My grandmother quietly walked out into the yard.
He stood up and said hello to the witch.
She walked out to the bathroom yard, the sound of running water, she was washing her face, my grandmother’s mood looked like she wasn’t well because last night she had a delivery, it was almost 4am when I saw her come home.
I quietly looked out the gate, where the sun was shining through the shadows of the xoan trees, the old mango tree shaded the path leading to the gate, I don’t know why the xoan tree shading out there bloomed early this year, clusters of flowers dangling from each branch, a pale gray color drooping down, the pungent scent of xoan flowers wafted along the path, spreading down to the path along my gate, the tiny petals in the early afternoon sun of the first day of the year, right on the day my village celebrated Tet again.
I saw the shadows of four people on the road in front of the gate, an adult about my grandmother’s age wearing black linen pants, a Vietnamese traditional dress, her hair probably dyed like someone from the city, a tall, handsome man about 40 years old, two women about 30 years old, one of them holding a camera and walking behind her, always paying attention to taking pictures of the garden scenery and the old woman’s footsteps.
Grandma walked in and sat down on the chair near the mute girl and her aunt. She asked, “Who is it?” He asked.
Dear Madam, I cannot reveal anything. Besides, I only know that she said she was your friend, working far away, just came down from the province with a letter of introduction.
My grandmother’s face suddenly lit up, the reflex of someone who has been in contact with many people, who has walked through several decades of life, or maybe because her spirituality told her to let a guest bird come and perch on the areca tree these past few days, my grandmother suddenly smiled, her face flushed, her lips moved and she suddenly said
Who is that?
Uncle Tien just smiled and said, “Go see who it is.”
My grandmother stood up, her gait was much quicker, aunt Tham walked close to her arm, I quietly followed, outside a while ago there were a bunch of children who were on leave from school at the beginning of the year, they ran along the neighborhood, probably just returned from the festival by the river and saw strangers so they were curious, when they saw the group of guests entering the gate of my house where the midwife welcomed them into the world, the place where when they were little their mother took them by the hand to this yard, they were taught by their parents that this house has a midwife, a person in this village must be respected, now they understand that this place cannot be entered curiously like a shepherd child looking around, causing trouble… they have gone to play somewhere else
Outside, there were only four silhouettes still leisurely walking in front of the gate. I looked back and saw that my uncle was still quietly following. The atmosphere seemed to thicken when I saw my grandmother’s shoulders and silver-streaked hair, a few strands of which shone white in the sparkling noon.
The old lady outside the gate took off her glasses. I looked at her face, it was very gentle and kind. There were wrinkles at the corners of her eyes. She was probably about the same age as my grandmother, but because of the better life in the city, she looked plump.
You are..
My grandmother’s voice was soft, a friendly smile on her lips.
Hello jasmine, the voice of the incoming guest rang out. Doesn’t Jasmine recognize me?
she is
Oh my god…Jasmine, it’s Phung
I saw my grandmother’s mood change from pensive, quickly turning pink on her face, the feeling of someone who has lived in a rural environment for many years, the land where many generations grew up with the customs of the village, life is still poor but deep down her soul is still bright, still full of humanity, still full of strength to overcome difficulties to keep the thousand-year-old fire of the neighborhood and village alive forever… my grandmother stepped closer to Mrs. Phung
Oh… Phung, where have you been all these years leaving me here..
Mrs. Phung was almost motionless, I only saw the two women’s arms quickly hug each other, grabbing each other’s shoulders and holding them tightly, each person’s face tilted to one side, their arms and shoulders intertwined, their posture swaying, their trembling legs slowly kneeling down,
the sound of the camera continuously taking pictures, later I found out she was a reporter..her figure almost ran around the two ladies’ standing position. She must have found the moment of two old friends meeting again after more than 35 years…
I saw two heads of hair, one black, one silver, sitting close together, swaying, sometimes leaning out, their hands rubbing each other’s faces, wiping away the tears rolling down the corners of their eyes, the space seemed to freeze, all the people standing around couldn’t say anything, it seemed like everyone understood that this space, this moment was only for two old friends who met again after so many years… so now they held hands and stood up, everyone’s faces were radiant with smiles, the touching of hands, the patting of heads between two old people with such friendly souls
My grandmother suddenly said…let’s go upstairs, who made our friend stand outside the gate like this?
