The grapefruit blossoms are fragrant.

This year, as I stepped into the courtyard of the old house at the end of the small alley, I knew I was returning to a Lunar New Year that was different from before. This was the first Lunar New Year since my grandfather passed away.

Grandpa has passed away and gone to be with the clouds in the sky - Photo: Provided by the interviewee

The house still retained the familiar sounds of the past season: the wind rustling through the palm trees, the gentle swaying of grapefruit leaves, the soft creaking of the wooden door whenever someone passed by. But the warmest sounds—the old man's soft cough at dawn, the slow shuffling of slippers from the yard into the kitchen—were long gone.

He was kind and spoke little. He lived by small things, yet they left a lasting impression on others. There's one memory that I recall every time Tet (Lunar New Year) comes around, even though he never told me about it. It was one afternoon on the 29th of Tet many years ago.

It was bitterly cold that day. I ran home through the howling wind, clutching my newly bought comic book. As soon as I stepped into the yard, I saw my grandfather standing by the old pomelo tree in front of the porch. The tree he always called "our family's blessing."

The wind was so strong that a branch of the pomelo tree, laden with blossoms, bent sharply downwards. He was struggling to prop it up to prevent it from breaking.

Seeing me return, he looked up, his kind eyes squinting from the wind, then broke into a small smile, enough to warm the entire yard. I ran to help him hold the branches. His hands were dry, cold, and calloused from years of tilling the soil and pruning trees. He said, "Hold them tight, the grapefruit blossoms are about to bloom."

Just one sentence. But the way he said it, so gentle and warm, made me stand still for a long time, as if afraid of dropping the white flowers trembling in the wind.

After carefully propping up the grapefruit branch, he brushed the dust off his coat, then quietly went into the kitchen to pour me a glass of warm water. He didn't say anything, didn't ask any questions, just placed the glass on the table and nodded very gently. It was the nod of someone who, throughout their life, chose actions to show love instead of words. From then on, the grapefruit blossom became my own personal memory of him.

It's not because the flowers are fragrant. It's because the person who cherished them is no longer here.

On the afternoon of the 30th of Tet (Lunar New Year's Eve) this year, the whole family prepared the feast for the year-end offering. As we were setting everything up, I noticed the wooden chair my grandfather used to sit in had been pushed against the wall. No one sat in it because of the longing and sadness. Just one chair, yet it brought a heavy heart to everyone.

Then, quietly, my mother placed a cup of hot tea flavored with grapefruit on the table—exactly the kind he liked—as if she still wanted to keep him here for another Lunar New Year.

New Year's Eve descended slowly. In the sky at the end of the lane, the first streaks of light from fireworks bloomed and then faded, leaving a vast silence in the night sky. The wind blew across the yard, carrying the chill of the old Tet season, causing the grapefruit trees to gently sway, touching distant memories.

In that space, I suddenly felt as if he were still sitting on the doorstep all those years ago, holding a cup of hot tea, his gentle eyes gazing up at the sky, so quiet, calm, and familiar that just looking at him brought a sense of peace.

Every New Year's Eve, he would pick a bunch of pomelo blossoms and place them on the ancestral altar. He told my mother: "Let the fragrance guide our ancestors back."

A simple saying, typical of the old days, that the fragrance of grapefruit blossoms is pure enough to evoke good things.

All that remains is nostalgia - Photo: Provided by the interviewee

This year, he's gone, but my mother still gently picks a fresh bunch of pomelo blossoms and places them exactly where he used to. The whole house smells of pomelo blossoms. The scent of peace and continuity. That fragrance spreads very slowly, very gently, but once it touches a memory, it can never fade.

People often think that a warm home is built on grand things. But for my family, that home is held together by very small things: a grapefruit branch propped up to prevent it from breaking, a bunch of flowers placed on the altar, a gentle nod, a habit that no one dares to forget.

And perhaps, it was also from his silence, the silence that once kept this house at a slow, peaceful pace of life.

The absence of him during Tet doesn't make the house quiet; it only makes everything slow down slightly. New Year's greetings become softer, quieter. Conversations around the feast table are more hesitant. Amidst the children's laughter, there's an occasional, subtle silence, enough for someone to suddenly remember the one who's gone. And in every scent of early spring, there's the image of the departed.

There are losses that are as subtle as a wisp of smoke, yet they linger in the hearts of those left behind. People say Tet is a time for reunion, but reunions aren't always complete. Some Tets teach us to embrace the emptiness, to better understand what "home" truly means.

I believe that every spring, he will return. Not by a distant call, but by the very fragrance of the first blossoms of the pomelo tree, gentle yet enduring, like his love for his family. Because his presence has never disappeared. It has only changed places to reside deeper in the hearts of those who remain…

We invite readers to participate in the writing contest.
A warm spring day

As a special treat for the Lunar New Year, Tuoi Tre newspaper, in partnership with INSEE Cement Company, continues to invite readers to participate in the "Springtime Home" writing contest to share and introduce your home – your warm and cozy haven, its features, and unforgettable memories.

The house where your grandparents, parents, and you were born and raised; the house you built yourself; the house where you celebrated your first Tet (Lunar New Year) with your small family... all can be submitted to the competition to introduce to readers nationwide.

The article "A Warm Spring Home" must not have previously entered any writing competition or been published in any media or social networks. The author is responsible for copyright, the organizing committee has the right to edit, and the author will receive royalties if the article is selected for publication in Tuoi Tre publications.

The competition will take place from December 1, 2025 to January 15, 2026, and all Vietnamese people, regardless of age or profession, are welcome to participate.

The article "A Warm Home on a Spring Day" in Vietnamese should be a maximum of 1,000 words. Including photos and videos is encouraged (photos and videos taken from social media without copyright will not be accepted). Entries will only be accepted via email; postal mail will not be accepted to avoid loss.

Entries should be sent to the email address maiamngayxuan@tuoitre.com.vn.

Authors must provide their address, phone number, email address, bank account number, and citizen identification number so that the organizers can contact them and send royalties or prizes.

Staff and employees of Tuoi Tre newspaper and their family members may participate in the "Warm Home in Spring" writing contest, but they will not be considered for prizes. The organizing committee's decision is final.

The Springtime Shelter Award Ceremony and the Launch of the Youth Spring Special Edition

The judging panel, comprising renowned journalists and cultural figures along with representatives from Tuoi Tre newspaper, will review and award prizes based on the preliminary entries.

The awards ceremony and launch of the Tuoi Tre Spring special issue are scheduled to be held at Nguyen Van Binh Book Street, Ho Chi Minh City, at the end of January 2026.

Prize:

1st prize: 10 million VND + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring issue;

1 second prize: 7 million VND + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring issue;

1 third prize: 5 million VND + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring issue;

5 consolation prizes: 2 million VND each + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring issue.

10 Readers' Choice Awards: 1 million VND each + certificate, Tuoi Tre Spring Edition.

The voting points are calculated based on interaction with the post, where 1 star = 15 points, 1 heart = 3 points, and 1 like = 2 points.

Back to the topic

LUONG HANH

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/hoa-buoi-ngat-huong-2026010916551014.htm