Late in the 1970s a family of 2, Pao and Ger who were brothers that lived in the mountains of Laos. As they lived in poverty and in straw houses while having very little to eat. They worked hard to get the things that they did.
          
Ger and Pao were in the middle of a war between US and Vietnam. While running and hiding in the jungle of Laos. When US lost the war to Vietnam the US turned to the Hmong people to help them fight Vietnam because of the jungle. The US found it difficult to fight in the jungle. But as Vietnam was losing to the US, Vietnam declared to kill all of the Hmong people.

One early morning Ger and Pao went to go to the field to work. Mom and Dad stayed home because Ger and Pao didn’t want them to do the labor. When Ger and Pao got to the field they started working. Around the afternoon Pao said, “lets rest and eat”. They sat under the house that they built on the field to eat. “What’s for lunch?” Ger said eager to eat.

“Rice with water, pepper, and salt” Pao said.

“That's all?” Ger said with irritation.

“We’re not rich or wealthy and that's all mom packed for us” Pao said softly.

“You're right, I'm sorry… hurry up let's eat I'm starving and plus we need to get back to work” Ger said.

As they finished eating Ger decided to end the day early. Ger had a bad feeling that something wrong was happening back at the village. When they got closer to the village Ger and Pao saw people running while some straw house were in flames. The smoke was so bad it blocked the sun from shining.

“Find Mom and Dad!” Ger yelled and insisted.

“I'll go to the house” Pao said scared.

Pao got to the house but nobody was there, all the stuff was everywhere like someone did it on purpose. Pao looked around the house and couldn't find mom or dad anywhere. Ger running all over the village looking for mom and dad. Then they both came back and meet up.

“Did you find mom and dad?” Ger said worried.

“No I didn't” Pao said while crying.

“We got to go! The Vietnamese are coming”  Ger demanded.

“No, I'm not going without mom and dad” Pao said.

“Do you want to die or get captured? I don't… mom and dad probably ran off already and are safe now” Ger yelled out.

Then Ger and Pao ran off with the rest of the people. When the night came they fell asleep in the jungle of Laos. Pao thought to himself, what if the Vietnamese caught or killed his parents? While Ger thought to himself how to find his parents.

“Ger, what are we running for?” Pao asked concerned.

“Because we helped the US fight Vietnam, so the Vietnamese want us all killed” Ger explained.

Pao stayed silent.

“As long we get to Thailand we are good but from now on we got to find mom and dad” Ger said tiredly.

“Come on let’s go to sleep” Ger said.

When the sun peeked through the trees of the jungle, the Vietnamese had already caught up to them. So then Ger and Pao had to run before they caught them. Ger than thought, why can’t we find a way to sabotage them so we can get their weapons from them. Ger and Pao waited with the others who only had their hand made rifles. As five Viet Cong soldiers came with AK47’s and M15’s.

“Bamm!” one of the Viet Cong soldier got hit in the eye, the rest were looking around to see where the bullet came from. “Bamm! Bamm!” two more fell, one hit straight to the head, second one hit right in the chest. The blood covered the green of the beautiful jungle of Laos. While the last two Viet Cong soldiers feared for their lives having both their backs up against each other. As Ger took the rifle from one of the guys, Ger waited for the perfect time to shoot them both. “Bamm” Ger took the shot, the bullet flew through both their necks as soon as they hit the floor. The blood came gushing out like a water fountain as if it was one.

“Get whatever they got!” The guy yelled with anger.

One of the Viet Cong soldier, laying in his bloodbath, could barely pick up his gun, still managed to shoot one of the Hmong. “Bamm!” the Viet Cong soldier took a quarter of his face off having his brain flying everywhere. After running for the whole day Ger and Pao rested and went to look for food. Coming with a couple of squirrels for the rest of the people. They sat around a fire cooking the squirrels, Ger and Pao both were chatting with the people. As Ger made a friend with this girl that had beautiful green eyes they started to get very close. When everyone got done eating everyone went to sleep.

