The two people I love the most!

The weather is getting colder! As the icy winter winds whistle through the cracks in the door, chilling everything around me, the song "A father's love is as warm as the sun..." fills my heart with a chill, not because of the harsh winter, but because of the memories of my father and my homeroom teacher, two people I deeply respect in my life.

Illustration: LE DUY

I was born and raised in the dreamy city of Hue. Although I'm not originally from Hue, I still carry within me the delicate charm of Hue. My school was Vinh Loi A High School. When the teacher assigned me to sit near a student with a disability in their right hand, who wrote with their left hand, their arm kept bumping into mine, smearing my notebook with ink. Day after day, I was annoyed with them and even angry at the teacher. That was my first impression of the teacher.

Later I learned that because the teacher saw that I was good at literature, he arranged for me to sit near Lien, who had a disability in her right wrist. Lien loved studying literature, so the teacher wanted me to help her. My father also wanted the teacher to instill in me the virtues of diligence, patience in all tasks, and especially compassion... I suddenly understood everything.

From then on, we grew and matured thanks to the loving guidance of our teacher, and I understood and loved him even more. I can describe him in two words: love and dedication.

My teacher helped me learn how to write well and emotionally, he taught me to love and help my friends when they faced difficulties, and every day he brought us so many new things. Sometimes he would tell us stories about human kindness and inspiring examples of people overcoming adversity in life.

The teacher's lectures seemed to deeply penetrate my thoughts, helping Lien and me to study better and better, and making us even closer. Seeing my good grades on my essays made the teacher and my father very happy. Once, in that rickety old car, my father asked me: "What made you happiest today?" I happily replied: "I really enjoy being in the teacher's class because he always teaches me just like you do!" The teacher and my father both hoped that I would become a teacher someday. At that time, I happily accepted, but deep down, I still had many dreams and preferred working in the arts.

Then, time passed quickly, and my family moved to Dong Ha city to live and work. On the day we said goodbye to my teacher and classmates, I cried uncontrollably. Leaving him and my friends behind left me with a profound sense of loss. When he saw me and my family off on the train, he gave me a copy of the book "How Steel Was Tempered" and a photo of us together with the other students, along with the inscription: "Study hard, and when you become a teacher, come visit me!"

I threw myself into my studies, and the day I passed the entrance exam to teacher training college arrived. My father continued to correspond with my teacher and always cared about his strong-willed student, me. I wanted to visit him, but deep down I wanted to write a beautiful story about the teacher-student relationship as a gift for him.

On a chilly winter day, my father and I held a copy of the Cửa Việt magazine containing my article. I secretly imagined that my teacher would be overjoyed and hug me. As I entered the gate, I exclaimed, "Teacher! My father and I have come to visit you!" There was no reply. I ran inside, and the scene inside made my legs tremble. I collapsed to my knees, saying, "Teacher!" His sister came up from downstairs and said, "He's gone, brother! He's gone!"

I stammered, "Why did you die... why didn't you wait for me to come home...?" Placing the magazine on the altar, enveloped in the smoke of incense, my father's eyes welled up with tears. He had been ill for a long time, but he kept it a secret from everyone; that's why he didn't get married, because he didn't want to bother anyone.

My teacher inherited toxins from his mother, so he deeply sympathizes with children who have disabilities like him. When he met Lien, out of compassion for her, he wanted me to be her companion and help her excel in literature. On the day he was admitted to the hospital, he asked my sister to give me his diary, hoping I would understand everything.

I finally understood why my father knew about my teacher's illness but didn't tell me. Both my teacher and my father wanted me to grow up and become more mature, so that I would definitely do many useful things for society in the future. I held the pictures of my teacher and the diary entries, my eyes welling up with tears. I promised my teacher and my father that I would definitely follow their advice. I said goodbye to that small house, a place that held so many memories of ours.

Today marks six years since my father passed away, and I have lost two of the most precious people in my life. Losing my father meant losing a source of emotional support; we were like two friends, often chatting together. My father often taught me how to write because he was also a contributor to the Quang Tri newspaper. Now that I am a teacher, at this moment, in this bitterly cold weather, I remember my father and my teacher. I silently thank them both for all the best things they gave me: the ability to love, to give, to forgive, to empathize, and to share...

During my years teaching, I encountered students with disabilities. Looking into their eyes reminded me of Lien and the image of my teacher, the words my teacher and my father taught me, urging me to love and care for them even more.

"Knowing how to give love, one receives happiness in return." Love between people is a sacred feeling, highly valued. Outside, the rain continues to fall, and I long for it to stop so I can gaze at the two bright stars in the sky; their light will guide me on the path I have chosen: the noblest profession!

Bui Thi Hai Yen

Source: https://baoquangtri.vn/hai-nguoi-toi-yeu-quy-nhat-191341.htm