Mrs. V
10A
May 24, 2009
This creative assignment is on an excerpt taken from First They Killed My Father. Originally the book is written from the woman's perspective, but I wrote this from the father's point of view.
The Take Over
I woke up Thursday April 17, 1975, knowing that my life would never be the same again. After all the years working for the government, I had been providing my family the best living environment I could give them. I'd say I did an exceptional job. We lived on the top floor of an apartment, with a a view of Phnom Penh. The family was well-fed, and every child received and education. I spoiled my wife by letting her purchase jewelrly and fancy dresses, only because I could afford it. Our family wasn't high class, but it was in the middle, considering that it was Cambodia though, we lived a comfortable life. Until that day.
I woke up at six in the morning, only to remember that it was suupposed to be the day the new Communist government, the Khmer Rouge was to purge the city of all that resided there. Before the rest of the family woke, I lumbered out to the balcony to see if the city was still in order. it turned out that it was. The morning was still cool, the suns gold orange was beginning to touch the ouskirts of the city, and vendors were sweeping their stalls for another day ahead. I leaned on the metal rail of the balcony and gazed out, thinking of the best evacuation. We would drive the truck; the black Mazda was too conspicuous. The Communists wanted to purge Cambodia of anyone who looked like they had the slightest hint of an education, afraid that they would attempt a coup. So the best way to not catch anyone's eye was to drive the truck.
"Sem Im, what should we do with the children?" my wife asked with concern.
She entered silently and closed the sliding door behind her.
"Tell them they will stay home today."
She left without making a noise.
Two hours later the rest of the family woke up. The clamor of my five year old daughter made it evident that she was ready for another day at school. Instead, she came to me, still on the balcony, she went straight for my lap. She gazed up at me. There was nothing else in the world like looking back into Loung's eyes and seeing the happiness radiating from her.
"Why am I not in school?"
"You'll find out soon enough, go play with your friends for now, but don't leave the vicinity of the apartment."
"Vicinity?"
"The area of the building" I clarified.
Then my daughter left, making her grand exit with a trip and a stubbed toe.
Again, I was the only one on the balcony. I sat there, looking down at the stalls. The congestion of people set in. Metal pots made clattering noises, vendors were shouting out what they had to sell. Music was playing, and the smell of fish started to reach the top floor of the apartment. Those were the last moments I would see Phnom Penh like it was then, a bustling city.
The Khmer Rouge trucks came rumbling through the city streets, with men in all black except for red sashes they were wearing around their heads and wasits. I was in the same place as I was six hours ago. Hordes of people gathered, the crowd was in euphoria, citizens were waving their arms, with overjoyed smiles on their faces. The soldiers' long black hair was swaying from side to side, with each movement of the trucks. They were pumping their guns up and down, without firing a shot. Children jumped and touched their hands. The civil war with the Lon Nol government was over. The Communist Khmer Rouge was now the governing party of Cambodia. Loung entered the balcony again, and again she instantly sat on my lap. "Pa, who are those men and why is everybody cheering them?"
I would have to make it as simple as possible for her.
"They are soldiers and people are cheering them because the war is over."
"What do they want?"
"They want us."
"For what?"
For the amount of questions Loung raised, I never ran out of patience for answering them.
"They're not nice people. Look at their shoes- they wear sandals made from car tyres."
There was a silence. She was thinking of another inquiry.
"Pa, why the shoes? Why are they bad?"
"It shows that these people are the destroyers of things."
Another silence. The only sound was the cheering, the faces of the soldiers looked more sinister than when they entered the city.
"I don't understand."
She was five after all.
"That's all right. Why don't you go and play; dont go far and stay out of people's way, "I said in an authoritative voice.
She left the balcony for the last time.
I observed the rapture for a while longer. After the trucks passed through the city, the crowd dispersed and the city was quiet again. The calamity was just beginning. I went back inside the apartment while ordering everyone to pack their things and eat their lunch. I saw Loung and relief filled me. She was okay; the crowd hadn't swept her away. Walking to my room, I took one last glance at the room and took a mental picture of my surroundings; this would be the last time I would see luxury like this. Then I swiped the truck keys of the dresser. Throughout the hallway, the walls were starting to turn white, after the gold-framed pictures were taken off. My seven children were hurriedly eating, or packing what was most valuable to them. The apartment no longer had the taste of a happy residence, the atmosphere was of rush, or worry, there was no space for joy. My wife took the last of the pictures that lined the walls from end to end, the white walls added a new feeling the Aura. Emptiness. I informed my youngest son that we would travel by truck, rather than the black Mazda and told him to notify the rest of the family.
In the car park, Loung was waiting in the black Mazda.
"Don't get in there. Pa said we're leaving the Mazda behind," Kim carried on the news to Loung.
The garage smelled of mold, my favorite scent. There was nothing fresh about it, but there was nothing manmade about it. Unlike the truck. The truck had a white frame that creaked everytime one sat in it. The rear of the truck was large enough to fit the family in a cramped space so that they depicted the look of peasants. I ignited the truck. Reaching out the window, I tied a white cloth to the antenna. My family crowded into the back of the truck, and I backed out to the crowded streets of Phnom Penh.
The soldiers that once showed ecstatic plastic smiles, now showed genuine evil on their faces. They waved their rifles around in the air, commanding, pointing, shouting.
