When the red phoenix returns

In May, the flamboyant trees once again blaze with red in the schoolyard. For those who have experienced their school days, that red color always evokes memories of the end of the school year, the pages of yearbooks, and a bygone era of white uniforms.

The flame tree blossoms embody the pure beauty of school days. Photo: THANH TIEN

During my travels, I once again encountered the flamboyant tree blossoms, their vibrant red petals glistening on the bare branches. The sun flooded the air, beating down on my face with the intense heat of nature, yet the flamboyant blossoms awakened an indescribable feeling of reverie. It was the feeling of being eighteen or twenty, with the sincere, pure emotions of my school days.

Our generation, born in the 1980s, grew up during a transitional period, from a time when the internet was a distant, unfamiliar concept to when social media became an integral part of life. Thanks to this, we fully understand the wistful feeling expressed in the song: "Every year when summer comes, my heart is filled with sadness…".

I still remember those distant seasons of flamboyant blossoms, when we weren't old enough to clearly define our emotions, but no longer young enough to be carefree about the beauty of those flowers. On those days when the old flamboyant tree in the schoolyard blazed with red blossoms, a vague, indescribable sadness welled up in my heart. My classmates suddenly became quiet, gazing at the "red butterflies" fluttering among the summer leaves. We boys stopped teasing each other; some even looked pensive, like little old men.

Back then, we went to class with a vague sense of anxiety, afraid that with each passing day, the distance between us would grow wider. More than 20 years ago, none of us had old-fashioned cell phones, let alone smartphones for browsing social media like we do now. Therefore, when summer came, we almost never saw the people we wanted to see. The feeling of missing school, missing the classroom, missing our familiar desks weighed heavily on our hearts. But what we missed most was the innocent gaze of… someone!

In the final days of the school year, we would cycle around the streets of Chau Doc. Back then, the roads in Chau Doc weren't as modern and well-maintained as they are now, but there were many old flame trees. The feeling of cycling beneath those flame trees, my heart pounding with the things I wanted to say, is still vividly etched in my memory to this day.

Tired of cycling leisurely, we stopped at a roadside sugarcane juice stall. The shade of the old flame tree provided coolness as we chatted idly. Then, unexpectedly, my friend handed me a pristine scrapbook. Turning the pages, I saw neat handwriting and poignant poems. I also found messages from close friends, including the scribbled handwriting of the guy sitting in front of me!

"I've reserved this page for you!" Her words made my heart race and my legs tremble. It turned out I also had a place in her memories. Next to that page in her autograph book, I saw several red butterflies pressed from flame tree blossoms. Those were the petals she'd asked me to pick for her during their walk the other day. At that moment, my heart swelled with an indescribable joy, one I'll never forget!

In the blink of an eye, more than 20 seasons of flamboyant blossoms have passed. The school grounds of those days are now tinged with the colors of time. My old friends are now caught up in the hustle and bustle of making a living. Only memories remain. Now, the flamboyant blossom season still returns with the cycle of nature, only time cannot be turned back! I am also busy with my reporting trips. Occasionally, I return to the road from those days, but I can no longer recognize the sugarcane juice stall under the old flamboyant tree from back then.

Perhaps, the flame tree has become an integral part of the Chau Doc - Mount Sam region. People continue to replant flame trees, replacing the old, withered ones of the past. The Tan Lo Kieu Luong road now boasts a modern and spacious appearance, yet it still connects me to some of my memories of the flame tree season.

During my travels, I still come across schoolboys and girls wandering under the flamboyant trees, excitedly taking photos to preserve memories of their school days. Nowadays, schoolchildren probably don't need those autograph books like we did back then. Memories are preserved by social media, from images to incredibly vivid videos . Perhaps that's an inevitable development of society. But for me, that autograph book is a beautiful part of my school days. It's simple, unpretentious, and sincere, just like our lives back then.

Another season of flamboyant blossoms has arrived, bringing with it a melancholic red hue that blankets the eyes of schoolchildren. People are given the chance to relive their twenties, reminiscing about those carefree songs where "everyone understands except one person." And then, I remember the lyrics: "Every time summer comes, memories return, but where can I find the people of the past…!"

THANH TIEN

Source: https://baoangiang.com.vn/khi-phuong-do-lai-ve-a484983.html