The shadow of the betel nut tree in front of the gate

Every time I visit my hometown, I always follow the row of betel nut trees leading to the house and I'll always find my grandmother there. Sometimes she'll be sweeping the yard with a broom. Sometimes she'll be chewing betel nuts outside. And sometimes she'll be trimming the betel nut husks to make fans. It seems that the beloved row of betel nut trees has become inextricably linked to the image of my dear grandmother.

Photo: HA DUONG

I was born seeing the rows of betel palms growing there. Their slender, tall branches and small canopies provided little shade, but my grandmother said they evoked images of traditional houses, a touch of rustic charm from a pure Vietnamese village. The peaceful village she often spoke of in stories from her early days as a daughter-in-law, or in her usual phrase, "when I carried you all in my arms." Beside those betel palms, I caught a glimpse of my grandmother's back, her hammock ropes swaying back and forth as she lulled me to sleep, accompanied by her lullaby—a song she'd sung in a hoarse voice, yet still perfectly recited, a lullaby she'd known since she gave birth to my mother and aunts.

Still clinging to that old, weathered betel nut tree, I see myself from the past, with countless childhood games my siblings and I played together. We'd jump rope, tying rubber bands to the sides of the tree trunk and jumping back and forth. We'd play pretend with the fallen betel nuts. We'd use the leaves to roof our childhood huts. And then there was the game of pulling the betel nut sheath, a mischievous game of the children. Sitting on the thick betel nut sheath, the whole group would be pulled forward by our older brother, like a train speeding along, circling and turning. The rustling sound of dragging the sheath across the ground, mixed with the children's infectious laughter, made the whole countryside unusually cheerful...

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Reflecting on it, the old betel palm trees have offered all their beauty to the world, their essence to my grandmother, and their resilience to us children. With urbanization, every family built large houses, clearing away the old betel palm trees. Whenever there was a family anniversary, we would still go to my grandmother's house to ask for a few betel leaves and some betel nuts to place on the ancestral altar, fulfilling our filial duty. My grandmother was generous and gave as much as we needed. The kindness and generosity of the country folk are immeasurable.

Time quietly slipped by. The betel palm trees stood there, enduring the sun and rain. Our visits home became less frequent, like the echoes of children's laughter in our memories. We feared the day we would return and no longer see the betel palm trees in front of our gate—a shadow inextricably linked to our childhood and imprinted with the image of our grandmother.

LE DUC BAO

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Source: https://baokhanhhoa.vn/van-hoa/sang-tac/202606/bong-cau-truoc-ngo-038468e/