drizzling rain
sunny days, cold nights, dust all over the streets
The vulgar man said. At this rate, we might never see winter again. The God of today is not the God of the past.
The name “Turtle” is what Thang Giap called him when they were arguing, not something I made up.
hee hee
tired
I silently looked at the tree stump in the middle of the field. At noon, there were few people passing by. The village fields, after many years, still showed the shape of the past. There were still rice fields running along the houses on the edge of the fields adjacent to the village.
The only difference from the past is the small houses, nestled under lush bamboo bushes, with mossy tiled roofs.
Now there are 2-story houses with colorful corrugated iron roofs, around the houses are still green vegetable fields… in the far corner is Miss Hong’s house… what is it like now?
can you guess
because it is no longer the old wood-fired distillery
sigh
the village has changed
remember..the day before the epidemic
There is a story at my workplace that I don’t know how to tell.
those days, sister Binh was no longer in the zalo group
But the woman with 1 child, divorced husband and a little girl begged the guy to let her into the zalo group.
called gossip group
That day, the departments launched a campaign to contribute money to support the family of a colleague.
His family had not given birth for several years…so they decided to go plant rice…
I don’t know how the doctor implanted and placed it… suddenly three boys came out… then difficulties came, raising three children
what does the guy say you guys think?
the bastard said… leave him alone
hee hee
it laughed, i asked
What’s up
It says this, children are a blessing from heaven, if heaven gives it then it’s okay, but if you ask for a transplant it’s not your child.
oh ah..the guy asked
how do you know
The bastard said…if your sperm is weak then ask my mother…your dick is this good…one shot, one guy comes out, two shots two guys come out
I told you…be careful or else one day someone will come and set up an altar in front of the gate and you won’t be able to run away in time.
Hihi
it said… never mind, if the fish come into my pond then I’ll get it
suddenly, she left her husband and wrote a few words
give me one…haha, i’m craving a boy
The guy went out to the balcony where there was a cafe…
silent
……
A few days later, the second son’s family had a death anniversary.
It invited all of us to go back to our hometown on Saturday morning.
its village is next to the dike
The river flows from above my village down, the village of the youngest son is also bustling with the river water, on the old dike there are only green bamboo clumps
Now also tiled roofs crowded together close to the road..
His house was located on a sloping concrete road running down from the dike. Several women in fancy dresses pointed to the old-fashioned gates and took some pictures.
The death anniversary meal was also fun and friendly…just something strange
the house his brother built
.to struggle
standing next to the mossy house like an old hen with no feathers and exposed skin and flesh
I just turned around and looked
on the rain-proof wall next to the outer rooms, on it are embossed letters
1971
I took a few dirty pictures, the kid’s father saw and said
It is your memory.
The meal was lively, with several trays of food offering products from around the village.
Hill chicken, fresh bamboo shoots from bamboo bushes… sticky rice, country rice, fragrant rice cake
I wandered to the old longan tree and the tea table in front of the old mossy house.
The guy got out of the way.
I asked, why is that beautiful house next to this house?
He said…if you touch this house of my old man, all my brothers will be crippled.
Hihi
What’s up
You see, my brother built a big, beautiful house over there.
But even though their tongues were broken, the two of them still came in and out of this house.
Oh, so this house was built in 1971?
That’s right
It was past noon and the sun was mild. The guy invited some of his friends to go to a restaurant by the river to have a drink.
I still sit and ponder about the origin of the house.
A moment later, the boy’s father came out, turned the pitcher and poured a glass of guava juice.
He asked
Why don’t you go have a drink with the guys?
I have a question, uncle.
Why don’t you move to another house where it’s cleaner? This house is very old.
The second son’s father was pensive.
Then he lifted his calf.
A long scar ran down his calf.
what’s wrong
Oh, that time, my child… that year 1971, he pondered for a moment then said
Tu and I grew up together in the same village. I’s personality is straightforward and impulsive. When we grow up, we’ll rely on each other. Advise him.
And the story of this house…
It is a memory of a time of people like you
You think about it, at this age, beauty and ugliness are useless, only memories that you want to keep, my dear.
That time..
Back then it was very difficult, I saved up for nearly ten years to build this house. That year, two floods happened…less than a month apart.
While building this house, steel was everywhere… suddenly several bombs hit the dike far upstream… within just a few hours.
