I get so much inspiration from the people that live and work on this idyllic Isle. I feel fortunate to have gotten to know and spend time with some of them. This will be the first in a few blog posts about some of my favourite people here. This is a little of Benny’s story.
Benny is Burmese. He has joined many others escaping his country to work in Thailand. The money he earns here, he sends back home to his parents. His parents live in a crumbling shack, barely making enough to survive, let alone fix the walls in their wafer thin abode.
Benny, who is ‘about 20 years old’ (he doesn’t know when he was born) saved money over the past 3 years to help fix his parents’ home, but his sister got married and the money went for his sister’s wedding instead. A Burmese saying about bringing up girls, goes like this:
’One girl is harder to look after than a thousand cows.’
‘But not to worry, I save again now, in two more years I can make their home a bit better’.
Benny works exceptionally hard. He works six days a week, from 8am to about 8pm. He is almost always the sole server / waiter / coffee maker in the cafe. And it gets busy. Very busy. He rarely stops to break or eat (no-one is there to take over for him so he can eat).
I asked him if he ever gets a holiday.
‘I get a holiday every Thursday. Some people here don’t even get that.’ That’s true, a lot of workers here work every single day.
In the quiet season, he leans up against one of the chairs, pouring over book after book. He eagerly devours English, Thai and reads literature. Studying is his favourite past time.
Poetry is his second. He scribes in broken english, words and sentiments that light up many faces. Seeing the genuine gratitude and joy emanating from the customers’ faces when he gives them a penned poem is one of my favourite things to watch. This is a poem he wrote me when I first came back to the Island:
Believe everyone
Im adore freedom
For that
We need a lot of love
Please forget bygone
Lets do a lot of love then future
everyone will be love
I wish you luck
Life is a flower
We getting only 3 times
Thy don’t lose their
Bye dear
When he is not serving, ringing up the bills, making coffee art,
he gives love to all the cafe customers.
Sometimes he makes paper flowers, other times he writes poetry for his guests. Most of the time he just sits and listens and shares with people. He calls all men ‘brover’, and smiles shyly to all the pretty women that enter. He learns some words in other languages, so when he finds out where you’re from, he’ll whip out a few lines. I love hearing him speak german.
‘Wie gehts?… Ist das lecker?’
Its hard not to fall in love with Benny.
When I screamed like a two year old boy seeing a brown snake in front of the entry way to the toilet, Benny kindly reminded me ‘You said you liked all animals, including snakes.’
Yes, yes I do Benny, just not the ones that could cause severe hurt around me.
The following is some delightful snippets and words of wisdom Benny often imparts my way.
Benny on me not eating cake for 2 weeks and other food related matters:
‘You look the same. That is okay. If you change your body that is okay, if you don’t, that is ok. What is important is the mind. Becoming more beautiful in the mind.
The mind is what’s important. People may not see the change, but it changes everything. And you can create what you what.’On me offering him some lunch: ‘When I see you full, I am full. Because we are brother and sister.’
When I explain some of my eating requirements: ‘What can you eat? Can you eat love?’
‘Yes, I can, yes I can!’
Benny on age and me:
‘You’re 20 years old right?’
Laughing, ‘Yes, something like that!’ I love you Benny.
And today he told me: ‘If you stop smiling, the whole world would become dark!’
Benny on sport:
‘I not like thai boxing. I like reading, loving… smiling and emphatically moving his hands around the air… enjoying.’
Same here Benny. Same here.
Benny on money
‘Why do you need money when you don’t know when you are going to die?’
Benny on boys and girls:
‘I hope my friend has a baby girl. Girls are nice. Boys, they are noisy and messy and parents don’t get a break.’
Benny on love:
‘In my country, people worry if the other person has enough money to make a good life. I not worrying if someone has money. I want someone who loves me. If someone loves me, we can do anything together. Love is more important than money.’
‘What about you?’
‘Me? Yes, love is important. I also want someone with a good, kind heart and also a good mind. Both are important to me.’
‘Oh, that hard to get, both a good heart and a good mind. But if you have good Karma, you will get someone with a good heart and mind.’
A bit later… ‘I not looking for love right now. But later I want to meet the sun. We can live together in the sky and have stars.’
The world is so much better for having Benny in it.
