned to earth on the full moon of the 11th month.
Humans and mythical creatures came to pay their respect. Amongst them were,
Kenarri and Kenerra from the foothills of the Himalaya Mountains. Legend has it that
they were half bird and half human who wore the most beautiful costumes, and
danced so elegantly that people started imitating their dance and costume, and so from
then on until today adopted the same image and wore similar costume when
celebrating special occasions.

No Yaks were ever found in Seing Mong Tai, but legend says that in ancient time
people who lived on rich pastures of the mountains had yaks as their draught animal.
When they migrated to the lowlands they brought the memory of the yaks with them
and since then the Yak Dance had been incorporated into their culture and used as a
form of entertainment at every festival. To look like the yak two men wore a brown
hairy wrap and a mask with antlers sitting at the top of the front man’s head as he
stood tall. The man behind him had to bend at the waist in order that the two of them
together form the shape of a yak.

There would be clowns, competitive dancing, singing, poetry reading and plays by the
locals as well as visitors, the people at the entrance of the market informed Sai Sam
that prizes would be given to the winners who took part in the competitions. Sai Sam
was not in the least interested in what was going on as he tried to spy Nang Oo Peim
amongst the crowd. He and Sai Twee walked round the field but there was no sign of
Nang Oo Peim and Nang Lao Kham. Disappointed they were walking back to the
camp site parked a short distance away from the Pagoda, when Sai Sam saw Khun
Oak, a prominent trader of Mongkung who he once met when he was still an
apprentice and came with his uncle on the caravan trail. Khun Oak and his wife, Ba
Leang and two young girls were entering the festival ground. Sai Sam was
dumbfounded when he recognised the two young ladies as no other than Nang Oo
Peim and her sister Nang Lao Kham. He had no idea that Khun Oak had daughters,
and who were the very two he was so very anxious to meet.
Sai Sam and Sai Twee walked towards the family, “Hloong Khun Oak, how very nice
to see you, how are you, Sir?”

“It’s you, Sai Sam! I didn’t quite recognise you. The last time I saw you, you were
just a boy. I am very well, thank you. This is my wife, Ba Leang, and my two
daughters, Nang Lao Kham and Nang Oo Peim.”

Sai Sam accepted the introduction with a bow and looked at the girls with exaggerated
cool passion a gentleman of his class always seemed to assume when presented with
young ladies; but there was a leap of pleasure in his eyes which he knew was
answered to his by the younger girl.

Amongst the Tai, young lovers can freely communicate with each other before they
get married. Every village had fixed venues for courting. But festive occasions were
generally considered ideal to express their love, usually in singing forms. Other
courting places included bridges, farm fields and scenic valleys.

The last time Sai Sam and Sai Twee met Nang Oo Peim and her sister, the girls were
sitting at the market stall, but now that she was standing and in full view, he noticed
how very attractive she was; tall and slim with a long black hair, and smiling almond
shaped eyes. Sai Sam was taken aback by her striking beauty. Well, there was hardly
a word to describe her radiance as he waited for her father to complete his
introductions and inquiring after an old acquaintance.

“How is Khun Pang? Is he with you?”

“My uncle has retired from travelling with us, but I shall tell him that I met you and
that you enquired after his health. I am sure he would be pleased”.

“Have you come all the way from Chiang Tawng to attend our festival?”

“No Sir, we have been to Nam Hsan to buy young tea leaves; we are on our way back
home.”

For several moments there was confusion as introductions were completed and
perhaps it had been concealed from Khun Oak but it had not escaped a mother’s
intuition the attraction which had flared up between their younger daughter and Sai
Sam. The polite conversation, the charming smiles and meaningless small-talk, hid
the tension.
Then Sai Sam turned courteously to Nang Oo Peim, drawing her a pace or two away
from the rest.

“Did you have a safe journey all the way to Nham San? Has your trade been
successful?”

“The journey was long and dangerous, but we have been lucky except when one night,
I was about to drop off to sleep, a snake hidden under the leaves and twigs appeared
and hissed near my bed”.

“Oh? How very dreadful! What did you do? You could have been bitten and
poisoned”.

“I stayed very quiet. Luckily Loong Maha saw it too. He slowly got out his long
dagger and cut the snake down into two halves”.

“What a brave man!”

“Yes, Loong Maha is a martial art expert and, being very experienced with everything
in the jungle, cutting a snake down is nothing to him”.

“I believe you led the caravan trail, it must be quite a responsibility to be in charge of
so many people?”

“It is, but I had a very good lesson from my uncle, and besides I have a dependable
deputy and many good men to help me. I have been on the trail along the same route
several times and it won’t be the last. In spite of the responsibility and danger, I
enjoyed the wild country, so much beauty and wonder, and I do not mean to give it
up”.

“It sounds wonderful, Bi Sam!” She felt strong emotions within, foolishly perhaps,
even dangerously, for such headlong and immediate attraction. Oh, yes, she knew it,
it is the life of a man she admired, and the life this man was to lead. He was
amazingly handsome with his elegant mouth and that whimsical half-smile showing
his white teeth, the smiling dark brown gaze from the eyes that said everything that
his words could not say to the lady he had just met.

“My word, you must lead an active and interesting life”. Her own trite answers
seemed just as phoney.
“And you, Nang? Tell me, what do you do?”

“I fill my days helping the family. As the rice cultivation season is short we plant the
rice seeds in the nurseries in May. After Father and the men have ploughed and
flooded the fields, my sister and I and other girls transplant the young seedling at the
end of June or beginning of July. While waiting for the harvest I tend to the gardening
and sometimes spin, weave and sew. I prefer to be in the outdoors, so I really prefer
gardening. Bi Lao Kham likes the spinning and weaving so she does most of the
indoor jobs. Both of us take garden produce and farm products to the market once a
week. Nothing very exciting, but it is a routine and sometimes quite enjoyable.” Her
smile was dazzling.

Nang Oo Peim was still in a dream when she was startled by her mother’s voice “Your
father and I are going home to attend to the animals. You young people can stay on at
the fair but please don’t be too late”. Khun Oak and his wife were not concerned
about their daughters as they knew Sai Sam was the nephew of an old acquaintance,
and they would be safe in their company.

As for Nang Oo Peim, her new feeling was too strong to let her attention wander for
another moment so she turned a brilliant smile back at the man beside her.

“I’m sure your sister and Sai Twee will not mind if I snatch you away and escort you
round the fair. Now tell me what you would like to see first, Nang”, his voice
deepened on her name and his eyes assessed her in a manly fashion. His admiration
was evident. He must be about twenty one, twenty two she thought, with wide
shoulders which fitted his elegant jacket with the perfection such Shan gentleman
seemed to achieve. His face was finely cut and his body delicately balanced, every
part of him matching every other. His interest, his approval, the warm excitement
with which he regarded her, the open-hearted charm, with a touch perhaps of
complexity, a boyish air but of an able man was overwhelming.”

“I am not sure what there is, we’ll just walk round, you lead and I’ll follow”

“Nang, he said quite urgently, I hope you are enjoying yourself?”

“Yes, very much, her eyes smiled into his. Then for the first time she looked shyly
away”.

“Bi, Sam, are you going to entertain us with those lovely songs of yours, like the ones
you sang the last time you were here?”
“I don’t think they were as lovely as you put it, but I am glad you liked them. As a
matter of fact the Festival Organiser has asked me to sing, and I’ll be on the stage in a
very short time”.

“Good! I am looking forward to it”, she answered smiling.

Sai Sam and Nang Oo Peim were enjoying each other’s company so much that they
hoped it would go on forever when the organiser interrupted their secret thoughts.
“Sai Sam it’s your turn next”. Nang Oo Peim met up with Sai Twee and Lao Kham
while Sai Sam went to pick up his violin from the camp site.

Like most Shan youths, Sai Sam was able to compose his lyrics there and then on the
stage and sang and played his violin romantically and efficiently. He dedicated his
song to a beautiful young lady, who resembled a bud of a flower about to reach its full
bloom. He admired her gentleness and beauty and hoped one day she will be his own
young lady.

The songs touched Nang Oo Peim’s heart; she thought they were so beautiful and that
they were dedicated to her. Her eyes began to fill with tears. The applause was loud
and long but it didn’t wake Nang Oo Peim from her dreams until Sai Sam was beside
her and took her hands in his. She was so moved by the song Sai Sam dedicated to
her that she didn’t at once hear the audience shouting again and again, “We want Nang
Oo Peim for a song”. When suddenly it dawned on her that she had been requested to
give a song she nervously went on the stage still intoxicated with emotion but her
voice was soft and clear, “‘O you gentlemen, young and old, please be told that one
month after my birth my parents and members of my family gathered together and
gave me the name of little and supreme Nang Oo Peim”.

“Dear Bi, you praise my beauty, while I am nothing but a working girl. When I light
the fire to cook rice and dishes, my face is blackened with smoke and my whole body
smells of food. Dear Pi, I am just the daughter of an ordinary trader who lives in a
humble house at the other end of the city. Please think carefully before you say you
love me, in case I lose my heart to you”.

“That was lovely”, Sai Sam said admiringly, amidst applause from the audience.

The four of them stood and listened to a few more songs. Sai Sam suddenly
announced to Sai Twee, “Don’t you think we’d better take the girls, home?”
The two young men walked the two sisters back to their house but Sai Sam was
feeling unsure as to how he should behave in front of the girls’ parents. He wanted
them to have a good impression of him. Yes, he was quite definite that Nang Oo Peim
was the girl he wished to marry, but he would have to take things step by step. He
didn’t know how to deal with his new emotions. He knew that he had never felt like
this with any other girl. Everything was so beautiful and he was happy. He was glad
for his cousin, Sai Twee too. He seemed to be getting along with Lao Kham.

—ooo—

Sai Sam’s mother always thought that her family was landed gentry and she the lady.
She would not think kindly to her only son wanting to marry the daughter of an
ordinary farmer whose wealth in land and trading position were no more than just
enough to feed and clothe the family. It was surprising that Khun Sam Law did not
hold the same values as his mother. Perhaps, it was because his father, when he was
alive, had given him enough love and understanding, together with the education he
received at the monastery that had moulded his character to adopt his own values in
life. He was a gentleman and there was not a shred of chauvinism and selfishness in
his whole body. He was much liked by those who came into contact with him.

