Part 18 (1/2)

”I hear you in jail for manslaughter,” Huang said.

I felt my throat go dry. How did he know?

”You kill girlfriend. Lao girl.” Huang looked at me from his one good eye. ”You in big, big trouble.” He wagged a finger at me. I could see its freakishly long, yellow nail.

I began to breathe long and slow. I stood taller. I wouldn't answer. I wouldn't react.

Huang leaned in closer.

”You know in Laos they execute for manslaughter?”

”What?”

”No one want to tell you. They not want to worry you. Your punishment will be death penalty. I hear guards talking.”

I felt my breath go shallow. I froze.

”You don't know what you're talking about, Huang. You're just trying to scare me into giving you fish.”

”They execute Nigerian man last year. You don't believe Huang, you ask Sai, you love him so much.” Huang's chuckle was menacing. ”You not alive for long, no matter how much fish you eat.”

I couldn't think. My mind was racing every which way. How did Huang know about the manslaughter charges? He must have overheard something. And I had overheard some of the guys talking about the Nigerian man who was executed. I needed to talk to Sai.

I chewed my fingernails. My palms were damp. I hadn't even met my lawyer yet. I couldn't wait for legal stuff. I had to get out on my own. I heard the cell door clanking open and jumped. But it was just Sai being guided back into the cell. I went up to him.

”Can we talk?” I whispered.

”Yeah, you ask him. He tell you!” Huang called out from his shadowy corner.

”Sai,” I pulled him by the arm around the corner into the bathroom so no one could hear us.

”What's going on, friend?” he asked.

”In Laos do they give the death penalty for manslaughter?”

Sai's face froze momentarily. ”Yes,” he answered.

I could tell by the way he answered that he knew what the charges were against me. He knew I was here for more than a basketball fight.

”You've known all along, haven't you? About the charges against me.”

Sai nodded.

And still he had befriended me.

”Sai, are they going to execute me? Am I going to die here?” I stood, aghast.

”Cam, you know how hard your mom is working to get you out. Stay focused on what is real right now, not on your fears.”

He didn't say no. He didn't say Cam, don't be ridiculous.

”I know what is real. They're going to take me to the interrogation room any minute now.” I told Sai about the Vietnamese prisoner who had collapsed from hunger.

”Cam.” Sai looked at me deeply. ”Your heart has grown.”

”Yes, but Sai,” I said, ”will you help me escape?”

The Choice.

Seng.

The silence in their guesthouse room was charged. Seng had scarcely said two words since their visit with their mom. First he had lost his sister and now he had lost his mother - for the second time. He wondered how much one person could stand. He would give anything to have his simple life in Vientiane back. Pedalling home to find Nok sifting rice for dinner, sitting on the riverbank with Khamdeng with his dreams of a better life in America. Now his dreams consisted of him lying on top of a funeral pyre, thick smoke suffocating him, flames licking at his thighs, the sound of sizzling flesh.

”We should talk about what we're going to do next,” Vong's voice broke his thoughts. ”Meh can't live by herself like that.”

Seng nodded, but said nothing.

”We're nearly out of money,” Vong continued. ”I don't know what we can do. I think I should call Chit and tell him everything.”

Seng thought about how strange it was that he had only met his brother-in-law once, when he had come to Vientiane and taken Vong away from them.

”I've been putting off explaining things to him. I don't want him to worry, or become mixed up in this mess I've created,” Vong continued.

”You've created?”

”It was my plan.”

”Yeah, but it was my crime. And I'm the one who found Meh.” You can't take that away from me, he thought.

”I should have never left you and Nok in the first place. I tricked myself into thinking everything was okay here. I'm really sorry, brother. For leaving.”

”I'll come with you to call Chit.”

They walked together to the payphone on the corner. Seng stood just in front of the booth. He watched as she dialled. He could only hear Vong's side of the conversation.

”I'm sorry I haven't called. It's been busy, and you know how expensive it is to call from Laos. You got my e-mails, though.”

She had a guilty look on her face.

”You mean the accident is on the news there? Nok's? But why? It happened months ago.”

There was silence as Chit filled in the blanks. Seng still hadn't mentioned the Canadian boyfriend to Vong.

Vong ran her index finger along the hard edges of the payphone. She eyed her fingernails, nearly chewed to the quick. She wouldn't make eye contact with him. He wondered what she knew now. He kicked a stone on the ground.

”Well, I knew she had a Canadian boyfriend but -”