“Sawadee Kah Pii Oot!!” It was still dark as I crossed campus this damp morning to get to my 7am class. It was the perfect time to call my dear friend in Thailand as it was just about 6pm there. I hear her ring tone of Thai music break the silence and then her familiar greeting of “Colleen, where are you?” “Gamlang bai dern ti rong rien na ka (Im walking at school).” I hear the homey sound of a blender going in the back ground as she makes another shake while talking to me. “Colleen, do you remember the fruit man that we bought from everyday that would stand near 7-11?” “The one who had the glass case on his motorcycle?” “Kah!” “Yeah, I remember him!” He would always smile at me while he asked, “Ow allie? (What would you like?)” “Is your mango sweet?” “Yes!” Then he would grab the biggest and softest one for me, peel, slice, stuff in a bag, and hand me it to me with a smile. “He is dead. Went to sleep and didn’t wake up. Do you understand?” “He died? Really? Why?” “Don’t know. He went to bed and didn’t wake up. Only 58 years. I called Pii Sii and told her because she bought farong from him everyday.”
Man, yet another friend dead. Just like that! I felt the same emotions well up in me when I found out about my friend’s son that was murdered, my students dad that died, my other student’s mom that dropped dead, the guy in the blue baseball cap that died, and Uncle Red, the old somlat man that always would bow his head to me and say hello as he passed by while telling me that he saw me running…he died of cancer right before I left. Thai people think its karma and another story to tell, I think about the fact that I didn’t share Christ with them. Sure, they knew me and that I was different…I heard that all the time, but they didn’t know why I was different.
“Do you remember Sorn Torn? Fat and black?” Oot asked me as she laughed. “He is here and asks about you…do you have baby yet?” I smiled in a sad way. Eternity shrugged off just like that. Man does my heart burn for my Thai friends! Life really does matter…and so does death. May the conviction my heart feels for those with no hope deepen enough to drive me to share this hope.