A Man of Generations-They asked my wife for a night meeting-Part 10

As far as the leadership in the village was concerned, the village authorities regarded or treated their own people like slaves. They did not respect them, they just ordered people to work, to work from morning till night or even in the night as well. The bell at the cooperative center was struck at 5am to wake up farmers. The farmers in black gathered and listened to direction, then separated to different destinations.

To work, but less to eat. I did not get enough food to eat. I remembered morning breakfast, ….. and everything while in Phnom Penh. But I could not tell anybody about it, as I was afraid of killing. They told me not to talk about life in Phnom Penh at all. Stay dump and deaf….

I grew vegetables, potatoes or banana trees around my cottage. And they were so good and fruitful. We could boil them and eat silently.  We boiled them for children to meet their hunger. However my wife got blamed by her group leader or Angkar. Angkar was the name called for the direction of high level community. It was like the evil spirit that could grab life. Angkar could kill anyone who acted against it, without trial.

It went without saying that after Pol Pot soldiers took my father-in-law and my grand-father-in-law away​ in midnight to kill, I got much tension bodily and spiritually. I worked restlessly or pretended to be sick. And on the other hand, they told me to work even harder.

One night about 8pm, somebody called my wife for the meeting at the cooperative meeting hall. I was shocked and so worried what would be happened to her. She asked me to look after the 2 sons while she was away. Then she left…… After a few minutes, I decided to leave home too, to see how they treated my wife. It was very quiet and very dark. People slept, no lamps were seen. I stood behind a big tamarind tree. My eyes followed all movements at the meeting. The twinkling light of the oil lamps that I could not recognized who were there, just heard their talks. On the other hand, it was far from where I stood.

I was waiting my wife there almost an hour. Then I saw her out. I was so happy that she was safe. I directed to her and asked what was it and what their questions were. We spoke in a low voice. They told her not to pick up any vegetables even we grew in our compound. They were all Angkar belongings or property. We had no right. They threatened me: “If you did next time, you would be sent to education center”. (meaning to kill if steal those)….

However, I used to steal a lot whatever I could in order to satisfy my hunger. I stole papayas, bananas, maize, potatoes, ….. sometimes in the day-time or in the night. I could not eat enough that was why I was not afraid of being executed. You steal or you die of hunger?