Chapter 1-13

CHAPTER 1

'Dawan' wakes up at dawn to a cool calm silence of an after-rain morning. Nature is waking up with the croaking of bullfrogs, whispering of leaves, cries of sparrows and crowing of a rooster. She rolls up her own piece of matting and crawls out of the mosquito netting. Then, she and 'Kwai' tiptoe to the wooden platform outside and scamper down the ladder to the squishy cool ground to greet the fresh, cool and young morning. They weave their way between tall leafy trees in the undergrowth until they come to an old wooden bridge over the river. Sitting together in silence and easy companionship, they watch the rising rise. It signifies the beginning of a special day for both of them. 'Dawan' raised her voice in happy singing about the misty morning. 'Kwai' throws pebbles into the water and they both smile happily into the flowing river. The day breaks and the sky is tinted gold and the villagers are awake. 'Kwai' and 'Dawan' talk about the results of the examination and the scholarship which entitles the holder to free education in the City school. 'Kwai' shows excitement and rattles off about the things he will do and places he will visit in the City. Dawan' teases him about not having time for studies and reminds him of the hopes their teacher has of him. With further education, 'Kwai' plans to improve life in their village, teach Father to raise new crops and use better fertilisers or even build a hospital and advise the villagers how not to get cheated by the tax collectors. 'Kwai' is sure 'Dawan' may win the scholarship as she has always been a good worker. However, 'Dawan' is sure she does not stand a chance as she is a girl.

CHAPTER 2

Teacher smiles at the students who wait for his signal to sit down. He nods briefly and the students sit down and get ready for the lesson to start. There is an air of quiet expectancy when Teacher refers to the unusual things found underneath their houses that morning. Whispers of bags of rice ran among the students and a student muttered reluctantly that the rice is rent for the landlord. This starts off the discussion on the issue of paying rent for the use of the landowner's land. Da wan raises the question of why the landlord owns the land rather than the farmer although they have spent a lot of time farming it. The three reasons of labour, need and inheritance are listed as reasons for the landlord's ownership of the land. They are discussed and dismissed as inadequate reasons. They suggested a system of collective farming to help the farmers. The headmaster comes down the corridor to observe the lesson. Teacher very quickly changed the lesson to a Geography Wesson. The students followed his cue and no one gave the slightest notice of the headmaster's presence. When the headmaster leaves, Teacher explains the implications of winning the scholarship. It involves bearing responsibilities and the scholarship holder should master what is useful and return to help the village. He should understand the injustices in the present system and change it to a fairer system. Then, he announces the winner of the scholarship is 'Dawan'.

CHAPTER 3

After school, 'Dawan' is surrounded and bombarded with questions by a group of her classmates. She looks round desperately for 'Kwai' to help her. But, 'Kwai' is standing alone at the doorway looking on, lonely and lost. When he stalks away, 'Dawan' runs after him but is not able to catch up with him as she is surrounded by some monks in the schoolyard. When she reaches home, everything looks and sounds familiar – Father is repairing the chicken coop while Grandmother is feeding the chickens. Mother says that 'Kwai' has just returned home a few minutes ago and left almost immediately. 'Dawan' gazes towards the fields and sighs on hearing this. Grandmother is puzzled by Dawan's behaviour and Father wants to know the reason too. 'Dawan' shifts around nervously and tries to speak but the fear in her heart chained down her words. 'Dawan' looks at Mother and the baby, quiet Grandmother and stern Father Finally, she summons her courage and finding strength in the gaze of a little frog, she tells the family she is the winner of the scholarship. Father looks incredulous when told there is only one prize and that 'Kwai' is not placed. He accuses 'Dawan' of taking Kwai's chance away and then strides away angrily. Mother is quiet but Grandmother feels proud of her. 'Dawan' cannot understand her mother's stand. Grandmother wants to take 'Dawan' to see cousin 'Noi' to get the latter to help talk to Father. Eventually, it is Mother who goes with 'Dawan' to Cousin Noi's house.

