key to my heart

It’s 7:30 Monday morning, I’m up and dressed, makeup on, hair done. As I was brushing my teeth I realized I couldn’t hear the kids laughing and screaming outside my window. I usually wake up to that. I looked out my window.

No children.

“Hmm. Weird.” I thought.

I continued to get ready and was running a little bit behind (I slept in for the first time since I arrived). I still couldn’t hear any children. They should have been in chapel by now.

I text Tongpang to ask if there was school today. The reply, “No class”.

I was sooooo tired!!! I can’t believe I didn’t sleep in!! Baahhh!! Oh well. Maybe I’ll go back to bed. Probably not, but maybe.

Saturday afternoon I went to watch my boys play football (soccer) and they really sucked. I think the score was 5 - 1. After football Phi Run (pronounced Perron) wanted to go to the beach for a quick swim. I wasn’t going to pass up the opportunity! So we took off on his motto to Independence Beach. He knows everyone in this town! It’s crazy! He takes me to all these new interesting places, and we either end up not paying for anything or we get it for cheap cheap (my WEFC friends will understand why I said cheap twice. =) ). The only thing about all of this is that the sun begins to set in the afternoon and is down by 6. When I was in the ocean it was dark. Me. I went swimming in the dark. And not just any swimming, swimming in the ocean where there are many scary things!! If you know me, you might know that I am terrified of swimming in the dark. I don’t like the unknown of the dark water. If I have problems with swimming in lakes, or even pools for that matter in the dark, this was a huge step for me!! I was very excited.

We had dinner on the beach. French fries, fried rice and egg. It was good. There was vegetables and BBQ beef mixed in with the rice. Everything was going great until I realized that my room key wasn’t in my pocket anymore. Shoot!! Where did it go?

I looked in the sand, in the dark, for about 15 - 20 minutes. I checked every where!! I couldn’t find it. I was horribly sad because it was Saturday night and we wouldn’t be able to call a locksmith until the next day, or maybe even Monday. All I had on was my wet salty bathing suit, jean skirt and tank top. Did I really have to sleep in all of this? Where was I going to shower? What would I dry off with? I can’t sleep out in the living room with all the rats and mice. Rachha and Vothanak don’t have a spare bed in their room. Tongpang does but I’m not sleeping with him alone in his room. I know he wouldn’t be ok with that, and I wouldn’t be either. I’d be terrified to sleep in the spare room alone. I’d never fall asleep in there. What was I going to do?!!?!

Phi Run kept making fun of me looking in the sand. He said I looked pitiful and I was embarrassing him. I told him I didn’t care, I needed to find my key!! He helped me look for couple minutes, but told me it was no use and that we should just get going. Reluctantly I left. I prayed so hard that God would work a miracle here. Maybe I didn’t even take it! Maybe my bedroom is unlocked right now and the key is sitting on my desk. Yeah, maybe. ..

Not. I knew that was impossible. I never leave my room unlocked, and I remember putting my key in my pocket and then checking it again when we arrived at the beach.

I as we drove home he kept asking me if I was still thinking about the key. I told him yes, of course I still was. I always try to cause as little trouble as I possibly can (I can get into lots of trouble at times) and here I just caused big trouble. I told him I was very upset with myself. A little sad too. He said he was going to take the long way home. I said fine. I told him I was texting Tongpang about it. I was asking him to break into my room for me. Phi Run laughed. He told me he wished my key had jumped into his pocket so he could make me happy. He said he was sorry for me. I said I wished that as well. Then I straight out asked him if he did have my key and was just playing a joke on me. He became defensive and said he didn’t have my key.

When I arrived home Tongpang and Kong had just about broken the lock to get into my room. As I approached them telling them they were wonderful brothers, Phi Run laughed and put my key in my hand.

I was filled with several emotions. Joy. Happiness. Annoyed. Angry. Upset with Phi Run. Tongpang said a very nasty word to him, and I told Phi Run that that wasn’t funny. He took the joke too far. Never do that again. That wasn’t cool. He didn’t know I was that upset about loosing my key and still thought it was a funny joke. He apologized. But for the first time I was upset with him and he could tell. He didn’t like it.

I don’t think Phi Run will pull that with me again.