writer's script (excerpt 1)

NOTIONAL (SHORT STORY)

T

https://annphyan.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/notional

NOTIONAL (SHORT STORY)

Excerpt 1

Taken from chapter II

Link to the story:

https://annphyan.wordpress.com/2015/07/28/notional-list-of-chapters/

chapters/

Introduction:

My school did not have any arts, writing or music class. Despite the lack of opportunities, I still

had some experience with the theatre and other forms of arts. Those experiences are shown in my arts

resume.

However, I did not have any experience in writing before typing my first historical fiction called

Notional. It was my first story ever written in English. Perhaps before I moved out and started travelling

to the countryside in June 2015, I had never found inspiration. However, during my trips to the forgotten

lands, I felt a very powerful connection to the past. I wanted to capture the moment when the remaining

frail rays of sunlight spilled over the Po Nagar temple, write about the storm that whipped against the

half-demolished two-hundred-year church on the promontory and draw the elaborately-curved finials,

spherical roof ridge and bright red eaves of the abandoned Buddhist temple in the heart of the urban

setting of Hanoi. These trips were the start of my short story, Notional. The two files attached to this

portfolio are two excerpts taken from my fiction.

General summary of the story:

Taking place in the eighteenth-century Southeast Asia, Notional tells the story of two nations’

search for the past and their concerns with sins and responsibilities. The tale starts with a seemingly

simple narrative in 1770 and spirals into a long fiction as the plot progresses.

Kasem was a fisherman in Northern Thailand who had lost his memory three years ago. Though

adopted by a kind elder in a nearby village, he never gave up his desire to recall his past. One day, he

saved a merchant named Lien who subsequently recognized him and told him that both of them were

personified countries. She represented Dai Viet, a far eastern nation, and he represented a Thai Kingdom

in the South called Thonburi. After knowing his identity, Kasem realized that his mission was to go to

Thonburi to help his King deal with intermittent civil wars and constant obtrusions from Burma. Together

with Lien’s subordinate, they made their way back to his homeland despite various obstacles.

Summary of the excerpt:

This is an excerpt from Chapter II of the story. It details on the two main characters’ interaction

after their first encounter.

The story's historical background:

The story takes place in Lan Na, an ancient kingdom centered in Northern Thailand, in 1770.

1. Vietnam (or rather, Dai Viet), year 1770: (Lien’s homeland)

During this period, Vietnam was split into two warring states: Đàng Ngoài (Bắc Hà/Tonkin) in

the north and Đàng Trong (Nam Hà/Cochinchina) in the south. The north was ruled by the Trịnh lords,

the South by the Nguyễn lords. On paper, Dai Viet was still considered one nation under the rule of Lê

Dynasty, and both Nguyễn lords and Trịnh lords claimed that they fought on behalf of the Lê Emperor.

However, in reality, Dai Viet was embroiled in a civil war.

2. Thailand, year 1770: (Kasem’s homeland)

In the first half of the eighteenth century, there were two kingdoms centered in present-day

Thailand: Lan Na in the north and Ayutthaya in the south. While Lan Na was a tributary state to Burma,

Ayutthaya was an independent nation which was constantly under threat from Burmese invasion. In 1767,

the Burmese sent troops into Ayutthaya and brought the Ayutthaya Kingdom to ruin. Afterwards, a new

country was built upon the old foundation of Ayutthaya and called Thonburi Kingdom.

Kasem was a happy-go-lucky and carefree individual - the kind of person that would be easy to

figure out at first sight. He happily helped his villagers with menial chores and did not hesitate in

providing passing mendicants with alms. At home, he always talked to his mother before and after work

to make her feel less lonely. He was the type of person who would not let anyone down. His smile was

contagious, and his friendly manner could drop even the wariest person's guard.

Everyone was on good terms with him. Parents nodded at him when he waied1 to greeted them,

and he could hear their whispering to their daughters: he could be an asset if he was married into their

house. Girls fawned over him, not only for his amicable demeanor but also for his physical strength. He

was tall, full-bodied, and seemed to have a flair for fighting. Once, he had gotten into a fight with a

criminal who tried to steal money from a feeble woman. Not only was he able to annihilate the felon in

battle, he also managed to get out of the fight without any bruise.

His mother told him that he could be a soldier before he lost his memory. When she found him,

his body was covered in unhealed bruises and wounds, with no weapon attached to his body. His clothes,

consisted of a plain, tattered shirt and a smeared sampot chang kben2, did not suggest royal origin.

However, he was unusually adept at martial arts. He had forgotten most basic knowledge, yet, his reflexes

were fast and his eyes appeared to have been trained to such an extent that he could predict any incoming

attack from his opponent.

