There is a little bit left in the coffee…

Waking up early in the morning, I watered the vegetable garden, breathed in the fresh air, and opened my phone to read a few articles about the aroma of Vietnamese coffee and tea.

Read it, read it again. Finished reading it, then listened. The clear voice in my ears, echoing from the distant tea scent in the sea and sky of the Fatherland, heard in the echoes of Trinh Cong Son's voice at a Hue coffee shop, to the whispered reminder that coffee is not for sipping. Coffee is like a morning kiss, stopping by a familiar shop to find that kiss in the aroma of the coffee...

Listening to this makes me feel absent-minded. I drank it early this morning, now I'm sitting in the garden writing on my phone: The coffee has a little bit left... to remember and love.

The day my daughter came home, I asked her to let me sell coffee for hire, from the afternoon of the 30th to the 5th day of Tet. After Tet, I went home to study and listened to my father. Hearing that, my heart ached. The teacher's family had a beloved daughter, but couldn't they take care of her? Let me sell coffee for hire for 5 days during Tet. I begged her for a long time, but my mother said: "Let me experience it myself. Experience it to know the value of money, to know how to take care of things before entering life...". Listening to my wife, I nodded slightly in agreement.

On the first morning of the new year, following the tradition of going back to the hometown to visit the grandparents' graves, I was not happy and felt guilty. Everyone asked where the baby was. They said I went to sell coffee. I went to sell coffee, my parents went out to celebrate the spring festival, I was so choked up I didn't dare say anything.

On the second morning, the whole family went out for coffee. At the cafe that the daughter rented. The daughter was the waitress, and the parents were the guests.

The unfinished bowl of noodles was brought out to eat with my parents. The camera was rolling, the owner called and scolded me not to eat at the customer table. The daughter said yes, this is my parents' table.

Sold, no time to eat. Noodles were mushy and soggy. Just finished eating, customer called, quickly ran to serve, wipe table, two feet nimble.

Coffee left something... to remember and love.

(Entry to the contest "Impressions of Vietnamese coffee and tea" under the program "Honoring Vietnamese coffee and tea" for the 2nd time, 2024 organized by Nguoi Lao Dong Newspaper c).

Graphics: CHI PHAN

Source: https://nld.com.vn/ca-phe-con-lai-mot-chut-gi-196240317190231886.htm