Chapter Five
JUNIOR SCHOOLLek and her friends moved from the village infant school to the junior school in the nearest city of Phichai at thee age of nine. There was no school bus and her parents had no transport except a buffalo and cart, so, Lek would walk the fifteen kilometres there and fifteen back every day with her two best school friends Ayr and Goong. They were inseparable during school hours, and in the Thai tradition called each other Noo or ‘Rat’ instead of the more formal ‘Pi’ denoting someone older, and ‘Nong’ someone younger than oneself. Lek was the eldest by a few months followed by Goong and Ayr, although they were all in the same class.
As usual, Lek assumed the role of eldest sister and guardian of her friends, and they looked up to her for it. It meant getting up at