"Take as little as you can! You will not need your belongings! You will be able to return in three days! No one can stay here! The city must be clean and empty! The U.S will bomb the city! The U.S will bomb the city! Leave and stay in the country for a few days! Leave now!"
With the first sound of a rifle shot, pandemonium set in.
I woke up at six in the morning, only to remember that it was suupposed to be the day the new Communist government, the Khmer Rouge was to purge the city of all that resided there. Before the rest of the family woke, I lumbered out to the balcony to see if the city was still in order. it turned out that it was. The morning was still cool, the suns gold orange was beginning to touch the ouskirts of the city, and vendors were sweeping their stalls for another day ahead. I leaned on the metal rail of the balcony and gazed out, thinking of the best evacuation. We would drive the truck; the black Mazda was too conspicuous. The Communists wanted to purge Cambodia of anyone who looked like they had the slightest hint of an education, afraid that they would attempt a coup. So the best way to not catch anyone's eye was to drive the truck.
"Sem Im, what should we do with the children?" my wife asked with concern.
She entered silently and closed the sliding door behind her.
"Tell them they will stay home today."
She left without making a noise.
Two hours later the rest of the family woke up. The clamor of my five year old daughter made it evident that she was ready for another day at school. Instead, she came to me, still on the balcony, she went straight for my lap. She gazed up at me. There was nothing else in the world like looking back into Loung's eyes and seeing the happiness radiating from her.
"Why am I not in school?"
"You'll find out soon enough, go play with your friends for now, but don't leave the vicinity of the apartment."
"Vicinity?"
"The area of the building" I clarified.
Then my daughter left, making her grand exit with a trip and a stubbed toe.
Again, I was the only one on the balcony. I sat there, looking down at the stalls. The congestion of people set in. Metal pots made clattering noises, vendors were shouting out what they had to sell. Music was playing, and the smell of fish started to reach the top floor of the apartment. Those were the last moments I would see Phnom Penh like it was then, a bustling city.
The Khmer Rouge trucks came rumbling through the city streets, with men in all black except for red sashes they were wearing around their heads and wasits. I was in the same place as I was six hours ago. Hordes of people gathered, the crowd was in euphoria, citizens were waving their arms, with overjoyed smiles on their faces. The soldiers' long black hair was swaying from side to side, with each movement of the trucks. They were pumping their guns up and down, without firing a shot. Children jumped and touched their hands. The civil war with the Lon Nol government was over. The Communist Khmer Rouge was now the governing party of Cambodia. Loung entered the balcony again, and again she instantly sat on my lap. "Pa, who are those men and why is everybody cheering them?"
I would have to make it as simple as possible for her.
"They are soldiers and people are cheering them because the war is over."
"What do they want?"
"They want us."
"For what?"
For the amount of questions Loung raised, I never ran out of patience for answering them.
"They're not nice people. Look at their shoes- they wear sandals made from car tyres."
There was a silence. She was thinking of another inquiry.
"Pa, why the shoes? Why are they bad?"
"It shows that these people are the destroyers of things."
Another silence. The only sound was the cheering, the faces of the soldiers looked more sinister than when they entered the city.
"I don't understand."
She was five after all.
"That's all right. Why don't you go and play; dont go far and stay out of people's way, "I said in an authoritative voice.
She left the balcony for the last time.
I observed the rapture for a while longer. After the trucks passed through the city, the crowd dispersed and the city was quiet again. The calamity was just beginning. I went back inside the apartment while ordering everyone to pack their things and eat their lunch. I saw Loung and relief filled me. She was okay; the crowd hadn't swept her away. Walking to my room, I took one last glance at the room and took a mental picture of my surroundings; this would be the last time I would see luxury like this. Then I swiped the truck keys of the dresser. Throughout the hallway, the walls were starting to turn white, after the gold-framed pictures were taken off. My seven children were hurriedly eating, or packing what was most valuable to them. The apartment no longer had the taste of a happy residence, the atmosphere was of rush, or worry, there was no space for joy. My wife took the last of the pictures that lined the walls from end to end, the white walls added a new feeling the Aura. Emptiness. I informed my youngest son that we would travel by truck, rather than the black Mazda and told him to notify the rest of the family.
In the car park, Loung was waiting in the black Mazda.
"Don't get in there. Pa said we're leaving the Mazda behind," Kim carried on the news to Loung.
The garage smelled of mold, my favorite scent. There was nothing fresh about it, but there was nothing manmade about it. Unlike the truck. The truck had a white frame that creaked everytime one sat in it. The rear of the truck was large enough to fit the family in a cramped space so that they depicted the look of peasants. I ignited the truck. Reaching out the window, I tied a white cloth to the antenna. My family crowded into the back of the truck, and I backed out to the crowded streets of Phnom Penh.
The soldiers that once showed ecstatic plastic smiles, now showed genuine evil on their faces. They waved their rifles around in the air, commanding, pointing, shouting.
"Take as little as you can! You will not need your belongings! You will be able to return in three days! No one can stay here! The city must be clean and empty! The U.S will bomb the city! The U.S will bomb the city! Leave and stay in the country for a few days! Leave now!"
With the first sound of a rifle shot, pandemonium set in.