They arrived at a large house with bamboo matted walls supported by large wooden
posts made of solid teak. It was a typical Shan house, built on stilts so that the house
was high and the lower part large enough to be divided into granaries and room to
house domestic animals and ploughing implements.

Ba Leang met them at the stairs “Please go up” she invited, while the two girls
hurried to help prepare food for dinner to which their young gentlemen were invited.
Her gaze went to her younger daughter and shook her head. “I worry about her; she is
so young and head over heels in love” she thought.

Sai Sam and Sai Twee ascended the stairs, stopping to pay respect, and pray at the
Altar where Buddha images were situated at the eastern end of a large lounge. They
sniffed a pleasant flavour of herbs, lemon grass and coriander coming from the
verandah where most foods were cooked. This whetted their appetite and their
stomach began to growl.

The focal point of this lounge was the fireplace where a large pot of rice was cooking.
Khun Oak, as head of the family had a special place surrounded with a betel box, an
earthenware jug of water and a spittoon. A fat, contented cat licked herself in front of
the fire, whilst a tiny, frail-looking kitten stood by. Sai Sam sat beside Khun Oak and
was soon made to feel at ease when the conversation flowed around their common
interest of buying and selling goods in different places.

Before long Ba Leang announced, “Dinner is ready”. It was served on a large round
table and the two sisters carried in the dishes cooked on the coal fire on the veranda.
Along with a big bowl of rice there were green vegetable soup, a kind of crunchy
vegetable salad mixed with ground peanuts, sesame seeds, garlic oil and lime juice.
The other dishes contained meat and fish stew flavoured with lemon grass and
coriander. Last but most important was a hot, chilli and soya bean dip, a combination
of ripe grilled tomatoes, onion and garlic, “Nam phit muck ker soam”, with a big bowl
of cooked green vegetables for accompaniment.

The two young men ate without reserve of shyness for they had not sampled such a
delicious meal for more than a fortnight. During the trail they ate what was available
from the five-day markets or sometimes anything that they could collect from the
jungle, and then cooked on an open fire.

The pleasant and enjoyable evening soon came to an end but before leaving Sai Sam,
not unexpectedly asked Hkun Oak for permission to court his daughter, Nang Oo
Peim. Both Khun Oak and his wife liked what they saw of the two gentlemen and
there was no reason why they shouldn’t approve.

“Mei, how did you know that Father was the right man for you?” Nang asked her
mother after the guest had left.

“Your father was twenty and I had just turned eighteen when we got married. Though
of course, he wasn’t your father then, he was just my husband, she sighed. “I loved
him with all my heart then. And I love him the same ever since”.

Nang sighed longingly. “I wish I could find someone to love like that. All her life
Nang had witnessed the love and devotion between her mother and father, and it was a
wonderful thing. Her parent’s happiness was a living example of an idyllic marriage.

Ba Leang’s eyes filled with tears, as she watched her younger daughter, thinking how
in a very short time she had changed from just being a child into womanhood, “Let
things develop gradually between you and Sai Sam. Don’t be in a hurry. You are so
very young and you have all the time in the world”, she advised her daughter. She
was proud of her strikingly lovely daughter who was running, laughing and without a
care in the world.
 Chapter IX- Love and Friendship

On every return journey from Nam Hsan Sai Sam made sure that he spent sometime
with Nang Oo Peim. Sai Twee was to oversee the running and the welfare of the
caravan traders. Sai Sam would be on horseback and catch up with them at Laikha.

Nang was waiting anxiously for him at the bottom of the garden. He tied the horse
against the post and hand in hand the two lovers sauntered along the country lane in
the lovely rose-pink morning light of April. They walked through the flower-rimmed
wood that led to the stream. The sun peeped through the tall bamboo groves and
trees, the ferns and brackens sticking through stiff spears which were brilliant as the
sun rose behind the downs and stretched through to the valleys.

A fox made its paw marks in the thick dewy grasses and here and there pools of water
glistened where close together the two young lovers spoke of love. They seemed to
connect effortlessly and their relationship growing to be something they both had been
hoping and searching for.

Delight ran through them, a dizziness of delight; this tenderness, this wild feeling that
was becoming dangerously difficult to control. She sighed and leaned against him
and he held her gently, the plane of his cheek against the sweet smelling black hair on
the top of her head. He placed his face against her soft smooth face. He was a young
man with a young man’s passionate needs and when she responded his hands clasped
her and kissed her gently.

Their embrace became intense, and they both sighed together for it was hard to break
up. Reluctantly they had to make their way home, Nang to do the daily chores and Sai
Sam would have to leave soon to be in Laikha by evening as he had promised. Before
they knew it the meeting was over. A mixed memory of Nang’s extraordinary energy,
her bright smile and notion of responsibility enfolded him as he rode to meet the
caravan crowds waiting for him for the last lap of the journey home.

The Chiang Tawng traders had been through a dangerous and tedious, but enjoyable
journey. As Sai Sam caught up with the traders he heard Sai Leo exclaiming, “What
an experience!”

“So, you enjoyed the trip then, Sai Leo?”

“Yes, Sir, very much, and I’ll have a lot to tell my mother and father. My brother will
surely envy me.”

As the caravan approached their home town the rainy season had just begun. As they
travelled through the rice bowl of Seing Mong Tai they noticed the plots of paddy
fields were a patchwork of different shades of green. At the entrance of Chiang
Tawng families and friends gathered to meet them. They shouted and hailed
“Welcome home”. Khun Pang was there but Ba Yong was nowhere to be seen. Khun
Pang anxiously asked his protégé how the trip went but from the sight of the joyful
faces he knew that he had nothing to worry about.

“Very well, Sir”.

On the way home Sai Sam realised that the tender green of the sprouting paddy had
grown and were waving proudly in the fields.

For the following few weeks Sai Sam continued his daily routine selling and buying
goods. In between his work he rode to Mongkung to visit his lover, without telling
his mother.

Ba Yong, who had always thought of Sai Sam as the son she had brought up to be
what he was, now thought him wonderful as he had grown into a man of capability
and in full charge of the family farming and trading business. . When visitors came
she talked of nothing but Sai Sam’s achievement. There was nothing for Ba Yong to
worry about yet she could not help the anxiety that kept creeping into her mind. She
sensed that since Sai Sam returned from his trip he seemed distant and independent.
Was it possible that he had found a girl during his travel? If such was the case she
could lose control over him. She will have to do something about it and do it quickly.

She came from a family that was old and revered. She was part of the Royal family
and her husband had served the Sao Hpas and his town for generations, a proud
heritage that cannot lightly be dismissed. Being the sister of a Sao Hpa, Ba Yong
always considered herself part of aristocracy. It simply isn’t done for the son of an
aristocrat to marry a girl he met casually. The relationship between Ba Yong and Sai
Sam became strained.

When alone with his mother, she always brought out the conversation concerning his
marriage to Mo Mo, and end up by saying “I don’t want you to marry anyone below
your position”. A spark of rebellion made Sai Sam ask, “What is my position, because
I would really like to know.”
“Sai Sam, don’t you dare answer me back”. Ba Yong flapped her hand, dismissing her
son.

Sai Sam bit his lip to stop an angry response and left the room to the sound of her
mother’s mutterings about ungrateful children.

Sleep deserted him. Sai Sam didn’t like upsetting his mother, but sometimes retorts
sprang to his lips and were out of his mouth before he could stop them. In the
darkness Sai Sam sighed. His mother was a difficult and complex woman to
understand.

Now his father - Sai Sam smiled to himself at the mere thought of him. He was so
easy to understand, straightforward, placid, loving and generous. He gave time and
patience to him. He always had done so, as far back as Sai Sam could remember, even
helping him to learn to read and write Tai script, though he was hardly a scholar
himself. Even then his Mother grumbled at her husband that he was wasting his time
teaching his son as he would be doing the same thing at the monastery.

Sao Suu Pinna only smiled indulgently at his wife and said gently, “You’re right, of
course, Yong. Sai Sam must learn all those things and who better to teach him than
the monks”. Then he would pause and add quietly and firmly, which his wife could
not ignore “But it will do him no harm to learn his scripts at home as well as being
taught by the monks”.

But, his father had gone. There was nobody he could confide in. Then he thought of
his uncle. The next morning deciding suddenly, Sai Sam snatched his dagger and rode
to his Uncle’s house.

Khun Pang was busy cleaning his farm implements, and stopped as he saw his nephew
walking across the fields towards his house.

“Hullo, Sai Sam what has brought you here, this lovely morning?”

“Ow Pang”, I suppose you have heard that I have met a very special girl in
Mongkung?”

“Yes, I have heard the rumour, so it is true?”

“Yes, her name is Nang Oo Peim. She is the most beautiful and wonderful girl”. She
comes from a good family- You know her father, Loong Khun Oak. He even asked
me to convey his regards to you. Sai Pang is dating her sister, Lao Kham. Tomorrow,
the two of us are riding to Mongkung to meet up with the girls”.

Khun Pang sensed that he really meant it as there was something very serious in the
air. He was taken aback because he knew what his sister-in-law wanted.

“Sai Sam, I hope you know what you are doing? Your mother will have fits. I hope
this girl is worth it?”

“She is worth more than anything in the world to me, Sir. Being away from her is the
worst thing that could happen.”

“If that is how you feel you will have to tell your mother. If you explain to her calmly
and patiently she might come round and accept your intention.”

“Uncle, please try to make her see some sense. I cannot and will not marry Mo Mo.
She is like a sister to me.”

“I’ll do my best,” but Khun Pang knew that he would not be able to change his sister-
in-law’s mind. He knew that she had been scheming and planning while his son was
away. She had also groomed Mo Mo who had now grown into a fully fledged young
woman - pretty in her own way but quite a tomboy. Ba Yong had also fed some ideas
into the girl’s head that she was to marry Sai Sam one day.

Many times Mo Mo had tried to flirt with Sai Sam. One morning, her face made up
and dressed in her best clothes, she entered Sai Sam’s room to find him only in his
underpants. Sai Sam always treated the girl like a sister, “What do you want, Mo?

“Aren’t you pleased to see me?” A flash of disappointment coloured her face when
she noticed that Sai Sam was not pleased to see her. She pouted seductively and
slowly slipped her jacket off, her eyes full of suggestions.

She moved closer, but Sai Sam dismissed her, “I have to go out to meet up with some
traders” and left Mo Mo fuming alone in the room.

