Nam closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head as if trying to chase away the wandering thoughts from his mind, but he still couldn't immerse himself in the music, even though the whole space was filled with the poignant lyrics , "How many years have passed, and where are you still going? Wandering around, making life weary..."
 |
Nam turned off the music and slumped onto the sofa, looking annoyed. More than two years had passed since his father's death, and he hadn't returned home or called his mother. He was angry. He resented the time he knelt and begged his parents to sell their land so he could start a business, but they coldly refused. He grabbed his backpack and left home that very night, tears streaming down his face, tasting salty. That was the last time he would cry. He swore that even if his parents offered him land later, he wouldn't accept it.
On the day he returned home for his father's funeral, his eyes were dry. After arranging his father's funeral, his mother wanted him to stay in the village to work, so that there would be people coming and going to make the house feel warmer. He didn't say a word, just smiled faintly, and then took a bus and left that same evening, leaving his mother to weep uncontrollably.
For almost three years, he'd lived a carefree life. His younger brother was working abroad, and they only spoke on the phone two or three times a year. Relatives back home, having been out of touch for so long, had become distant, their relationship lukewarm. It had been a long time since Aunt Huong called, and he didn't want to answer. He'd done it before and felt comfortable, but now he felt uneasy.
***
"Dad, please forgive me! I didn't lose the keys. I didn't eat the egg on the lock. It hurts so much, please forgive me! I'm sorry, Dad!" Nam pleaded, crying.
- You son of a bitch… *smack*… *smack*… *thump*… *thump*… Do you think earning money is easy for me that you're making me so angry? Break down the door! If you don't earn enough money to buy another lock tomorrow, don't blame me for being cruel… You even stole my chicken eggs! How insolent!
Bao, Nam's younger brother, stood huddled in the corner of the porch, his eyes filled with fear as he watched his father beat his older brother until his legs bled. Each time Mr. Chien swung the whip, Bao would turn away, his eyes tightly closed, his body recoiling. Feeling sorry for his brother, he tremblingly approached Mr. Chien and stammered an apology:
- Dad… Dad… it wasn't… it wasn't Nam who lost the keys, it was… me! While fishing… I dropped them into the pond!
A slap like a bolt from the blue landed across Bao's face, causing his face to flush and his eyes to pop out. Bao collapsed to the ground, clutching his head. Nam rushed in and embraced him, and they both sobbed uncontrollably.
Just then, Mrs. Hoi returned from the market. She gestured towards her husband and asked:
- What trouble have those two rascals gotten into again? There's never a peaceful day because of them.
"Of course," Mr. Chien shouted again:
- These damned brats are a waste of food and useless. Now I'm going to feed them a bowl of shit...
Not understanding the situation, Mrs. Hoi still clenched her fists at her two sons. Nam, frightened, said through sobs:
- We beg you, Mom and Dad, please forgive us. We won't dare do it again next time.
"No mercy…" Mr. Chien hissed.
Nam woke up, drenched in sweat, realizing it was just a nightmare.
Just then, Nam's wife rushed up from the kitchen, calling out shrilly:
Nam, Nam! Why did you turn off your phone? Aunt Huong just called me!
Seeing her husband sitting there dejected, his face covered in sweat, Lan spoke softly:
"Did you have a nightmare?" Lan asked, trying to calm her husband while gently wiping the sweat from Nam's forehead with a tissue. Nam didn't look at his phone, subtly pushing it away from his eyes before speaking slowly, enunciating each word:
- Don't listen! Tell her never to call you again!
Lan sat beside her husband, her face downcast, as if she had considered her options carefully. Her voice was soft and measured:
"After all these years, are you still angry with your mother? You can turn your back on the whole world, but you can't keep turning your back on your mother. Without her, you wouldn't have this life, you wouldn't have me and our children. In the past, our parents may have been strict and harsh with us, but it was all for the best for you and Bảo. Now that I'm a mother myself, I understand that more deeply. Do you really want our children to treat us the same way in the future?!"
Seeing that her husband didn't react, Lan seized the opportunity to speak further:
- Aunt Huong called and said that the land in our hometown now has a connecting road running through it, and someone has offered over 5 billion dong for it. Mom wants to call you and Uncle Bao back to discuss whether to sell it or not so she can make a decision. Uncle Bao is in Japan, so that's fine, but you're not even answering the phone. Are you two really planning to cut off all ties with Mom and your relatives in the countryside? Do you want to become a selfish, stubborn, heartless, and unfilial father? What kind of example will you set for your children?
Nam heard every word his wife said, but his attitude was indifferent and distracted. He got up and went to the toilet to wash his face and clear his head, muttering to himself as he went:
- Who did such heartless, unfilial acts to deserve this? During the days when Nam was huddled at the bus station, penniless, having to sell his own blood to survive, where was his father, where was his mother? They are determined to hold onto this precious land while neglecting and humiliating their son; now, they can hold on tight, hold on fast…
- Even if Mom kept the land, it would still end up going to you and your brother. If Mom and Dad had agreed to sell the land and give you the money back then, you might not have achieved the success you have today. Perhaps the lessons of hardship are the most valuable lessons that have shaped you and your brother into the people you are today!
Nam said emphatically:
- I forbid you from mentioning this again. If you don't listen, don't blame me for being heartless.
***
After being angry with each other for half a month, one day, Nam spoke first:
- I'll take the day off tomorrow, and we'll take the kids back to our hometown to visit Grandma!
Lan didn't answer, but smiled gently, her face beaming with joy. Perhaps today was the day Lan truly felt happiness in its fullest form!
“…How can you know that stones don’t feel pain? Please let the rain pass over this vast land. Someday, even stones will need each other” – the song made Nam’s heart pound, a feeling of remorse and regret creeping into the deepest corners of his soul. Perhaps Trinh Cong Son was right when he said, “even stones need each other,” so why did Nam, a human being, not need his mother?
Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc-nghe-thuat/202504/hanh-phuc-tron-ven-32e15b2/
![[Photo] Standing Committee member of the Party Central Committee Tran Cam Tu working with the Central Inspection Committee](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/05/28/1779969579668_ndo_br_bnd-2495-jpg.webp)
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