Interaction

Chaktomuk Primary School's canteen is the meeting point between pleasure and its opposite. Small food stalls form rows, where hundreds of student customers occupy the pathways in between. If you are less than 1.40 metre tall, which most students there are, getting from one shop to another seems almost like cruising through the loudest battlefield in the universe. The delicious fragrance of the boiling chicken broth and the reek of months old garbage undergo a struggle for domination over the tight space. The concrete floor of the market is covered by sugar stains and muds. Regardless of their poor appearances, running food stalls at a school full of immature, sweet-toothed youngsters can never fail. Yet, some shops are busier than others. And the most populous region of the canteen is no other than the beverage corner. Soda taps, press juicer mills, drink mixers, and colourful containers, are lined up side by side, as thirsty children impatiently wait for their turns to make an order. At the microscopic level, flies and bees also put on a public show around the nozzles of the concentrated sugary liquid's containers.

"Uncle Bot! Here's the money!" Sak hands 1,500 riels in two separate paper bills to the shopkeeper while taking three plastic bags, each filled with light medallion sugar cane juice, evenly-made ice cubes, and a striped straw, from the middle-aged man. "Wow, he ditches us for them again. Didn't he say that he wanted to stay in class?" Nak speaks to Sak in his usual, lazy tone, as Ya and the class 4C's female trio walk towards the stall next to Uncle Bot's. "I guess, well, let's just go and wait for him in class." Sak replies disinterestedly. "Come on, man! Let's go and say hi! Our pretty class monitor is here!" Nak excitedly suggests. Pretty. Cute. These words again. What do they even mean? "Whatever, dude." Sak complies.

“Here’s your drink, man.” Sak passes a pouch of the cold drink to Ya, who stands behind the twins and the class monitor. Of course, despite being nonidentical twins, the two sisters share many common features on their looks that might take anyone quite some time to differentiate between whom and whom. That is probably why they do their hair differently. Nika, who is slightly taller and skinnier, always wears a French braid, while Tita’s hairstyle is what most people call a long bob. By word of mouth, the circulated statement about Nika being a few minutes older than her sister is a well-known fact. Their behaviours suggest the same. Standing in the middle of the two siblings, there is a light-skinned girl with an oval face and a noticeable beauty spot on her left cheek, who is identified as the class monitor by those who are not in her circle. “Hey, guys!” Ya is startled. “I thought you did not want to go to the market. I see what your priorit…” Nak teases Ya but is stopped by the embarrassed expression on his friend’s pointy face. Meanwhile, the girls are ordering their drinks without giving the three pals their slightest attention. “I did not know that you guys wanted to get something to drink, otherwise I would volunteer to be your handsome errand boy.” Nak casually speaks to the busy girls. Here we go again, Ah Nak, why do you always act like this? Nak smirks, as the twins giggle. At that very moment, Sak and Da, who often ignore each other’s presence, accidentally lock eyes while carrying a smile on their faces that is caused by Nak’s playful comment. They both immediately blush, pause, and turn away. What just happens? Oh, no, I hope she didn’t think I smiled at her. “Sorry, this stupid guy always acts like that, don’t mind him.” Ya explains to his original companions. “Don’t worry, your friend is funny.” Da responds in her soft but confident voice, and the twins node in agreement. Did she smile back at me? Why would she do that? Don’t overthink, Vongsak. Forget about it. “What are we doing here, dude? Let’s head back. See you in class, ah Ya.” Sak suddenly drags Nak and takes off with the confused boy. “Okay? See you soon. Thanks for the drink by the way.”

On the way back to class, Sak and Nak walk by many similar-looking, canary structures, which shelter hundreds of children within the age group between five and thirteen from the furious morning sun. Surrounding the buildings, there are pavements and trees of different shapes and sizes. “Dude, you’re weird.” Sak complains to Nak. “No, they thought I was funny. You’re the weird one ... It almost seems to me that you always become shy and try to run away every time the class monitor is around. Don’t tell me you like her?” Nak jollily suggests. “Are you out of your mind? No way I would like someone like her. She just gets on my nerves somehow, that’s why I try to avoid her.” Sak angrily defends himself. Little do they know, the girls and Ya are walking behind them. “Oops, I think they heard you.” Nak whispers to Sak after realising their unexpected neighbours. “Like I care.” Sak speaks in his normal tone. Darn! I shouldn’t have said that. Da looks annoyed. Nika and Tita share the same expression. None of the six classmates utters a single word for the rest of the walk. When they reach the classroom, which has a scratched, wooden label of 4C on top of the door, the children go back to their seats in silence.

Merng! Merng! Merng! The bell rings again but fader this time to signal the fourth and final class period of the day. Children return to their respective classrooms, and all outdoor activities disappear. The school once again enjoys its tranquillity.