Mo Mo felt so humiliated by her step-brother’s behaviour towards her that she started
to cry.
Ba Yong could not hide her plan, fearing she would lose her son if he married an
outsider. She liked to control his life and his every move.

Historically, the aristocracy and gentry mixed freely and maintained business with the
lower classes but tended not to cross the lines of marriage.

For a moment, Khun Sam Law sat strumming his fingers on the guitar. “I should go to
Mother, he thought. I should spend some time reassuring her reiterating her
instructions, telling her what I intend to do. Before I go I should use up the rest of the
evening in the temple in prayer.

He plucked up courage and went to see his mother. “Mei, I have something to tell
you” – his mother looked up.

“During my travels, I met a girl in Mongkung, whom I wish to marry. Her name is
Nang Oo Peim. She is the daughter of Khun Oak and Pa Leang. Khun Oak is a
farmer and businessman like father. The family is respected by the communities.”

“Stop it; stop rambling on!” she shouted angrily. “To be respectable in the world one
has to marry into one’s own society. I have no patience with your impudence. It
would degrade the family for you to marry an unknown girl; she might be a whore for
all you know!”

Ba Yong had never married for love and she didn’t know the meaning of love. She
had married for convenience.

When Khun Pang visited Ba Yong to try to talk to her about Sai Sam, she again
shouted at him before he could utter a word, “How could you let Sai Sam become
entangled with this unknown girl? You are his uncle and guardian. Instead of
preventing him you are encouraging him to get into such a situation. It is a disgrace!
He is young and naïve. Let him marry in haste and he will regret it forever”.

“Bi Yong”, Khun Pang said calmly. “Sai Sam is now a grown man, and he knows
what he wants and like his father he is a very determined person. There is no one, not
you, nor I who can tell him what to do with his life. You will have to learn to respect
his wish or you will lose him altogether.”

The last sentence seemed to have got to her and she finally went quiet, and into deep
silence. She had told everybody that her son was to marry Mo Mo. To take back her
words would be most humiliating. How on earth would she be able to face her
friends?

Sai Sam was in torment. He had fallen in love with Nang against his mother’s wishes.
His mother’s attempts to persuade him against marrying the woman he loved
succeeded only in offending him.

Sai Sam thought that his mother would change her mind once she had met Nang. He
would take Nang home to meet her, he silently vowed. But the thought of his mother
brought a worried frown to his brow. Perhaps, his mother will never forgive him if he
insisted on marrying Nang, but he loved Nang, and she must come first.

Chapter X- Khun Sam Law took his fiancé to meet his mother

A few days after Khun Pang had the conversation with his mother, Sai Sam took Nang
to meet her.

Nang at first felt excited that she was going to meet Sai Sam’s mother. She had tried
to imagine what it would be like meeting her. She knew nothing at all about her; her
future husband spoke very little about his mother.

Fear grew deep inside her, when Nang finally met her prospective mother-in-law, a
person whom she at once realised resented her. She was nice enough in front of Sai
Sam but when they were alone she could not hide her true hatred for the girl whom
she thought had stolen her son’s love. Nang was afraid to be left alone with Ba Yong.
Ba Yong did not only think that she had lost her son’s love, but she had also lost her
control over his life. She was extremely possessive and this brought out the intense
jealousy and resentment she felt for the girl.

Sai Sam had gone to the farm when for the first time Nang was left alone with her
future mother-in-law. Ba Yong could not contain her contempt for her son’s future
wife.

“You are no match for my son” Ba Yong stared at Nang whose clothes fitting
elegantly against her slim and shapely body; her dark eyes complimenting her strong
youthful features, “You will destroy him yet, mark my words”.

If she expected Nang to feel guilty and flinch in the wake of such malicious
accusations then she was mistaken. Ba Yong was not only disappointed but very
angry. For when Nang brought her gaze to rest on that overbearing countenance, it
was not fear, not guilt that was reflected in her warm animated eyes but strength
which only served to infuriate those who tried to belittle her. She looked a moment
longer at that stiff and forbidding figure, at the staunch, stern face and a dark hair
knotted at the nape. She noticed that she was in the presence of an unpleasant woman
who was arrogant and spiteful.

Mo Mo sat silently with a smirk on her face. Although she didn’t like Nang, she dared
not say much because she didn’t want to displease Sai Sam. She didn’t want him to
have a go at her.

As soon as Sai Sam stepped into the room Ba Yong’s expression and attitude towards
Nang changed and she couldn’t appear to be nicer.

She was her beloved’s mother and she had struggled to please her. They were bound
together by the man they both loved. For Sai Sam’s sake she tried to hide her feelings
of unhappiness.

Ba Yong thought it is the most hopeless match; she would never fit into her son’s
world. Besides, this unknown girl seemed to have too much control over her son’s
heart and his mother would be out of his life forever.

She was jealous of the beauty of youth. She looked at herself in the mirror; the
woman in the mirror had only the remnants of her beauty left; the fine eyes and the
high cheek bones. The jet black hair was speckled with grey, no more thick and shiny.

The olive skin was speckled with age marks and the slender figure had thickened. But
oh, how popular she had been once! When she was in her prime, men had serenaded
and fought over her.

She glanced at Nang and saw how her longing gaze had sought out Sam’s and she
knew the reason why her son chose this girl and that their love would continue to live
on; she schemed that this should not be so. She bitterly envied the young couple’s
love and devotion for each other.

Indeed, she was wilful and she cared little for material things, but even if she was
dressed in rags Ba Yong knew that Nang could command the eyes of every man, for
she had the elusive beauty which emanated from within and had a natural talent for
making the most out of all things. There was light in those magnificent eyes that
shone from a good heart. Ba Yong resented it.
Ba Yong secretly compared her adopted daughter with Nang. Mo Mo appeared much
older than her sixteen years- she was coarse and ungainly and Ba Yong held out little
hope that Sai Sam would prefer her to Nang. No matter how hard she tried to groom
the girl and teach her to become a lady she was no match for Nang.

—ooo—

Nang thought Chiang Tawng was a beautiful place and she loved it there, walking
along the country lane arm in arm with the man she loved. Khun Sam Law and Nang
Oo Peim made a handsome pair; he, tall and slim but manly. His dark hair was long:
his skin olive, brown, tanned by the changing of the season. He had shown
confidence that had grown with every trading trip.
Nang looked far younger than her seventeen years. Her olive skin was smooth and
her eyes were dark and expressive.

Sitting cross-legged on the bank of the stream, with the sound of the brook playing
over the rocks, she felt happy and contented. This was a beautiful place, where the
two of them sat talking and laughing oblivious of anything else; just learning to love
each other.

The bottom field was furthest away from the house and prettiest of all- with rugged
hedges of wild flowers spilling their colours across the skyline and the soft ripple of
the water as it meandered along. She thought this must be as close to paradise as
anybody could get.

His voice was soft as he said, “Nang, I love you!”

When their lips came together it was a tentative gesture until their arms tightened
about each other. Then such was the force of their embrace that they both fell against
the tree that was to the side of the stone they were sitting upon.

Their lips parted and they lay against the support of the comforting teak tree and
rested there, gazing at each other until the breeze again brought down another shower
of leaves on them as they watched and lazed together. She laughed gently, “I’ve never
thought to feel like this in my life, so very happy”.

“Nang we should be going home. It will soon be dinner time.”

“Is it time already? I wish I could stay here all night. I am so happy alone with you”
The idea of going indoors to have dinner and to sit with Ba Yong and Mo Mo seemed
to have spoilt all the enjoyment and happiness she had during the day, when there was
nothing and nobody to spoil their togetherness. She dreaded to be in the presence of
the two women who hated her so much. She felt they were trying to tear her and Sai
Sam apart and destroy their love. She was uncomfortable in the tense atmosphere.

Mo Mo saw Nang and Sai Sam walking down the hill – her face was a picture of envy
and in her jealousy wrestled a hatred for Nang.

Nang felt that somebody was watching her so she glanced back and she caught sight
of Mo Mo watching through the window. Nang wanted more than ever to be friendly
with Mo Mo as they were more or less of the same age. She wanted to make her
understand that whether she liked it or not, Sai Sam and she loved each other and they
were a couple. But it seemed impossible.

Khun Sam Law noticed that Nang was very unhappy and looking very sad in the
presence of his mother and his adopted sister. He saw the antagonism and the hatred
his mother had for Nang, the hatred she no longer could hide even in the presence of
his son.

Before bedtime, Sai Sam put his arm round Nang apologised for his Mother’s
behaviour “I am so, so sorry, my mother has been very unkind to you and has made
you unhappy”.

“I don’t think she likes me at all. Can you take me back to Mongkung?”

“I don’t like you being unhappy and so sad. Of course I’ll take you back.”
But before they left Chiang Tawng, Sai Sam wanted to take Nang to see the Chiang
Tawng Waterfall, the biggest waterfall in Seing Moeng Tai.

“I’ll take you home the day after to-morrow. Before you leave here I want to take you
to see the most beautiful waterfall.”

“Oh, that’s nice. I am looking forward to it. Thanks, Bi Sam; you are so good to me.
I love you very much.”

“And I love you, Nang, my sweet, sweet girl.”

Throughout the day, Nang was in a state of enchantment. She was going home and
she thought of her family. She was grateful she had such a loving family.
Holding hands, Sai Sam and Nang wandered about taking in all the sights, the beauty
of the waterfall and the countryside. For them the visit to the place was a magical
adventure. Of all the seasons Nang loved most was after the monsoon when the sun
was at its highest in the sky with brilliant blue and everything below was comfortable
and lazy in contentment.

The wild flowers along the hills seemed to blossom in the most vivid colours and
nature altogether threw off all restraint to display such life and beauty that was
completely breathtaking.

—ooo—

While Sai Sam was courting Nang Oo Peim, his cousin and deputy Sai Twee was also
courting Nang’s elder sister, Lao Kham.

Lao Kham was not dazzlingly attractive, but she had a certain magnetism that seemed
to draw people to her. Her face was small and heart-shaped, with a halo of black hair.
Her eyes were her best features, deepest brown with a mischievous twinkle. Smaller
built than her younger sister, light and nimble; it took only a few minutes of knowing
her to realise that she had a warm heart.

