Youthful face

Illustration: Phan Nhan

- You can lighten your cheekbones and chin, make your eyes bigger and darker. Your lips need to be more vibrant.

He spoke loud enough for her to hear. She turned to look at him. He stood up. The fresh morning made the acquaintance easy.

- Can you help me fix it?

A request was enough to inspire him. The girl handed him a box of colored pencils. With just a few light, practiced movements, the portrait on the paper became sharp and expressive. The girl thanked him for his help. He also got information about her. They have known each other since then.

***

She and he arrived at the meeting place on time. She was wearing a light, sporty outfit, still with the quality of a strong-willed person, but without losing her gentle, attractive features. The girl before his eyes had a strange attraction. However, he tried to lie to himself and not admit that he had a seed of desire sprouting deep in his soul.

Thuy Tien works as a designer for a company with many young people. In her spare time, she likes to open her heart to colors. Mr. Hinh once read somewhere a sentence, roughly, girls who are involved in art are all amorous. He doesn't know where he will take this relationship, but he is gradually overwhelmed by Tien's intelligent and humorous way of speaking. The stream of people walking around the lake is like a river flowing gently. It is completely different from the main streets, which are always crowded. He and she sit to rest next to a cluster of colorful bougainvillea. The waves on the lake's surface are rippling. A few strands of Tien's hair sway in the gentle wind. This romantic scene makes him want to do something stronger, more passionate. Like hugging her, for example. But he can't get past himself. His thoughts are both chaotic and rational, holding him back. His heart is pounding. His face suddenly feels hot. That would be too much. It would be too hasty. Thuy Tien is only the age of his daughter. He had two daughters, both of whom followed their father's profession. As for his wife, that year, she suffered a stroke. During a bout of high fever, she became seriously ill and could only stay in her room. Three years later, after retiring, he took her back to the city. The hardships and hardships of life sometimes led him to unstable emotions, sometimes a bit vulgar. No matter what, he still had enough energy, and could still dream of romantic love affairs. In this park, there were certainly old ladies, old ladies, who had secretly glanced at his face with glasses full of knowledge. How could his heart not flutter before a few girls walking with white legs and rosy faces full of vitality. But moral standards held him back, only letting his emotions bloom like a small rosebud, just enough to distill into a dream...

When she was absent-minded, the girl asked about his daughter. He told her the truth. He predicted that his daughter was also beautiful because his face was so broad. He smiled. The halo of his twenties kept spreading out, surrounding Mr. Hinh's whole body and thoughts, invading the emotional area in the deepest part of a man's desire. He felt honored to still be able to enjoy beauty.

- I picked up a little from my dad and mom, each of us.

Tien guessed again:

- So she must be very beautiful, right?

Tien's innocent question made him feel down, a hint of sadness suddenly fell out. The girl felt a little sad. Mr. Hinh was afraid she would be sad, so he honestly said:

- She was very beautiful in the past.

His words brought Tien back to a vivid memory of hers, the youth that everyone had and that had passed and could never return. He also talked about his wife's illness. Tien's eyes were full of sympathy, and then, she suddenly expressed sympathy, dispelling a gloom that had just appeared.

- I hope you are well. Like my mother, thanks to medicine and my father's devotion, her illness has receded. The two of them are very happy.

He still called her “em” and addressed himself as “anh”, although Tien shyly called him “chu”. Tien shared with him about love and her thoughts when choosing a life partner. Young people now think and act differently. When things became more intimate, he told her about the time when he loved to paint. Each time, the age gap gradually blurred.

***

Every caring message, a few small gifts he gave made Thuy Tien feel a little happy, but she still couldn't imagine where this would go and what this relationship was. She called herself "em" and knew that she was making him happy. His gentle concern revived her emotions, which had been dormant after her love affair with Duoc had broken down. She was afraid of marriage when she occasionally witnessed the broken homes of a few friends. She used to think that she would never be moved by any man. Then Mr. Hinh came, initially with sympathy for painting and music . He gave her the warmth of a father, a teacher.

While she was thinking, he sent her a message: “Are you listening to music? I just heard a piece without lyrics, it was great.” “Yes. I must have finished cleaning…” He sent her the piece of music he had just listened to and thought she would like it. She turned it on. The melodious melody of the song made her feel that life was still worth living. Suddenly she wanted to get close to him. Just to have him stroke her long hair, to see her cheeks blush when she smiled. But she felt guilty towards his wife. She also believed that with his nature and kindness, he would never abandon his wife.

So what did this resurrected soul expect from him, if not money, or sex? She felt her heart filled with despair, unpredictable even to herself.

***

She asked him to go to Nghia Tinh coffee shop. It was a romantic place but there were few people in the morning. Tien wore a pretty white dress with a low-cut neckline, making her look like a swan in the early morning garden. He smiled gently and complimented her beauty. She smiled brightly. The coffee was fragrant and the music was instrumental.

The lake surface rippled. On the other side, a few couples walked leisurely.

His heart began to beat with his thoughts. He told himself. Go beyond the limits. Do what his desire urged him to do, because a man like him had little chance of knowing a beautiful young girl like this. Restraining. Morality. Morality… All of it was dancing inside him.

She scrolled through Facebook, intending to text him something really sweet. A suggestion. Or she would sit closer to him, put her hand on his thigh. The gentle touch of the body is sometimes a way of suggesting. Do something, Tien. But this person is old enough to be her father, he has his own life… So many thoughts were churning inside her.

The two were silent for a moment. Neither dared to overcome the moment of distraction. The daily messages back and forth increased. Recently, Tien also received a message from Duoc. It was said that he had an unhappy life. But she did not reply. She blocked the phone. There were things that had to be buried forever…

The park still welcomed him and Tien with the gentleness of a mild morning. He told them that one day he would take them up the mountain, to a place with vast lawns. He would take beautiful pictures of Tien. Suddenly, Tien said:

- I want you and I to go out to a more romantic place than this in the future.

Then Tien let her hair down, like a swan preparing to fly, so beautiful it was heartbreaking. She raised her arms, lowered them, then raised them again, as if flapping her wings… She let him hold her hand. A stream of emotions connected. One old, one young. The smiles and vibrations were giving a stream of vitality, shared equally between them, so that he was younger, and she was calm and humble.

At a deserted bend, she stopped suddenly, her chest touching his arm. He stopped, holding his breath. A hug closed around him. Suddenly he was startled, as if he felt guilty. Thuy Tien looked deeply into his eyes.

- It's okay. I took the initiative.

Life still flows around. Love, emotions, responsibilities, respect, betrayal, indulgence… All are wrapped up in the circle called human life. He feels happy, and she, like that, has also been given more energy to continue living the days. After the pristine morning, he will return to his responsibility as a husband taking care of his sick wife, playing with his grandparents. She will still work, earn a living, still draw, and heal her past emotional wounds. Nothing will surpass a hug. Just enough to know how to appreciate and preserve. “I will take Tien home, after walking a thousand more laps” - he joked, when she said it was time to go. She was flustered, saying: “Whenever you need, just text me.”

The chlorophyll was dancing and bustling. The sunlight split the chlorophyll into millions of pieces, like green crystals, gently spread across the ground.

Source: https://baolamdong.vn/van-hoa-nghe-thuat/202505/guong-mat-thanh-xuan-a602826/