The boys looked at the food. Then they looked at each other. Without talking, they used their [music] fingers to divide the rice into three equal parts. Slowly, carefully, no one took more. No one complained. When they were done, they nodded at each other like an agreement had been made. Then they started eating. Goi stood there frozen.
She felt heat rise to her eyes. She turned her face away quickly so they would not see her crying. Behind her, a woman passing by scoffed. “See them,” the woman muttered like hungry cats. N Goi clenched her jaw. She turned back to the boys and watched the meat. They ate slowly like they were afraid the food might disappear if they rushed it. Solar smiled while chewing.
Kunnel kept his eyes on the plate. Tounday ate quietly, his face serious. When they finished, not a single grain of rice was left. Tunday picked up the plate and stood up. “Thank you,” [music] he said. The other two followed. “Thank you, mama,” Sola said. “Thank you,” Kunnel added. They held the plate out to her. Goi hesitated, then took it.
“You’re welcome,” [music] she said. The boys stepped back, ready to return to their spot across the road. Goi watched them turn away. Her chest felt empty again. “Wait,” she said suddenly. “The boys stopped.” Goi did not know why she said it. “The word just came out.” She walked closer to them. “Where do you sleep?” she asked.
The boys stiffened. “Tunday hesitated, then pointed to the unfinished building.” “Behind there,” he said. N Goi nodded. “And your parents?” she asked [music] softly. The boy’s faces changed. Solar looked down. Cunnel blinked fast. Tundday swallowed. They died. He said, “How?” Goi asked. “There was fire,” Tunday said. “In our house.
” Goi closed her eyes for a moment. She opened them again and forced a steady voice. [music] “You can come here tomorrow,” she said. “If you want.” The boys looked surprised. “Tomorrow?” Solar asked. Yes, Goi said when I am selling food. Tunday nodded slowly. Thank you. The boys walked away. Goi watched them sit down again [music]across the road.
She returned to her table, but her hands were shaking. That day, she sold less food than usual, but she did not feel like she lost anything. The next day, the boys came again. This time, they did not wait far. They stood closer to her table, but not too close. Goi smiled when she saw them. “You came?” she said.
“Yes,” Solless said quickly. Goi served customers first. The boys waited. They did not complain. They did not beg. When there was a free moment, Goi brought out a plate. Again, one plate. Again, rice [music] and stew. Again, the boys divided it into three. Goi sat down on her bench and watched them. You are very careful, she said.
Tounday nodded. We share everything, even water, Kunnel added. Goi nodded slowly. That afternoon became a pattern. Every day after selling for some time, Goi gave them food. Sometimes rice, sometimes beans, sometimes only bread, but always something. People started noticing a man buying food. one day shook his head.
[music] You are spoiling them, he said. They will depend on you. Goi smiled politely. They are only eating. Another woman whispered to her friend. She is wasting [music] food. Goi heard it. She pretended not to. As days passed, the boys became more relaxed around her. Solar talked a lot. He asked questions.
