We've been good friends since
high school. So I returned to riding my bicycle once again.
When I saw older people waiting by the roadside, I sometimes invited
them to ride with me, especially if they were heading in the same direction and the
distance was not too great. Some people refused the offer, probably because
they felt that riding on the back of a bicycle was not that
comfortable. However, I never again offered a ride to any woman who had not requested one.
EPILOGUE
ON Saturday evening, I went to the
hospital to visit a nephew who was sick with hemorrhagic dengue
fever. The epidemic had entered its third month in the Viengchan
municipality. This particular out break, which
had begun in May 1987 and spread throughout the country, was the most serious of all.
Physicians suggested various
preventive measures as well as methods of caring for the sick. One recommendation was to give the
children lots of fluid, such as coconut, citrus, and other fruit juices.
There were a few people gathering
next to the children’s ward. Some of them were with their sick children and others carried needed items for the sick. All
sorts of discussions were heard. There were questions about traditional remedies,
about the pharmacy, about transportation. .
"If my child had received immediate
attention, he probably wouldn’t have gotten this sick. It’s so hard without transportation. You see, he had a fever the evening before, but we
couldn’t get him to the hospital until the next day!"
lamented one person, full of anxiety. |
