First They Killed My Father: Chapter 7 Summary & Analysis

One morning, Loung wakes to find her family again packing up. With the arrival of new city people who might recognize them, Pa and Ma say it is no longer safe for them in the village and they must leave quickly. An uncle has arranged for a Khmer Rouge truck to take them to Battambang, where Loung’s grandmother lives. There are about thirty other people at the roadside rendezvous point when they arrive. Loung thinks that many look Chinese, with thinner noses and light skin; Khmer have curly black hair and darker skin.

The ride is bumpy and uncomfortable. When they finally stop that evening, everyone jumps out to stretch. Loung watches Khouy, who has a black belt in karate, do so, and remembers how much she liked to watch him practice in Phnom Penh. He would contort his face to make her laugh, and though he does many of the same movements now, his face remains serious.

After a short meal, the Ungs climb back in the truck and drive through the night. When they arrive in Pursat province, a soldier instructs them to wait for people to come and bring them back to their village. Pa tells Loung they had to leave Krang Truop because new people from Phnom Penh had arrived and might have recognized him; even if they were friends, they may not have had a choice when it came to telling on Pa.

The soldiers have not taken them to Battambang as they were supposed to, but Pa says that they cannot argue. Kim tells Loung she must look after herself and not trust anyone anymore. He says it is best if she does not speak at all, and Loung reflects that she is learning “what loneliness feels like” at five years old.

Curious, Loung slips away from her family’s watchful eyes to look around the “waiting station.” There are hundreds of people, many of whom look like they have been there for a long time. She comes across a listless elderly woman being fed by her granddaughter, who says the woman is “half-dead.” Loung asks if there are any doctors to help, but the girl snaps at her to go away.

Ma calls Loung back and the family boards another truck. Two middle-aged men in black pants stand next to them, counting heads and writing something on a piece of paper. Once the truck is full they set off. Pa tells Loung that the men in black pants are representatives from rural villages. They were able to leave the waiting station so quickly because Pa bribed someone with Ma’s gold necklaces. Loung reflects on how lucky she is to have Pa, and remembers clinging to his arm during scary movies. He seems “so serious and sad” now, and she worries she won’t see “fun Pa” again.