That's all in the past.

(PLVN) - Life in Go Hamlet truly begins at dusk. After finishing their meals, they gather in the courtyard of Ms. Nu's house, their usual meeting place, to chat animatedly. Go Hamlet is a remote area far from the main residential area, with lives like forks in the river.

1. Ms. Nữ was the first person to "land" in Gò hamlet. She wrote applications for land to the commune government for nearly three years, going there about a dozen times. Each time, the commune chairman would enthusiastically say, "Don't worry, we'll take care of it soon." This unspoken refrain from the commune chairman discouraged her. Finally, she quietly brought building materials to the remote hill and built a simple thatched house. At that point, the commune committee reluctantly granted her land ownership documents. Strangely, when the commune chairman saw Ms. Nữ's house built, he didn't cause any trouble. He probably thought that the hill was barren, isolated, and that she was a former youth volunteer during the anti-American war, so he left her alone.

Youth Volunteers. (Illustration - Artist Ton Duc Luong)

A year after Ms. Nu built her house, Tham – a former volunteer youth friend who was past the age for marriage, childless and without a husband – started visiting. Perhaps the pungent, sour smell of decaying straw and the echoing croaking of frogs held this woman, accustomed to solitude and never having known the touch of a man, captive Tham, who became the "deputy guardian" of Go Hamlet.

Ms. Nữ sat mending conical hats, her nostrils flaring, a few drops of sweat like morning dew glistening on her cheeks. Approaching fifty, yet a touch of charm still lingered on her face and lips. The young women and those past their prime sat in the courtyard, listening as she recounted her days clinging to the village of Gò, as if protecting the vital supply route for the main army units fighting the Americans in the South. The two stories were completely different in nature, but similar in their unwavering perseverance. Sister Nu stopped working, wiped the sweat from her brow with the hem of her shirt, and smiled shyly like a young girl: "I don't know why I was so reckless back then. It was because of the veiled hints from my nieces, who were afraid I'd tell my aunt. Honestly, I've never really been keen on a life of clinging to someone for support. You haven't fully experienced loneliness, but it's been ingrained in my blood for a long time. Emptiness is a terrible punishment for a single woman. In the middle of the night, thunder and lightning roared, the wind and rain lashed like the howling of hungry demons. The lamp flickered, the fear grew. If only there had been a man there, I would have thrown myself into his arms, given him everything…"

2. The isolated, desolate hill in Thuong village, where monkeys howl and egrets cry, holds a strange allure for those without husbands. After Nu and Tham, there are Thuan, Ra, and other young women who have experienced the separation of their families. Some have become mothers, but have never been wives. More than ten houses are clustered together. These unfortunate lives intertwine. From early morning, they trudge out of their homes, some working as laborers, others carrying baskets of sweets, and still others lugging heavy loads of vegetables and melons… Only when dusk falls do they hurry back home. Fortunately, the children seem to understand their plight. They play together very affectionately.

The oldest child commanded the younger ones, who obeyed without question. Life in the Go Hamlet truly began at dusk. After dinner, they would gather in the courtyard of Sister Nu's house, their usual meeting place, and chat animatedly. Go Hamlet was a remote territory, far from the main residential area, with lives like forks in the river in the road.

One night, at midnight, Oanh, a young and beautiful woman, was startled awake by a frantic knocking at her door. She asked who it was, but there was no answer. So she screamed. Her neighbors jumped up, some with sticks, others with clubs, and surrounded and captured the intruder, tying him up. When they brought out a lamp, they saw the face of the watchmaker from the town below. The next day, the story of catching the "adulterer" reached the watchmaker's wife. She went to the village of Gò, stood outside Oanh's house, and shrieked: "Which woman married my husband? Come here so I can shave your head and smear you with resin!" Oanh, indignant, retorted: "Go home and discipline your philandering husband. I'll let the women here be left alone, but I don't want that kind of man!"

