November 22, 2009
UTNE READER

Thicker than Blood

(Page 4 of 4)

July-August 2008
by Gail Gutradt, from Kyoto Journal 
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I met Srey Nak, a terrified little girl of 3. She sat on the end of her mother’s bed for months while the woman slowly died. Her expression never changed. She would scream uncontrollably whenever anyone tried to comfort her. Slowly, she has found friends. Slowly, she has begun to smile. The first time she let me hold her she peed on my lap, but it felt as if the sun had come out. Now she plays happily with two little girls her age. The children heal each other.

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One day I was taking pictures of a young boy named Pesei and his sister Srey Lec. They were with their yei, their grandmother, who was visiting from the provinces. One of the other little girls, Srey Oun, also wanted to be in the photo. “Why?” I asked. “She’s not your yei.”

Pesei put his arm around Srey Oun and explained it all to me.

“She is our family, too.”

 

Gail Gutradt is working on a book of photographs and stories about the children of Wat Opot. Her e-mail address is hoap_bai@yahoo.com. Excerpted from Kyoto Journal(#68). Subscriptions: $50/yr. (4 issues) from 31 Bond St., New York, NY 10012; www.kyotojournal.org.

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