26/04/2022
The work titled A Vietnamese girl and an American soldier.
The first time I met him, she was 16 years old with a full moon, hair in a ponytail, and pretty lips. That day, her father brought a young American man home, introducing himself as his assistant. Face to face, he looked at her without blinking. Until she asked, "What's wrong with me?" , he just woke up, shyly mumbled… said sorry!
There's something very attractive about her that makes him feel like he's lost his soul, but she doesn't pay any attention to her father's colleague because to her, he is a friend of his father and an adult, so she doesn't consider her a friend. You are like my friends.
After that, he decided to rent a whole top floor to live, she and he met every day, however, both still went their separate ways, life had nothing to do with each other.
But then she also learned that he was actually 24 years old, from Washington DC. After graduating from university, he was sent to Vietnam, although he was still surprised in a foreign land, but he spoke Vietnamese with a very standard and fluent Northern accent like someone who had been properly trained in school.
(Artwork via Pinterest)
His personality is serious, quiet, but every time he meets her, he is embarrassed and shy, making her unable to help but be naughty, wanting to tease him.
Once during a meal, she pretended to put a whole chili in her mouth, said it was delicious, then gave him one, told him to try it... He thought it was true, imitated her eating, only chewed 2-3 times, then he choked, tears flowed…, and she let go of the chili, holding her stomach and laughing. He was so angry that he took a cup of water and went upstairs...
I still didn't see him at night, thinking poor thing, she told her brother to bring up a glass of soy sauce for him as an apology, but the younger brother came down and said he didn't see him upstairs.
She meant to wait and see if he was okay, but days passed and he still didn't come back. Asked his mother to find out that he was on a business trip. I didn't see him for a whole week, I suddenly felt lacking in my heart, but I just thought that maybe because I played evil with people, I felt guilty and guilty.
The next week he came back, still angry, so he walked into the house and saw that his sister also pretended not to see him, carrying his suitcase and going upstairs, his cold face made her feel... terrible pride.
"Why do you hate me so much ?"
One day, while on her way to study for the baccalaureate exam at teacher Hai Ngo's school, she had just reached the corner of the fork that was a bit dark when suddenly her car became ill and had to walk home.
At that time it was also night, from Nguyen Hue street cycling to the house was quite far, let alone walking. The road was dark and empty, so she was very scared, shivering while walking.
So why did she meet him driving by her face. That night, he recognized her right away, even though they were angry at each other, but she also let him help bring the car home. On the way back, neither of them said a word.
Near the house, his voice softly resounded in the air: "Why do you hate me so much?" Unexpectedly asked, she warmed up: "Do I hate you?"
He looked into her eyes: "Then why do you still want me to cry, let you laugh?".
Naturally, she felt embarrassed, not knowing how to answer. Fortunately, she had just arrived at the house, thanked her quickly and then ran into the house, leaving him dumbfounded but did not receive an answer...
That night, she couldn't sleep, her eyes were open, this is the first time she lost sleep because of a guy. In the morning, before going to school, she kept waiting for a while to see if she could see him, but there was no sign of anyone.
To this day, she regrets going to school, and still does not see him in the afternoon. Later, she heard from her father that because of an urgent matter, he had already returned home. The days when he was not at home, she was like a lost soul, unable to eat or sleep well...
When he came back, as soon as he saw him come in, she was very happy, swooping over to laugh and talk. He put down his suitcase, beamed at her, listened lovingly, then asked: "Do you miss me very much?"
His question made her pause for a few seconds, blushing… because she was so embarrassed. She pretended to have a job, made an excuse to leave.
“The cat stole my heart ”
On her 17th birthday, she invited her friends to her house to play, and they all talked and laughed until the party ended.
When she returned to her room, she found him standing in the hallway, in the dark, offering her a bouquet of roses and then leaving. Holding the flower bouquet to her room, she was nervous all night and could not sleep. She kept looking at the bouquet and found it more beautiful than normal flowers. In the thin card, there was also a short letter attached:
"My brother.
When I first met you, you were as beautiful as a picture.
The second time I met her, she was as mischievous as a cat.
The third time we met, the cat stole my heart…
Now, I have to pay… where do you put my heart?
I want to ask you to return…!”
Oh my God! After reading the letter, she turned pale, what should I do? Tossed all night, she was still not stable in the morning, so she stayed in her room, afraid that if she met him, she would know how to speak?
That's how your love affair began, very gentle, natural and cute.
Unexpected events
That year, she took the IBM baccalaureate exam in Quy Nhon, planning to study abroad. But one morning early in the year 75, he went to an emergency meeting in Saigon and since then he hasn't come back...
