Dear school district

My hometown has remained the same for many years, except that the tiny road along the Cai River has been upgraded to be wider and flatter. The peaceful Cai River still flows, the water coconut trees along the banks are still green and deeply rooted in the mud, preserving each beloved patch of land of this heroic land. On pale summer afternoons, I often trudge out to the village entrance, then follow the riverside road to find my old school - to find the beloved memories of a time that no matter how long it has been, I will never forget.

On the summer tree canopy, the cicadas chirped like a familiar song of the season, reminding me of the old summers. My hometown, still the road, still the Cai River, still the old schools under the shade where when I was a child, the laughter and voices of the old students always echoed. The nets were spread out to dry along the banks and the rows of fishing nets were laid horizontally and vertically on the calm river. That familiar scene made me feel like I was still a student at the district school back then, worrying about difficult math problems...

Illustration: Tra My

The district school is located on the banks of the Cai River, near the town. Standing in front of the school gate, which has now been solidly and impressively built, I suddenly remembered some verses by poet Nguyen Binh - a lesson from my childhood that I could never forget: "You went to the district town, it was very desolate/ The district school is now built in a different style/ But only today did I know/ Our love is like an old butterfly story!".

I find that verse so fitting for me. The school roof covered with green moss has now been rebuilt on the old foundation, more spacious and more convenient. I feel like I am lost in another world where the memories of the past, of the old school, still appear, flickering, sometimes blurry, sometimes clear before my eyes. My heart trembles. The familiar voices and laughter suddenly echo in my memory.

I remember the summer of the past when we were in the final exam season to end our white-shirt student life, we sat together for hours under the old royal poinciana tree that was blooming with red flowers on the canopy. The cicadas chirped, stirring the quiet area, echoing deep into our souls. Our hesitant footsteps were reluctant to leave a place of dear and peaceful memories because who knows there might not be another chance to return to the sky of the old year.

The season of blooming royal poinciana flowers, the school is still here and the Cai River still flows quietly through the four seasons of spring, summer, autumn and winter. Only we have changed. The young birds of the past now fly in different skies, some fly in the peaceful sunshine, some fly in the stormy rain, some are at peace, some are exhausted after a difficult life... Time makes everything change more or less! The beautiful things that have passed, if anything, only remain in memories!

I looked up at the canopy of the Royal Poinciana tree. The red color of the flowers reminded me of my childhood memories with my friends, with my beloved district school, with the countryside that no matter where I go, I can never forget. I always want to return to the old place to pick up old memories. Immersing myself in that mossy and windy sky, I realized that I am truly myself, a child of my homeland, cared for by the rivers and nurtured by the good land...

Source: https://baodaklak.vn/van-hoa-du-lich-van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202505/dau-yeu-truong-huyen-c4e02b5/