Pee Mak Temple -

Not the statue of the Buddha. Her.

Outside, a long-tail boat grumbles past on the canal. A child runs laughing through the courtyard. The novice monk finishes sweeping and bows toward the main Buddha image. No one screams. No one points. pee mak temple

This is where the abbot stopped her. Not with exorcism. With love . He shaved her skull, gave her a white robe, and told her: You are no longer his wife. You are no longer a ghost. You are just suffering. And suffering has a place here. Not the statue of the Buddha

As I walk down the stone steps to the street, I feel something soft brush my shoulder. A frangipani petal. Or a hand. A child runs laughing through the courtyard

Wat Mahabut, Phra Khanong, Bangkok. Present day. The canal is murky green. Incense smoke curls like ghosts trying to remember a shape.

I came to pray for peace. Instead, I find myself praying to her.