An old father with a young child.

When I was five, my father retired and stayed home to grow vegetables and raise chickens to earn extra income. All day long, he was busy tending to his vegetable patch, sometimes whittling bamboo to weave baskets and trays. He was constantly occupied, while I chattered away beside him, talking about everything. As a child, I had no friends; I practically clung to my father like a puppy to its owner's feet. Sometimes I'd ask him to carry me on his back like a horse, other times I'd whine and beg him to make me a kite out of paper to fly. On leisurely days, when he read, I'd hop around and listen intently, even though I didn't understand anything.

Every morning, when my father went to the market to sell chickens, he would carry me on the crossbar in front of his faded bicycle, with two cages of chickens strapped to the back. While waiting for him to finish his business, I would run around to all the stalls. There were rice cakes, steamed rice cakes, tapioca cakes, mixed sweet soups, and jelly desserts… After finishing one dish, I would whine and beg for another. Once, at noon, when there were few customers, I chattered incessantly in his ear, so my father got a little annoyed and, having a banana leaf nearby, grabbed it and threatened to hit me. My father's fellow vendors were very fond of me, so one of them shielded me from the beating. That midday became a funny story that people still tell to this day.

Despite the significant generation gap, my father and I are very close. Perhaps it's because the youngest child is usually spoiled more. On nights when I studied late, he would ride his bike to buy me some fertilized duck eggs or grilled corn. Having him stay up with me seemed to give me extra motivation to study hard. During my high school years, I brought home countless certificates and awards, which he hung all over the walls of the house. He seemed very proud of me; he always smiled excitedly at parent-teacher meetings. He had a daughter who excelled in school, and he would brag about it to all the relatives.

In my memory, my father's hair was always streaked with gray. Day after day, it grew even grayer. But I wasn't perceptive enough to notice. I thought he would always be like that, slowly accompanying me through the years. That afternoon, a sudden illness struck, overwhelming him. An old father with young children, he was nearing the end of his life before I could even grow up. I was in my third year of university when I received the news of his death. On the day of his funeral, I wanted to keep my promise not to cry. But his youngest daughter was still as fragile and easily hurt as before. Because from now on, there would be no one by my side to comfort me as before.

It's been nine years since Dad passed away. Every time I come home, I no longer see him leaning against the door, asking the familiar question, "Have you eaten yet?" Just the absence of someone waiting, the absence of a voice asking how I am, the absence of a gaze filled with trust and love, leaves the house empty and sad. That void can never be filled.

By the time I grew up and was old enough to take care of my father, he had passed away. Now, I can only find him amidst the jumble of remaining memories and in the poignant dreams I have every night.

Hello, dear viewers! Season 4, themed "Father," officially launches on December 27, 2024, across four media platforms and digital infrastructures of Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper (BPTV), promising to bring to the public the wonderful values of sacred and beautiful fatherly love.
Please send your touching stories about fathers to BPTV by writing articles, personal reflections, poems, essays, video clips, songs (with audio recordings), etc., via email to chaonheyeuthuongbptv@gmail.com, Editorial Secretariat, Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper Station, 228 Tran Hung Dao Street, Tan Phu Ward, Dong Xoai City, Binh Phuoc Province, phone number: 0271.3870403. The deadline for submissions is August 30, 2025.
High-quality articles will be published and shared widely, with payment for their contributions, and prizes will be awarded upon completion of the project, including one grand prize and ten outstanding prizes.
Let's continue writing the story of fathers with "Hello, My Love" Season 4, so that stories about fathers can spread and touch everyone's hearts!

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