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“Chanrithy, what are you going to do in America?” Dr. Tanedo asks gently.

“I’d like to go to school, maybe study medicine. Perhaps it’s too late for me to go back to school. I’m sixteen already. I haven’t gone to a formal school for seven years, since the fall of Cambodia.” I look down at the ground, pitying myself that my childhood passed by during the Khmer Rouge regime and in refugee camps. I feel so behind. I’m scared. America, the country I’ve been waiting to go to, now scares me.

“Chanrithy, you’re still young, only sixteen. You can go to school.…” Dr. Tanedo looks at me sympathetically. He searches for my lowered eyes, then says, “In America, you can study whatever you want.”

His gentle, hopeful voice gives me courage. I level my gaze and look at him. In my heart I want to say, Really? I can study whatever I want? Then I’ll learn many things….

His eyes tell me I can. I feel at ease, comforted. He is the first person with whom I have shared my hopes and fears. Now I feel a weight has been lifted, and I’m grateful.

“Athy, people are going to the physical examination!” Ry points to the front yard. Families clutch their belongings and children, trotting toward a group of large tents where the physical examination will be.

I look at Dr. Tanedo. I don’t want to say good-bye. He offers to carry my duffel bag and reaches out to pick it up. We all hurry to the tents.

We arrive at a tent. Soon bang Vantha’s name is called. Anxiously, bang Vantha rushes into the tent, and Ra, with Syla in her hands, also steps in, her eyes signaling to us to follow. We go in. A Filipino woman orders bang Vantha to take his clothes off in front of us all. He rightly refuses. Then the woman orders us all out.

Walking out of the tent, I give this woman a stare, angry at her need to belittle us. Dr. Tanedo asks what happened, and when I explain, he suggests that we give him our documents.

From tent to tent Dr. Tanedo goes, talking to Filipino medical workers in his own language. All we have to do is stand near him. The workers glance at us, then turn their attention to Dr. Tanedo. Ry grins off and on, stealing glances at me, then at Dr. Tanedo. Finally words tumble out of her mouth.

“Not bad, Athy. You have a doctor friend to help us.” She grins again. When I smile, she giggles. Ra, too, smiles. Savorng and Map seem to understand, so they join in. Bang Vantha flashes a weak grin.

Soon Dr. Tanedo returns to me and says that we are all set. He leads us toward a line of buses along the paved road. On the sidewalk near the buses, clumps of families stand by their belongings, their faces red, eyes swollen. A young girl weeps by a sad-looking man. Glancing at her face, I too break down. Ry wipes her eyes.

Cradling sleeping Syla in her arms, Ra blinks her tears away. Most of the women cry, but the men just look sad. People bid their good-byes and remind each other not to forget to write.

The sounds of ragged sobbing resonate. Families’ names are being called. People get on the buses. Suddenly mine is called. I want to tell Dr. Tanedo that I’ll miss him. But when I look at him, all I can do is cry. People look at me, and I just cry. No words come out of my mouth. My tongue is stuck.

“Athy, hurry.” Ry waves at me by the entrance to the bus. Map and Savorng throw me a frowning glance. Embracing Syla in her arms, Ra, too, hurries me. She stands by bang Vantha as they crowd onto the steps of the bus. Than is already on the bus.

Overwhelmed by it all, I dash to the bus. When I’m on it, waiting to be seated behind Ry and Map, I realize I’ve forgotten to say good-bye to Dr. Tanedo one last time. I look out the window, and he stands there watching me. I want to get off, but people are coming up onto the bus.

“Athy, Athy!” a voice calls. Urgent taps shake the window near me. When I turn, through my tears I see my friend Sereya’s sobbing face. I move close to the window. Sereya’s face breaks into a smile. “I tried to run as fast as I could to get here before you were gone. Oh, Athy, I’m going to