bunna's nephew

got a call this morning from a friend, Leann. she's not going to make it to the Boogie Nights party tonight (where our other friend is dj'ing)... her driver's nephew just died. little kid living out in the village, 2 years old... developed a high fever so the family got money together and got him to phnom penh. the hospital took one look at them and wouldn't let them in the door.

my guess is they looked like peasants-- people who can't pay. the monsoon rain started, so the family went back to bunna's one bedroom shack to wait it out and think of another plan. the little guy's fever raged on, and the flood waters rose. they tried to leave again, but the water was too deep. the little boy died in the night.

the first thing that came to my mind is, "why didn't bunna call me? why didn't he call leann?" we could have taken him to a western clinic-- we could have paid. we would have helped.

then i read a post on the khmer440.com forum discussing the lack of infrastructure here in phnom penh. the whole friggin city was washed out last night, everyone was stuck until the water subsided. happens all the time during rainy season. yet the government officials all drive new Lexuses and new casinos are being built (all funded by the government). and little kids are dying because their parents can't pay to take care of them.

i remember in hanoi my maid's grandmother died out in the village. i knew she had been sick and asked Thu what was wrong with her. she just looked at me and said, "i don't know. she's sick." you get sick, you die. no diagnosis, no treatment, nothing.

that is life for most of the world.