CHAPTER 4

'Dawan' enjoys the coconut milk offered by 'Ghan', Cousin Noi's husband. While the adults talk among themselves, 'Dawan' is fascinated with the colourful postcards and calendar pictures of city scenes, glistening temples and bustling city streets that are plastered on the walls. She pictures herself walking through the places in the pictures. 'Dawan' realises that Cousin 'Noi' has matured since her return from the city. 'Noi' feels that the City is not good or healthy for a young girl even if she is going there for studies as she will only become bitter and angry. 'Noi' explains that she and her husband had gone to the city to work with the hope of earning more money. They are in debt to an army officer who has helped 'Ghan' from being conscripted into the army. All this while, they have heard stories about how perfect the City is. Now, 'Noi' speaks out clearly about life in the City that is what they actually experienced. It was dismal for them as they had to work extra hard and yet are paid less than what they deserve. Just as in the village, there is economic injustice of the lower class. There is also exploitation of child labour and the presence of European soldiers makes the City unhealthy. 'Ghan' agrees with 'Noi' that there is a semblance of equality and peace in the village where everything is familiar, like the temples, monks, students and teachers. 'Dawan' feels uneasy about City life but only momentarily. She tells 'Ghan' she wants to go to the City to acquire knowledge to change the system to a better one. In a soft but firm voice, she says she wants to see the City for herself.

CHAPTER 5

Mother and 'Dawan' leave for home as the sun is setting and along the way, they realise 'Kwai' is behind them herding a buffalo home. While Mother hurries home, 'Dawan' waits for 'Kwai'. 'Kwai' queries angrily about their going to 'Noi' and Ghan's house and whether they intend to come over and support 'Dawan'. He is taken aback when Noi's comments about life in the City. This makes it harder for 'Dawan' to get Father's permission. 'Kwai' double checks that 'Dawan' still wants to go to the City. Exasperated, 'Dawan' presses 'Kwai' for his motive behind his query and after an interminable silence, 'Kwai' picks a leaf and tears it into two. It symbolises he has a fifty-fifty chance of going to the City as he is second after 'Dawan'. 'Dawan' replies firmly that she refuses to give up her one chance and intends to go to the City. If she does not take advantage of the scholarship, she will not be able to get any more schooling while 'Kwai' still has many more chances. They argue about the concept and the responsibility that comes with the scholarship. While 'Dawan' emphasises that she will be able to bring about changes to the village, 'Kwai' insists that as a girl, 'Dawan' will not be able to fulfil her ideals. For a moment, they relax and exchange smiles melting away their hostility when they wish they could go together. 'Kwai' keeps 'Dawan' guessing about whether he will inform Father about his result.

CHAPTER 6

Dinner that night is tense and 'Dawan' is on tender hooks. The two younger siblings are quiet unlike their usual boisterous self. Mother brings up the subject of Dawan's schooling but is silenced by Father. He does the same thing to Dawan's attempt, emphasising they should let him be. Egoistic and conservative, Father is not used to being challenged for his action questions on Dawan's need for further schooling. Kwai's question as to whether he will be permitted to go if he has won the scholarship gets a positive response. Father dreams and feels that 'Kwai' is a better investment since he is more likely to return and help him and the family. 'Kwai' deliberately ignores Dawan's silent pleading.Kwai leaves the house and wanders off on his own. 'Dawan' reflects on her situation and wonders if she may be wrong in trying to assert herself as it stands in Kwai's way. Father may be right in withholding his permission as 'Kwai' seems to be in a better position to help Father, the village and change the injustices in the village and country. Further education will definitely be of greater benefit to him. But, a silent voice seems to be telling her to fight i for her rights. She feels that her will and determination count for nothing without outside help to convince Father. She decides to meet with the Head Monk to ask for his help to meet and persuade Father, face to face.

