Kiet, whose brother escaped the country in 1987
Chevrolet Spark. 58 minutes. 8.5 km.
Kiet (not his real name) is a 48 years old driver who has driven a taxi for twenty four years. We were stuck in horrendous traffic going from the airport back to my flat, and he told me his life story, from his attempt to escape the country in the years that my family did, to his time in the army. He is easily excitable, emphatic with his gestures, a rapid conversationalist. I honestly couldn’t follow all that he said.
Below is a bit of Kiet’s story that I’ve composed as well as I can from memory:
S
o you, little brother, left the country in 86? Me too, I tried to leave multiple times. My little brother and I tried to escape together, then I kept trying on my own after he made it.