My grandmother held Mrs. Phung’s arm and walked up the slope of the yard. The female reporter, sometimes behind, sometimes in front, continuously took pictures following their footsteps. At the table in the corner of the yard, my grandmother introduced Mrs. Phung to my uncle and everyone else. My uncle pulled out a chair and nodded in greeting. I saw Mrs. Phung hesitate to sit down, her voice leisurely.
Jasmine, let me burn incense and pray to our ancestors, her eyes glanced at the uncle who was carrying some bags of fruit and cakes, my uncle quickly took a plate and placed the things she bought on the altar, my grandmother leisurely introduced the photos placed up there, the generations who lived and passed through this land. Now still sitting up there watching the next generations, the people from the countryside come and go, and then every year on the 15th day of the first lunar month, they come to burn incense to their ancestors to pray for peace and fortune
Two tables in the yard, under the shade of the jackfruit tree, became the place where my grandmother and Mrs. Phung sat and confided their feelings. The story of the two women gradually broke into my young mind. It turned out that after all these years, I now understood how my grandmother set her footsteps on the path, the career of becoming a midwife, a midwife.
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How did Mrs. Phung call her?
Oh, I have to call her Professor Sau because people often call her Sau..
Back then, when gunfire was still going off somewhere, bombs were still falling on this strip of land. One afternoon, my grandfather, the person who gave birth to my grandmother, came home from somewhere. He called my grandmother out and said,
Jasmine, the village has a place to go to school and later become a midwife, I know this job is hard but it is a charity job in life, you see, thousands of years ago, people in the village only knew how to help each other give birth based on experience without any scientific expertise, to cut the umbilical cord they used a knife, a sickle heated over a fire, to tie the umbilical cord with sewing thread. Many children died unjustly because of tetanus, infection… okay my child, anyway you can go to school more than your friends, for the health of the people in the village in the future. You go to school… tomorrow I will report back to the list so we can get a notice to go to school
The class was opened by the French professor and his wife, Mr. and Mrs. Pranxoa Lue. Mrs. Phung, an orphan raised by the Jesuit nuns of the parish, was able to attend the class. The young couple were like birds released from their cages. Ms. Phung and Ms. Nhai were like two young birds with bright souls opened to the sky of science. The career of caring for human reproductive health. The oath of Mr. Hippocrates always echoes in the soul of each student.
I swear by Apollo the healer, by the god of medicine, by Hygieia and Panacea, and by all the gods and goddesses as witnesses, that I will, to the best of my ability and in my power, fulfill the following oath and covenant:
I will treat my teachers as my own parents. I will share my wealth with them, and when necessary I will attend to their needs. I will regard their children as my own brothers, and if they wish to learn medicine, I will teach them without charge and without concealment. I will impart to them my principles, oral teachings, and all my knowledge to my children, the children of my teachers, and to all my disciples bound by a pledge and an oath in accordance with the Law of Medicine, and will not impart it to anyone else.
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I always remember that I am still a member of society, with special obligations to my fellow men, my mind and body as well as the sick.
All for the sick, that thought until now I understand what my grandmother did and carried out in this land..
The events of the times, the events of my grandmother’s life and Mrs. Phung’s when the class graduated. Ms. Phung and Ms. Nhai returned to the charity maternity home on the street to work, practicing the knowledge taught by the medical teachers.. Ms. Nhai returned to the village following the footsteps and calling of the countryside.
