Yeekae (Yike)
Tum and Pich leave monkhood
When the lunar month of Bos came, Pich quit the monkhood with full blessings from the Abbot. Tum tried to sense if the Abbot may have changed his mind to allow him to quit earlier, but Pich told him that the Abbot’s advice remained the same. This made Tum even lonelier.
In the meantime, Teav was anxiously waiting for Tum to return. She missed Tum every day, the same way Tum missed her. She asked Noh how long it had been since Tum left and why he had not returned. Noh assured Teav that Tum will quit monkhood one day and come back to her, that it was just a matter of time. Noh’s advice made Teav a bit happier. Before she went to bed every night, Teav prayed to Lord Buddha to grant her wish to meet Tum soon.
Back at the Ba Phnom temple, Tum was very sad. Every day was a longer day for him as he anxiously awaited the time to quit the monkhood. After sunrise one morning, he paid a visit to his mother who was very happy to see him. Tum told her that he had not been feeling well and that he could no longer be a monk. He suggested that his mother go to the temple to ask the Abbot’s permission, which she did. She told the Abbot that her son was very ill and wanted to quit monkhood. The Abbot told her that Tum was not sick. He wanted to quit because he was in love with a girl and that he would have to wait until due time or he would suffer a life threatening event in the future. (Cambodians believed in fortune telling back then and even now to some degrees). So Tum’s mother tried to comfort her son asking him to be patient and to wait for his turn. She asked him to continue learning more Dharma so that he may feel better. That disappointed Tum greatly.
Tum’s love for Teav was so strong that he did not listen to advice from the Abbot or his own mother. The only thing he wanted to do at the present time was to meet and confess his love to Teav even though it could mean death. So he packed his personal belongings, incense sticks, candles, fruits, and cakes. He left the temple and in a wood nearby, found a good place where he laid down his offerings. He knelt down, prayed, and asked Lord Buddha for forgiveness. He then took off his monk clothing, put on clothes made of silk and set out to meet Pich who was very pleased to see him. Pich was disappointed that Tum did not heed the advice of the Abbot and quit without proper ritual. He suggested that Tum go back to the temple to ask for the Abbot’s forgiveness. Tum and Pich then went to the temple to pay respect to the Abbot. While he was not happy, the Abbot told them that he, just like any teacher in the world, would never wish to harm their own students. But he did what he needed to do for the sake of Tum’s well-being; he forgave Tum and wished him well. Tum respected the Abbot’s advice, thanked him, and said goodbye.
Tum and Pich back at Po Cheung Khal
Tum went on to say goodbye to his mother and all of his neighbors. He asked them to help take care of his aging mother if the need arose. He and Pich set out on a journey to see Teav. They travelled through the forest as ordinary men, enjoyed the scenery of all kinds of trees, flowers, and fruits, all kinds of birds flying and singing, all kinds of animals grazing in the pasture. Despite all of these beautiful around his journey, Tum was not feeling easy. He was wondering if Teav still remembered him, whether she was still single or had already married someone. Along the way, he stopped at some villages and asked some young men if they knew Teav and what happened to her. They told him that Teav lived far from there and was still single. Tum was happy with this news. Finally, they arrived at the village of Po Cheung Khal and at Teav’s residence. Tum hesitated to get into the perimeter of the house. What if they do not remember him, he said to Pich. Pich told Tum not to worry because Teav’s mother had already accepted Tum as a godson and therefore, she would not forget him. Once they got into the house, Teav’s mother recognized Tum and was very happy to see him and Pich come to visit her. Tum told Yeay Phann that he had come back for Teav. Yeay Phann did not pay attention to what Tum was saying. She was just happy to see her godson again and that he had come to live nearby. Teav and Noh were nowhere to be seen. Teav was still undergoing Chaul Malub (the shaded period).
