The Solider

In a tiny village on the side of the Mekong River, this man was working outside his house with his wife, when he saw us he came over and talked and talked and talked. He couldn't understand a word we were saying and likewise, we couldn’t understand a word he was saying but he just smiled and kept chatting away. 

He asked for a photograph with his wife. She brushed her hair back and he straightened his hat and sat right up for it. Then after being so talkative for so long he looked at the photograph and went completely silent. He just kept staring and staring at the photo for a number of minutes, looking quite emotional.

He stayed silent for so long and looked so emotional that for the first time I wondered if it was a mistake to take his photo and had upset him. Eventually, he stood up and didn't say a word but motioned to wait and walked back into his house. He came out a few moments later holding up a framed photograph of himself as a handsome young soldier, pointed to it, pointed at himself and stood up tall. 

I can only assume that this was the first photograph he had seen of himself since the one he held up.

Finally, his face broke into a huge happy smile and he saluted me.