First They Killed My Father Page #6

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OMITTED:

INT./EXT. UNCLE LEANG’S HUT - EVENING

Loung watches everyone around her packing. Uncle Leang, his

wife, AUNT KEANG, and all the cousins are up. Beside Loung,

Chou rolls up her thin blanket, folds her clothes and puts

them in her pillow case. Outside, Lee Cheun scoops ladles

full of cooked rice and puts it in banana leaves. Keav pokes

the crackling fire to cook the dried fish while Kim fills up

the petrol container with water.

Ma puts her hand to her mouth to signal to Loung to stay

quiet. Loung pulls the cover over her and looks at her still

blistered feet. She doesn’t want to walk anymore. She wants

to stay.

Pa pulls back the covers and gently pulls her from her bed.

Biting back her tears she puts on her flip flops and walks

toward Keav’s extended hand.

Pa and Ma turn to Uncle Leang and thank him for letting them

stay with him. Uncle Leang looks at her, face hanging, eyes

blinking rapidly, and blesses Ma for a safe journey.

The cousins stand outside the hut to see the family off.

Their hands dangle lifelessly by their sides as they watch Pa

lead his family away.

EXT. REST STOP - NIGHT

By the time the family arrives at the rendezvous area on the

roadside, about thirty people have already gathered there.

They squat and sit on the gravel road in four family groups.

Many have almond-shaped eyes, thin noses, and light skin,

which suggests they might also be of Chinese descent. Their

fellow travelers do not acknowledge their presence, instead

they stare passively at the road. Like the family, they carry

with them light bundles of clothes and small packages of

food.

23A.

Loung and family sit on the gravel road next to them but no

words are exchanged. In the dark of night they all wait for

the truck.

24.

Later- Loung lays in Pa’s arms. The world around them remains

tranquil and asleep; all that can be heard is the chirping of

crickets. The moments feel like forever. Then suddenly the

glaring headlights of the military truck appear and it stops

before them. Pa transfers Loung from his warm arms onto the

hard, cold bed of the truck. She does not want to let go of

him. She does not want to leave the safety of his arms.

Trucks had tarpaulins that way nobody could see people inside

and people inside could not watch the road.

EXT. MILITARY TRUCK #1 - NIGHT

The ride is bumpy and loud, but the cool dawn air keeps them

reasonably comfortable. Ma stares off into the distance while

Geak sleeps in her arms. Loung’s other siblings are half

dozing, half awake while she finds safety in Pa's arms again.

Everyone is very quiet as the truck drives on.

All night the truck heads northwest.

EXT. MILITARY TRUCK #1 -DAWN

The truck driver does not have Pa's driving skills, nor does

he care whether those in the back bounce and bump into one

another. The truck drives all day the children take small

bites from the food they packed as they drive on.

OMITTED:

EXT. MILITARY TRUCK #1 -EARLY MORNING

Loung wakes up in Pa's lap in the morning to see that they

have arrived at a “truck stop.” There are people lined up.

Some just waiting. Others getting onto ox carts. Many are

still asleep on the side of the road or in the grass. Sitting

in the back of the truck, they dare not move until the

soldiers instruct them to.

EXT. PURSAT PROVINCE -EARLY MORNING

As soon as they are told, everyone jumps off. Pa lifts Loung

out of the truck and puts her on the ground next to Chou.

25.

Loung overhears Meng and Pa talking.

MENG:

We’re not in Battambang?

PA:

(fatigued)

We will go where ever they choose

to take us.

Loung looks around. She doesn’t want to stay here.

OMITTED:

EXT. PURSAT PROVENCE -EARLY MORNING

Ma secretly cuts open Kim’s jacket, pulls out her jewelry and

hands it over to the KR.

26.

As Pa lifts her onto the ox cart., She notices two very thin

middle-aged men in loose-fitting black pajama pants and

shirts standing next to them. While one writes something on

small brown pads of paper with his black pen, the other

points at their heads and counts as they climb onto the

truck. Loung finds herself a seat where she can watch the

countryside. Quickly, another family clambers onto the cart.

Once all the families are on board, the two men take their

notes and count again. After they are finished, the ox carts

pull away.

EXT. OX CART -MORNING

The ox cart rolls away from the waiting area and onto a bumpy

narrow road.

The families are quiet and somber, the only sounds come from

the branches brushing against the side of the truck and the

slush of mud sticking to the tires. Loung notices DAVI a

beautiful teen young woman who sits with her LITTLE SISTER.

DAVI’S FATHER, DAVI’S MOTHER, and DAVI’S BROTHERS are also in

(or walking beside) the cart.

She looks at the ripped open part of her jacket or her

mothers depending on where we choose to hide the jewels.

Loung rests her head on Pa’s chest and think how lucky she is

to have such a father. She looks up at Pa who seems so

serious and sad. She worries for him. She misses his smile.

INT. OX CART - DAY

The Ox Cart passes a Buddhist temple that has been destroyed

and is now crawling with soldiers. Pa bows his head in a

moment of silence. Another man in the truck notices and looks

at Pa with suspicion.

Loung looks at the temple.

LOUNG’S MEMORY-

EXT. TEMPLE (ANGKOR WAT)- DAY

Loung remembers clutching tightly to Pa's finger as they

walked along wide crumbling corridors. The temple walls are

decorated with magnificent detailed carvings of people, cows,

wagons, daily life, and battle scenes from long ago.

27.

Guarding the ancient steps are giant granite lions, tigers,

eight-headed snakes, and elephants. Next to them, sandstone

gods with eight hands who sit cross-legged on lotus flowers

watch over the temple ponds. On the walls beneath the jungle

vines, thousands of beautiful Apsara goddesses with big round

breasts wearing only short wraparound skirts smile at

visitors.

Pa leads Loung through the temple.

LOUNG O.S.

Meng said you were once a monk.

PA:

(smiling)

I was. But I met a beautiful woman

in a pretty blue silk shirt, who’s

smile melted my heart. The same

smile her daughters now have.

Loung smiles.

LOUNG O.S.

Did you live here?

PA:

This is where the Gods live. If you

call out, they will answer.

LOUNG O.S.

(yells)

Chump leap sursdei dthai pda!

(Hello Gods)

ECHO:

Dthai pda! Dthai pda!

Loung grabs Pa’s leg when she hears the Gods answer. Pa

smiles down at her laughing.

MEMORY FADES:

EXT. OX CART - DAY

Geak cries. Ma moves to her to comfort her. She holds her

tightly to her breasts as if to never let her go. Loung looks

at Ma’s blue silk shirt and realizes why she chose to bring

it with her.

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