.......................The
people who were supposed to bring ashes each walked to an empty room with his or her
package inside a covered basket. This way, nobody knew which package belonged to whom. Each person left his or her package in the
room, then came out to sit and wait with the rest of the crowd. Nang Piew put her ash
package among the others. Each package, wrapped in banana leaves, contained ashes and
chili, symbols of fiery pain for those who steal. After the last package had been carried
in, the kuan bahn brought them all outside and placed them in front of the
crowd. This was the very moment everyone had been waiting for: the opening of the
packages. An elder had the honor of opening the packages. He unwrapped each one
carefully and calmly. First, he pulled out the stick that held the package together, then
he opened the banana wrapper, and at last he stirred the ash slowly with a stick. The
crowd held its breath in mingled anxiety and anticipation.
The first package contained only ash and
chili, and the second was exactly the same. Starting with the third one, the elder
stirred the ashes only two or three times. He didn’t need to poke through it too much
because the belt was a big object. As soon as the package was opened, one could easily see
whether or not it was there, unlike a ring or an earring, which would require a thorough
search. The unwrapping of the packages captured the interest of the crowd. Everybody
watched attentively. No one spoke, or even blinked an eye. It was like uncovering a pot of
gold that had just been dug out of the earth. The opening of packages continued steadily
through fifteen packages, but the object in question did not appear. Many people thought
this all might indeed prove to be a waste of time. The sixteenth, seventeenth and
eighteenth packages were the same. The elder felt a little discouraged, but he was obliged
to go on with the job. When he pulled out the stick that held the nineteenth package and
opened the leaves, a big pile of ash came tumbling down to reveal a shiny object.
................... |
