A STRANGER

The man enjoyed a cup of hot tea, but still here there was the smell of fragrant blended with the hot smoke of tea. In this silent space, he gazed toward the far horizon, looking the clouds slowly sliding through his eyes. The sunlight at the end of the day through the leaves seemed to send along the wind a huge sadness. He looked at the nowhere with the naked eyes for a long time. He no longer heard around. He wanted to find a peaceful place to hear his peace of mind, but it seemed that the past mist has never faded. He constantly rewound the film in his mind, sometimes gentle as a young woman, but sometimes wild as bloodthirsty animals hunting night, so he remembered his memory. Many times, he wondered who he is. It seemed that there was always a stranger in him.

 Many years ago, he was born in a knowledgeable family. His father is a poor teacher, and his mother is a housewife and a farmer having deep love with sugar cane field and vegetable garden. He inherited strict morality from his father, and the kindness, sweetness and thoughtfulness from his mother. Throughout his childhood, although his parents did not say anything, he knew that they were always proud of him. Then the time quietly drifting, the day he said goodbye to his parents to find a dream sky was also the day he began with the wind blowing of life.

The sunny and windy countryside was away when the car moved, then he saw the street lights and the magnificent buildings. Sai Gon welcomed him with a light drizzle, and he felt high and sluggish mood. He reassured himself: "Then it will be okay, I will do and do well, the future is waiting ahead. Let’s fight, the soldier.” Looking at streets through the rain, he wished he would become rich later. He would take his parents to live happily with him, he would have many children,luxurious cars and comfortable houses, and he would have a lot of staff to support. People would admire him because hewas so good and talented, and so on. How many scenarios were drawn. Suddenly, he smiled happily.

Then during the journey of time, he tried to learn from this program to another. He hardly pursued dreams of endless richness. In the beginning, he still contacted his parents to ask about health, gradually a day, a week, a month, then a year,then three years, work, relationships and business trips made him forget that he also had a family looking forward to. His parents called him but he did not answer, he only sent money to parents because he thought that with money, his parentswould live comfortably. His time was spent for work, contracts, profit, social position, power, honor, lover, wife and children, and an ambitious sky covered the way back. He had no way out.

 One day, frustrated with a failed contract, he received a long letter from his family on stroke and yellow words. He recognized his mother's letter. The letter begins with the words: The last days from Dad, suddenly, he felt agitated. Dear son! Last time I called you but there was no one answering the phone, I prayed for someone who should pick up the phone to send you the message of father. These were the remaining seven days of your father in the hospital such as the first day, the second day, and the third day, in the delirium he usually called your name, the only son. I hold his hands and whispered to his ears that you would come back soon. He stopped screaming and I cried. Every day, in the delirium, he still kept calling your name to give advice. Until Friday afternoon, suddenly he felt better. I was very happy. Father said that he would like to have a bowl of brine-cooked mushroom and sour soup with water lily. As you know, the words he said made me cry loudly. I restrained my anger and I thought that you were no longer there. At the last moment of life, father only remembered your two favorite dishes, while all the years I lived with him, I knew that he did not like those. At night, when I set up the meal, he ate with tears in his eyes because he said that you had meals like this and kept picking food constantly to be afraid of someone eating your food. Father told the story like baby, then he stopped eating, let his arms down and the rice bowl fell on the floor. That night, he suddenly had a heart attack and was taken to the emergency room. Only a few words to say, he kept my hands and said few words, “Please… forgive… our…son”. I nodded slightly, he closed their eyes and never woke up!

Grabbing the letter in hand, but his hands still tremble in each breath. He choked as if someone had crushed his heart. Hastily taking coat, he was back to his hometown this afternoon. This was the simple house full of coconut leaves, and the yard was still a vegetable garden with fragrant herbs, basil, lettuce... planted by his father and a lake full of water lily, but he felt sad. The evening wind flew violently as if it had carried the emotion of people who lived far away, as the clouds disappear behind the sun rays. Did he recognize whether he was still in this land? For years of rushing into the journey of life, covered by the fragrant flowers, drunk with the street lights, had he ever thought about returning to the hometown? Had he ever missed his departure from the poor, peaceful and simple village? There were tears of her mother's eyes, and her father's emotion filled in years.

He did not have time to repent because the glamor of his reputation and desires drew him down. Now, when standing on theplace of his homeland, he felt as if he had become a stranger. The peacefulness of the house made him comfortable, he lusted but there was something that was pushing him out. Despite the heavy sobs, taking courage to kneel in front of his mother who was older for ages, he sincerely told, "Please let me return."

 

Tam Hoc