CHAPTER 7

The marketplace is busy and crowded with peddlers selling flowers, food stuff and household equipment. People of all ages and types mingled around shopping, eating or just bargaining for better prices and among them are monks with a bronze alms bowl. 'Dawan' is not able to get a lotus with her ten pennies from a flower stall. A young girl , selling lotus flowers and sparrows, offers 'Dawan' a lotus bud for ten pennies and then in a burst of friendliness, for free. They exchange tidbits about themselves. 'Bao' is a peddler as she does not like to do housework and she gets the flowers from the river where she swims every morning. 'Dawan' shares with 'Bao' her reasons for wanting to take the lotus to the temple and visiting the chief monk. She talks about her attending school and realises that Bao's brother, 'Vichai' is in the same class as her. 'Bao' understands Dawan's need to go to the temple concerning the scholarship. She is impressed with 'Dawan' and encourages her not to give up fighting for her rights to attain further education. They compare their brothers' attitude and characteristics and conclude that all brothers are selfish and will end up fighting to get what they want. 'Bao' is doubtful that the chief monk will take sides with 'Dawan' and help persuade her father. She offers 'Dawan' the chance to set free a sparrow to gain more merits to increase her chances of getting help from the monk. However, 'Dawan' refuses the offer as she cannot afford and does not want to take advantage of her new friend.

CHAPTER 8

'Dawan' steps into the quiet of the temple or wat with the lotus bud. She leaves her shoes outside the doorway, dusts the loose dirt off her feet, straightens her blouse and sarong and enters the temple. Two rows of monks and a few villagers are chanting the Buddhist scriptures. 'Dawan' does the necessary acts and places the lotus in a big urn at the altar. She waits for the head abbot to finish reading the scriptures and the monks have left before she approaches him. She waits for him in the courtyard. 'Dawan' feels relaxed in the open courtyard as she looks at the flocks of doves pecking at the crumbs scattered to them by the monks. She whistled loudly and spiritedly until she realises she is alone in the courtyard. She stops whistling and sighs softly. The head monk smiles and murmurs as to why she changes her moods so easily. When 'Dawan' mentions that birds are meant to be free to fly far and wide, the head monk asks where she wants to fly to. She blurts out that it is the City school and explains her situation. He indicates that he has heard everything about the scholarship from the teachers and as the cage door for 'Dawan' is open, she is free to fly away. Instead of comforting 'Dawan', the monk explains some Buddhist precepts to her and informs her that he cannot help her with her father. 'Dawan' is disappointed and leaves the temple with a heavy heart and eyes squinting from bitterness.

CHAPTER 9

'Dawan' is weighed down by a sense of hopelessness as she walks back to the marketplace. She wonders if she should just graciously give in to 'Kwai'. 'Bao', on seeing how devastated 'Dawan' looks, tries to console her and offers her a shoulder to cry on. To boost Dawan's morale, she advises her to think positively and to push forward and struggle and not to lose to her brother. Then, she urges 'Dawan' to open a sparrow's cage and learn a lesson from what unfolds. When the cage door opens, the bird hesitates, then when it realises it is free, flies out and away. 'Dawan' understands the lesson and is told her cage door may not be open for long. Suddenly, 'Bao' urgently tells 'Dawan' to hide as her brother, 'Vichai' approaches the stall. 'Vichai' checks the day's collection and is not happy. He hits 'Bao' who retaliates by releasing the birds. 'Kwai' appears to protect 'Bao' from being hit further. 'Bao' is devastated when one of the birds dies and 'Dawan' consoles her. 'Bao' accuses 'Kwai' of being as big a bully to 'Dawan', as her brother. 'Kwai' does not understand the accusation and wants to have it out with 'Bao'. A scuffle starts and it results in 'Dawan' getting a hurt ankle. 'Dawan' launches a verbal attack on 'Kwai' saying he is an opportunist with double standards, a liar and a bully for trying to take away her rights to the scholarship. Cousin 'Noi' dresses up Dawan's ankle and then they leave before the storm breaks. 'Dawan' limps off in the rain with an umbrella.

