EPISODE 1069
RIGHT TO LEFT: PASONG BANJONGPANITH, KEVIN SKEOCH,
ANDREW SKEOCH, ALAN SKEOCH, CIRCA 1976
EPISODE 1069: WHAT IS A FUCKING IMMIGRANT, MR SKEOCH?
SO IN 1976 OUR CHURCH HAD four teen agers.
‘’That requires a little more organizing, so let’s get at it right away…
we will need specialized help”, said Walter Irwin to our committeeS.
“Like?”
“First we need someone to find the kids a home..an apartment in Port Credit…a housing committee…then beds, furniture, dishes,
food, clothing, employment… committees that can act fast.”
Note: Our church had a lot of veterans…active people. Big congregation with every pew filled.
Money was not a problem.
“Alan. you and Marjorie will be in charge of Pasong, the youngest of the children. He will have to be enrolled in school.
—”‘WHAT IS A FUCKING IMMIGRANT MR. SKEOCH?”
“How do you like school Pasong?”
No response but he looked at me strangely
Then queried, ’What is a ‘fucking immigrant’; Mr. Skeoch?”
That knocked me for loop, I thought long and hard to get the right answer and failed,’
“Pasong, you may have to get into a fight,,,sorry to say that,” And I gestured with my fists, I had learned
that Pasong was a wrestler in Laos so he could handle himself . He was short and wirey with muscle.
“No, Mr Skeoch” and he made a gesture with his hands at hip level. The kid who ca
Pasong a ‘fucking immigrant was in grade 3 or 4…not a fair fight. I think Pasong grinined
but I am not sure.
There were two courses of action/ …fighting or running.
Pasong presented a third possibility. Just ignore the remark. Do nothing. He reinforced his suggestion by
a humorous hand gesture at his waist.
Just a little kid.
DO YOU SMOKE , MR. SKEOCH?
Pasong was fun . One day we were driving down Stavebank, just Pasong and me.
“Do you smoke, Mr. Skeoch.?”
“I did once when I was in Grade Nine/ Long time ago. I swiped a cigarette….lit it
with friends then thought ‘Why am I doing this? One cigarette.
“Why ask me Pasong? Have you started to smoke?”
“I am in Grade Nine.”
I think he grinned. It took me a few seconds get the joke. Pasong had started to smoke He wanted my advice His answer was funny and flattering.
Pasong wanted my advice. . He made me feel good, A surrogate parent
for a couple of years until his release parent arrived ,
THE STONEBOAT WINTER DAY
“Pasong, do you want to come with me to a farm auction?”
“What is an auction?”
“You will see
“OK,”
It was a bitterly cold winter day ..mid January January 1978 or thereabouts. The auction sale
was a mile or so from our farm,,,not far away.
“Look around Pasong while I get a bidding number.”
Pasong was interested in the piles of tools and other 19th century things the farmer had saved.
The small crowd was interested in Pasong ..
never seen a Laotian. I bought a clutch of hand drills used to make holes in barn beams for wooden trunnels
(tree nails) and some spear tipped wrenches but my big purchase was the stoneboat — a flat sheet
of steel tipped up a bit at the front for hauling behind a team of horses, Heavy brute of a thing for moving
stones from field to fencerow in early springtime.
“How can I get this stone boat to our farm Pasong?
’Stoneboat?”
“When snow is gone I need you to help get stones off our field. OUR best crop is stones left
here by ice 10,000 years ago.
How do we goet the stone boat to our farm..too heavy to lift.
Only way I can see is pulling the stone boat …a chain hooked to the truck and the stoneboat.”
“what’s my job?
“Make sure we do not go too fast, Danger that the stoneboat will bash into the truck like a flying saucer…
You watch… danger if’ if the stoneboat slides faster than the truck.”
I Figured any Person who had crossed the Mekong River in 1976 would like a bit of danger,
Only a mile or so of ice road on top of the gravel roadbed and no traffic on side road five.
Small adventure. Stupid adventure.
Why remember it?
THE HUMAN BRAIN IS A WONDROUS THING —MEMORY
I am not sure we were the best family to put in charge of Pasong but
it seemed a good fit to us.
PASONG VISITS US 20 YEARS LATER
Pasong arrived at our farm 20 years after the Vietnam/Laotian war.He was married with children
and a house north of Toronto, He was no longer that 12 year old immigrant or that 14 year old
cigarette smoker (and may never have been such He parked his Cadillac in our lane…
the first person to do so.
Now, nearly 50 years after the fall of Saigon Pasong may be in his fifties. No longer a “F- word immigrant”.
A Canadian optometrist in Brampton.
I still need him to pick stones.
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