The Official Launch of Health Center

By Tararith Kho

 

I have just arrived in Cambodia for a few days… After having been away from the beloved motherland for more than 30 years. In Cambodia, I don’t have any relatives besides Mr. Sam Ol, my great Grand cousin, who got promoted to His Excellency recently.

 

I don’t know about his educational background or work experiences clearly. I used to support or help him study higher education, but after that, he dropped out since he then worked for a real estate company for a high-ranking official without free time to continue his learning.

 

When I got off the plane, I was warmly welcomed by Mr. Sam Ol and his wife. They brought me to come and see Phnom Penh and I completely feel strange about the new growth of Phnom Penh, turning around it, I saw a lot of Beer Gardens, especially Karaoke and Gambling places. However, I don’t want to stay here any longer, I am eager to visit my birthplace in the province instead. Next week, Sam Ol and his wife promised that they would bring me on a site visit because they will attend the official launch of the health center there.

 

We arrived at the health center at approximately 8:00 AM because we came to the province yesterday evening, The grand opening ceremony of the health center presided over by Samdach, the Provincial governor, the health provincial director, and other officials will start at 9:30 AM. I was accompanied by Sam Ol’s wife to sit at the back of the other corner with other women, wives of the high-profile provincial officials and the rich, while Mr. Sam Ol sat under the roof of the platform, but at the back; we nearly can’t see him.

 

Samdach made a welcome speech for the new health center in a very happy atmosphere. Because of Sam Ol’s big belly, he always stands up quickly with a great smile raising his hands to tap together gently, when Samdach called his name occasionally, he answered always. By the time Samdach is delivering a lovely speech to the audience, women sitting by me are discussing with each other unorderly, offensively without knowing any social order, some spoke ill of their husbands who have lovers. They walked them for the official ceremony only for Great Chumteav seeing that their husbands are loyal or giving credit to their wives knowing how to be following Samdach’s footsteps which is honest with Great Chumteav. After that time, they went to hug their lovers silently without coming home. I didn’t remember much about Samdach meaningful speech, I just realized that Samdach specified that the total amount of the building spent more than 200,000$, and the big supporter is Samdach.

 

After the ceremony finished, Sam Ol and his wife invited me to walk around the health center. They tell me clearly and boldly that they have paid for the whole building and other equipped materials with at least 100,000$ including the process of another donation which is approximately 120,000$.

 

Sam Ol’s wife smiled with less happiness before answering back to me “Now I have a package of money, then throw it to them freely, our country has tradition and law, bong. If you want the Motor to move with no petrol, how can it run?”

 

“I don’t understand completely.”

 

Sam Ol’s wife answered, “If you stay longer, you will.”

 

When they said that, I stopped, then looked at the wall of the building, I hadn’t seen Sam Ol’s name on it, but seen the name of Samdach this, and that instead.

 

They also took me to the newly dug well, I did my best to find their names, there were no names. Thanks to the hot daylight, I drank a few bottles of water, now I needed a piss, so I went to the bathroom nearby. 

 

After urinating already, I came out and saw the name: H.E. Koy Samol and his wife inscribed on the wall in front of the bathroom” I was surprised and said that.

Paying for constructing the health center, why are their names inscribed on W.C.?

Mr. Sam Ol spoke to me boastfully “We paid for it, no matter where our names are, our names are enlisted in the book already.”