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Back during the Vietnam war, when I was sta tioned in Thailand, I met a beautiful Thai wom an named Surapun. We fell in love and got married soon after. When my wife learned, after a trip to a doctor, that she couldn’t have children, we both prayed that somehow things would be changed , that we would be able to have a family of our own.
My tour ended, and I went back to the Unit ed States, to my assignment1 in Nevada. I started the huge amount of immigration2 paperwork nec es sary for Surapun to join me back in the States.
A short time later I received a letter from Surapun. She was pregnant! The doctor had been wrong. We were ecstatic3. I couldn’t wait till she joined me. I rushed the paperwork to her for her signature.
A long time went by with no response. Let ters I sent to her went unanswered. I was get ting frantic. Then a letter came from her mother, tell ing me my wife had died. I was devastated4. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have the money for air fare back to Thailand to pay my respects. I hadn’t known my in-laws well, and soon I fell out of touch. I vowed5 someday I would return to Thailand. Eventually, I moved on with my life. I remarried and had two children. It was nearly30 years till I went back to Thailand.
After searching many official records, I found my wife’s grave. Alone with my memories I stood
be side it and prayed. Just then a young Thai wom an walked up. She put her hands together in the wye position, a Thai gesture of respect. “Did you know her”“I asked her.
“No,”she said. “But I am the reason she’s dead. It weighs heavy on my mind. I have no family. They all died. And when I feel lonely I come here.”
“Why here”“I asked.
“She died while giving birth to me. I have spent my life searching for my father, but he is an American, and I think he doesn’t want to be found.”
Now, after so long, there I stood with my daugh ters Siriki, an answer to a 30-year-old prayer.
时光追溯到了越南战争时期，我驻扎在泰国。在那里，我结识了一位漂亮的泰国女人，她名叫苏拉潘。我们一见钟情，没过多久便结婚了。在一次会诊之后，我妻子得知她不能怀孕。我们听到这个消息后默默祈祷，无论如何都希望这个事实发生转机，我们也能拥有一个属于我们自己的完整的家庭。
任期结束后，我又回到了美国，开始我在内华达的巡查任务。我开始大量搜集和整理有关移民的信息，因为我想要和苏拉潘一起在美国生活。
没过多久，我收到了苏拉潘寄来的一封信。天哪！她怀孕了！那个医生误诊了。我们感到阵阵的狂喜。我迫不及待地想要她和我一起回美国，共同开始幸福的生活。我心急火燎地继续为她筹备办理移民的基本资料。
很长一段时间过去了，苏拉潘杳无音信。我寄给她的信一封也没有回应。我急得有点发疯了。后来终于有了回音，不过寄信人是她的妈妈。在信中，她告诉我说，我的妻子已经不在了。我感觉周围的一切都在旋转，天昏地暗。我无所适从，不知道该做些什么。我连去泰国的机票钱都没有，我甚至无法亲自表示自己的敬意。我和苏拉潘的家人不太熟悉，不久我们也失去了联系。我发誓有一天我一定要回泰国。后来，我继续着我的生活。我再婚了，并且还有两个孩子。大概30年后，我又回到了泰国。
我查阅了许多官方记录，找到了我妻子的墓地。带着所有的回忆，我站在墓碑旁默默地祈祷。就在这时，有一个年轻的泰国姑娘走上前来。她双手合十摆成一个倒着的“Y”形，这是泰国人表示尊敬礼貌的手势。“你认识她吗？”我问道。
“不，”她回答道，“但是她因我而死。我总是为此而感到内疚、伤痛。我没有家庭。他们全都去世了。每当我感到孤独无助的时候就会来这里。”
“为什么会选择这里？”我问道。
“她刚生下我就死了。我一直在寻找我的父亲，但是他是个美国人，我想也许他根本不想我找到他。”
My tour ended, and I went back to the Unit ed States, to my assignment1 in Nevada. I started the huge amount of immigration2 paperwork nec es sary for Surapun to join me back in the States.
A short time later I received a letter from Surapun. She was pregnant! The doctor had been wrong. We were ecstatic3. I couldn’t wait till she joined me. I rushed the paperwork to her for her signature.
A long time went by with no response. Let ters I sent to her went unanswered. I was get ting frantic. Then a letter came from her mother, tell ing me my wife had died. I was devastated4. I didn’t know what to do. I didn’t have the money for air fare back to Thailand to pay my respects. I hadn’t known my in-laws well, and soon I fell out of touch. I vowed5 someday I would return to Thailand. Eventually, I moved on with my life. I remarried and had two children. It was nearly30 years till I went back to Thailand.
After searching many official records, I found my wife’s grave. Alone with my memories I stood
be side it and prayed. Just then a young Thai wom an walked up. She put her hands together in the wye position, a Thai gesture of respect. “Did you know her”“I asked her.
“No,”she said. “But I am the reason she’s dead. It weighs heavy on my mind. I have no family. They all died. And when I feel lonely I come here.”
“Why here”“I asked.
“She died while giving birth to me. I have spent my life searching for my father, but he is an American, and I think he doesn’t want to be found.”
Now, after so long, there I stood with my daugh ters Siriki, an answer to a 30-year-old prayer.
时光追溯到了越南战争时期，我驻扎在泰国。在那里，我结识了一位漂亮的泰国女人，她名叫苏拉潘。我们一见钟情，没过多久便结婚了。在一次会诊之后，我妻子得知她不能怀孕。我们听到这个消息后默默祈祷，无论如何都希望这个事实发生转机，我们也能拥有一个属于我们自己的完整的家庭。
任期结束后，我又回到了美国，开始我在内华达的巡查任务。我开始大量搜集和整理有关移民的信息，因为我想要和苏拉潘一起在美国生活。
没过多久，我收到了苏拉潘寄来的一封信。天哪！她怀孕了！那个医生误诊了。我们感到阵阵的狂喜。我迫不及待地想要她和我一起回美国，共同开始幸福的生活。我心急火燎地继续为她筹备办理移民的基本资料。
很长一段时间过去了，苏拉潘杳无音信。我寄给她的信一封也没有回应。我急得有点发疯了。后来终于有了回音，不过寄信人是她的妈妈。在信中，她告诉我说，我的妻子已经不在了。我感觉周围的一切都在旋转，天昏地暗。我无所适从，不知道该做些什么。我连去泰国的机票钱都没有，我甚至无法亲自表示自己的敬意。我和苏拉潘的家人不太熟悉，不久我们也失去了联系。我发誓有一天我一定要回泰国。后来，我继续着我的生活。我再婚了，并且还有两个孩子。大概30年后，我又回到了泰国。
我查阅了许多官方记录，找到了我妻子的墓地。带着所有的回忆，我站在墓碑旁默默地祈祷。就在这时，有一个年轻的泰国姑娘走上前来。她双手合十摆成一个倒着的“Y”形，这是泰国人表示尊敬礼貌的手势。“你认识她吗？”我问道。
“不，”她回答道，“但是她因我而死。我总是为此而感到内疚、伤痛。我没有家庭。他们全都去世了。每当我感到孤独无助的时候就会来这里。”
“为什么会选择这里？”我问道。
“她刚生下我就死了。我一直在寻找我的父亲，但是他是个美国人，我想也许他根本不想我找到他。”