All US diplomatic staff were ordered to withdraw from Vietnam. He called his three sisters, asking him to take the whole family to America, he would arrange a flight, but her father refused. He again asked her father to marry her so that she could take her with her, but her father also refused, there was no way he would let his daughter marry an American.
These things my father didn't say, so I didn't know anything, just anxiously waiting, waiting forever she blamed him, blamed him for leaving without saying goodbye...
The incident happened, her father went to prison, her entire house was confiscated, her family was scattered, her dream of studying abroad was shattered, this time she almost lost everything.
But the pain and suffering could not knock her down, she slowly got up to help her mother with her travels and trades, this house still has foolish juniors who need her to take care of. And as time went by, the pain of first love also lessened day by day, she met and fell in love with her husband, the two built a relatively happy home.
The thing that gave her the most headache was her mother-in-law, she was very harsh, making her exhausted both mentally and physically. Even though she's pregnant at the moment, she still has to work as hard as a child every day, working hard from morning until good, but still can't finish her job.
Since then, conflicts broke out, she was disappointed when her husband was too afraid of his mother and could not protect his wife. Her love for her husband also faded a little.
When a daughter was born, her mother-in-law was always critical and harsh, she lived in the house but was no different from a foreigner, once she actively proposed to her husband for a divorce because she felt that she was suffering so much that she couldn't stand it. But then she found out she was pregnant with her second child.
However, the mother's love made her bow her head to be patient, at times sad, she hugged her child and remembered her old loves. Later, before going to prison, my father told me the story of what year, he regretted it very much: "Knowing that, I married him to him."
When I knew that he was in that chaotic situation but still tried everything to get her to go with her, I'm sure he was just as heartbroken as she was. Since then, she accepted her fate, no longer resenting him.
Not long after that, suddenly a stranger came to give her mother some money along with his address and phone number in the US.
She read it but two lines of tears flowed, because now she has a family, but she can't bear to throw it away. Just like that, she carefully kept his phone number and address even though she didn't know what to do, sometimes when she looked at it, her heart was sad...
This pregnancy, she was very weak, 7 months pregnant, but her belly was tiny, she was thin and dry like a stick. When she looked at herself in the mirror, she also felt panic and didn't recognize herself. The beautiful, dynamic girl was mercilessly beaten by fate.
Stormy border crossing
One night her husband came home, mother and daughter murmured loudly that there was a trip to cross the border. Her mother-in-law wanted her husband to go alone so that her mother and daughter could stay, but he refused, he had to go everywhere and that was also the first time she saw him resolute.
In the end, even though she didn't want to, her mother-in-law still had to give in. So her husband and wife and children dragged each other out to sea.
The ship encountered a storm, several times thought that the storm had engulfed the ship, but dear God, fortunately the ragged ship still continued to run. But not yet happy, a few days later the engine broke down, ran out of food, ran out of water, and the ship drifted aimlessly at sea...
Her strength was exhausted, her lips were chapped and bleeding, several times she fell into a coma.
In the dream, she found herself reliving the romantic and beautiful youth days; cheerful, playful sister beside him.
That dream gave her a little more strength, there was a time when she found herself opening her eyes, then she saw the baby girl sleeping in her lap and felt the kick of the baby in her belly.
Thinking of her children, her will to live rose stronger than ever, but by the time she met the lifeboat, she once again sank into a coma. Before long, she woke up in a strange hospital, through a local nurse, she knew that this was a Malay island.
You have come
She also knew the situation, but was too weak, she fell into a coma, before fainting, subconsciously urged her to pull out the address hidden in the hem of her shirt and give it to the nurse, asking to type a telegram for this person. , say you are here.
The next day, the pregnancy showed symptoms of premature birth, at this time she was in the midst of giving birth. The doctor is worried, can't save both mother and child? In a coma, she felt the warmth of her child's hand, heard her husband's cry, and felt like she was revived again. The doctor decided to operate.
Here he came, still as she remembered, tall and thin, scholarly, only his face exuding listlessness, his brown hair messy, and his eyes bloodshot from the moment he received the telegram. , he never slept…
The express flight took him to meet the girl he loved, now, watching her comatose on the hospital bed. Before passing here, he never thought that she had a husband, a child and another child was about to be born.
He was hurt and sad when the day he met, he saw that she was in this situation. He pinched his hand a few times, to calm himself down and make sure this wasn't a dream.
The temporary emotions are over because now her health is the top priority. He discussed with the doctor and talked to her husband to take her to a larger hospital.