"You are like a lesser version of Nai Khanom Tom3." One merchant had said jokingly after seeing

his fight with the criminal.

"Who is he?" He had asked, curious.

"Oh, he is an Ayutthayan legend." The merchant's eyes twinkled, seeming pleased that he was

privy to an interesting story. "A famous fighter, with incredible strength, discipline and skills. Young

man, have you heard of Ayutthaya?"

Kasem's eyebrows rose in confusion. "I'm sorry, but I haven't."

"You have a lot to learn." The man sighed. "The Kingdom of Ayutthaya is – was – used to be a

nation that bordered Lan Na to the south. Before it was involved in warfare, we traders were used to

travelling there. It was not always stable – civil wars made it tumultuous and dangerous at times – but

commerce was nice." A pause. "Then the Burmese came. Burma, our country's dominant state and

Ayutthaya's ‘friendly’ neighbor, invaded Ayutthaya and brought the kingdom to ruin. It was to be

expected, really – internal conflicts had been weakening Ayutthaya for years. After that, King Taksin,

former governor of Ayutthaya, established the Kingdom of Thonburi in place of the old Ayutthaya, and

Thonburi became our southward neighbor now."

"Oh." Kasem murmured. He had heard of the Thonburi Kingdom. It was a newborn nation that

bordered Lan La on the south and was independent of the Burmese, unlike Lan Na. Itinerant traders who

ventured into the south often came to his village with unpleasant anecdotes about the Southern country,

1 Wai: a Thai greeting that consists of a slight bow, with the palms pressed together.

2 Sampot chang kben (part of Kasem's clothes when he was found on the river): a lower-body, wrap around cloth

worn in the countries of Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. 3 Nai Khanom Tom (the Ayutthayan fighter that the merchant mentioned): He is considered "one of the greatest

Muaythai hero" who brought glory to Muay Boran - the predecessor of Thailand's national combat sport known as Muay Thai today.

carping about the political instability of the nascent nation and comparing it with the abject conditions of

Lan Na under Burmese rule.

"Speaking of that, has anyone ever thought you might be from Ayutthaya? Say, did your mother

discover you two years ago?" The merchant frowned. "Ayutthaya also fell two years ago. I don't know

how you ended up in this remote village in Lan Na,

Kasem blinked in surprise. The thought of coming from another country had never crossed his

mind. But maybe it was why he could not speak the language of Lan Na after he had lost his memory

not because he had lost all of his memory, but because he had been a foreigner

start.

"That might be a possibility. Thank you, Mr. Gamon." He said gratefully.

"You're welcome. Try to find your identity

you." Gamon said. "Though do not leave your mother alone here when you manage to do so. I will not

forgive you."

Kasem smiled meekly. "I won't."

The merchant's suggestion had kindled his interest in finding his real identity and urged him to

travel more to Thonburi. However, his constrained financial situation hardly afforded such trips, and he

could only pilgrimage twice a year. Both of his trips during last year were futile, despite his attempts to

learn Thonburi's language and make connect

Burmese-Siamese war two years ago. Not many people survived from the brutal Burmese invasion, since

as soon as Burmese troops entered Ayutthaya, they completely obliterated the capital. It was lik

Kasem's parents and comrades had died in the attack.

Kasem did not let that possibility deter him from trying. After two unsuccessful attempts, he

continued to work excessively to save money for the third trip and for his mother at home. Shortly

making his third endeavor, Kasem found Lien.

Lien had initially spoke to him in the language of Thonburi, so Kasem had assumed that she was

also from there. However, upon discovering that she was from Dai Viet, he was surprised. The fact that

she had chosen the language of Thonburi instead of that of Lan Na to converse with him baffled Kasem. It

was as if she assumed he was from Thonburi right away, rather than thinking he could be from Lan Na.

The thought did not linger long inside his head, as he

villagers' reactions after coming home with Lien.




how you ended up in this remote village in Lan Na, but maybe you were a captive prisoner of war."


mind. But maybe it was why he could not speak the language of Lan Na after he had lost his memory

had lost all of his memory, but because he had been a foreigner – an Ayutthayan

"That might be a possibility. Thank you, Mr. Gamon." He said gratefully.