Hearing the commotion, Mrs. Nu and her neighbors rushed over to surround the foul-mouthed woman. The "local deity," her face flushed with anger, gesticulated wildly: "Hey, you old hag! Whose head are you trying to shave? Your husband is a philanderer, immoral, who came to this widow's neighborhood to make a living. He was caught, tied up, and even peed in his pants without shame, and he even poked it out. Be smart and go teach your husband a lesson. If you change your mind any longer, you won't be able to go home, understand?" The watchmaker's wife's face turned ashen, and she slunk away without a single glance back.

3. Among the four young women who volunteered with the Youth Volunteer Corps at the same time, only Ms. Thuan had someone to look after in her old age. Her son, Khanh, was not only her comfort but also the pride of the entire village. This year he was in his fourth year of medical school. Every time he came home, he shone like a gem in the poor village. The mothers and sisters showered him with affection, care, and love. Knowing that Ms. Thuan didn't have enough money to support Khanh's education, Ms. Tham took off her gold ring – a memento – and gave it to him. Ms. Nu sold off her laying hens, and Ms. Ra broke open her piggy bank. His mother looked at Ms. Tham, tears welling up in her eyes: "That was a gift from Nhu to you…" Ms. Tham chuckled, her laughter sounding incredibly bitter: "People criticize us young volunteers for being old maids; they already have happy families, why should I keep that memento?" Hearing Ms. Tham's words, Khanh turned away, overcome with emotion. The story of her pregnancy with Khánh, as Thuận recounted it, was both tragic and comical.

In 1970, Thuan, with her captivating eyes, beautiful face, charming personality, and renowned bravery in her work, suddenly became pregnant. The entire unit was shocked. At first, everyone thought someone was jealous of Thuan and trying to frame her. Tragically, during a branch meeting, Thuan herself admitted she was pregnant. Everyone was stunned and confused… The branch secretary, with a grim expression, sarcastically remarked: “Comrade Thuan has brought shame to the branch! You must be honest and clear about who you’re pregnant with!” The young woman stood up, defiantly saying: “Who I’m pregnant with is my private matter, I don’t need to report it.” The meeting chairman lost his composure, slammed his hand on the table, and shouted: “Are you still a member of the Youth Union? You’ve had an illicit relationship, affecting the honor of the entire unit, and you’re still being stubborn and argumentative? I demand that you seriously confess who you’ve been involved with and who you’re pregnant with!” The girl gave a wry smile: "In the dim, hazy night, I didn't know anyone." There was a giggle among the young women. The branch secretary's anger subsided somewhat. However, he still retorted: "How can you say that? You don't know anyone's face, and yet you still..."

Ms. Thuan suddenly stopped speaking, fanning herself with a bamboo fan, and looked up at the bright moonlight as if reminiscing about something. The young women chuckled, urging her, "Continue the story! It's frustrating to hear it left unfinished!"

One girl snatched the fan from her hand, fanning vigorously, and laughed heartily: "I'll fan you, tell me quickly!" Ms. Thuan smiled gently, her voice even: "Do you know what I replied? Later, every time I remember those blunt words, I blush profusely. I replied to the secretary: 'Yes! I don't even know who he is. The war between life and death is a thin line. I am a young woman in the prime of my youth, full of vitality. I yearn… instinctively… You can discipline me however you want!' After saying that, she turned and ran straight back to the camp, covering her face and bursting into tears."

- Hey! Why don't you reveal who you had sex with to lessen your sentence?

- Because he sacrificed his life after fighting off American planes, my child!

- Good heavens!

- She had already planned that even if he were still alive, she would absolutely not reveal anything. It's a pity his family had three sons, and two of them were killed. Before he left for B, his parents longed for a grandchild. He wiped away his tears and left to seek revenge. She regrets that when she was one month pregnant with his child, she hesitated to tell him…

Ms. Thuan stopped telling the story, and then someone was heard sobbing.

Short stories by Nguyen Quoc Cuong

Source: https://baophapluat.vn/chuyen-da-qua-post546648.html