That same day, she was transferred by helicopter to a large hospital in Kuala Lumpur, both mother and daughter were saved.
Knowing that she had overcome the danger, but his heart was still restless. Standing outside the room, looking at her prematurely born baby, just a little bigger than the cat, he felt like his own child. He asked her husband to be the godfather of the baby.
"I'm sorry"
Before returning to the US, he and she talked directly to each other. At that time, she was still in the hospital, but her spirit was more alert. Sitting by the hospital bed, looking at her, sick as a leaf, he has a thousand words he wants to say but dare not say it because he knows, there are many things that need to be kept for himself.
She looked at him gratefully, gratefully, the things that were stored in her heart were also hidden by her. Like you, I know what I can't say, tell myself… just forget it! Looking at each other deeply, she could only say one word: "I'm sorry".
There are private feelings a life hidden
Like moss submerged in the sea
There are personal beliefs in a silent life
So when I'm down, I'm still a little embarrassed...
Before parting, he personally sent her husband a cash envelope. Her husband didn't want to accept it, but he kept forcing her to accept it, he said: "Just think of it as I lent it, later if you have it, return it to me..."
Four months later, in mid-1980, her family officially settled in San Jose, California, USA.
Time passed steadily, two years later her family welcomed another member, a sly boy. Watching her three children grow up every day, the storm in her heart has calmed down a lot.
Every year to the big holiday or her daughter's birthday, he sends gifts and greeting cards to the grandchildren. But neither side talked to anyone, considering the young love "just a passing dream"!
After that, she and her husband both returned to school, had stable jobs, and a stable economic life. The 3000 USD money that was taken from him in the past, after 3 years in the US, her husband sent it back to him.
Although the debt has been paid, what about love debt? He kept living with work, until the age of 40 he still did not get married.
His mother also sometimes called to talk to her, although she had never met her, but through her son's story, she knew that she was a good person, she loved her like a child. She knew her face from the photo in his room, she told about his life that made her heart ache. She calls her mother, her children call her grandmother.
One autumn afternoon, she called to tell her that he was seriously ill, and that she wanted to visit, but for delicate reasons could not go. She can only send a beautiful flower vase to the hospital for him instead of greetings.
On the day I knew he was discharged from the hospital, she called to ask, but at that time he was still weak and could not talk.
His mother cried as she said to her sister: “You know what? Relatives, colleagues, friends sent flowers to the hospital a lot, but when he was discharged from the hospital, sitting in a wheelchair, he was still very weak, but he just hugged his child's flower vase, brought it home, and left it by the bedside."
Sister cry!
Sideburns short strand long strand
Marrying each other for thousands of years.
"If there is an afterlife, please don't say sorry"
Two years later, at work, she received a call, from his mother, to inform him that he was dying, the heart surgery was not successful. She gave up all her work, gave her second child, the child that survived thanks to him every year to see him one last time.
Seeing him dying on the hospital bed, she cried, for the first time and for the last time, she cried for the love of him and her. Crying for the man who gave all his love to her without ever asking for anything from her, crying for someone's fate is so short.
In a rare moment of sobriety, he looked at her with eyes filled with love… He smiled, the first sentence he said was to comfort her, hope you don't be sad, this life he was very happy, he thanked God , let him meet and love her. She was choked with pain and could only say one word: "I'm sorry."
At the last moments of his life, he looked at her and said: "If there is an afterlife, please don't say sorry."
His funeral took place on an early winter day, when he was only 46 years old.
She returned to her daily life, everything was still according to its inherent rotation, she put him in a separate place in her heart.
Three months after his funeral, the lawyer sent an invitation to read the will, she flew to visit his mother, lost her son, she was much older.
The day he opened his will, she was surprised when her children also had a share in his estate. The money wasn't much, but it was enough for all three of them to get into the most prestigious university.
Afternoon, sitting by his grave, she opened her heart, looking for words of love that she could not say when he was alive. In the wind, she sent this love to him, in this life, in the next life, in the next life, she always wished to see him again.
In her ear, he heard a whisper: "If there is an afterlife, please don't say sorry."
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The work titled A Vietnamese girl and an American soldier. is registered with the U.S. Copyright Office and Library of Congress as copyrighted text. Rightsholders and authors include Nguyen, Nganh Van, , 1943-.
Copyright Claimant:
Nganh Van Nguyen, pseud., 1943-
Date of Creation: 1996
Names: Nguyen, Nganh Van, pseud., 1943-
https://uspto.report/copyright/17292072