"You're welcome. Try to find your identity – your real family at home may be worrie


Kasem smiled meekly. "I won't."




learn Thonburi's language and make connections with a plethora of Ayutthayan people who served in the

Siamese war two years ago. Not many people survived from the brutal Burmese invasion, since

as soon as Burmese troops entered Ayutthaya, they completely obliterated the capital. It was lik

Kasem's parents and comrades had died in the attack.


continued to work excessively to save money for the third trip and for his mother at home. Shortly

making his third endeavor, Kasem found Lien.



ad chosen the language of Thonburi instead of that of Lan Na to converse with him baffled Kasem. It


The thought did not linger long inside his head, as he was busy dealing with his mother's and his

villagers' reactions after coming home with Lien.




but maybe you were a captive prisoner of war."


mind. But maybe it was why he could not speak the language of Lan Na after he had lost his memory –

an Ayutthayan - from the

your real family at home may be worried sick about





ions with a plethora of Ayutthayan people who served in the

Siamese war two years ago. Not many people survived from the brutal Burmese invasion, since

as soon as Burmese troops entered Ayutthaya, they completely obliterated the capital. It was likely that


continued to work excessively to save money for the third trip and for his mother at home. Shortly before



ad chosen the language of Thonburi instead of that of Lan Na to converse with him baffled Kasem. It


was busy dealing with his mother's and his

His mother had been surprised to meet Lien.

It was not every day that she got to see a foreigner. However, seeing Lien's polite manner, his

mother warmed up to her and offered her a change of clothes. At first, Lien had been reluctant, but his

mother insisted that it would take a few days for the young girl to go home and she should wear Khon

Muang4 clothes during those days, so Lien obliged in the end. Seeing Lien in a suea pat and a sinh5 made

Kasem smile, but he made no comment as she seemed to be uncomfortable wearing a dress.

"I can hardly defend myself when I wear a dress." Lien complained.

He wondered if it was the reason why she wore pants in the first place. Not because it was her country's

traditional set of clothing for women, but because it was comfortable for an itinerant, lone traders like her.

Rumor spread around his village like fire the day he brought her home. People knew that they had

spent the night together in the cave, according to his mother, and seemed unconvinced that nothing

happened between them. "A man and a woman in a cavern for a whole night!" He heard people say when

he went to work the next day and had to fight a blush from forming on his face. Girls glanced at Lien

when she passed by them and guys openly ogled her the day she went to the village's market to buy his

mother food (he certainly did not feel a twinge of jealousy when they did that). Eventually, the rumor died

out, and the last time Kasem heard about him and her was when he came home from work the second day.

"Well, at least she is rather pretty. I bet Yai's mother would be happy with a daughter-in-law like

that."

Hell, even he would be happy. But Lien was a foreigner – he doubted she would be content with

marrying him. He was not even sure whether she liked him or not. Probably not, considering how

awkward their first encounter was. He had a lot of things to fix about their current relationship status, if

he wanted to make the feeling mutual.

He came home earlier than normal that day. When he reached home, he was about to come

through the threshold when he heard Lien's soft voice:

"So you found Kasem three years ago?"

Kasem stopped walking. Lien was talking about him. Feeling curious, he stealthily peered

through a long opening on the hut and realized that the girl and his mother were immersed in conversation

while cooking. The delicious smell of spices and herbs wafted from inside the hut and made Kasem's

stomach grumble.

"I did. Poor boy, he was heavily wounded. I thought he was already dead."

"What clothes did he wear? Did he have anything that might suggest his identity?" Lien sounded

concerned. "I have travelled around several countries around here. Maybe I can recognize something."

"Really? You can?" His mother beamed. She stood up and made a beeline toward the left corner

of the hut. "Let me find them."

4 Khon Muang: Northern Thai people refer to themselves as khon mu(e)ang, meaning "people of the cultivated

land" or "people of our community". 5 Suea pat and sinh: traditional clothing of Northern Thai women.

Lien leaned against the wall. Kasem turned around and crossed his arms, watching the sun linger

on an apex of distant mountains. It was twilight. The apex was drenched in a rosy glow as the sun was

about to complete its tour, and a vast expanse of brandeis blue enveloped the sky that hung above his

village. A group of children ran past him, giggling and chortling as their mother called out endearingly:

"Dinner!" A newly married couple made their way past him and he politely greeted them in silence. The

village's warmth and tranquility always relaxed him after a long day of work. He did not know why, but

he had a feeling that before he lost his memory, peace was a rarity.

His mind wandered to Ayutthaya. He still remembered what the merchant said about the

Burmese-Siamese war that took place three years ago. If he was truly an Ayutthayan soldier, then peace

would indeed be something precious to him. After all, he had experienced war. He could not help but

wonder how he had felt when he marched with his army on the battle field. War was brutal, cold and

devoid of humanity - a world-weary veteran once told him. In warfare, humans lost their kindness,

compassion, morality – they became savage beasts that rejoiced at the sight of blood.

