FLOP FLIP
I woke up one morning with a hunger pang. I sat up on the tan straw mat, my tiny five-year-old stomach stretched tight from being empty for days. I had a dream—I was eating sweet bananas. I love bananas. These dreams were a feast. My stomach would feel full, and I didn’t have to worry about eating. When I had dreams about good food surrounding me, I didn’t want to wake up. This time, though, it was different. Something was with me. It felt strange, like it was coming from outside.
I saw my mother along with my older brothers and sisters, who were busy sewing while my brothers watched. They sat on the red-and-gold straw mat on one side of the wall. I went outside without telling my mother where I was going. I observed the gray sky. A light drizzle excited me. The morning air felt comfortable with its silence. There was no one outside. I stood at the side of my home. The raindrops cooled my warm body. I stayed within the safety of the surroundings of my second home in Cambodia. I looked out into the wet dirt field in front of me. Something was out there. Beyond the field were trees that marked the entry to the jungle. I stared at the open space. There was something out there beyond the perimeter of the dirt field. It pulled and pushed me.
I walked in the direction of that strange force, stepping into the unknown. This force wasn’t a threat to my safety. My steps led me across the flat black road and down the dirt field ramp. My bare feet moved forward one step at a time—right foot, left foot, right foot, left foot. Onward, I walked toward whatever it was that made me feel so daring and curious. The wire fence grew larger with each step my tiny feet took, as did the jungle, which loomed ahead of me. I kept going. My pace quickened. My black T-shirt and brown shorts became damp in places. Mud smeared my feet and clung to my tiny toes. Finally, I reached the wire fence. What is out here? A small stream flowed across the flat ground about twenty paces away on the other side. It came from the jungle on the right. My eyes followed the flow of the water. Something was out here. Small green bushes lined the stream. Again, I followed the flow of the stream. To the left, something on the ground caught my attention. How did I miss it? I wasn’t sure what it was. It was moving, flopping off the ground. I see you.
My little body easily slipped between the bottom and middle wires. Nothing could stop me because there was nothing out here to stop me. It was just the wilderness and me. But the jungle made me feel cautious. I feared the things I couldn’t see. I couldn’t see far into the jungle’s dark space. I pressed my hands on the dirt to support my body as I crawled between the wires. My hands got wet, and tiny brown sand grains stuck to my palms as I stood up. Okay, let’s go. Nothing will happen. The rain had stopped. My mind was made up. I took one step, then another. My eyes searched for any danger near the edge of the jungle. There was nothing out there.
Ah-ha! Whoa! What are you doing out here? On the ground was a fat fish, still flopping up and down in the thin stream. Its gray-and-white scales gleamed beautifully. I bent down and quickly snatched it up with both hands, fearing it might swim away on the wet sand. I had a good grip on it, even though it was wet and slippery. Its flat, wide tail flipped and flopped from side to side, grazing my arms. The force was in my hands. I got you. Mom would know what to do with you. I went straight to my mom. “Mom! I found a fish!” “What? Son, where did you get the fish?” Mom cooked that fish for dinner.
