Goodbye to Thong

Last night's dinner... Thong leads and I follow... over to the river to a new place. Down a few steps with candles leading the way. Trees with white lights. A table at the side overlooking the river with a few lights reflecting in the Mekong. The most prominent reflection across the river is from one of the three temples on that side , high atop the hill. I usually order one thing and Thong orders several more and it is all shared. So tonight it is Luang Prabang salad, a chicken dish with the smallest slices of green beans with lime flavor. And for me... my favorite drink-a coconut shake (sweetened coconut juice and ice and milk blended together into heaven) I am glad to say that I am now actually enjoying food again as the stomach has acclimated. Thong is off after dinner to see friends and I decide to walk the opposite way from town that I usually do. The street becomes quiet quickly with beautiful Buddhist temples on each side. The temples are enclosed by a border of concrete fences painted white and formed into pointed designs at the top edge. The temple grounds consist of many buildings as this is where the monks live and worship and where any sacred sites are. The sim is the main building where the worship and praying are done. On one that I pass by there are golden tiles imbedded in the stucco and on the walls of the sim painted in a brownish red color are beautiful gold stencilings telling stories of Buddha. The roofs are wide expanses falling into an upward motion at their lower roof edge. The corners always having decorative pieces in local Lao style. I walked into the grounds of the most famous one of the ones at this end of the street. There I feel in another world. It is quiet, only the occasional monk walking and a few dim lights on in buildings on the grounds. Here there is total peace, I feel totally at ease. The grounds are always a place of respect so there is alwasy a tone of focus with all who enter. As I walk back a group of monks are at one of the entrances talking. One monk smiles and says "sabadee" (hello) How are you? I smile.. fine thank you. This side of the river has 62 temples. I've seen some, but now that I am on my own again, I will wander around and see a few more.
It is Sunday evening and today Thong left on the afternoon bus. He spent the day with friends and stopped by to say goodbye and get his things. I tried not to cry.. but there was just no stopping the tears. Last night Thong was talking about when he was young and that his dream was to become a novice monk. When he was 11 that dream came true. I asked him if it was hard being away from his parents-as when he was at the temple he rarely saw them. He said that at temple they teach to cool the emotions, but that it did take a long time to not miss them. I told him I am not good at cooling emotions.. and so my tears. I waved him goodbye as he walked away out of the guesthouse seeing his last glance backward. Some more tears. A chapter completed. It was wonderful. I am happy. It is a completion of a year and now he is on his path of his next dream. He is happy in Vientiane and starting his third semester. As a friend said in an email today "It feels good to help someone." Yes. And it really is nice to be able to look at the progress in one year. He can be proud of all that he has done... in braveness (coming to a city he had never been to) , in risks (leaving the safety of the temple), and in belief (that a woman half a world away would support his new path). I don't know if I could have done all he has.
So what to do....mope in the room? No! I decided that a massage was in order. And then I decided to get another one! Just the thing to mellow the spirit and soften the sadness.