Krishna Arrives

---

Krishna is the only guest--other than myself--to arrive at the school this week. Kinh and Muoy told me in passing that he was a friend of theirs from India who wanted to explore Cambodia. I now know that the term "friend" in Cambodia can encompass many relations. Kinh and Muoy had never met Krishna until his arrival in Pnomh Penh. He was, in fact, a friend of a friend of a friend. Krishna is an 79 year-old linguist who currently studies Russian. After I greeted him on arrival he asked in his slow, muffled speech, "If it is okay with you--let's go out in the city." He paused and added, "Not 'go out' in the American sense--not that 'go out'--you must know I don't mean that."
For the days he has been here, he waits for me at 4:00 with a backpack and safari hat so that I can escort him around the city when school is out. He is very hard of hearing and conversations mostly revolve around a trip to Battambang that he 'plans' to take or the question "Where can one find a krama ?." I have taken it upon myself to be his host. It seems that even if I have only been in Cambodia one day longer than someone else, I can consider myself slightly more of an expert, as I have entered the 'awe put into words' phase rather than just the 'awe.'
When Krishna, myself, and the children go to the Russian Market to window shop and watch the people, the children take advantage of Krishna's mild senility. "Grandfather," Srey Lin says coyly,"I want to buy a bag...for school." Krishna then says right before each purchase, "Well, if that is what you want. We'll buy it!" He then turns to me and says, "Children should always be happy." I smile at Srey Lin over his shoulders as she stands grinning triumphantly. It is not my space to interject here, so I silently oppose the (almost) business transaction-esque nature of the gift buying: A bag for a smile, a book for a laugh.

---