Single Father - Short story contest by Nguyen Nhat Huy

Ms. Thuong is a single mother - "single mom", the word people often use to call people like her. She is Vu's neighbor, plump, short but charming and attractive. After she got married for a while, her husband's family treated her badly, so she had to leave and stay in this neighborhood for single mothers. This neighborhood is full of single women, like a trend, or more accurately, like a symbol of liberation. They proudly declare to the miserable men: "We women can live alone". Thuong left her husband's house in such a situation. After that, the women in the neighborhood introduced each other and chose this area to conveniently work as "handrails" for karaoke bars.

Vu was a literature student, rough, with a chubby, clumsy figure. His hands were as big as crab claws, his eyes were single-lidded, his face was full of flesh, and his lips were as thick as two bananas, making Vu look scary. But in contrast to his fierce appearance, Vu possessed a fragile soul, which people often jokingly called "a poet". Vu wrote real poetry. Vu's verses flowed out after drunkenness, mostly love poems, like: "If I don't have you, I will die forever/My heart, the pain bleeds...". Vu had a literary dream, sent poems to newspapers, but often only received silence in response.

Vu is Thuong's neighbor. He loves Thuong with a love that is almost worshipful. He loves the scent of her body that comes out every time she comes home late from work, loves the red lace bra she hangs on the door, which Vu often passes by and secretly sniffs. Because of that love, Thuong often leaves the baby to Vu to look after while she goes to entertain guests. Every night at 6 pm, Thuong puts on makeup, wears a low-cut two-strap dress, and carries the baby over to Vu. Before leaving, she does not forget to pat Vu's head a few times. Thuong's body scent makes a young man like Vu feel hot and choked up. So every night, Vu holds the baby, waiting for Thuong until 2 am. When she comes home, Thuong often staggers, reeking of beer. One day, he was so drunk that Vu had to carry both mother and child to bed. Seeing Thuong vomit all over the room, Vu quietly cleans up, like a loyal servant. Thuong knows Vu likes her, so she often flirts with Vu to look after the baby, but she is also wary of Vu. Many times, Vu tried to hug Thuong, but she pushed him away.

Single Father - Short story contest by Nguyen Nhat Huy - Photo 1.

Illustration: AI

Today, Thuong came home later than usual. The little girl kept crying for her mother. Vu didn’t know what to do, he could only sing lullabies in his duck voice. At 3am, while Vu was nodding off, he saw Thuong coming back to the village, accompanied by a tattooed guy. Thuong gently pulled Vu’s cheek and whispered:

- Let the girl sleep in Vu's room today. Thuong is busy.

Vu tried to argue, but Thuong patted his head and said:

- Be quiet. Be good, I'll reward you tomorrow.

So Thuong and the tattooed man crept into the room and slammed the door. All night, Vu held the girl, listening to the creaking of the headboard beside him, mixed with the giggles of the couple. In his dream, Vu saw himself making love with Thuong. His body convulsed, overwhelmed by waves of love.

***

The fight in the next room happened again. Thuong's tattooed boyfriend, since moving to the boarding house, had been drunk every day and beat Thuong. He forced Thuong to go out with guests to earn money for him. When Thuong was on her period and couldn't go, he threatened to throw her down the well. So Thuong had to drag herself to work.

Today, the guy beat Thuong so hard. The sound of his head hitting the wall echoed loudly. On this side, Vu was both angry and scared. He wanted to rush over, use his body to protect Thuong, and punch his damn lover in the face, but he was scared. The guy looked formidable, with a huge bear tattoo on his shoulder and a dragon wrapped around his arm. Vu thought, if he punched him once, his face would no longer look human. Vu's heart was pounding, sweat was pouring down his forehead. On the other side, the slaps were still ringing, accompanied by loud knee strikes. Vu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth. He couldn't take it anymore. Even if he died, he had to protect Thuong. Vu grabbed the crab pounding pestle, ran to the next room, and shouted:

- Stop it!

The tattooed man rolled his eyes:

Who are you?

Vu roared:

- I will beat you to death!

Having said that, Vu rushed in, but was quickly beaten by the tattooed man. Yet Vu remained steadfast, hugging Thuong tightly to shield her. After beating her, the tattooed man left, not forgetting to threaten to kill both of them. Vu looked at Thuong's face covered in blood, one eye bruised, and felt sorry for the woman of his dreams. He took water to wash Thuong's face, forgetting that his nose was also bleeding. Vu smiled, trying to make Thuong happy, even though he didn't know how to comfort her. The two of them lay on the bed, panting from pain, their eyes looking up at the ceiling. Thuong lit a cigarette, blowing smoke in an O shape. The room was filled with the smell of smoke. She smiled sadly:

- Thuong's life is so miserable, Vu!

Vu was silent. He understood that raising a child alone was not easy. He understood that finding a place to live was difficult for a country person moving to the city, let alone a woman like Thuong. Vu did not look down on her for working as a handrail worker. Everyone needed money to live. Men like Vu, in the end, were not much better.

- Vu, read Nguyen Binh's poems! - Thuong said.

Vu coughed lightly, his voice stiff as if he were making an oath:

"Many years walking in the capital,

Years of being single, single, single in pairs.

Who are there in the whole capital?

The whole capital has one person with velvet eyes.

Thuong gently hugged Vu's head, burying it in her chest. She asked Vu what his dream was. Vu replied, he dreamed of a small house on a high hill, fragrant with flowers and grass, and a wife like Thuong. Hearing that, Thuong said:

- Vu, please adopt my daughter!

