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| Harvesting vegetables. Illustration: Le Huu Thiet |
1. My family came to the new economic zone in the late 1980s. At that time, the land already had owners but was mostly abandoned. There was no irrigation, no wells, only relying on the rain, but at that time, the rain and wind were favorable, the crops were proactive, so the trees were still lush. The dry season came, the sun was scorching hot, the ground was dry, many wells were dry, so agricultural production almost stopped. Only tobacco and cashew trees were resilient to drought and the scorching sun, and the lives of the villagers revolved around these two drought-resistant crops.
But in the middle of the vast and dry land, there is still a clear blue water area that people call a lake. The lake is circular in shape, with a diameter of about 50m, nestled between a rice field on one side and a cornfield on the other. When I did not know its origin, I still thought it was a wonderful gift from nature to farmers. Because, in the rainy season, birds, shrimp, crab, fish, snails, frogs, lotus, water lilies, water hyacinth, and moss often gather there. The lake is a cheerful chorus without the conductor of the bittern, water peacock, and toad... or it is also a brilliant carpet that ignores the composition of pink lotus, purple morning glory, white water lilies, blue water hyacinth, patches of yellow moss, and entwined vines interspersed with branches and leaves.
In the dry season, when the surrounding area is a white, yellow color of thirst, the pond is truly a sparkling gem. At this time, the water level that once covered the rice fields has dropped by a few meters, revealing the basin-shaped bottom of the pond, jagged with rocks. The closer to the bottom, the smaller the diameter of the pond becomes. It feels like the pond is a giant drill bit drilling into a barren body. However, that drill creates a lush green patch. When the water level recedes, the land around the mouth of the pond is gradually revealed; during the rainy season, that land has been fertilized by humus and mud, so it quickly becomes green; the strongest are water spinach and water mimosa. After about half a month, the exposed land also becomes dry and cracked, so the plants crawl and slither after the water to continue growing.
The pond is now where the old cow stretches its legs to lean down and stretch its neck to drink water. The dog jumps down to swim after chasing with the flock. The hen leads her chicks out to drink water, seeing her reflection in the blue water mixed with the shadows of swimming fish and shrimp, she makes startled and timid sounds, "Cluck cluck, chirp chirp!". In the quiet night, the weasels, rabbits, squirrels or snakes quietly come out to drink water, return to their burrows and leave clear traces behind. The vegetable beds, squash vines or newly pruned mung bean patches are lush in the dry season's sun and wind thanks to the pond water.
Later on, the shape of the pond became more and more deformed due to the silting and filling, making the shape zigzag and funny. The only thing that did not change was that when the water level receded to a certain level, it stopped and stabilized. The pond now became an open-air well because the underground water from somewhere still silently poured in, clear and sparkling.
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| Illustration: Nguyen Cao Tu |
2. Until one day, I learned that the pond was originally a bomb crater. In the past, this place was a forest, the land that sheltered the soldiers was often searched by bombs. The new economic zone in the late 1970s was full of bomb craters; the elderly could clearly remember the bomb craters behind Mr. Hai Quy's house, next to Mr. Tu Tho Duc's well, at the end of Mrs. Muoi San Xuat's field..., but because they were quite shallow, time had buried them all. Only the bomb crater on my land still persisted as a relic, a mental wound, and then became a close friend of the farmer, who had forgotten when.
Sometimes, while quietly looking at the water tank - the bomb crater, I absentmindedly thought, that bomb must have been huge and had terrible destructive power; when it escaped from the belly of the plane, it must have rushed very fast and strong; it even dragged friendly bombs and raft bombs so it could drill deep into the ground, from which underground water flows out.
As time passed, the only bomb crater of the hamlet was gone. Climate change, the changing weather, the underground water sources receded, the rains of many years eroded this place, filled in that place, so gradually, in the dry season, the once clear pond became shallower, then dried up like the ponds of Mr. Hai, Mr. Tu, and Mrs. Muoi's houses in the past.
3. The pond area is now a mango garden full of fruit. The dry season is no longer as sunny as it used to be. Under the shade of the trees, the herd of cows lie leisurely, absentmindedly listening to the barking of dogs, the cooing of birds calling for their friends, ignoring the flock of chickens climbing on their backs, heads, and necks. The traces of the past have faded. The village has now changed, few people remember the pond and bomb craters. That way, you know you are a happy person.
Essay by Tram Oanh
Source: https://baodongnai.com.vn/van-hoa/202504/ho-bom-ngay-cu-4d70fa1/
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