Lao Kham met her young man, Sai Twee at the same time Khun Sam Law met Nang
and from then on he had frequently been to visit her, sometimes together with Khun
Sam Law and other times on his own. She had many admirers yet hadn’t particularly
wanted to get married until she met Sai Twee. Lao Kham saw Sai Twee coming along
the lane by the side of the house. Her face softened with blissful satisfaction. She had
known from the first when she met him last year at the market during the festival at
Mongkung. Since then they had been meeting and courting as often as possible.

She had known from then, of course, but it was miraculous to realise that her instinct
about him had been right. You wouldn’t call him dashing but he was handsome and
charming, he was amiable. He was kind and dependable.
No sunshine had ever been so warm and bright on her skin as she walked beside him
that afternoon – a bright afternoon with blue skies turning into a golden evening and
the brilliant prospect of what was waiting for them, though not spoken of yet. It just
felt right that they were meant for each other. How did she know? What was it about
him that was so in tune with her? She neither knew nor cared. It was there, and she
had no doubt that they were destined to be together; why should she question it?
“I believe you had a gentleman caller this afternoon, Lao?”, her mother’s look was
keen, and Lao eagerly turned to her, her radiance shining through in the candle-lit
drawing room, her expression that of those who are in love.

“Is he likely to call again, do you think?” Ba Leang was intrigued by her daughter’s
capriciousness. As far as she knew, Lao Kham had shown no interest in any other
man beyond friendship, and here she was fidgeting about the room, restlessly.

“Heavens mother, how do I know?” Lao was dreaming against the window, gazing
down the dusk filled garden as if she was in another world.

Sai Twee and Lao Kham were the happiest of couples when they married exactly a
year and a half later. Her parents had no son so when Sai Twee decided to come and
start up the paper mill in Mong Kung the whole family was delighted. Sai Sam was
perhaps the only one who felt disappointed to lose his deputy but he was pleased for
his friend that he had found a wonderful wife and a new career.

During his frequent visit to Laikha Sai Twee became interested in the production of
Shan paper called Say Hsar. When he could manage it he had been learning the
processes from the local producer, Loong Seim. He had a plan to take it up as a
cottage industry once he was married to Lao Kham and moved to Moeng Kung.

On a day when he and Sai Sam rode to Mongkung together he excitedly spoke of
nothing but his new found interest and his future venture.

“Do you think this venture of yours is going to work, Sai Twee?”

“Yes, I am very sure, I am quite sure it will.”

“Say Hsar, is widely used in Moeng Tai and Moeng Marn as well, and even in China
and Moeng Thai. Being very tough and strong it had many uses; for decoration at
pagodas and monasteries, at pavilions for religious ceremonies and at home; and also
used in making gold leaf, umbrellas, toys and books to preserve historical and
religious inscriptions, for wrapping and as note paper.”

“No doubt, it has got many uses. I agree with you. You will have to buy the raw
material; will that not be very costly?”
“The raw material used is the bark of hsar tree, found plentifully in the forest of
Mongkung. The process although slow is very simple, the art of which the Tai
brought with them when they migrated from China many centuries ago.
The bark of the hsar trees is whitened by placing in a large metal pot, covered with a
cloth, and boiled with water containing lime and ash. After a few hours of boiling, the
hsar becomes rather soft. Then the soft strips of boiled hsar can be taken to the nearby
stream and washed well. The unwanted parts are removed and the rest boiled again.
The fibre is cut into small pieces with a knife, then placed on a flat stone and beaten
with a wooden mallet until it is thoroughly reduced to a paste. The paste is again
made into small balls about the size of an egg or bigger. These balls are then put with
water in the hollow stem of a large bamboo and stirred with a large wooden or
bamboo stick until the balls turn into pulp. The pulp is poured into a wooden vat four
feet long, two feet wide and about six inches deep. A stream of slowly running water
is turned into the vat. A wooden frame covered with coarse cotton cloth is slipped
into the water under the pulp and the pulp is gently smoothed on the surface of the
cloth turning it into a very thin layer. When the frame is evenly covered with pulp it is
gently lifted out of the vat, the water running through the calico leaves a very thin
layer of the mashed pulp. The frame is placed in a slightly slanting position in the sun
to dry. When dry the sheet of paper is separated from the calico with a wooden paper
knife. When sunny the same frame or tray can be used twice in a day.”

“It sounds very interesting and you seem to have worked it all out. I am happy for you
Twee. I hope you will be very successful, and happy in Mongkung.”

“I am sorry I won’t be coming with you on the caravan trail. I shall miss it - and also
my job as a deputy. I am glad you have picked Sai Leo as your deputy. He seems a
nice and intelligent lad”.

“Yes, we’ll be OK. Don’t worry about us”

“How’s your love life with Nang? Have you named the big day?”

“Soon, I hope. You will be the first to know.

 Khun Sam Law Married Nang Oo Peim

Nang and Lao Kham went to the stream and had their early morning swim, and after
helping their mother with the morning chores Lao Kham teased her sister, “Aren’t you
going to change for him today?”

“Of course I am. Didn’t you do the same when Sai Twee called?”

“Go on with you and get ready”. Having changed into a white jacket and red sarong
and looking beautiful Nang went downstairs to wait for Sai Sam

The end of the monsoon this year seemed to Nang the most wonderful. There was
something magical about it. She thought she could never be happier than she was
right now. Nang was able to say just why she felt the way she did but wondered
whether it would last, perhaps it was all a dream. She had dreamed of how wonderful
it would be to marry her sweetheart, the handsomest of all men.

Before she met Sai Sam, Sai Laike, her childhood playmate, flirted with her, but Nang
kept him at arm’s length. She never gave him a chance though she always managed to
answer his saucy comments with good humoured teasing. She had no wish to fall out
with Sai Laike. They had grown up together and their families living and working at
nearby farms were also good friends. But, Sai Laike was not for her. Now Sai Sam,
she was thinking, he is different. Her knees trembled at the mere thought of thinking
of him.

The love in her heart spilled over, “His name is Khun Sam Law” she whispered to
herself, “We love each other a lot, and one day, we’ll get married.” Her face flushed a
bashful pink. “I hope he wants to marry me, because I don’t think I’ll ever love or
want to marry any one else.”

A sudden awareness filled her young heart bursting with love—the sight of Sai Sam
riding his favourite white horse broke into her day dreams. Sai Sam tethered his horse
and the two of them, arm in arm walked towards their favourite haunt by the river.
They laid the mat down on a huge flat rock for them to sit.

Khun Sam Law put his arm round her shoulder. She looked up with an appreciative
smile on her face. He studied her now, those intense dark brown eyes and that
innocent smile. Today her hair was free from plaits and tumbled like silk down her
shoulders. His heart missed a beat and muttered, “You are beautiful!”
She smiled at him, looked into his unbelievably vivid brown eyes and was drawn to
their magnetism. She felt herself blush, not from his compliment but from the rush of
attraction she felt for the man.

Softly, he uttered, “Nang. There is something I want to ask you.”

Sitting beside him she turned round to look him full in the face, their eyes met, “Tell
me then.”

Shifting uncomfortably he began, “Do you want us to get married one day?”

“Could we? Could we possibly get married? What about your mother, would she let
you marry a girl like me?”

“It doesn’t matter what my mother wants, that is if you love me. Do you, Nang? Do
you?”

“She was fervent in her reply, “So very much! So very much!”

“That is all that matters then”. He sighed contentedly. “We love each other.”

Full of joy, she snuggled close to him. In the dim light her eyes glowed with love and
trust. Her lips trembled when he touched them with his. She was so beautiful, and
she had promised to marry him

Young and innocent she would do anything to be with the man she loved.

The passion between Nang and Khun Sam Law was so strong they could not wait to
be married. Her heart was wide open and in many ways she was his from the start.

He had to make a choice between being obedient to his mother and marrying the girl
she loved and he had made up his mind once and for all. There is no other girl he
would rather marry than Nang, and he loved her so very much. With this new
discovered resolution he felt stronger and more confident.

The next day Sai Sam formally asked to see Khun Oak and Ba Leang. He wanted to
ask them for permission to marry Nang. Nang’s parents already knew that their
younger daughter would one day be wedded to Khun Sam Law. As far as the young
couple were concerned they had nothing to worry about. Of what they had seen of
Khun Sam Law they liked everything about him. He was a true gentleman in every
way. In spite of coming from a very rich and famous Aristocratic family he was
humble; there was no pomposity or arrogance in him. They also knew that Sai Sam
was genuinely interested in their daughter. In fact they liked Sai Sam tremendously
and thought they wouldn’t find a better man for a son-in-law.

Nang’s parents, especially her mother were worried about the difference in status and
position of the two families. She had already heard rumours of how Sai Sam’s mother
viewed her son’s marriage. Although Nang did not tell her parents about her last stay
in Chiang Tawng she overheard Nang telling her sister how horrible Ba Yong and her
adopted daughter Mo Mo had been to her. She sensed that Nang had not been happy
when she lasted visited Sai Sam’s house.

Ba Leang and Khun Oak felt that they had been put in an awkward situation and
didn’t know what they would say to Sai Sam. They told Sai Sam that they would
think about it and have a talk with him when he came the next day. They had no
qualms about Sai Sam at all but they were not sure whether Ba Young would accept
Nang as her daughter-in-law. Would Nang ever be happy living under the same roof
as Ba Yong? Question after question kept coming up and they had little sleep
throughout the night.

Sai Sam arrived early the next morning very composed. No doubt he was nervous but
showed no sign of being so. He was invited to sit round the fire, the family’s meeting
place and have Shan tea with them. Both Nang and Lao Kham were doing chores.

Trying not to offend him Khun Oak looked at Sai Sam kindly and spoke very calmly,
“Sai Sam, you are a good man, a gentleman. We love and respect you and most of all
we know you and Nang love each other very much. But besides the two of you there
are others to consider. First of all, there is your mother. I believe she does not
approve of you marrying Nang?”

“It is true, she doesn’t approve of me marrying Nang. My mother is a very strong and
unreasonable person, but I have made a choice- whatever she thinks I still want to
marry Nang and I don’t want to marry anybody else.”

“My wife and I feel that Nang will not be happy living in the same house as your
mother. You can understand that, can’t you? She wouldn’t be happy, living with
somebody who does not approve of her.”
“After Nang and I are married I intend to build us a house where we can live on our
own and bring up our children the way we want,” Sai Sam reassured them.

