LFF leaving on our last morning

Sawadeecap

I found myself in reflective mood as we were all crammed into the small cab of the truck with arnon too and Piriam driving . Rain meant rucksacks were taking the outside brunt. For 200 baht we were being taken to our minivan pickup to bangkok. My clothes were wet from night before. My attempt to ' wear them dry' was only succeeding in getting sarah to tell me the shirt needed binning owing to the smell!

 But overall the lasting impression despite the physical hardship of labouring under tropical sun in rural Thailand was how lucky we had been to meet Arnon. So humble  that he felt uncomfortable at the suggestion of adding a section to his website about him and his history. So disinterested in profit that he left his siblings in their family run well established farm to start all over again with nothing just down the road from them, when they wanted to start charging volunteers for staying at the farm. 

So good with kids but not in relationship. 

So little money yet still took the trouble to to re bandage the paws daily of Tin Tin, the paralysed dog, carefully stretching the supplies of iodine and bandages as far as they would go.

With a small donation he bought and finished the corral roof for his horse. 

........."you you".  Piriam prods me back to life.....(her command of English was better than my Thai) 

Arnon translates " she wants to know why you are not speaking"

" i am not speaking because I am sad to be leaving"

I turned round to look at Arnon in the back of the truck. He was busying himself with ESme in his arms.  

My mind went back to our last night. Sat round the table with mozzy coils on coke bottles. Arnon had his guitar and was honouring our departure the best way he could after the two chicken curries he'd just made. He was singing songs in our language as well as his own explaining the meaning when we didn't understand.

 But when he sang " together we can take care of this world" .... I understood.. .... It brought a tear to  my eyes, ......yes i know in a film script the proof reader would say "clicheed" ......but i know he really meant it .... (we had just watched him live it for the last week.)........in the following few moments ....then the perspective landed .... Next time I want to complain about any aspect of my privileged materialistic faux environmentally friendly western existence then a moment thinking about Arnons way of being will   ..... Well .....we can each finish this sentence in a way we feel best

Back in the cab......So I reached into the back and held his hand and looked for his eyes ..... Maybe this was a bit much .... After a few moments he looked up and said " I know... I know"

... After this then leaving was a little easier I think enough had been communicated.

If this blog is a diary for us squirtons to remember things by then this entry is done like this so when I read this in future Arnons spirit and way of being will be conjured up in my mind but in my heart I won't forget him

Guy