The Cowherd Boy

When I was young I used to be a cowherd boy. In my family, we have two oxen. They are brown and white. They have nice horns, but they never win the other when they get in fight. I am the one who take care of them. Whenever, I think about that time it reminds me a lot of beautiful memories. I remembered that I used to feed the grass to them, cleaning their bodies, sleeping on my their back, and I used to cry when it steps on my foot. Have you ever been a cowherd? If not so, let me tell you about my experience:

In the summer season, after my school or on my holiday, I always go to the field with my oxen. I was about nine to ten at that time. I wore a T-shirt with the pant, and a beautiful hat made of palm leaf. I have one pack of food and one bottle of water behind my back. It was hot in the summer but I have my hat to cover me. I go to the field with every boy in the village. Whenever we have lunch, we just sit around as a circle and sharing our food together. Sometimes, we have our lunch on the back of our oxen. We have a delicious Pro Hok Khmer (it kind of fish paste in Cambodia. Every house has it in their Kitchen) with the leaves of the tree. It has a really good taste. After lunch we take our oxen to the pond and clean their bodies. We have a lot fun together. Sometimes after cleaning the oxen we have a time to clean ourselves as well. We took off our clothes and jump into the pond or the river, and throwing the mud toward each other. Sometimes we just get on the back of our oxen and sing a song or make whistle. I noticed that whenever I sing a song or making a whistle, I saw their ears were moving up and down. I think they may understand of what I am doing on their back. I am really like them, and they are my best friends.

When the rainy season comes, my oxen seem to be working hard. So I have to get a delicious green grass for them. Sometime I take them to the place where they enjoy their eating for the whole day. No matter what season it was, I always have one pack of food with me. At this time we don’t need to worry about the water. I can drink the water in the pond or sometime in the foot print of the ox. I remember the time when I ride my ox across the lake or the river, when we get into the middle of the water I immediately stand straight up on its back. It seems like we are surfing in the sea. It was remarkable time. I was fall many times, but I can swim and sometimes I hold their tails. It is really crazy isn’t it? But I really enjoy doing that.

During the farming time, my oxen and I have to get up early in the morning. Sometimes, we will have to get up at 3 to 4 AM. My father always wakes me up and asks me to take my oxen to the farm for him. It was very sleepy time, and I am so lazy to get up. Most of the time, I have to continue my sleeping on the back of my ox. I was very afraid, because it was a silent night, and I am really afraid to ghost. I found very useful way to get rid of my fear that I have to stay put on my ox back without making any noise, and close my eyes so the ghost would not see me. On the way to my farm, I don’t have to do anything, just sleeping on my ox’s back, and let them go by themselves, because they remember very well the way to get there. Therefore, I can pass the scary night easily, and I never see the ghost on those days.

When the morning breaks up we arrived at the farm. I can see the beautiful of the red cloud in the eastern, and hear the morning music from the bird. I give the oxen to my father, and it is the time for them to plow. There is no more work for me to do so I just sit on the dike at the corner of my farm, and watching my father’s plowing. I saw my oxen try to push the plough very hard. Somehow, I saw my dad hit them, and I feel very sorry for them. Whenever I have class in the morning I have to walk home, but if I don’t have, I have to wait my father to finish his job and go home together.

I remember one time; I was fall from my ox’s back. At that time I was sitting on its back and making a whistle. Suddenly, there is one ox comes and hits behind my ox’s ass. So my ox tried to run away from that ox, and I fell down in the sitting position. I was unable to speak or making any noise. It is like something was stuck in my respiratory system. I try to cry out and raise my hand up toward my friend who was staying not too far from my place. When they saw me they ran very quickly toward me and help me. I was very afraid. I thought I would die if there is none stay beside me. A few minutes later, I start to talk, and all my friends were very happy. On that day, I did not get on my ox’s back again, and I asked all my friends not to tell this story to my dad. I know that if my father knows about this he will not allow me to ride my ox anymore. However, a few days later I can ride it again and from that day I never fall from its back.

When I grew up everything has changed. All of my friends were gone to different ways. I got into high school and I did not have time to go to the field with my oxen anymore. Three years later, my father sold them to the other village. From that time I never see them again. I really miss them. I want to go back to that time again, so I can feed the grass to them. I can clean their bodies. I miss the scary night with the closing eyes on the back of my oxen. Especially, when I ride them across the lake it made me feel like I am surfing in the sea at the Hawaii.