How did it feel to be a monster?

His mother's footsteps snapped Kasem out of his stupor of thinking. He looked through the long

crevice and noted that she had returned with his old clothes on her hands.

"Here, take a look." She showed Lien the plain-vanilla, ragged white shirt and the threadbare

sampot.

Lien shifted closer. Kasem held his breath and watched carefully, but he could only see the back

of Lien's head and his mother's anticipating expression. She appeared to be scrutinizing the clothes as her

nimble fingers splayed onto the fabric, tenderly touching blood stains and tears. His mother had tried to

wash the blood off his shirt completely when he was still unconscious, but her efforts proved vain. Blood

clung onto his shirt like a devilish witch's curse, treacherous and gleaming.

Perhaps it was an unwanted gift from the battlefield, an unfriendly reminder of the monster he

used to be.

After a few seconds, Lien spoke again.

"These clothes do not reveal anything. I'm sorry." She paused, letting the words sink in. "They

can be found in the Khmer Empire6, Thonburi, Ayutthaya… and even here in Lan Na. Again, I'm sorry."

Kasem could feel anticipation drain from his body. He heard his mother's sigh.

"It's okay. I already know that it's hopeless." His mother said. "Yai's clothes can indeed be found

here. I did not even think he could be from a foreign country before Gamon told him that he was likely to

be an Ayutthayan soldier."

"That could be a possibility." Lien touched his mother's hand in a comforting gesture. "I come to

Thonburi often to exchange goods, so I have connections there. I could help him by contacting some

Ayutthayan veterans."

6 Cambodia used to be called the Khmer Empire, but from 1431 to 1863, it entered a very dark period of decline,

mainly due to invasions from Thailand and Vietnam. As these two nations grew stronger, Thailand and Vietnam

fought each other many times in Cambodia's territory for suzerainty.

"Thank you." His mother closed her eyes and squeezed Lien's hand. "You are a good person,

child. Thank you."

"You are welcome, madam." Lien inclined her head.

Kasem sighed. So the conversation was over, without any tidbit of information revealed. Just

before stepping into the hut, he heard Lien's voice again.

"Can I ask you one more question?"

He halted his footstep.

"Sure."

"Did you name him Kasem?"

It was an odd, out-of-place question. Kasem felt something cold and familiar settle at the crux of

his stomach.

"No, it was his real name. I think. When he woke up, I asked him a bunch of questions. 'Kasem'

was the only thing he remembered about himself."

"Did he mention anything else? Like… Ayutthaya?"

"No."

"Oh."

Before either his mother or Lien said anything, Kasem walked through the entrance. His presence

alerted them, and they both turned their heads toward him.

"Good evenning, mother, Lien."7 He pressed his palms together and bowed. His mother nodded,

and Lien blinked, staring at him.

"Welcome home, dear." His mother smiled. "Why don't you join us? The meal is almost ready."

"Good evening, Kasem." Lien replied monotonously, and their eyes locked in a silent

understanding.

Time froze over a a split second. Kasem stared into two pools of opaque, mystifying amber and

wondered if he could ever catch a glimpse into their thousands of secrets. The familiar, enchanted feeling

thudded inside him and gnawed at his heart. He was bewitched, frozen under a powerful ancient spell. A

flicker of amber found its way through the foggy shadow in the back of his mind, danced inside his head

and splintered the opaque, unbreakable glass.

Realization dawned on him. The sensations he felt the other day and now both felt sickly familiar

because he had experienced them before. He had experienced them before… with her. He could not be

wrong. Suddenly everything made sense. His dreams, his unexpected feeling, her strange reaction the

other day, her odd question just now. She had initially spoken to him in the language of Thonburi,

because she knew he was from Ayutthaya. She had behaved strangely in the cave after his outburst,

7 One might be tempted to think that Kasem would say "Sawatdikhrap" after waiing. However, "Sawatdikhrap" and

"Sawatdikha" were recent inventions, only coined in the mid-1930s by Phraya Upakit Silapasan of Chulalongkorn

University.

because he had forgotten her. She had asked that strange question, because she caught the connection

between 'Kasem' and his old identity. He had dreamt of her, because his dreams were his remnant

memories.

She remembered him. He did not remember her. She could be the key to his memories, to his

past, to his identity.

He gulped. A voice automatically came from his mouth, foreign a

"I will." He looked back at his mother and averted her gaze. "Thank you, mom."

He could feel her stare burn into his skull as he joined their conversation for the rest of the

evening.


dentity. He had dreamt of her, because his dreams were his remnant


He gulped. A voice automatically came from his mouth, foreign and forced.