Vu nodded. Thuong smiled:

- I feel sorry for Vu.

Vu shook his head. He didn't want to take advantage of Thuong at this time. The two hugged each other and fell asleep in the first shower of the season.

***

Vu lay on the bed. The tiny, damp room still smelled of rain from last season. A hint of Thuong's scent wafted through, making Vu's chest feel stuffy. He still remembered the days when the two of them lay next to each other, eyes staring up at the ceiling. Two empty, naked bodies, echoing soft sounds. The feeling of slowly inhaling the scent of skin, the coolness of the down, or the light scent from Thuong's lips. Suddenly, the baby's cry stopped. Vu quickly sat up and went to cook rice for her. The baby was all Thuong had left. She had left, without a word of goodbye. At first, Vu thought she had gone back to her hometown, but after many months, he accepted that he had become an unwilling single father.

At first, Vu was very angry. He screamed, drank wine like a madman, and broke things. But every time he looked into the girl's big, round, tearful eyes, Vu felt like there was a strange light soothing his heart. But he was still afraid. He couldn't even take care of himself, how could he take care of the girl? Or should he just abandon her and move somewhere else to lighten the debt? Anyway, there was no bond between Vu and Thuong. He was just an ordinary guy who had secretly peeked at the breasts of girls in the boarding house. He wasn't as noble and holy as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables , ready to sacrifice everything for a strange child. Many times he wanted to leave, but Vu couldn't bear it.

Vu decided to take the girl to find her mother. At night, two figures - one big, one small - walked slowly through the city. The stream of people hurriedly passed by, the lights lit up the sky. Behind those bright lights, in the alleys, countless people were sighing. Some girls on the street watched the trucks and buses gradually thin out, the hope of finding a customer growing fainter as the sky neared dawn. The lanterns reflected the swaying shadows of the sycamore trees. Along the riverbank, makeshift tents were set up on the gutter. The hired worker spread a mat across the gutter to make a bed, costing ten thousand a night. The smell of feces and urine was strong. Everyone covered their faces with clothes. Occasionally, the sound of slapping on the cheek rang out, accompanied by a poor mosquito being transformed. Vu held the girl's hand, walking unsteadily. The girl closed her eyes and fell, forcing Vu to pick her up. He smiled bitterly, but couldn't bear to scold her. She was too young, she didn't know anything.

The two of them rented a temporary tent to spend the night. Vu covered the girl with a blanket, then lay down, staring at the tent ceiling. Suddenly, a familiar cough sounded from the opposite tent. It was Thuong. Finally, Vu found her. Thuong was lying on a dirty bed, her face gaunt and bony, her eyes bulging from illness and hunger. No one could recognize the famous girl from the riverside village. Vu held Thuong's hand, his voice trembling:

- Why did Thuong leave without saying anything?

The merchant whispered in reply:

- Thuong is seriously ill. I don't want to bother Vu anymore. I just ask Vu not to abandon her. I feel sorry for her.

Thuong's last days ended in that makeshift tent.

***

Vu stopped writing and turned to look at the little girl playing on the bed. He didn’t know what he was writing anymore. He couldn’t find a less heartless story to explain to the little girl where her mother had gone. Would it be easier to say that her mother had left or that she had passed away? As always, the little girl asked:

- Where did mom go, uncle?

Vu smiled, his voice gentle:

- Your mother is going up the mountain, building a beautiful house, full of fragrant flowers, and then will pick you and your uncle up.

Looking into the girl's sparkling eyes, Vu saw the brilliant colors of spring flowers, running forever toward the distant horizon.

The fifth Living Well Writing Contest was held to encourage people to write about noble actions that have helped individuals or communities. This year, the contest focused on praising individuals or groups that have performed acts of kindness, bringing hope to those in difficult circumstances.

The highlight is the new environmental award category, honoring works that inspire and encourage action for a green, clean living environment. Through this, the Organizing Committee hopes to raise public awareness in protecting the planet for future generations.

The contest has diverse categories and prize structure, including:

Article categories: Journalism, reportage, notes or short stories, no more than 1,600 words for articles and 2,500 words for short stories.

Articles, reports, notes:

- 1 first prize: 30,000,000 VND

- 2 second prizes: 15,000,000 VND

- 3 third prizes: 10,000,000 VND

- 5 consolation prizes: 3,000,000 VND

Short story:

- 1 first prize: 30,000,000 VND

- 1 second prize: 20,000,000 VND

- 2 third prizes: 10,000,000 VND

- 4 consolation prizes: 5,000,000 VND

Photo category: Submit a photo series of at least 5 photos related to volunteer activities or environmental protection, along with the name of the photo series and a short description.

- 1 first prize: 10,000,000 VND

- 1 second prize: 5,000,000 VND

- 1 third prize: 3,000,000 VND

- 5 consolation prizes: 2,000,000 VND

Most Popular Prize: 5,000,000 VND

Prize for Excellent Essay on Environmental Topic: 5,000,000 VND

Honored Character Award: 30,000,000 VND

The deadline for submissions is October 16, 2025. The works will be evaluated through the preliminary and final rounds with the participation of a jury of famous names. The organizing committee will announce the list of winners on the "Beautiful Life" page. See detailed rules at thanhnien.vn .

Organizing Committee of the Beautiful Living Contest

Single Father - Short story contest by Nguyen Nhat Huy - Photo 2.