“Please think carefully before you jump into marriage. We want you to be sure. We
want the two of you to be happy.”

“I have planned it all out, my father had left me some precious stones and I hope to
travel to Chiang Tung (Kengtung) and perhapshem for gold and silver coins. With
that I can buy timber and other things to build a nice comfortable home for Nang and
our children. But with your permission both Nang and I would like to marry before I
leave. We love each other so much we don’t want to wait any longer.”

“While I am away I will leave Nang here under your care and I will collect her as soon
as I get back. We will live with my uncle, Khun Pang and Ba Tip while the house is
being built. I have already made arrangements and spoken to them about it.”

“If you are sure, then my wife and I have nothing more to say, other than that you have
both our permission and our blessing. When do you want to be married?”

“I was hoping we could marry in the next few days, if you have no objection? I want
to go to Chiang Tawng soon after the Buddhist lent.”

“Will your mother be coming to the wedding?”

“No, I don’t think my mother will be coming, but my uncle will.”

“Leang, we have a wedding to arrange. We must ask Syrah Pan Sing to choose an
auspicious day,” Khun Oak said turning to his wife.

As Sai Sam went down the stairs he was in a jubilant mood. Nang was anxiously
waiting for him to hear the news. Sai Sam pulled her in his arms, “Nang, your parents
have given us permission and blessing to marry.”

“Oh, Bi Sam, I am so happy”.

—ooo—

It was the middle of June, the Tuesday of the following week was chosen as an
appropriate wedding day for Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim. Friends and families
were notified and invited, while some were wondering why this hurry?
Khun Oak, with the help of his mates hurried to construct a temporary bamboo living
accommodation for the groom, his family and guests. Having finished that, they
constructed a marquee for the wedding ceremony and to entertain relatives and guests
of both the bride and groom.

The day began at 5 a.m. with cooking, and with preparations for a 9 a.m. traditional
ceremony.

ÿþNang had her hair swept up into a tidy traditional topknot with a string of white
jasmine flowers round it. She then put on her make up while her sister sat beside her
giving her critical opinion. She changed into a pink embroidered skirt and a white
crossover jacket with a long pink silky shawl hung over her shoulders down to the
waist.

“Bi Lao, how do I look?”

“You look very pretty! All the men will envy Sai Sam. He is a very lucky man”.

Ba Leang peeping through the door smiled with satisfaction.

Khun Oak and Ba Leang followed by the bride and sister strode to the marquee which
was a few yards away from their house. A low carpeted platform slightly higher than
the floor was reserved for the bride and groom while the rest sat on a lower carpeted
floor.

Nang, looking very attractive, but nervously waited on the platform for the groom to
arrive. Within a short while the groom, family and friends led by Khun Pang and Ba
Tip entered the marquee in a single file, each carrying loads of presents, jewellery,
gold coins and house wares for the bride. Sai Sam too had something special for the
bride.

Sai Sam wore a traditional costume of loose long silk trousers and loose white jacket,
embroidered with gold silk. Wearing a pink turban and looking most outstanding Sai
Sam walked towards the platform, and both the bride and groom made a handsome
pair as they greeted each other with a smile. The wedding consisted of a blessing
ceremony, where as per Buddhist philosophy, the couple was encouraged to build a
harmonious and progressive family life.
To the chimes of the gong the girl’s family welcomed visitors by cupping their palms
and inviting every body to feel welcomed.
The congregation, including the bride and groom said a prayer together, and Khun
Oak and Khun Pang then advanced towards the platform where the bride and groom
were sitting. With a small bouquet of flowers dipped in holy water they both blessed
the white threads which were placed on a tray in front of the bride and groom. Nang
and Sai Sam turned to faced each other and placed their right hands together, the
bride’s on top and with the palms of the hands facing each other. Khun Oak and Khun
Pang in turn took a thread and twined three times round the coupled hands. Again
they both blessed the twined hands. Other relatives and friends one by one got up
from their seats and did the same, to congratulate and wish the couple a long happy
and prosperous life together.

Relatives and friends then sat together for a very special lunch. The dishes were of
pork, chicken, fish and beef cooked to a crispy, piquant or herby perfection. Dishes
included grilled fish with lemon grass, pork cooked with sour bamboo shoots. There
were many dips called nham hpit and each with its appropriate accompaniment of
vegetables and potato and rice crisps. There were Kao Sao, (ordinary white rice) Kao
Neo or sticky rice and Kao Hseng or purple rice, and not forgetting the many different
types of pickles. It was indeed a Tai’s banquet at its best.

Smiling people watched and were eager to get a glimpse of the newly married couple
from their own balconies, and the whole village rejoiced and was full of news of the
marriage of Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim, which soon spread to all
neighbouring villages and towns.

The evening was again celebrated as a dedication to bride and groom, and the families
and guests were given similar special dinner. In a romantic atmosphere of music,
candles and scents, the newly married couple was pampered and the guests
entertained. Under such a joyous and intimate atmosphere no couple could be luckier
and happier at this moment than Khun Sam Law and his new bride, especially when
they themselves were so in love.
The next day Nang and Khun Sam Law went to offer lunch and donation to monks at
the local monastery and also to ask them for their blessings. On their return home
they paid respect to Nang’s parents and to Khun Pang and Ba Tip, who in return gave
them their blessings.

*****

When Khun Pang arrived back in Chiang Tawng, he was not looking forward to
breaking the news to Ba Yong that her son had married Nang Oo Peim. Khun Pang’s
heart sank. Whether he liked it or not, he would have to bear the wrath of a woman
whose lifelong scheme had failed. It would be hard enough to break the news to his
sister-in-law that Khun Sam Law had married without her blessing, but to a woman
like Ba Yong, it was extremely daunting. He wasn’t looking forward to doing the job
which his nephew had asked of him. Ba Yong had always made it clear that any girl
from an ordinary farmer’s family was below her own family’s status.

Khun Pang could never understand his sister-in-law. He thought, after all Nang came
from a very decent family and both she and her sister had been brought up by parents
who have a good occupation that enabled them to achieve a good standard of living
and had earned themselves respect and were highly though of by friends and
neighbours. The two girls had also been given love and understanding by their
parents which was more than Ba Yong had given Sai Sam. Ba Yong loved Sai Sam,
but she was possessive and always demanding. He is more like his father. After his
brother died he did try to advise him in what he thought was right for him. If his
influence had effect on his growing up then he had done a good job by him and had
given great satisfaction. He had great affection for his nephew and he was proud of
him that under his guidance he had grown up to be a sensible man, strong in his
conviction and capable in his job.

Chapter XII- Parting is grief

Oo Peim and Khun Sam Law were now husband and wife and in private they had
vowed to love and be faithful to each until death.

Khun Oak and Ba Leang had arranged a modest bridal room for the two newly-weds.
The marital bed was shrouded with mystery for both of them. They both at first felt a
little shy.

Sai Sam embraced his wife and kissed her gently. The kiss was long and lingering.
They both felt their desire grew, but there was no rush, no need to hurry. They were
married and they belonged to each other. He stopped and looked down at her and felt
so much love for her, he didn’t know if he could contain it,

When Nang was growing up she never dreamed she would find a man like Sai Sam,
so gentle and kind. She was so lucky.
He felt a catch in his throat and bent down to kiss her again, and knew he had to have
her, to love her, to join with her. He was grateful to know that she was there for him.
She always seemed to want him when he wanted her. She had never played coy
games with him. She felt flashes of pleasure like lightning blazing through her.

As he rolled off to one side, he wondered whether this was how a baby was started
inside a woman. Nang rolled over on her side and Sai Sam cuddled up behind her,
resting on one side. They were nestled together and fell asleep.

She was unable to nod off although she was comfortable and satisfied. She had
woken up later than usual in the morning, and as she lay awake, she began to think
about how lucky she was.

The next morning the two newly-weds went for a stroll along the river. Both were
happy and contented until Nang thought of her Mother-in-law.

“Bi Sam, What shall I do to make your mother like me; how can I change?”

“You must never wish to be anything else other than yourself. You have the very
essence of life in you - a vitality that shines from your eyes and lights up the space
around you. That is why I love you so very much. My mother is the most
unreasonable woman. She is domineering and a control freak. She got worse after
my father died. She will never change”

“We will have to live in a separate house, then?

“That is what I want to do, Nang, my sweet love. Look I have been thinking about us
and our future together. I want us to have the best. As you know we would not be
able to live at my mother’s house, I want us to have a house of our own, and our
marriage will be a union for the rest of our lives. But, before I build a house I must go
away and trade; this means going as far as Chiang Tawng and Chiangmai.”

“I don’t want a grand house; all I want is to be a good wife”.

“As I told your parents my father left me some precious stones I want to exchange
them for silver and gold pieces. I will get a better bargain in Chiang Tawng and
Chiangmai than anywhere else in Seing Moeng Tai.”

“You are going soon, aren’t you?” Her heart sunk like a heavy weight inside her.
He nodded, “There is a big world out there and a chance to make something for us.”

“I know you must go, Bi Sam” she spoke gently before she lost courage “my prayers
and heart go with you and I will be waiting.”

“I will definitely return prosperous and safely home again,” he pledged softly, his
arms were holding her close and he had never loved her more.

Sai Sam went back to Chiang Tawng to make plans for the journey. He was taking Sai
Leo, his deputy and two other men and all four of them were to travel by horse. He
had chosen four of his strongest horses, but leaving his favourite white one behind.

Before he left in October he came to see his wife once more, after the rainy season
was over.

Unlike the day before, Nang opened her eyes very early the next morning. She felt a
little nauseated but not quite to vomit, and had some fried rice to calm her unsettled
stomach. She didn’t know whether she felt better or not.
She went to the sitting room and started the fire. “You’re up early this morning
Nang.” Her sister said in a soft voice, so as not to disturb her parents
“What is the matter?”

Nang looked down at her feet. There was no sparkle in Nang’s eyes, just fear. “Come
on Nang, tell me,” her sister interrupted.

Nang, pulled herself together, and stammered, “Lao, I think I am having a baby,” there
she said it, she couldn’t meet her sister’s eyes. Just then Ba Leang entered the room
just to hear what Nang was a telling her sister.

“Have you told Sai Sam?” She interrogated.