This village is flooded… the dike broke
He groped back and forth.. the iron stake cut into his calf, thought he would die.
ah…so…that’s your memory
…..
celebrate ..
to sit in the middle of the field now
it reminds me
the day Tuan prepared the offering tray to the street god at the beginning of the lane
Aunt Tham just kept smiling..
aunt said
.never mind my candy
I don’t understand what adults think. Every few days my aunt comes over with the mute girl.
sleep together. giggle again
That year was a good harvest, my grandmother was busy.
Visiting, midwife, bathing babies around the village, the mute girl helped her a lot.
At night she again immersed herself in the mother’s space, unfolded the cloth, folded the child’s shirt…
The weather seems to have changed seasons these past few nights.
Midnight drizzle fell on the yard
…..
Mr. Dam is well.
On Sunday I went to his house and met Miss Hong again. She glanced at me and then silently left.
Empty house, boiled corn… with ginseng tea
I asked
Mr….Miss Hong these days…
it’s broken
what’s wrong sir
hehe..you keep lying but i don’t understand why she won’t accept
looked at him and cursed… devil, not interested
Sir, have you heard the story about the day you died?
Oh, the story of the altar at the beginning of the alley where Mrs. Binh set up a ceremony to worship Mr. Duong?
yes, why is that?
He was silent, then he said
it’s him, it’s her, it’s both of them
what does that mean sir
ah….
this kid
He lived with Mrs. Binh, had a handsome son who was not visited or taken care of at all…he grew up like grass and trees, Mrs. Binh was thoughtless…
meaning she thought he was her father, a son’s duty was to the end, to let Tuan call him father once…but she should have said that when he was still healthy, but his death was also unexpected.
need to be silent, come at a time when people are confused..
Already
rash about setting up an altar…
well then…
Who can laugh for three years?
hee hee…sir
Who taught you medicine in the past?
ah…..Miss A Liu
His eyes suddenly lit up when I hesitated to ask…
do you have anything
his father, curious again
hee hee..your laughter…tell me about it some day
tell me
Mr. Dam quietly entered the room, took out the notebook, flipped through… the picture… his eyes looked far away…
I picked up the picture, she was standing next to three children…a boy about 20 years old next to two daughters about nine or ten years old…
you…are you?
Yes
he pointed at his two daughters
……..
That year when he turned 17, the age to break buffalo horns, every morning he went to work, there was a lot of work because there was only one old woman working with him in the warehouse behind the store that was always brightly lit in front.
There were a lot of herbs, so he took care of cutting and drying them in the back garden. On sunny days, there was nothing to do, but on rainy days, he had to dry them all night. He also didn’t want to walk back to the village in the middle of the night.
The medicine drying kiln sometimes takes until late at night to finish a batch of medicine.
The owner of the whole shop keeps going back and forth to get medicine and expand the shop. Sometimes he doesn’t come back for a whole month.
Every night around midnight he goes to the well behind, it’s hot in the summer
The well of the sky at night is quiet, the strength of a young man in puberty…rushes to cool my body…at midnight the back half is like a landscape
He let himself take a bath, strong and healthy young man…his biceps were still in puberty, muscular.
So….you scrub his back?
Hee hee…he laughed.
Suddenly… someone called from upstairs
Mr. Dam
He smiled.. now he has a guest.. tell me another day.
Hee hee
I’m home..
Oh, bring me some cans of wine for Miss Hong.
Yes
I drove along the road between the fields again, with the wind blowing, the car glided quickly on the road dividing the fields of the countryside nearing Tet, in the distance were rows of green winter cabbage, lettuce, and tomatoes.
there
Miss Hong’s house
Her little girl was playing with her friends.
A handsome man
Where is your mother?
My mother is making wine
The fragrant wine stove was flowing, the drops of spicy wine rose from the stove, the wine vapor spread throughout the house.
Miss..no answer
Splash splash… the sound of washing in the room, the bathroom where I was naked the other day
Oh
She…she must be taking a bath
Miss..
Silence, only the murmuring echoes in the room could be heard.
The door is still ajar..
She must be… pouring the sound of running water.
The score you said the other day was a draw.
Now…let’s add the winner
Is it okay…what if she screams…then…it’s okay
Oh, but just now she glanced at…
sometimes
I started to walk….
what now