1 arm, 1 leg, selling lottery tickets to follow his child to university

FOLLOW THE CHILD INTO THE LECTURE HALL

In September 2022, when her daughter Tran Thi Thanh Ngan was admitted to Ho Chi Minh City University of Agriculture and Forestry, Ms. Nguyen Thi Kho (from Quang Phu Ward, Quang Ngai ) packed her bags and moved to Ho Chi Minh City with her child. With no relatives, no stable job, only one arm and one leg, the mother was still determined with the thought: "My child is going to school, I cannot stay. I have to follow to take care of my child...".

The mother and daughter rented a room of only 12 square meters on Linh Trung Street (Linh Xuan Ward, Ho Chi Minh City). Every morning, the daughter entered the university gate, while the mother went to the "gate of life" to sell lottery tickets to support her child's education. Every day she walked dozens of kilometers. There were days when the sun was scorching hot, she returned to her room at 10 p.m., shaking with fatigue but still optimistic: "My child has a proper education, I can endure all the hardships."

- Ảnh 1. — In her hometown of Quang Ngai, Mrs. Kho choked up as she recounted the journey with her son to university.

I just met Mrs. Kho again on a late autumn afternoon in her house on Hoang Hoa Tham Street in Quang Ngai when she returned to her hometown for a few days to visit her mother's grave and get some things to bring to Ho Chi Minh City. Three years ago, she looked healthy, but now her health has worn out from walking on crutches all over the streets of Ho Chi Minh City. She has many diseases such as herniated disc, varicose veins, high blood pressure... but as long as she can still sell lottery tickets, she still tries her best. "If I take a few days off, I will be late paying for rent, food, and my children's school fees. We are poor!", Mrs. Kho confided.

LOTTERY TICKETS AND COLLEGE DREAM FOR CHILDREN

The age of 15 was a fateful milestone for Mrs. Kho. That day, little Kho was selling goods on the train near Quang Ngai station when she was hit by a train and dragged for dozens of meters. Luckily, she kept her life but lost one arm and one leg. Her dream of going to school ended from then on. Not giving up to fate, little Kho learned to live alone, wandering everywhere to make a living by selling lottery tickets and telling herself: "People have two arms and two legs but still suffer, I only have one arm and one leg, if I don't work, how will I live?".

Years have passed, now her child is all her faith, the reason for her to get up every morning. Ngan grew up in poverty but never heard her mother complain about poverty or hardship. She studied hard, was obedient, and was always a good student throughout high school. When she passed the university entrance exam, Ngan was happy but her mother cried. "I'm happy, but I'm also scared. Where will I get the money to pay for my education for 4 years?", Mrs. Kho said. Her daughter hugged her mother: "Don't worry, Mom, I will borrow money to support me and work part-time. Just stay by my side." So the disabled mother set off again, starting a new journey, not chasing trains but wandering every street in Ho Chi Minh City with a stack of lottery tickets to nurture her child's dream of going to university.

Every day, Mrs. Kho sells lottery tickets and earns about 100,000 - 150,000 VND. It sounds small, but it is the result of a whole day of hard work, earning a living with only one leg and one arm. Some people buy tickets for her, some swap old tickets, some pretend to help and then secretly take dozens of lottery tickets... "When I see men riding motorbikes in long-sleeved shirts, I am very cautious. They swap tickets and run away, I can only cry, forgetting the license plate number," she sadly recounted.

Ho Chi Minh City is now in the rainy season, she cannot move around much. Lottery tickets are wet, she is wet, so she has to text to sell them online to acquaintances. One day when it was pouring rain, she sat under the porch, hugging a stack of wet lottery tickets, tears mixed with the rain, just afraid that she would not have enough money to take care of her children.

1 tay, 1 chân, bán vé số theo con vào ĐH - Ảnh 1. — Mrs. Kho and her daughter Tran Thi Thanh Ngan understand that miracles are not far away but come from the daily efforts of mother and daughter.

STRONG FAITH

During the nights in the rented room, Mrs. Kho lay facing the wall, covering her head with the blanket so her child could study. The fourth-year student knew her mother was not sleeping because the blanket kept shaking, perhaps because she felt sorry for her child who was not as good as her friends.

Because she loved her mother, in the first two years, after school, Ngan tutored, worked as a waitress at a coffee shop, and then went with her mother to sell lottery tickets. With the little money she had, she brought it home to buy rice and cook. By the third and fourth years, the curriculum was heavy, Ngan no longer had time to work extra; the economic burden fell on her mother's shoulders. One day, Mrs. Kho fainted in the middle of the street, and people had to pull her over to let her rest. When she woke up, she continued walking because if she didn't sell lottery tickets, where would she get the money to pay for her children's education...

Talking about her daughter, Mrs. Kho choked up: "She worked so hard, but she never complained. She always said: I will try to study so that I can take care of you in the future." However, that silence nurtured in Ngan a strong will. Now, the student not only tries to study but also becomes the pride of her mother. Every time she hears her daughter tell about her high score, Mrs. Kho laughs like a child. As long as she studies, her mother is happy.

Every time the street lights came on, people saw Mrs. Kho limping back to her rented room, her shirt soaked with sweat. Ngan opened the door, helped her mother in, and the two of them ate a simple meal together. While her son was studying, she quietly covered herself with a blanket, tears rolling down her face. Then one day, the pain struck her and she lay down, and Mrs. Kho dreamed that some fairy would help her son finish 4 years of university. However, she understood that the real miracle was not far away, but rather the daily efforts of the mother and son...

Mrs. Kho only stayed in her hometown for a few days before rushing back to Ho Chi Minh City. She confided in me that her hometown was peaceful but she could not stay long because she still had her children and her dreams ahead in Ho Chi Minh City. The late autumn sun of Quang Ngai spread golden light on the small alley where her disabled mother returned for a moment in the midst of her arduous journey. The alley is now spacious and shady with green trees, but Mrs. Kho's life is still full of scars from fate. However, her eyes still shine with the clear light of faith as she accompanies her children to university.

Four years of university are about to end, the child's dream is about to be fulfilled. Meanwhile, the mother still uses crutches to sell lottery tickets on crowded streets every day. Each step of hers is a brick of motherly love, ready to help her child through hardships.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/1-tay-1-chan-ban-ve-so-theo-con-vao-dh-185251014190322569.htm