He is leaving on a trading trip to Chiang Tawng. That is why I am so afraid Mei. We

wanted little kids, but not this soon, especially when he is going away.

Ba Leang put her arm round her daughter, “Never mind, never mind. After all you are
married. He will be home when the baby is born. He is a nice lad and I am sure he
will be pleased that you are carrying his child. Will he be coming to see us before he
leaves?”

“Yes, he will be here tomorrow”.

Sai San turned up at noon just in time to have lunch with his wife and new family.
Nang couldn’t wait to tell him the news that she was carrying his baby.

They had their usual walk and sat down on a nice flattened rock. “Bi Sam, I have
something to tell you”, Nang couldn’t keep her secret any longer.

Sai Sam looked up questioningly, “Something pleasant?”

“I am going to have a baby.”

He swept her into his arms, “I am so happy.”

“You are pleased then?”

“Of course I am, aren’t you?”

“I am, but I would have liked it better, if you were not going away. Two months is a
long time. I shall miss you so very much, but I will try not to fret.”

“That is my brave girl. When I return I will build us a house and we can bring up our
child together. What a happy family we will be”.

The two love birds enjoyed their last day together, loving, laughing, teasing and
planning their future. It is only for two or three months they keep reminding each
other, but it was heart rending for them both, almost unbearable to part even for a
short period.

Whilst Sai Sam had gone to Chiangmai, Nang’s life was in contrast very quiet. She
was busy with the same routine, of course, but she was missing Sai Sam already and
he had only been gone a few days.

In the first few days she managed to keep herself busy without fretting much. With
the harvest and Pwe Awk Wa approaching there was plenty of work. Although Sai
Twee became an additional member of the family and living with them in the same
house he was busy with his own paper making business. It was at night, before going
to sleep that her thoughts became centred on her husband and the baby she was
carrying. She wondered who her baby would look like. She would not mind who her
baby resembled, but “Oh no!” she cried out aloud, “not like that horrible mother-in-
law of mine.”
It was October, besides the every day routine of trying to earn a living the whole
family was busy making lanterns and weaving yellow robes so that they could have
everything ready for the annual Light Festival, on the full moon day of next month.
Last year Nang was the female Kenerri and the Village Headman had asked her to do
the same again. Pregnant with her first child she would have to say no, but she didn’t
know what excuse she could give to the headman. To tell him the truth would be to
advertise that she was carrying a child. She was worrying over this but her mother
came to the rescue. In the morning Ba Leang went to have a quiet word with Loong
Heing, the Headman. He took it very well and said “Don’t worry about it; I’ll ask
young Nang Zing, I heard she is quite a good dancer.”

When evening arrived Nang, Lao Kham and other young people took part in lighting
the street, each carrying a paper lantern lit by a candle made of bees’ wax. They
walked in a single file from one Pagoda situated at one end of the village to the one at
the opposite end, walking by all the houses along the route. They were followed by
the Kenneri and Kennara, the yak and martial art dances which were accompanied by
Shan drum and cymbals.

At both pagodas everybody said a prayer and lit candles at the altar. At this time of
the year Pagodas, houses, public buildings, parks, and monuments were all
illuminated and at the second pagoda various activities, dancing and singing went on
until midnight.

While the young people were having fun the older folks were at the monastery
preparing food for the next morning to feed monks as well as the congregation,
especially the Village Elders.

The festival was a time for reflection, celebration and joy; but it was also for
thanksgiving and paying homage to Buddhist monks, teachers, parents and elders.
This was the time for asking pardon for whatever misdeeds they might have
committed during the year.

Nang was present at the festival and she joined in the merry making but her heart was
not altogether there as she could not get Sai Sam out of her head; she thought she
must pray for his safety and she did so fervently.

November had ended and Nang’s spirit was high as the date for Sai Sam’s return drew
near. She thought it won’t be long now when her husband would be here to love and
hold her again. December came and went but there was neither Sai Sam nor any news
of him. Her anxiety grew and she became very worried and was beginning to show it
in her face. At nights she cried, and her sister Lao Kham heard her sobbing, “Oh Bi
Sam, I wished you were here”.

Chapter XIII- Nang Oo Peim went to Chiang Tawng to await her husband’s
return

The next morning Lao Kham feeling her sister’s pain had a word with her parents and
it was decided that she and her mother would take Nang to Chiang Tawng to find out
what had kept Sai Sam away from home for so long.
The three of them set out in a bullock cart to Chiang Tawng. Nang was worried but
her pregnancy increased her innate vivacity. It took them three days to get to Chiang
Tawng but once they arrived at the town Nang had forgotten the direction to Sai Sam’s
house. Tired and weary, Nang got down and stopped to ask an old lady working on
her plot, “Please can you direct me to Khun Sam Law’s house?”

Wide eyed, the old lady scrutinized Nang up and down. What does a nice pretty
young lady want with the most popular bachelor in town? She looked too proper to be
one of those loose women who would dare come looking for a young man. Could it
be his mistress he kept on his journey? Could it be someone he married? Rumours
had been flying round that he had married a young lady in Mongkung although Ba
Yong had refuted the rumours and told everybody that her son was to wed her adopted
daughter Mo Mo.

“Just go on along the road on the left and you will come to the biggest house in the
town. The master of the house is not in, but his mother and sister are.”

Ba Yong knew that her son had married Nang Oo Peim but she had refused to accept it
and was still bent on separating them.

When Nang, her mother and sister arrived Ba Yong was shocked to see the
unwelcome trio. But, in front of Nang’s mother she was able to hide her feelings and
was all smiles and welcome. This she had done well as she was a good actress.

Ba Leang explained why they had come and asked whether Ba Yong had heard from
Sai Sam.
“No, there is no news at all”, she answered and said that she was very worried because
she had heard that Burmese King Bodawpaya’s soldiers were marching towards
Chiangmai to invade, and the soldiers were forcing Shan citizens to go with them.

“We pray he will be safe. Nang had been worrying and crying every night so we
thought if she waited for him here she would hear news of him sooner. We would like
to keep her here in your care, if you agree?”

Ba Yong thought she had to act. It must have taken great effort for her to say that she
would look after Nang, and declared that she would be in safe hands.

Both Ba Leang and Lao Kham, although worried for Nang thought Ba Yong sounded
genuine enough and may be she wasn’t as bad as Nang had described her to be and
after all Nang was her son’s wife. Surely she as her mother-in-law would have some
sympathy for her. They little realised what a good actress she was and didn’t suspect
how malicious she could be.

Soon after Ba Leang and Lao Kham left, Ba Yong could not wait any longer before
she revealed her disappointment. She thought it was the most hopeless match; she,
this chit of a girl had too much control over her son. She, his mother would be out of
his son’s life forever if this continued. Nang felt uncomfortable in the presence of her
mother-in-law and her adopted daughter with the unwelcome look they were giving
her. She wanted to go home at that very moment, but she would have to stay until she
heard news of her husband. That was her reason for staying. “Oh, how I wish Bi Sam
was here,” she thought.

Mo Mo showed Nang to her room. “How long do you think you will be staying?” she
asked mockingly.

Nang didn’t know how to reply, “Not long I hope.”

“Oh?” She muttered back sarcastically.

Nang felt so alone, she was not far from crying but, she decided for Sai Sam and her
baby’s sake she must be strong and not let the two women who disliked her so much
affect her.

Nang woke early and couldn’t sleep. Her thoughts jumped from one thing to the
other. She got dressed and went into the sitting room and saw that there was little to
give her pleasure; she saw a lovely harp made of teak and picked up the string
instrument and began to strum a few notes when like a thunder Ba Yong stormed into
the room and possessively snatched it away from her hands. “How dare you touch
anything in this house? This harp is a present given to Sai Sam by his father just
before he died. How dare you, how dare you”, she shouted at Nang.

Nang gently placed the harp in its place. A wave of shock ran through her body, “I am
married to her son; why can’t she accept it?” she muttered to herself.

At lunch time Nang was not the slightest hungry although in an effort to keep the
peace she did try to eat. She put a mouthful of rice and fish into her mouth. She felt
something like a fish bone catching at her throat. She quickly got up and went to the
verandah to cough out the food. She found a small piece of thorny twig. She took it
that it got into the food by accidence.

“What is the matter - is the food not good enough for you?” a sneering remark came
from her mother-in-law. Now she wasn’t sure whether the piece of thorn was not
deliberately put into the food, yet she could not believe that anybody would do such a
dangerous thing even though she knew that her mother–in-law and Mo Mo disliked
her immensely.

Nang wanted to retaliate and shout back but she was a well brought up Shan lady;
from birth her parents had taught her and her sister to respect their elders; shouting
back was not only cheeky but disrespectful. So she bit her tongue.

Nang was young. It overwhelmed and frightened her. It was difficult for her as she
was all alone. She had no one to help her; no one to welcome her. If only Bi Sam was
here, things would be different. At night she cried herself to sleep. She sunk lower
into despair when she thought escape was the only way to survive. She would return
home where she would find love and understanding. She sent a message to her
parents to send Lao Kham and Sai Twee to come and fetch her.

Before she left Nang went to visit Ba Tip, Khun Pang’s wife. Ba Tip was surprised
but was glad to see Nang. Both she and her husband were very fond of their nephew
and they had learned to do the same with his wife. She knew what Ba Yong was like
and often wondered how Nang was getting on, although she tried not to interfere to
avoid Ba Yong getting into a temper.
“Come in, Nang.”

When she saw Ba Tip she wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. “What is
the matter, Nang?” Ba Tip crossed the verandah where she was cooking and placed a
comforting arm around the girl’s shoulder.

“Oh! Ba Tip”, swinging round and threw herself into Ba Tip’s arms, sobbing
continuously. Ba Tip was a very tiny woman, with black hair and an exuberant
manner with a heart of gold.

“Nang, what is it my dear. What makes you so sad?”

“Ba Tip, I have tried so hard to please Sao Ba Yong, but no matter what I do I can’t
please her. She is determined to dislike me. I think she wants to break up our
marriage. I can’t stand living with Ba Yong and Mo Mo any longer. I am leaving
Chiang Tawng when Bi Lao and Bi Twee arrive to pick me up”.

“Can’t you wait until Sai Sam returns? I am sure he won’t be long now”

“No, I just can’t, I am so unhappy. They both hate me so much.”

