Illustration: BH
"Only ten minutes have passed so far?" Mien murmured softly, "A day has twenty-four hours, an hour has sixty minutes, a minute has sixty seconds..." Yet today, time seemed to stretch on several times longer than usual. Could it be that the clock was running out of battery, making it sluggish and heavy like an old, overloaded cart? Mien looked closely; the hands still moved rhythmically, each second passing steadily like her own breath. Sighing, Mien slowly returned to her bedroom, lost in thought.
Mien tossed and turned, unable to sleep, despite changing positions and covering her eyes with her hands, but nothing worked. She sat up, gazing at the night sky through the windowpane. Tonight, the sky was high and clear, with a few small stars still lingering, perhaps still playing and not yet ready to sleep. Who knows, maybe those stars were also waiting for something.
That afternoon, Mien watched the weather forecast over and over again. Tomorrow would be sunny and beautiful. Tomorrow, Mien would finally see her mother and younger brother Kien after so many days apart. Tomorrow – only a few hours left. Yet, ever since her parents separated, Mien felt time was passing very slowly. And the night before her date always felt endlessly long.
It's been almost a year since then. Mien still remembers everything that happened that day very clearly. In the morning, cicadas chirped loudly, the sky was a clear blue, signaling a beautiful sunny day. A green taxi pulled up and parked right in front of the house, making Mien anxious. Before, just seeing this would make both Mien and her younger brother Kien shout with joy because their parents were about to let them go on a summer trip.
Her mother hurriedly loaded the luggage into the car and looked at Mien with teary eyes, "I'm leaving now," her voice hoarse. Mien panicked, hugging her mother tightly from behind. Her mother sobbed but reluctantly pushed Mien's hands away, promising, "My dear girl, I'm sorry, I'll come visit you often!" The car door slammed shut, the engine started, and the car sped away. Mien felt a sharp pain in her heart. Kien's crying, calling for his sister, echoed in her ears; even in her dreams, she remembered that sound. Waking up from her dream, Mien could only cry silently.
In class, Mien's best friend was Van. They confided everything to each other. But this summer, Van was leaving the city to go back to her hometown. Van's parents separated when she was only five, and she stayed with her mother. Her father had remarried a few years ago, and her mother had recently found new happiness. Her mother told Van to go live with her new family. But Van didn't want to; she said this time she couldn't choose between living with her mother or her father like before. Going back to her hometown to live with her grandmother was the best option for everyone. Van told Mien this with a detached air. Mien thought Van was a strong person. Until Mien found Van crying alone after school. Mien said nothing, silently hugging Van, tears streaming down her face. "It will be alright"—that was all Mien could say, not necessarily to comfort Van, but also to console herself.
Mien still lives in the same house, attends the same school. Everything is familiar, only the emptiness is becoming increasingly apparent. Kien's room is just a few steps away from Mien's; the pretty bed is still there, but Kien's favorite superhero pillow is gone. The wardrobe is still there; Mien pulls through the drawers, but there's nothing inside. The bedroom door where the two sisters used to play peek-a-boo and laugh heartily is now only occupied by Mien. Many times, Mien unconsciously hides behind the door and plays peek-a-boo, just like when Kien was still at home. Mien bursts into tears, realizing that Kien is now nearly a hundred kilometers away. Her maternal grandparents' home is far away, and her parents are both busy with work, so Mien only gets to see her mother and Kien on one Sunday a month.
Mien looked forward to that Sunday as a special privilege. It seemed that since being away from Kien, Mien felt more mature. Mien was sure of this, because adults often say that becoming more mature means having more worries. Before, Mien only worried about getting low grades on tests and losing sleep before every trip she was so excited about, but now there are many things that worry Mien.
Mien worries about rainy or stormy Sundays. Her friend once laughed and said, "Mien is so idle. Rain or shine is God's business, what's the point of worrying? Instead of worrying, think about it: if it doesn't rain, you can go out and have fun; if it does rain, you can stay home, study, sleep, or watch TV—that's also nice." Mien forced a smile and said nothing, because she used to think that way too.
Two consecutive appointments have been canceled. Last Sunday, a storm came, and it rained heavily. The Sunday before that, Kien was busy attending a feast with his mother in a faraway place. Kien said he would bring his "Healthy and Well-Behaved Child" certificate to show me, but it's been half a month and I still haven't seen it. Mien misses Kien so much. Yesterday, when I called, Kien grinned widely and said, "Tomorrow, Mien, let's go play in the ball pit and ride the carousel..." Mien could only nod, but the feeling of missing him was choked in her throat.
"Yes, just come up here, I have lots of things for you." Hanging up, Mien opened her small suitcase, examining each item. A mouse-gray baseball cap, a new summer outfit, a Lego set... Mien bought all these things with her savings. Mien was older now, she no longer ate snacks. She kept that money in a separate bag, and every time Kien came to visit, she would buy him gifts. As long as Kien was happy, Mien was happy too. Last time, Mien bought him a toy car. Her mother told her that Kien had shown it off to the whole neighborhood. He even said he would drive the car to pick up Mien to go back to the countryside to play.