CHAPTER 10

'Dawan' walks slowly on her hurt ankle, grateful for the solitude. She dreads going home as she imagines the sharp questioning from her parents and confrontation with 'Kwai' She heads for the river to get some quiet calmness but finds it is restless, swollen with rain and sweeping over the banks. 'Kwai' is on the old bridge and 'Dawan' hides to avoid facing him. Common sense takes over as she realises they need to heal the rift and narrow the gap caused by the announcement of the scholarship results. 'Kwai' is consumed with thoughts of 'Dawan' accusing him of being a bully and doing one thing while saying another. He understands his ideals may have been sacrificed when he entertained thoughts of taking over the scholarship. Then, 'Dawan' leaves the umbrella for 'Kwai' while she hobbles down the path towards home in the rain. 'Kwai' races after her with the umbrella when he sees 'Dawan' limping down the narrow path. Seeing her suffering physically – wet, cold and tired – due to her being hurt by him physically and mentally, he makes up his mind to pull his own rope and go the direction his heart tells him to. Then, he runs down to join her to share the umbrella with her.

CHAPTER 11

'Kwai' catches up with 'Dawan' who asks him warily whether he has worked out his thoughts. He merely grins and offering her the umbrella, states that he is not likely to make the offer again. 'Dawan' understands him and breaks out into a broad grin and together they huddle under the umbrella. At the junction to their home, they come across Father leading a buffalo home. He shouts and demands to know why they have not told him of the exam results. He is now aware that 'Kwai' has second placing and is in the running for the scholarship. The buffalo runs off and Father chases after it. 'Kwai' assures 'Dawan' despite Father's threats that he will not challenge her . The rain has subsided by the time the two siblings reach home and are warned that Father is in a fierce and foul mood. Grandmother tells 'Dawan' to be strong and brave. Father states in no uncertain terms his stand on the scholarship now that he is aware of the results. He wants 'Kwai' to take over from 'Dawan' and even if 'Kwai' refuses, Father has the power to make him do it. He feels that 'Dawan' as a girl, will not gain much from the scholarship and no fancy education will make her capable of doing anything worthwhile. 'Kwai' states adamantly that he does not want to rob 'Dawan' of the opportunity. 'Dawan' states her stand and appeals that Father be fair and kind to her. She stresses that she wants to learn about the world and Father should open the way for her. Father finally agrees although he cannot fathom the whole situation. 'Kwai' still feels hurt although he puts on a brave front about it.

CHAPTER 12

'Dawan' wakes up early to the sounds of nature that she has grown up with and loved. This is her last morning at home and she senses a lingering sadness in the cool dawn air. She looks for 'Kwai' who has not been his usual friendly self and has avoided her for the past few days. On this dawn, a dawn to be treasured, she wants to share it with 'Kwai'. She finds him at the old wooden bridge. He looks forlorn and seems completely absorbed in his own thoughts. 'Dawan' feels a sharp pain and pity shoot through her and she wants to comfort him. She joins him on the bridge and they talk about her going to the City, their feelings and the fact that what they have shared so far will be lost with time. Nothing will be the same anymore. 'Dawan', sad and confused feels tears welling up and she appeals for Kwai's understanding and love now that she has been given a chance to fulfil their ideals. The companionship they have shared on the bridge, watching the sunrise and sunset might be lost. 'Dawan' asks 'Kwai' to watch the dawn for her and to sing her song of the misty dawn.

CHAPTER 13

When 'Dawan' reaches home to prepare for her journey to the city, she sees some people including her teacher, 'Bao' and Cousin 'Noi' waiting to bid her farewell. Mother notices her and the villagers swarm round to fuss over her. 'Dawan' goes into the house and smiles gratefully at Grandmother who assures her not to be afraid. She sits in front of Grandmother to do her leave-taking, the most painful part of her morning. Sensing her fears, Grandmother reminds her to take this first step bravely. 'Dawan' feeling lost, stares at Grandmother blankly and breaks down sobbing uncontrollably. Her childhood memories seem to be slipping away. Grandmother gives her a lotus in a jar telling her the lotus is like her and will unfold petal by petal just as 'Dawan' will too in the days to come. She leaves Grandmother and gets into the bus, all the while looking for 'Kwai' as she feels a void. She feels a throbbing disappointment. As the bus nears the river, 'Dawan' looks out for the old bridge and is pleasantly surprised to see 'Kwai' waving from the bridge and singing her song. 'Dawan' sings too and notices her lotus unfolding its petals. They are singing to the new dawn.