“Please tell Bi Sam when he arrives back, that I have tried but failed to please his
mother. I can’t understand how mother and son can be so different, one is so kind and
loving and the other so mean without a thread of compassion in her heart. Please tell
him that I love him very much and I and his child will wait for him in Mongkung.”

“Of course, Nang, I will tell him. But, Nang you must not go home on your own.
Promise me that you will wait until your sister arrives to pick you up.”

“Goodbye, Ba Tip, thank you for listening.”

—ooo—

Nang gazed out of the window at the Mother-in-law’s house and noticed the sun
beating down on the water of the pools after the rain. Then, impulsively she rushed to
her room and started to pack. She was getting suffocated with her mother-in-law’s
and Mo Mo’s treatment. The rain had eased off and she decided there and then she
was not waiting for her sister to arrive; she thought she could meet her half way. With
a few things she could manage to carry she stepped out of her husband’s family home.
Aghast, Ba Yong stared at her with her mouth open and she didn’t know whether to
feel glad or sorry that her daughter-in-law was leaving. Nang had her last say; in her
gentle tone she said “I wasn’t trying to steal Bi Sam from you. You and I both love
him; in fact I was hoping that we could be friends.”

“Maybe you do not intend to steal him, but you have bewitched him. I have never
seen my son look at any woman the way he looked at you. You are a danger that has
to be removed before you do more harm to him and to this family.”

Sickened by the woman’s ranting Nang turned and stepped out of the house into the
coldness of a very wet afternoon. She couldn’t stay in the same house with her any
longer.

She shuddered and had not gone very far when she began to feel pain all over her
body, especially in her abdomen. She swallowed her pain as she stepped an inch
closer to near collapsing. Carrying a child and having to walk from Chiang Tawng to
Mongkung was too much. She forced herself to concentrate on the little child inside
her but her pain was too severe.

She needed hope - something to cling to - but that was tough even for a determined
optimist. She had to stop, and staggering she saw a flat surface under a tree not far
from the road where she quickly laid down to ease her pain. She didn’t want to be too
far away from the roadside in case her sister and her husband should miss seeing her.
Her body racked with agony and sweat trickled down her back- not only from the
clammy heat but within and outside her body and from the sheer effort of moving.

She had not envisaged the severity of pain which tore through her as the baby came
out from her body.

Weakened by the continuous starvation at her mother-in-law’s and torturous pain

which riddled every inch of her body she could not keep her senses any longer.
Slipping into unconsciousness she fell to one side with the still-born baby still
attached to her by the umbilical cord.

Lao Kham and Sai Twee were on a bullock cart on their way to fetch Nang. They
were spurring the bullocks on to go fast. Poor Nang, thought Lao Kham. Her
husband Sai Twee was very fond of Nang too but his thought and anxiety was for Sai
Sam. He could not understand why he had been delayed for so long in returning
home. Sai Sam and he had been childhood playmates and as adults they had worked
and had many happy years together. He couldn’t bear it if anything should happen to
him.

Sai Twee and Lao Kham very nearly went by when they saw a body of a woman by
the roadside. “Wait, Bi Twee, look over there”. They stopped the cart and ran to
inspect when Lao Kham cried, “It’s Nang,” I think she is dead!
Sai Twee felt her pulse, “No, no she still alive!” They put blankets on her and realised
what had happened. “Oh, dear, she has lost her baby.” Bi Twee can you please fetch
the scissors from my basket?

Lao Kham cautiously cut the umbilical cord and massaged Nang’s abdomen to rid her
of all the afterbirth.

Lao Kham and Sai Twee nursed her back to consciousness by keeping her warm.
They gathered dried twigs and lit a fire near her body. They boiled some water and let
her sip warm water bit by bit. At last she opened her eyes, “What has happened?”

Lao Kham, had her sister’s head on her lap and she gently caressed her forehead,
“Nang, I am sorry you had a miscarriage. Your son was stillborn.”

Nang looked shocked and frightened. “I should have waited for you, but I couldn’t
stand staying with those two any longer. What have I done? Our son, Bi Sam’s and
mine? What will Bi Sam say?”

“Don’t worry, knowing Sai Sam I am sure he will understand. He is a wonderful

man,” Sai Twee tried to comfort her.

“I know, but I feel that I have let him down.” At the same time, her heart swelled with
pride and joy that she had a wonderful man to love and that he had chosen her out of
the many women he could pick and choose from. She felt her heart would burst. She
had now let him down; she had lost their son. I wished he was here. All kinds of
emotions swept through her.

She gently held the baby and sobbed continuously as if her heart would break. Then
she carefully and lovingly wrapped the little thing with a scarf that Sai Sam had given
her and placed it on a branch of a tree. Sobbingly, she said her goodbye, “My son,
should you become a little Tong Law Bird; please try to contact your father, Khun
Sam Law by calling out to him wherever he may be, ‘paw oui, paw oui’ and he will
hear you.” Both Lao Kham and Sai Twee couldn’t do anything to ease Nang’s pain
but watched the pitiful scene with tears rolling down their faces.
Coaxingly, Lao Kham lead her sister into the cart and Sai Twee drove them back home
where their parents waited anxiously for them.

*****
Sai Sam, Sao Leo and two other lads were trying to evade the column of Bodawpaya’s
army marching to Thailand. Bodawpaya was the Burmese King who ruled over Mong
Marn, while the Shan Mongs had to send tributary and supply contingents to fight for
him. At this period in time they were hoping to invade Thailand again and whenever
they encountered Tai men during their march they would grab them and force them to
join their column. The Burmese soldiers had been known to be very fierce and bully
the Tai people, including monks to do as they wished.

With careful planning and listening diligently Sai Sam and his friends had managed to
avoid the Burmese soldiers. They arrived at Tachilek safely and stayed a night at an
old acquaintance’s house. Here Sai Sam was able to find out who to contact for the
exchange of his goods. Early in the morning he and his three friends proceeded to
Maehongson and met with the trader that had been introduced to him. The trade
transaction completed amicably and Sai Sam was very pleased that there were no
hitches and now they could make their way back home without any delay.

When Sai Sam got to Takaw, they hoped to cross the Nham Khong in the early
morning. The next morning when he opened his eyes Sai Sam looked through the
window of the hut which they had rented for the night and saw the dawn was just
breaking. He got up and looked across at the river. It seemed as if it was going to be
a nice day, the weather was mild and river looked quite calm. So he sent Sai Leo to
hire a ferry for the crossing. Soon, after an early meal, the men loaded their horses
and luggage on the ferry and started their journey home. Standing on the ferry, he
admired the big sun rising from behind the mountain and thought it would only take
three or four days to get home and then he could get to Monkung in two days, it
would not be long now before he saw his wife again. It would be wonderful as he was
missing her so much.

When the ferry reached half way across the river the wind became strong and the
waves were getting rougher. “I hope the storm is not brewing” he said aloud. Then
all of a sudden the calm weather unleashed an unwelcome surprise for them - a storm
broke out - which hurled across the river with winds of very high speed. All of a
sudden the storm swung round like a monster and the ferry was overwhelmed by
mountainous waves in the middle of the crossing, bashing the ferry into two unequal
pieces. Sai Sam and his companions clung to the bigger piece and floated along with
the waves. Terrified, but Sai Sam advised his companions to keep clinging tight onto
the raft. They tried to save the horses but failed to hold on to them and all four horses
went with the waves and were drowned. They lost the beddings and clothes but
managed to save the gold and silver pieces in the bag tied round their waist.

Soaked through and terrified the raft flung them on to the bank of the river on the
opposite side of where they had started. This was fortunate because it brought them
on the right side for their journey, but they could not tell how far up the river and how
far they were from the villages. The winds had died down only slightly by morning,
dark clouds piled up in the east, and the rain began to fall steadily.

The evening was drawing in and sky was jet black. All four undressed and hung their
wet clothes on a branch of the tree to dry. By now the rain had stopped. By using a
small bit of the dry flint they had stored in a tin in the bag round their waist they
managed to light a fire to keep them warm. Once the fire was lit they decided not to
do anything but have a good sleep.

In the morning the men had sticky rice for breakfast. Fortunately they managed to
save all the bamboo sections filled with sticky rice that each of them carried for an
emergency. After making another fire they cooked the sticky rice. Sai Sam suggested,
“Let’s cook only two of the rice and keep the other two for when we should need it
again.”

They seemed to have landed in the midst of a jungle. There was no sign of human
habitation, all they could hear was the wind howling. After eating the rice Sai Sam
decided that they would follow the river and walk eastward. They walked over rough
mountains and to their surprise underneath was a huge cave. The cave entrance was
narrow. Sai Leo was standing just inside the entrance, peering inwards. “It’s very dark
in here. But I fancy I can see. Have you got a light? Only a bee wax candle.”

Sam heard sounds of agitation and became alarmed as they saw a group of men in the
cave. A few feet from the entrance the cave widened from a natural subterranean
passage to what seemed a rounded chamber, its roof rising to over ten feet in height.
Oddly enough, ahead of them a natural light glowed. The two sides were suspicious
of each other, the men were hiding – Sai Sam found out that they were also traders –
hiding from a column of the Burmese Army marching in the direction of Chiang
Tung(Kengtung). They were afraid that the Burmese would force them to go and fight
their war against Mong Thai.
At the entrance they lit a log fire to warm themselves. That night they cooked the
remaining sticky rice and asked the other traders to join them and these men in turn
provided dried meat and soya bean cakes. They also had tea which was drank in
bamboo cups which they quickly and easily carved out from bamboo segments

By now Sai Pang and company found out that they were not far away from Kun Hing
except that they would have to cross the Nam Pang river first before they could make
their journey towards Chiang Tawng. They hired the Ferry and crossed.

Once they came on land they discovered that at about the same time they experienced
the storm while crossing the River Nham Khong, Nham Pang had its fair share of the
storm and they didn’t have to walk far when they saw that in places the river banks
had burst and the flood water sped down to the villages into farm houses and
farmlands. People were running to higher ground and animals were swept off their
feet and also swam towards higher ground. Just as they reached the top of the hill, a
group of horsemen rode towards them. They heard them shouting in Burmese; it was
the Kings men marching to invade Thailand.

Houses came into view and with them villagers. Choked with fear and worry, they
were running about as if they were drunk. It had rained for weeks and the whole
village was flooded.

