Hometown

“Where is your hometown?” I questioned

“It’s Ben Tre” She replied

“So you live in this city by yourself or with your family?”

“My sister lives here so I come here with her”

“Do you come back to your hometown often?”

“Before, I just lived here for a few months then came back. It’s my home, how I could leave it…”

At this moment, her eyes seemed to show an unspeakable sadness. People who had been away from home for such a long time, especially those who had been through many “storms” of their lives, always found it hard to avoid fret when “hometown” came to their minds. I swiftly turned the conversation to another topic to prevent sorrow

“Did you go to school when you were back there?”

“Yeah. I went to school until I was in grade 3 because my mom was afraid I would be able to write to boys…”

We burst into laughter. Her laugh showed her endless happiness when recalling those precious memories of one who had been through many vicissitudes of life.

…

Come and support at 188 No Trang Long Street, Ward 13, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City

Tel: 848-35533267

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"Quê bà ở đâu vậy ạ?"

"Nhà bà ở Bến Tre đó con."

"Bà lên thành phố một mình hay cùng với gia đình ạ?"

"Chị của bà lập gia đình trên này nên bà lên ở với chị."

"Vậy hồi trước bà có hay về thăm quê không bà?"

"Hồi đó bà chỉ ở đây mấy tháng rồi lại về dưới. Quê mình mà con, sao bỏ đi được."

Mắt bà chợt ánh lên một điều gì khó nói thành lời. Hẳn, với những người đã xa quê nhiều năm, đặc biệt là người đã trải qua hết những giông tố của cuộc đời, cảm giác bồi hồi, xúc động rất khó tránh khỏi mỗi khi nhắc đến hai chữ "quê nhà"

"Lúc còn ở dưới quê bà có đi học không bà?"

"Có con. Mà bà ngoại bà chỉ cho học tới lớp 3 tiểu học để biết chữ thôi chứ sợ học nhiều quá rồi viết thư cho bồ."

Hai bà cháu cùng cười, nụ cười bà không dứt khi nhớ về những kỉ niệm quý giá của một người đã trải qua bao thăng trầm trong cuộc đời.

…

Liên hệ và giúp đỡ tại 188 Nơ Trang Long, Phường 13, Quận Binh Thanh, TP HCM

ĐT: 35533267

A sanitary job

The sanitation worker was watering the park’s lawn as I came closer. I requested to interview her but she denied because it was “office hour” and she was supposed to do work. I persuaded “Just a few questions, please!” so she smiled and agreed. 

Looking at her young elegant face, I could not believe that she had been doing this job for 5 years and she had already got a husband and a some-month-old child. She shared that every day she woke up at 5 to clean up trash, sweep leaves, and water trees and lawn. When being asked whether doing this work because life had given her no other choices or because she liked it, she confirmed “If you didn’t love doing this, you could never do this.”

A late lunch

“I have got a small present for you, this rainbow loom”

“Aw you are just a student. You don’t need to buy me such thing”

“We did not buy it; we made it, for you”

“It looks beautiful!”

“You are having lunch, aren’t you? Why is it so late?”

“Yes. Because I went to the temple on the opposite side of the rode to do some work…”

“Such as…?”

“Such as sweeping the floor, cleaning, and worshipping”

I was admiring her for doing such good work at this old age because she did not just simply stick in the bed and waiting for meal times day by day, but being a helpful one. Then she continued “But since I came back this late, no one would eat with me because they all had finished.”

“Let me be your meal-mate” I replied and went on chatting with her. She shared that her outer body may have looked healthy but her inner organs were dying. She was putting in from western to eastern medicine provided by this center. But at the same time she knew that she had been on this world for a long time already and she just wished that Buddha would help her to have a peaceful rest.

The atmosphere went down. I couldn't do much but brought her smiles because I believed laughter is the best medicine, and we all know that life goes around so whatever you have given, you will be paid off. I wish her a worthy life.

...

Come and support at 188 No Trang Long Street, Ward 13, Binh Thanh District, Ho Chi Minh City
Tel: 848-35533267

Fifty thousand Vietnam Dong

Seeing me taking picture from a distance, she smiled and said “There is nothing in me for you to take picture.” I told her just smile because she looked beautiful (I meant inner and outer). Then she requested if she could have a copy of the photo…
I came closer to approach her. I asked her where she often worked and touched deeper to her life story. She shared that she had been working on the alley of my house every day for more than 10 years. She was the bread-winner for a family of FOUR kids because her husband was disabled. She could not afford buying a house so her family was leaving in a temporary renting house. Their accommodation changed regularly. For a day she earned about fifty thousand VND to a hundred thousand VND. But sometimes it got hard so she had to borrow money from others. She kept on going her story while my mind was thinking of the way I could help this poor lady. I could not do anything but took out fifty thousand VND and gave her. She shyly looked at me and refused to take it at first. Fifty thousand VND was not a big amount of money for a person like me to eat even for one meal (because things are expensive these days) but it was a profit per day of her; it must have meant a lot. I hoped she was happy…
…
To me, I always give much respect to those who always keep moving forward to resist their hardship without begging for others’ sympathy.