The Tha La River in my hometown

On the Tha La River. Photo: Le Van Hai

Tha La is my second home, ever since I transferred to Tan Chau for work. For more than ten years, I've traveled back and forth several times a day, and I've come to love this place dearly. The beauty of Tha La changes with each moment of the day and with each season.

At dawn, as the sun rises in the east, the Tha La River gracefully dons a pristine white, magnificent, and dreamlike garment. The Tha La seems immersed in the morning mist, floating like a giant ball of cotton. The mist envelops the vast, boundless sky. Mist spreads across the river's surface, with scattered clumps of water hyacinths silently carrying their loving purple hues.

Here and there, boats glide about, fishing. In the distance, downstream, Mount Ba Den rises high, its verdant peaks seeming to still be asleep, nestled in a soft, cool blanket. On both banks, the reeds, just emerging from their thin, delicate foliage, bend their backs, carrying glistening dewdrops, sparkling and transparent like pearls. Dew hangs on the branches of the mangrove trees along the banks, swirling on the water's surface like a thin wisp of smoke. Tha La becomes shimmering, mystical, beautiful like a watercolor painting...

Around midday, as the sun began to cast its golden, honey-like rays, the Tha La River softened, changing into a shimmering golden hue from the clusters of melaleuca flowers reflected in its waters. Whenever a playful breeze visited, the vibrant yellow melaleuca blossoms scattered across the emerald-green river's surface, creating a giant floral carpet—a truly beautiful sight. Occasionally, egrets would gently swoop down in search of food, startling the entire flock and causing them to fly away, creating a commotion in the otherwise peaceful countryside.

The afternoon descends slowly upon the windy Tha La River. At times, the Tha La River is calm, pensive, and contemplative like the old villagers; at other times, it is boisterous and vibrant like a young woman in her twenties, with its white-crested waves lapping against the shore, shimmering in the brilliant afternoon sun.

The silhouettes of white storks, flying back to their nests, shimmered with a silvery light against the azure sky, like diamonds studded on the carpets of fairies in the fairy tales my grandmother used to tell me on summer afternoons to lull me to sleep. The fishermen also hurriedly gathered their nets after a long day at sea.

When the dry season arrives, the gentle Tha La River lies still, enduring the scorching sun. The water level gradually drops, becoming very low, its surface tinged with the colors of the rainbow, a beautiful yet pitiful sight. Laterite rocks jut out from the water's surface, rugged and gnarled, almost austere.

The boats and canoes are often anchored and rested for extended periods. Despite this, the Tha La River continues to nourish the surrounding fields, creating lush, verdant meadows, waiting for calves and young cattle to roam freely during the hot days.

And when the rainy season arrives, the Tha La River takes on a magical beauty, adorned in the vibrant red-orange hues of the upstream red soil of the neighboring country—a breathtaking sight. At this time, the Tha La River becomes more dynamic, noisier, and more energetic. Swiftly crossing the rubber dam, it flows downstream, carrying with it a powerful life force, weaving its way through every nook and cranny of the vast, sprawling fields of lush green rice and cassava. Seen from afar, the Tha La River resembles a colorful, winding, soft silk ribbon fluttering in the wind. It's absolutely stunning!

Beloved Tha La has always been a source of pride for the people of Tan Chau, my hometown, and Tay Ninh in general. It has always been ready to shelter and support those who have left their homes to seek a living and build a career. It continues to bring prosperity and happiness to every corner of our homeland.

Tin Chi

Source link: https://baotayninh.vn/dong-tha-la-que-toi-a159912.html