Sparking silver and gold, the Nam Pang could be seen from the slopes of the hill,
together with its sandy little islands where supplicants sought refuge in troubled times.

They found a rough thatched shelter near the river bank that was dry enough to sleep.
At dawn a light rose from the pallid sun, and a slight breeze skimmed the fronts of the
squat bamboo houses, it slipped through openings and thatch roofs, bringing with it
optimism despite the flood.

While he was unconscious, Sai Sam found himself dreaming that he was at the top of
the hill on which the entire city was teeming with animal life.

He was rudely woken up by a slap. A powerful hand raised him to his feet. He found
himself face to face with a dark countenance over which the candle light cast a ghostly
light.

“What are you doing here?” he growled.

“ What about you?” Then he recognised a farmer from his home town, also making
his way home, and they greeted one another.

Night fell as they were walking and the clouds which had broken up in the afternoon,
settled in and thickened, so it got extremely dark. A wolf passed by, and moved
somewhat in front of them, suspiciously defensive; they could hear and feel the
vibration of his barely audible growl.

Sometimes they walked and sometimes they ran. They bought horses from a village
on the way.

It was midnight when Sai Sam arrived back in Chiang Tawng. He heard from one of
his friends that his wife was at his house waiting for him. He galloped fast but was
not quick enough. He got off his horse and hurried upstairs.

As soon as he saw his mother he knew something had happened while he was away
and he had always known that she would be there, waiting for him, He was back but
today she was not there. “Where is Nang?” He said quietly, hopelessly. “Tell me.”

“Your wife didn’t like it here so she went home. A good wife would have waited for
her husband, but not your wife.” Sai Sam wanted to retaliate but bit his tongue. His
anger with his mother had just lurked or hidden between a veneer of good manners
and politeness. It has passed midnight so he couldn’t do anything until morning.

Morning came and Sai Sam took his white horse and rode to Mongkung. Ba Yong
heard him moving about the house. She knew instinctively that her son would follow
his wife.

“Sai Sam, Sai Sam,” she called and ran down the stairs. There was no answer so she
called louder, “Sai Sam.” She then knew that she had lost the battle and her son
forever. “Oh, Sai Sam,” he had gone, her heart sunk but she still hoped he would be
back.

Ba Yong began to feel a great deal of remorse; for a brief moment almost promised
that she would try to accept Nang as the wife of her son and be nicer to her.
 Two Lover’s quest to forever be together

Nang laid on the mattress in the front room near the fire of her parent’s house fighting
for her life. Sometimes she could hear her sister and mother mumble something, and
then they sniffed as if they had a cold. She saw her mother and father crying. Are
they crying because she was going to die? But, where was Sai Sam. She wanted to
see him, his tender, loving face.

She lay in the room; her eyes tightly closed, trying to conjure up in her mind a world
with Sai Sam and their children in the house that Sai Sam promised to build; but
where can Sai Sam be?

For days and nights Nang’s life hovered between the delicate lines where her heart
beat one way or the other would decide whether she lived or died.

She opened her eyes and recognised her parents, “Mei, Baw,” her hand reaching out
for theirs. “This is the end of me; I have no more strength to go on!”

Ba Leang wanted to comfort her daughter but no words came out; except tears kept
flowing. Khun Oak uttered “My little girl, my sweet Nang!”

At that moment Sai Twee and Lao Kham saw Sai Sam riding towards the house. They
ran down to meet him. “Nang is very ill and had been ill for sometime”, Sai Twee and
Lao Kham warned him, “at first we thought she would get better; but she got weaker
and sunk lower every day. After the miscarriage she cried, but after she used to sing
to her lost baby. She called out your name several times; she missed you very much.”

“I have been such a fool! A blind fool!” Sai Sam looked up, his pale eyes glittering
with anger at himself. “I have failed her and done a terrible wrong.”

His grieving in private was terrible and heart-tearing and he knew deep down and
inside him where no one could see, that if his little wife died he would not like to go
on living. He then went to her bedside, and she was there lying very still, could not
speak, but she did recognise him and smiled lovingly up at him as he held her hand,
“Darling, Bi Sam there you are,” he heard her whisper.

At hearing her feeble voice he had felt a ray of hope. She was frail and her skin was
pale but she was just as beautiful as ever. He put his hand over his mouth to stop
himself crying out loud. They told him she had a miscarriage and later she caught
malaria but he had not expected her to be as bad as this. Somehow, Sai Sam managed
to stop crying and sat holding her hand. It was too much to bear, watching her like
this. “I am sorry, Nang, my lovely Nang, please forgive me for not being here with
you.”

He touched the curve of her eye brows and saw the picture of her at the time before he
left a beautiful woman with lustrous shiny black hair and those innocent but
intelligent eyes sparkling out at him.

Sai Sam felt angry with himself for leaving her with his mother and for the way she
had treated his wife.

Since his arrival Khun Sam Law hardly ate anything except for a cup of tea and
throughout the night he was by her bedside. The next morning Ba Leang came in with
more tea. He smelled lunch being served but he didn’t feel hungry. He felt as if he
must be near her so that he could encourage her to fight for her life.

Khun Oak came and put his hand on his son-in-law’s shoulder. “Sometimes people
need to be told they can go,” he said. “They will only suffer to keep on fighting.”

Khun Sam Law stared at him. “What a strange thing to say,” he thought.

“You have to tell her she can go,” Khun Oak repeated. “She’s been waiting for you,
so she can go now.”

“How can you tell?” Sai Sam said.

“You learn things through experience. I have seen a few people dying in my time.”

Sai Sam winced at the word dying.

“It is alright to say the word dying. Nang is very weak now, she knows she is going,
let her go gently and you don’t want to encourage her to keep on fighting. We all have
to go, one day Sai Sam. She has been holding on to life until you came.”

“I’ll leave you to have the last few moments with her.”

Sai Sam nodded.

He sat on the edge of the bed and caressed her forehead.

“I love you Nang. You can let go now. I promise you I shall be with you wherever
you go.” He felt tears sliding down his face. “It will be alright, because wherever you
are, I will be there too.”

For Nang it was like fighting through cobwebs, but perhaps her sweetest, most
disturbing dream had been about Sai Sam, her beloved Sai Sam. He had leaned over
and kissed her, many times warm, comforting and safe. He had never wept like others
but lifting her up to a place which delighted her; a place in which he and she had
shared, moments of truth and beauty. His brown eyes had smiled; his hands were
strong in hers. He spoke softly to her, bringing her peace and she slept in the shelter
of his arms. Then she was gone.

Family members and friends were moaning the death of Nang Oo Peim. Khun Sam
Law seemed to be in a trance but calm and at peace with himself.

Nobody expected him to be so calm yet nobody knew how much he was grieving –
life without Nang was meaningless and he could not go on living without her. At that
instant his hand slowly reached for his dagger which he always carried attached to the
belt around his waist. In his mind he had prepared to end his life. Sai Twee was
watching Sai Sam, and was thinking how terrible his dear friend must be feeling.
Then, he saw Sai Sam drew out his dagger, and shocked with the realisation of what
Sai Sam was about to do ran to prevent him from ending his life. But Khun Sam Law
was not to be deterred, he threw all the gold coins he brought back from his trade
mission to attract friends and relative’s and the onlookers’ attention away from him.
The crowd dispersed and rushed to collect the coins blocking the way for Sai Twee to
get to Khun Sam Law. With one hard stroke he stabbed himself right through the
heart. Sai Twee was too late to save him and when he did reach him he saw his body
lying in a pool of blood next to Nang’s. Sai Twee hugged the half conscious body and
sobbed. “Sai Sam, why, why, did you do it - we shall all miss you.” Once he calmed
down, “I hope you and Nang will be together wherever you will be - loving each other
always.”

Parents and friends were bemoaning the death of their beloved young and beautiful
Nang Oo Peim and still in a state of shock - and now, another great calamity had
befallen them all.

When Sai Sam was still half conscious he felt a strange tingling sensation in his right
hand. He tried to move his fingers but they would not move any longer, they were
stuck. He was no longer sad - he saw a vision of Nang smiling at him. They held
hands, and so much in love together they travelled towards the unknown.
Sai Twee felt choked; he needed to be in the fresh air so he walked down the stairs to
make sense of what had just happened. Lao Kham followed him and linked her arm
into his. Standing side by side they were both silent and Sai Twee looked up into the
dark moonless sky but brightly lit with countless stars. Sai Twee’s eyes felt moist, he
blinked back sudden, insistent tears, shook his head in amazement, still disbelieving
the tragic end of his best friend. How unexpected, how sudden everything was!

In a sudden flash of a vivid memory Sai Twee saw Sai Sam standing before him - the
capable, efficient Sai Sam, so sincere, so wise and full of brilliant personality - and
then the innocent Nang, his wife’s sister light hearted and carefree, beautiful and full
of adoration and the pure joy of being in love. Sai Twee shut his eyes, remembering
so much from the past. Then, he came back into reality and he drew his wife to him
and hugged her tightly, and then kissed her - at least he still had her and couldn’t
imagine what he would do if he should lose her. For the present he still had his
beloved wife to love and cherish.

Sai Twee and Lao Kham were about to go back and join the rest of the family; they
thought they ought to be with Lao Kham’s parents. “Lao, let’s go inside, I can’t
imagine how your parents must be feeling”. Hearing these word Lao Kham sobbed
and sobbed in her husband’s arms.

Suddenly, they heard children from next door shouting, “Shooting star, shooting Star.”
Both Sai Twee and Nang Lao looked up at the starlit sky. They saw two illuminated
balls gliding upwards instead of downwards, so unlike shooting stars. The balls went
higher and higher until they disappeared into the Orion Belt. “Could they be the spirit
of Nang and Sai Sam?” Lao Kham wondered softly.

“I do hope so, Lao”, together Sai Twee and Lao Kham, hand in hand went in to
console their family, with the thought that Khun Sam Law and Nang Oo Peim were
now happy together in an unknown but beautiful world.

*****
Mythologically, two most brightly stars in the Orion Belt were believed to be the
incarnatation of Nang Oo Peim and Khun Sam Law, two young Tai lovers who could
not be united on earth but found their eternal love amongst the stars. The tragedy has
a tremendous impact on both the parents of Nang and the family and relatives of Sai
Sam. Ba Yong was remorseful so she apologised to the other family members for her
behaviour towards Nang Oo Peim and her son.