My father-in-law and weekend coffee

My father-in-law was a colonel in the army, participating in the Ho Chi Minh Campaign to liberate South Vietnam. After the country was unified, he returned to Hanoi to reunite with his family.

My husband often recounts that in the years after 1975, every Sunday morning, as soon as he woke up, he would be greeted by the fragrant aroma of filter coffee mingled with the smoke of Dien Bien cigarettes in silver-wrapped packs.

He loved coffee, so she would search everywhere that had signs saying "Roasted Coffee," which was quite rare back then. She only dared to buy 100 grams at a time, and only drank it on Sunday mornings. The aluminum coffee filter was old, dented, and misshapen, but that didn't matter. Scooping two small spoonfuls of roasted and ground coffee powder and pouring in freshly boiled water from the stove, each movement had to be skillful and precise, without spilling anything – a refined pleasure on a weekend morning.

During the subsidy era, when everything was scarce, the fragrant aroma of filter coffee felt so luxurious. It's deeply etched in the family's memory: a warm, happy, and peaceful family life, after the brutal years of war and the absence of a father. Sundays would be primarily dedicated to "increasing production," with the whole family gathering to knit, seal envelopes, and shell peanuts in that nearly twenty-square-meter space filled with the fragrant aroma of coffee...

When I gave birth to my first child, my grandfather was willing to quit smoking so as not to affect the baby, but he still maintained his habit of drinking coffee. Being elderly, he preferred instant coffee; he liked any brand, but his favorite was VinaCafe's milk coffee. Every morning, he would take a packet, mix it with boiling water, and enjoy it while reading a few newspapers.

He has just passed away. My mind is still filled with fond memories of him. I remember him getting up early to prepare herbal medicine for me to take to work. I remember him taking my motorbike from my hands and helping me push it up the hill into the house so it wouldn't be too heavy. I remember his hand on my forehead, using Qigong to relieve my headache. And most of all, I remember him every morning at the round table, stirring his coffee, so peaceful and serene.

(Entry for the "Impressions on Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" contest, part of the "Celebrating Vietnamese Coffee and Tea" program, 2nd edition, 2024, organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper).

Graphics: CHI PHAN

Source: https://nld.com.vn/bo-chong-toi-va-phin-ca-phe-cuoi-tuan-196240326110138423.htm