The Rent Collector

Sang and Ki journey to the province, and Sang’s Uncle Keo welcomes them. Keo works for the government, though no one is sure exactly what he does, leading Sang to believe that “his job is very shady or it’s very uncertain” (186). However, he seems to be doing well, as he has a phone and a new home. They learn that the healer will not be home for another two days, so Sang catches up with her family. Her uncle allows her to stay in his old home with his mother-in-law; Ki will work with a local farmer to earn some money while they wait for Bunna Heng’s return.

Uncle Keo’s mother-in-law destroys most of Sang’s book, using it for fuel to start a cooking fire, and Sang is incredibly angry. The next day, Sang’s aunt talks to her, telling her that Lena is worried that Sang and Ki will move away from the dump. Sang tells her aunt that she hates the dump and misses the peacefulness of the province. Her aunt replies that “memory can be such a pernicious monkey” and explains that life in the province is just “as hard and unforgiving” (192) as life in the dump.