.


dentity. He had dreamt of her, because his dreams were his remnant




About half an hour after his mother had fallen asleep, Kasem heard a small rustle. He

remained still but lifted one eyelid in caution. His bed lay next to the hut's entrance and enabled him to

observe every movement in his house. From the corner of his eye, he saw Lien creep out of her

compartment and head toward the door. After the sound of her footsteps faded away, he briefly wondered

if he should follow her and risk being called a creep. He got up, careful not to make any sound, and went out of his hut. The engulfing darkness made

it hard for him to find her, but with the help of moonlight, he spotted Lien beside the bank of the Ping

river. He beelined toward her.

When he was only mere steps away, he heard Lien say:

"You are too obvious, Kasem."

Kasem frowned. She was turning her back on him. He had tried to be as quiet as possible, so how

could she hear his movement?

"I-" He inhaled deeply. "I know you know something about me."

"Took you long enough to realize that."

Lien turned around. Moonlight cast a warm glow on her back and drenched the rest of her body in

absolute darkness. Her tresses of hair tumbled over her shoulder, and amber eyes glinted with

indescribable emotions.

"Am I… indeed from Ayutthaya?"

"You are." A quick answer.

"Who am I?"

This time, she did not reply right away. The wind rustled past them and swirled in an invisible

dance. Far away, stars twinkled against the jet-black, velour-like canopy and cast a dazzling reflection on

the river's surface.

"I am glad that you are able to lead a peaceful life here." Lien said suddenly, veering away from

his question. "I am sincerely glad for you."

Kasem opened his mouth, but no sensible answer seemed to come out.

"So it was not exactly peaceful in my past life?"

"You told me once that you would trade anything for your peace of mind." She stared into his

eyes as a small smile ghosted over her lips. "Tell me. Do you really want to know the truth? Once you do,

you will not be able to turn back."

Kasem's mouth went dry. Of course he wanted to know the truth. It was the small voice in head

that nagged him incessantly and haunted his dreams during the past three years. He had always assumed

that he wanted – needed – to know his real identity. But somehow, Lien's expression made him doubt his

seemingly inevitable choice.

He took a step back. He thought about his village. He thought about mornings that were filled

with laughter and warmth and conversations, with the tang of fishes and smoke gracing the air, about

noons when he went fishing with his peers and got soaked in water and sweat and sunburns, about

evenings when he got home and ate rice with his mother while chatting nonsensically. Serenity had been

integrated so deeply into his life that he sometimes did not spare it a thought.

When he first brought her to his village, there had been times when Lien stared at him for a long

time and said nothing. He caught her gazes when he chatted with a couple of young girls, when he prated

on about fishes with his fellow workers, or when he talked with his mother about his mundane day events.

It had never occurred to him that she was silently analyzing his life. Maybe she had been with him in the

past – through hardships and tribulations – enough to understand how precious his current peaceful life

was.

But she did not see through his veneer of contentment. She did not see him when he stayed awake

at the dead of night and wondered what had happened to him and his real family. She did not see him

when he crouched by the river bank, watching the lonely sun settle into mountains and feeling his identity

shatter like fragile foam. She did not see him when he drowned himself in his streams of thought and his

self-image became unreal, empty, volatile and reality blurred into a blank canvas. She did not see him

when he was overcome with a desire to do something, something he was obliged to, yet he could not

remember what it was. He was grateful and happy for his current life, but he was not contented and

fulfilled. A small voice in the back of his head kept nagging him about his duty, his responsibility, his

identity, his core, his meaning.

He longed to know who he had been, who he was, and what he was supposed to do.

"I want to know the truth." Kasem licked his lips. "Tell me."

Amber eyes glimmered.

"Promise me you won't regret your decision. This will be your last chance."

"I never regret my decision." He said resolutely. He had made up his mind.

Lien sighed. She turned her back to him, again, and murmured lowly 'you don't change, do you'.

It did not escape his ear.

"Kasem." She spoke slowly. "Your name is indeed Kasem."

She took steps toward the river. Faint wind brushed against the river's surface, rattling the

encompassing blackness and the refection of the stars. Kasem remained still, but he could hear every

single palpitation of his heart.

"But you also have other names." She trailed off. Then she spoke again. "Your people call you

Krung Tai. My people call you Xiem La. Indians call you Ayudhya."

Lien's step halted. She turned around, facing him again. "But you are known mainly as the

personification of the Kingdom of Ayutthaya." Her lips twitched. "Or in short, you are a country. So am I.

I am Lien, the personification of Dai Viet."

.

End of excerpt 1

writer's script (excerpt 1)

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