Raul - The Boy Who Knew Too Much

He entered again. Ever so softly and very feline-like. He was paid to carry information and was paid handsomely too. Raul never forgot what a difference the rice and canned sardines made to his starving family in Laos. They were kind, in return for his feline qualities. Well, that's what he overheard the general say a million times!

This time, the men were in jocund company. The ladies were visiting and it was always a pleasure. They were at their best. Washed and clean. Shaved and combed. And while they indulged in casual conversation, he heard, "striking at noon will be good". He knew the voice. It belonged to the soldier who had beaten up and abused Shane the other night. 'Striking at noon will be good", sounded good. The general was sure to pay. Mother should be able to make flavored lao and nam pa.

Raul had successfully crossed over from Communist to Capitalist ground before. There was no stopping him now. Six words of important information and mother would make fresh lao and galangal. He now played provider; with father no more and Shane wounded. But, they survived and how! What started off as a ruse to save the family from abuse became a mode of payment and reward. He squealed from the opposite camp, whatever his clever footwork and memory could carry. He made it there easily due to his agility and clever disguise.

Raul turned and made a dash for the door. An hour before the only meal for two whole days. He had earned it. He was hungry. But, today was not easy. It was pouring and probably that's why he did not see the animal. The doberman snarled at the intruder and Raul froze. The sudden barking brought the men to the back of the makeshift mess. They were drunk on the success of the power bloc they represented and now on local lao lao.

It didn't take much to make a bloody sight of the boy. Her son paid the price. He saw mother at the tao lo as he fell. The meal smelled good. Coming home. The child slumped. The ladies were too much of a temptation for the soldiers to bother. They left the little bleeding form in the rain.

He must have slept quite a while. But when consciousness arrived, it was slow and heady. He had to get home. He had to meet the general. Ma, Shane and Kui were waiting. They had to eat. Shane was feverish. Kui was weak with nosebleed. Ma was waiting. He had to go home.

Making his way through the thicket, he heard a sound. Raul froze for the second time that night. Only this time it was Gini, the pariah. Gini had found him. He had sniffed him out. The sight of Gini made his heart turn a somersault of delight. Raul sprinted and within minutes they were with the general. The message delivered. The reward grabbed. Raul went home.

The rain had done well. He straightened up at the door. Hardly any traces of blood, he quickly went in and changed. Mother got down to some serious business. Raul had grown. He was doing something that earned them reward. When she had asked, he had said,"I have information they want". How clever her boy was! Only two years at the local Khammouane school and how much he had learned! "Clever boy" she said aloud. He smiled and slumped once more. His legs hurt. But, nothing was going to beat him now. He won once more. He was going to live and so was Kui and Shane and ma. After all, he did know more than the general!