Mrs. Mi stirred, her arm aching. She didn’t remember when she had fallen asleep, her head leaning on the steps, her hands holding onto the bars of the door. The moon was shining brightly in the yard. The path down the mountain was like a white silk thread melting into the mist. He had just been here, her hand was still warm from his touch. My child, Cuong, where are you?
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On the day he was born, her husband exclaimed: “The Trieu family has another son.” On full moon nights like tonight, the couple leaned on the stairs, looking out at the shimmering forest, whispering about the future for their children. We must properly hold the coming-of-age ceremony for the three boys, so that they will be protected by the gods and ancestors, and live decent lives worthy of being men of the Trieu family.
The Trieu family in Chieng village has been around for a long time. In the rustling sound of the deep wind, every family prays to the gods to grant them many strong men like the ironwood and sen trees in the forest. Every time a boy is born, the whole family rejoices, discusses, and waits for him to grow up day by day to receive the coming-of-age ceremony. From that moment on, the Dao boys are empowered by their ancestors and become much stronger.
Last month, on a moonlit night like tonight, Mrs. Mi and her husband were whispering about Cuong. Let's hold a coming-of-age ceremony for him. There were two fat pigs in the pen. The indigo suit with red collar and placket was bought last year. At his age, there were boys in Chieng village who already had two or three children...
Yesterday afternoon he came back, bringing a cake and some pink candles.
- Tonight our family is celebrating mom's fiftieth birthday. I want to tell my relatives something.
- Oh my gosh, you're so competitive, where did you get the money to waste it like that?
- I got a scholarship and I work part-time, don't worry, Mom.
The dinner was packed with guests. The men clinked their glasses and chatted loudly. Then everyone fell silent to listen to him. Everyone stopped eating and chewing, their eyes wide open, unblinking. Suddenly she heard someone shout:
- Roof (*). This family must marry a woman.
- But I don't love women, marrying them is a sin.
- You naughty man, when did you become bad?
Then a shout, a crash. She caught a glimpse of him running down the stairs with his backpack. A sob drifted into her ear. Stop, my child! Her voice trailed off. But he had already disappeared into the moonlight.
She staggered into the room, her back aching, her knees creaking. Her husband sat leaning against a pillar, his arms hanging limply, his eye sockets dark, the moonlight breaking on his gaunt face. Her head touched something hard. Oh, an envelope.
Date…month… Dear Mom.
Mom!!! I want to confide in you. In my 21 years of life, I have not been able to open my heart to anyone.
Mom!!! If you say I lived a carefree and happy life, it was only until I finished primary school. When I was in secondary school, I realized I was different, I liked to play girly games and was close to girls. Then, I don't know who said it, my friends looked at me with contempt and called me "girl". I was like a lonely lost child. When I was herding buffalo or going to the forest to collect vegetables and firewood, I chose a very private place to cry to my heart's content...
Hello there (**).
Her tears blurred her face. Coming to be a daughter-in-law of Chieng village, she had to work hard to water the fields, her back had to bear the brunt of the rain and sun. Cuong's four brothers were as tall as an adult's waist, following their parents to carry firewood and burn the fields. When they came home at night, she was relieved to see them all around the dinner table. She also heard the villagers whispering, saying that something was wrong with Cuong. But she didn't believe it. Her son was tall and strong.
Mom, all those years, I always wondered who I was? Why wasn’t I like everyone else? One time I went to the Abyss of Death, a place my parents always told us we absolutely must not go to. I sat on the edge of the abyss, watching the black smoke billowing up, I longed to throw myself into it, to forget everything, to end all suffering. But suddenly I thought: Why do I have to die? Why can’t I be good enough to make my parents proud?
Mom, I am your son and your daughter. Look up at the sky, there are not only the sun and the moon, but also countless other stars. We, the gay community, are those stars.
Mom, after graduating, I want to go to a more open place to find my own happiness. Don't worry about me, no matter where I am, I am still your child, a good person of our Trieu family...
Mrs. Mi dropped the letter. It had been bright outside for a long time. Stepping out into the outer room, she saw Mr. Mi sitting like a rock, his eyes on the altar, his hair white, his face aged by decades. The incense stick, long burned out, curved like a floating moon.
- You and I go find Cuong - his voice was hoarse.
She quickly changed her clothes, put a towel on her head, and followed him silently. The bus took them to the university gate. When they asked his name, the kids said "we know" and then led them away. Cuong studied at the Faculty of Tourism , he was the best student in his class. Before they finished their glass of water, his friend ran up and gave him the phone:
- Sir, please talk to Cuong.
He took the phone and went to a quiet place, talked to her for a long time before coming back. He urged her:
- Let's go home or we'll miss the bus.
The moon welcomed them from the foot of the hill. Its silver light gently caressed their thin backs. He pulled her down to sit on the familiar steps, his eyes fixed on the vast moonlit sea. She asked softly:
- Where did he go, dad? What took you two so long to talk about?
- He went to work on HIV prevention communication and will be back in a few days. He apologized to me and said I must be very disappointed in him.
So what did he tell you? She was nervous.
- I just said: When you come back this weekend, I will prepare a meal to present to our ancestors. No matter who you are, our family will always be with you. You will always be the pride of your parents and the Trieu family.
His last words were slow and solemn, like an oath before the distant moon.
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202406/dem-ay-trang-the-43709f6/
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