Songkhran was an especially poignant time of the year for arable farmers, which was still the vast majority of the population, because it was a plea to God for the Heavens to open up and send the Great Monsoon, which would not only fill rivers, reservoirs and ponds, but saturate the soil thus raising the water table. The Great Monsoon had come in early to mid May for centuries, but was now less predictable, but only a little less.
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Lek’s family arrived back in the village on the 13th, so the New Year’s celebrations started for them, as it did for most families, the day before New Year’s Eve, but it was a very low-key start as they were tired from driving so far. All the family gathered in Mum’s garden on and around the big outside table and chopped and peeled vegetables, while sharing a