There were footsteps outside the house. Mien peeked through the door and saw her father sitting alone on the porch. Since her mother's death, her father looked haggard. He often came home late, frequently drunk, collapsing onto the living room floor and sleeping until morning. His temper had also become erratic; he was more prone to anger. Mien was afraid of upsetting him, so she didn't dare ask him many questions. Today, he sat thoughtfully, lighting a cigarette. The gray smoke billowed up, accompanied by his heart-wrenching sighs. Suddenly, Mien felt pity for her father; it had been a long time since she had felt that way.
Her parents separated after many tense days. Mien doesn't know exactly when they parted ways. Perhaps the separation didn't happen in a single day, but began with small cracks that silently appeared and grew larger over the years. It was the weekend afternoons without the laughter of the whole family on outings. It was the meals her mother prepared, but her father's chair remained empty. It was the late nights her father returned home reeking of alcohol. Every time Mien asked, her mother only said he was busy with work. The arguments became more frequent and intense. And that night, when her father hit her mother, Mien understood that some cracks could no longer be mended.
Mien had prayed that what was happening was just a dream, that everything would be alright. But what Mien feared had come true. Her mother sat down between the two sisters, her voice soft as if afraid to hurt something very fragile. She told them that Kien would be going with her to their maternal grandparents' village. Mien couldn't remember what else her mother said, only that Kien suddenly fell unusually silent. Mien thought Kien was the most carefree person in the house. Yet, upon hearing the news of having to leave her sister, he followed Mien like a shadow. Wherever Mien went, he followed, occasionally looking up with his dark eyes and asking:
- Sister, will you come to my maternal grandparents' village with me?
Mien didn't know how to answer. She just patted the child's head and turned away.
But some things, no one wants, still have to happen. And so Kien went with his mother to his maternal grandparents' village.
Mien used to blame her father a lot. If only he had appreciated the family meals that her mother painstakingly cooked every day. If only, even in his angriest moments, he had remained calm enough not to hurt her mother, then Mien's family wouldn't be in this situation. Since her mother and younger brother Kien moved back to their maternal grandparents' village, her father has become much more haggard. He doesn't say anything, and Mien doesn't ask. But deep down, Mien knows that he is probably regretting and reminiscing about the past.
The stars gradually faded from view, and Mien drifted off to sleep without realizing it. In her restless dreams, the wind howled, and the rain poured down like a waterfall. "No! Why is it raining?" Mien panicked. She feared Sunday rains, feared unexpected events that would postpone her appointment once again. Mien suddenly opened her eyes and rushed to the window. It was dawn; the sky was still clear and high, the silvery moonlight making the scenery look like a watercolor painting. Mien breathed a sigh of relief; thankfully it wasn't raining. Perhaps the heavens had heard her prayers over the past few days. Mien smiled softly; today would surely be a beautiful day.
Mien couldn't sleep anymore. She pulled out her small suitcase and checked each gift she had prepared for Kien. Everything was still intact, just as it had been the night before. Thinking of Kien's eager face when he opened the presents, Mien smiled involuntarily. When would dawn finally break?
Mien rushed to the living room to check the clock. Each second ticked by like a breath; the short hand had already reached 4 o'clock. Only a few hours left until Mien would see her mother and her younger brother, Kien. Thinking this, Mien felt an unusual sense of anticipation. Suddenly, a very faint cough came from the porch. Mien jumped and looked out; her father was still sitting there, his figure silent in the thin mist. It seemed he hadn't slept all night.
"Dad, aren't you sleeping?" Mien walked up to her father and asked softly.
Dad turned to look at Mien with his dark circles under his eyes:
- Dad couldn't sleep, why are you up so early, daughter?
"I can't sleep, Dad. I'm so eager for morning to come so I can see Mom and Kien!" Mien replied to her father, her eyes red and her voice choked with emotion, as if she were about to cry.
"When will it be morning, Dad?" Mien sobbed.
"I'm sorry, my daughter!" - the father hugged Mien, stroking her hair and comforting her.
It had been a long time since Mien had sobbed so much in her father's arms like this. A small glimmer of hope suddenly arose in Mien's heart that from now on, her father would live a better life.
everyday.
Dad, can you please stop drinking alcohol and smoke less?
My father didn't say anything, just nodded slightly.
The sky began to brighten. The sun rose, bright and radiant. A green taxi stopped at the gate, and Mom and Kien appeared like a miracle. It was still early, and Mien couldn't believe what she was seeing.
- Sister Mien, I miss you so much. I couldn't sleep all last night!
Mien happily hugged Kien, her mouth smiling but her voice sounding like she was about to cry:
- I miss Kien a lot too!
Short stories by Tran Thi Thanh Tu
Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/bao-gio-cho-den-ngay-mai-nbsp-291495.htm
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