Every day, Miss Phung returned to her sponsor professor and his wife’s house because of the love, diligence, and love of learning of her student Ngoc Phung… then the incident of May, because of the change, the professor and his wife returned to the country, bringing their student Ngoc Phung to the same faraway land… admiring her talent and diligence with the noble heart of the professor and his wife, treating Miss Phung as a child. They let Miss Phung continue to study, created a workplace, gave her all the knowledge and experience to be a person, a teacher… Miss Phung has become a science professor, a doctor devoted to her career… she has returned to serve her homeland for many years… has held many positions, leading a large hospital, her children also only follow their mother’s profession… reproductive health serves people…
In recent years, due to her advanced age, she has focused on teaching and opening obstetrics classes for the medical sector.
She told her that the leaders of the office were her students. Now she is here to prepare to open a class for the province… these days she has intentionally spent time looking for my grandmother. She accidentally read some articles about the story of an old woman’s midwifery career in this land. She went to find… now she is hugging tightly the body of a friend who is thin because of old age, because of the years…
Among the smiles of reunion, everyone and I quietly watched the two ladies wipe away each other’s tears.
The female journalist just whispered and summarized what she had just heard.. I also didn’t know what she was thinking.. Later I found out that there was an article published… the story of the village midwife who delivered hundreds of children without any incident.
Mrs. Phung kept looking at the people who came to my house to wish me a happy new year, her eyes lit up with joy, she said… that is happiness, a reward, the result of the oath that the ancestors had passed on to you and me… the story kept getting longer… through dinner, through a night’s sleepover. The two women shared a bed and chatted all night… the mute aunt, the loving aunt always close by… she asked carefully about the two people’s studies…
The next afternoon, my uncle followed the group and heard the news from his grandmother. He came back and told Ms. Nhung to send me this case to make a quick file so that next week in class… my aunt was like opening a new page in a book. My grandmother kept smiling and said that at the beginning of this year, it was like someone had told her… about my aunt’s fate, there was a noble person who appeared in her dream.
The story of the mute girl was told by my grandmother, about the night she went to the river to do laundry in August of the year, how she was saved, looking at the beautiful mute girl’s face, the mute girl answered Mrs. Phung and the journalist through the book she wrote in the lines of words.. Mrs. Phung said jasmine, in this world, you are number 1… I have never seen a thrilling story like this in the movies, who would ever bring a pregnant woman home to raise like this… my friend, Phung, please give in to your compassion. Mrs. Phung held the mute girl’s hand and shook it gently..
My child… good fortune comes from your mother, surely your parents must have been good in their previous life, in this life you receive the kindness of the landlady… she said silently, tears welling up in her eyes… sitting on my grandmother’s lap… her hand caressing her arm…
The day Mrs. Phung passed away, there was so much turmoil…so much lingering affection in her heart. Mrs. Phung said that next week, if I can arrange it, I will take you and Tam to the hospital for a check-up, a general examination of all old age diseases. You deserve to be taken care of, to nurture the years of wholehearted dedication. You should arrange it, if anyone in the house needs to visit me, I will take care of all the procedures, Jasmine… if Tam has been taught and experienced by you… after giving birth, when the child is strong, I will arrange for it to go to a community class under a special sponsorship program… I can do this, Jasmine.
He went down to see Mrs. Sau Phung and the group off to the province. He said it was true that the cornfield by the river, the heart of the victim, had both bad luck and good fortune.
I don’t know, I don’t understand luck… I just see the mute girl is one of the most beautiful girls in the village. The afternoon gradually falls, the afternoon of January 16th, my village is finishing the Tet holiday, the days of celebrating Tet are over… 4 pm the rain falls on my garden, the drizzle like flour, the cold when the rain covers the yard, the sound of the communal house drum, the sound of the temple bell by the river rings out, mixed somewhere in the wind, the sound of the church bell swinging gently, the sound in the wind… the village is peaceful and quiet… in the corner of the yard, my aunt is cleaning the chairs and tables, I approach the two of them… whispering… aunt, so you are about to leave this house
My aunt’s voice was clear and sweet, her eyes were swaying as she looked at me..she whispered…be good candy…aunt will reward you…hehe