The taste of early winter morning

(DN) - This morning, I woke up earlier than usual. No alarm clock, no call, just a vague feeling urging me to leave the warm blanket. Stepping out to open the window, a cool breeze rushed in, seeping through the gaps in my shirt, making me shiver slightly. The early morning air was chilly, the smell of dew mixed in the wind made people suddenly feel relieved. It turns out, winter has really come.

The road in front of the house seemed to have put on a new coat. The black asphalt was now covered in a dull gray, the remaining traces of night dew made the road look as if it was sleeping. The wind blew gently, pulling a few yellow leaves from the branches, spinning them around, then falling to the ground. The rustling sound of the leaves, the sparse traffic, all blended together, creating a gentle and slow early winter song.

In the distance, groups of students began to arrive at school. Warm coats of various colors stood out in the cold morning breeze. Their cheeks were rosy, their breaths coming out in thin clouds. Some sat on the back of the bike, nestled against their father’s back, their tiny hands cupped tightly around the hem of their coats. Some held their mother’s hands as they walked through the small alley, their steps short and hurried, their footsteps making them shiver from the cold. The scene was familiar yet strangely peaceful, the warmth not coming from the sun, but from human affection, from the warmth of love.

Winter comes, it seems like everyone becomes slower and gentler. The coffee shop at the end of the alley has turned on the music, the guitar sound of a Trinh song echoes softly in the thin mist. The street vendor smiles gently as she pours another cup of hot tea for the customer. The steam rises, dissolves into the cold wind, and smells sweet. The old lady selling sticky rice still keeps her old habit, sitting next to the pot of sticky rice with steaming aroma, the sound of opening the lid "phập" sounds familiar like the call of memories. In the cold of the beginning of the season, those familiar images suddenly warm my heart.

Perhaps that is why I like winter. Not because of the beautiful sweaters or the hot cup of coffee in the morning, but because it makes people slow down and appreciate the warmth around them. Winter has its own way of evoking memories that seem to have been forgotten: a meal with parents, a bowl of steaming hot soup, or the crackling sound of firewood on a long-ago afternoon.

I remember, when I was a child in the countryside, whenever the cold wind blew, my mother would light the stove earlier. The small kitchen was filled with smoke, the firelight reflecting on the wall. My siblings and I sat close together, waiting for the rice to boil so that my mother could pour us some warm rice water. That milky white water, with a little sugar added, was sweet and fragrant, and to this day, it still has a flavor that no other delicacy can replace. At that time, winter stopped outside the door, and inside the house, there was only warmth and peace.

Growing up, far from home, the city in winter no longer has the smell of kitchen smoke, no sound of burning wood, but the feeling when the cold wind blows is still the same. Every morning when going out, seeing everyone wearing scarves and coats, I suddenly feel pity - pity for those who go to work early, pity for myself who is trying to make it through the hustle and bustle of life. The cold makes people close themselves off, but also makes the heart open up, moved by the smallest things.

Each passing season leaves its own mark, but winter is perhaps the season that makes people feel the most sad. In the middle of a quiet morning, when the breath is still mixed with the cold dew, we suddenly feel small in this vast world . The cold not only touches the skin, but also seems to penetrate deep into the mind, gently awakening the silence that we still hide in the hustle and bustle of life. Perhaps that is why winter always has a very human look - cold on the outside but warm on the inside.

Winter comes, someone puts on more clothes, more scarves, and the heart is filled with unnamed feelings. In the middle of the first cold wind of the season, I smile slightly. Well, winter not only brings cold, but also the most genuine emotions, the most ordinary vibrations. Sometimes, just a cold wind in the morning is enough to make us feel nostalgic, enough to realize that we still know how to feel, how to love, how to miss.

I gently closed the window, letting the cold breeze linger in the small space. The new day had begun, the streets were bustling, but in my heart, the aftertaste of the early winter morning still lingered - gentle, cold and full of love.

Ha Linh

Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202510/du-vi-sang-dau-dong-f531a83/