Uncle, will you come back here next year to cook pho again?

Hundreds of people from Nu Village, Phuc Khanh Commune, enjoyed the "Pho of Love" – Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

Left, right, left, right… after about 7749 turns along such a winding road, we finally arrived at Phuc Khanh Primary and Secondary School in Bao Yen District, Lao Cai Province.

Departing from Ho Chi Minh City at 2 AM while it was still dark, our "Pho of Love" team arrived at our destination just as dusk was falling.

The little girl kept longing for a bowl of pho.

After a 2,000km journey along dizzying, winding roads and sections of road damaged by landslides that forced the entire group to struggle to push the vehicle uphill, we finally arrived at the school where more than 300 children are studying.

That school has over 100 students from Nu village – the village that suffered the most from Typhoon Yagi ( Typhoon No. 3) recently.

"Hello, Auntie, hello Uncle!" We were greeted by dozens of greetings from children in grades 1-9 who were busy sweeping the schoolyard and arranging tables and chairs in preparation for tomorrow's pho meal.

All the kids were excitedly wandering around the pho stalls to watch the vendors clean up and prepare the ingredients. This trip was especially unique because we had gone to the trouble of bringing hundreds of kilograms of bones and meat all the way from Saigon to make pho.

Partly because time was limited, and partly because I wanted to proactively bring the full flavor of pho to the children.

The biting cold of Northwest Vietnam tore through our thin clothes, but it couldn't dampen our enthusiasm; the process of making pho began immediately.

Twenty of the village's largest pots were brought in to simmer bones for tomorrow. While I was busy blanching the bones, a young boy cautiously approached and asked me a question that made me hesitate for a few seconds: "Uncle, will you come back here to cook pho again next year?"

Her question was innocent but also very understanding. She gave us a deadline of next year to come back and cook pho, not next week or next month, because she understood that we had traveled a long distance to get here.

Yet I still find it difficult to be certain about anything with her, because for them, promises are something very sacred. She will forever long for a bowl of pho that she won't get to eat again until next year, or perhaps many years from now.

Luckily, my homeroom teacher saved me. He said, "Children, try to be well-behaved and study hard, so that when you grow up, you'll be like me, able to travel everywhere and eat lots of delicious pho."

The answer still weighs heavily on my mind. For these children, education is the only way out of poverty. At midnight, I fell asleep with my arm aching from slicing meat and the child's random questions still lingering in my head.

Pho S cooks pho in the highlands – Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

Uncle, please come back next year with your beloved Pho !

At 3 a.m., what woke me up wasn't the alarm clock from my phone, which had lost signal, but the biting cold of Northwest Vietnam.

I scrambled out of bed in the still-dark darkness to continue preparing the pot of "Pho of Love ." A special "request" from the district committee reached us last night: a wish to deliver 200 bowls of pho to the military units and workers who are working day and night to build the new Nu Village so that the people can quickly settle down and rebuild their lives.

We immediately agreed. At 7 a.m., steaming bowls of pho were delivered to the soldiers and workers who had been on duty for three months at the new Lang Nu construction site.

Handshakes and thank-yous were exchanged quickly so we could return to the school, where thousands of villagers and children were waiting.

As soon as we arrived, we immediately got to work at what we do best – “selling pho.” Bowls of pho for free were brought to the tables by the 8th and 9th graders, serving the elderly in the village and the eager children waiting.

Pho Thin Bo Ho ( Hanoi ), Pho 34 Cao Thang (Ho Chi Minh City), and Pho S (Ngoc Linh ginseng) all serve bowls of pho amidst the new Lang Nu construction site – Photo: NGUYEN KHANH

All kinds of trays were used to serve pho, from styrofoam box lids to even large pot lids, which the children took turns using to carry steaming bowls of pho.

"Uncle, please come again next year!" – the clear voice of a little girl rang out, deeply moving me. Those words served as a reminder of my responsibility to the community.

Seeing those radiant faces and innocent smiles as they enjoy a steaming bowl of pho amidst the biting cold, all fatigue seems to vanish.

Over 2,000 bowls of pho have been distributed, not only as a warm meal but also as a token of affection and sharing from the people of the South for the land and people of this region.

The children's sparkling eyes, the elders' firm handshakes, and the teachers' heartfelt thanks all contributed to a warm and meaningful morning.

We know that today's bowl of pho cannot alleviate all the difficulties that the children and people here are facing, but we hope it will be a beautiful memory, a small motivation for them to try harder on their educational journey.

As the sun rose higher, it was time for us to say goodbye. The bus rolled away, leaving behind the small school and its warm-hearted people, each member of the Pho Love team filled with an indescribable emotion.

This "Pho of Love" journey has come to an end, leaving behind profound memories, valuable lessons, and above all, a flame of passion that will continue to burn brightly in everyone's hearts, so that warm bowls of pho can reach even more places in need of sharing.

The images of their innocent eyes, radiant smiles, and the words, "Uncle, please come again next year with your beloved Pho !" will forever be the motivation for us to continue this meaningful journey.

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/chu-oi-the-sang-nam-chu-co-quay-lai-day-nau-pho-tiep-khong-20241215153437154.htm