Morning came, everyone woke up and started walking again. Ger and the girl were talking. This made Pao mad because Ger was really talking to a girl during such a bad time. As they walked for two more days without food Ger, Pao, and everyone seemed like they were walking in circles but little did they know it was because lack of sleep and food.

“Come on guys, let’s rest and find something” Pao saying in starvation.

Everyone rested while Ger and the girl went to find to eat. As hours past Ger and the girl came back with sweet potatoes, Pao gets mad that they took an hour to get some food. But Pao was to hungry and tired to get into a argument. When everyone went to sleep it started to get very windy and crazy noises happening. It was the Bigfoot of the jungle. When morning came everyone woke up and left the spot of what happened that night.

When they got to the next village that's when they thought everything was fine. Ger and Pao went looking their parents, after looking for hours they gave up. While walking back to their close relatives house Ger and Pao heard something from a distance.

“Ger…. Pao!” mom and dad screamed.

“Mom…. Dad?” Ger and Pao said both happy to see them safe.

“How long have you guys been here?” Pao said curiously.

“We’ve been here for a day” mom said.
 

“I've missed you guys” Pao said.

“We've missed you guy too” mom said.

While they stayed at the village for weeks, one day the night had come to an end, as the sunset barley peeking over the mountains. Pao and Ger went to sleep, while mom and dad stayed up a little later. When it was midnight Ger had got up to go pee, he saw a girl with her back turn to him. When Ger approached her she did not move, he went and grabbed her. The girl had turned around she was cute but she seem to be crying.

“Are you okay” Ger asked

“No, My mom and dad died…. The Vietnamese killed them when we was running from them. The girl said sobbing

“I'm sorry to hear” Ger said

The girl stayed silent

Then Ger heard something behind him, Ger turned around to see what it was. Ger turned back around to talk to the girl, her face was pale with bloodshot eyes and dirty clothes. The girls teeth was sharp, her hair cover most her face.

“Bamm! Bamm! Bamm!” It was a dream.
 

“Get up! Get up! The Vietnamese are here!”  Pao yelled

Ger got up and ran with everyone else. Then Ger saw the girl with the beautiful green eyes running. “Bomm!” The grenade had blew up scattering her body everywhere, the blood of the people and the girl came down like if It was raining. He had to see the most gruesome thing in his life right in front of him. But Ger had no time to stop but to keep running.

They all had meet up with a guy named Vang Pao, who was a general. Vang Pao had helped them and stayed with them for months while also getting help from the US. Hopping from village to village until there were no more village for them to hide at. They had to make it to Thailand, to end being chase from the Vietnamese. As they gotten closer to Thailand the had to cross the Mekong River.

“Everyone we have to cross the river to Thailand.… We will go before sunrise” Vang Pao stated.

“Yes sir” everyone said following orders

“Do we really got to cross the river?” Pao asked his dad

“Yes we do, that's the only way we will get out of this mess” dad said

“Go to sleep we got to sleep we gotta get up early in the morning” dad telling Ger and Pao

“Get up! Get up! We got to go!” Vang Pao demands

Everyone is already waiting in the boat when Vang Pao go the check around for the Vietnamese. Coast is clear, they all left crossing the Mekong River. It took them a hour to cross the river. They had made it to Thailand safe and sound,  After running for a year from the Vietnamese. Ger, Pao, and the rest of the people stayed in the refugee camps. Vang Pao contacted the US to send some of the Hmong to the US. The Americans came taking one thousand to four thousands Hmongs into the US.

1979, the family had made it to the US landing in Portland, Oregon. Then settled in Portland for a little while. Pao gotten married to a girl named Mai because he needed help. Mom and dad providing food and shelter for Ger and Pao to stay close with them. Ger gotten married to a girl named ka because he had fell in loved with her.

1980, the family moved to Sacramento to stay close to family members. As they get to Sacramento they lived not to far from each other. Mom and dad living with Ger because of being the older one, Pao and Mai lived on their own. Twenty three years later on 07/18/2002 I was born and being the youngest of 9.