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| Illustrated by: Phan Nhan |
The drumming practice these days began to become louder, the children who were wading in the field suddenly stood up and listened and whispered excitedly:
– The chain is about to go back to school now, I look forward to going to school so much, I miss the class so much.
- You should think about the homework at the end of the day. Oh, where are the wandering days.
Only Quoc was silent, he carefully waded through the water that the adults had just reaped, bent down to pick up the dropped duck egg running in the field, a smile on his lips thinking about pouring the patties so that his father and he could go to work. When you return, there will be an exchange dinner.
- Through the teacher, I mentioned the back to school incident with my parents so that I wouldn't miss the day. Have you been to Quoc yet?
– I think his father let him go to school.
Then, as if feeling lost, the children were silent. The silence of the school drums made the afternoon more lonely. After the rice crop, adults often let the children drop ducks in the field, the ducks will take advantage of the full belly of the remaining rice grains when running the harvester. The children were both herding ducks and gleaning the last batch of rice, but they were also full of bags. Dropping ducks in the afternoon will usually glean a few eggs that the ducks lay in the field, and in the afternoon, when the day begins to turn off the first drops of sunlight, they often reward themselves with games like kite flying on the ground. embankments.
In this poor countryside, going to school is already a luxury. Despite being supported a lot, because of the burden of food, every member of the family is a living factor. Quoc's family only has two father and son, his mother thanked that the poverty had left since he was still red, his father had to hug him to beg for milk from each person in the neighborhood, he grew up in the love of his relatives. Children in the countryside often find joy in themselves by simple things. On the days of high rice, when the parents have been working in the fields since then, they have also crouched with a bowl of molded cake and a piece of fish sauce and then gathered together to catch locusts. Quoc remembers the moments when he was with his mother, every time his mother made cakes, he often sat next to him to sprinkle peanuts on them. Sometimes when they stick to the hand, it licks and eats, the crunchy flesh is extremely delicious. When mom wasn't done, she still took a separate bowl of cake for him to eat first…
- Have you caught many, I have already caught.
- I'm fine too, remembering the salted locusts makes my mouth water.
In this countryside, adults do big things, and small children often find joy by supporting adults. Catching locusts is not only a daily meal, but also to prevent them from harming the rice. In Quoc's mind, he only thought of coming home early so that he could cook rice for his father before he returned home full of fatigue in the afternoon. He suddenly remembered making a few dummies to farm the fields, yesterday he planned to do it but forgot, chasing the birds to eat the rice.
When his mother left, he was too young to remember much. But in fact, he didn't think his mother really left because she ran away from home so many times. Since it was still red, then it came back. Then it grew a little bit bigger, suffered from poverty, couldn't stand it anymore, and left. Just like that, every time, his father didn't say anything, just silently accepted the departure and return, so he knew that his father loved his mother very much. However, this time she went for real. His father was waiting at first, but then he couldn't stand it anymore. As he grew up, his father started to change his personality, started drinking more and every time he saw the same face as his cheek, he gradually fainted. Although he often beat him when he was very drunk and only a few strokes were drunk, but he was enough to leave red marks on the child's body. It knows that its father loves it, the proof is that he has never abandoned it, whatever delicious you bring to it, that's when he wakes up. Although he was very quiet, the father and son rarely spoke to each other. About going to school, every year to go to school with him is like a torture, he knows his family is still difficult even though he is very eager to learn, he just doesn't dare to mention it to his father and wants to go to school.
Mr. Linh pushed the creaking door to enter the house after a tiring day of crawling. Quoc nom smelled that there was no alcohol smell on his father's body, so he gently served the rice, gave his father a towel dipped in water to wipe his sweat, and whispered:
- Dad, today I'm back at home...
Here every school season, because students go to school less often, before the school starts, teachers will go to school to encourage students to go to school. The school is small, with few classes. When you grow up a little, you will be offered to study in town. His father slightly raised his head to think, then bent down to eat again, he took a bottle of wine from the corner of the table to drink. It pulls people back. Every time his father has something on his mind, he drinks again and he gets beaten up again…
***
- There is no money to go to school.
His father was ready to talk to him when he came to the house a few times to exercise. He looked at him helplessly and at the scars on his hands, being a passionate young teacher, he complained to the authorities about domestic violence. Through the process of the teacher's struggle and also the evidence from the people around, people began to separate his father and son, he would return to his grandparents to raise, but now he could not go to school and was beaten... he of course did not accept it, he still remembers vividly that afternoon, so many people came to his house, his father restrained him, not knowing why he saw his father's tears for the first time, but because a man of few words suffers a lot, he can only keep it but can't say anything.
"You let him go, you beat the kid for nothing." Grandma said while crying.
- I also don't let the boy go to school.
The words surrounded the father and son as if they were buzzing. Suddenly his father let go of his hand, the space was silent as an answer, his father looked at him for a long time, he suddenly saw the sunset in his father's eyes that made his eyes red. He seems to be realizing that he is about to lose it, he is in pain for himself so he tortures it, not understanding it has the same pain as him.
Let the boy decide.
Someone's voice made him silent. He sat helplessly on the ground, he had already guessed the answer, there was no reason for it to stay by his side.
– I want to stay with you, I will be your child for the rest of my life.
No one asked why because of its stocky appearance. It seems that sometimes adults think too much and children are more simple…
You can see someone being nice to you, even though they may hide it with other hurts. His eyes were wet but he quickly turned away, Quoc ran over to hug his father, his big body seemed to be falling on it...
***
Quoc has just dug a few round white tapioca tubers, big tubers look like little pigs. In a sunny season like this, having these tubers to cook or eat will be very cool. It suddenly remembered the pot of sweet potatoes that was half-cooked at home, asking the neighbor to look after it, with a really bright smile, and quickly walked back home. His father was passing by and he was hopping home.
- Why am I still here? Why don't you go to school?
– Yes, today I study in the afternoon, Dad, I just went to the field to help Ms. Ba glean and dig some cassava roots. Go cook water, listen to dad.
His father picked him up on the pole sitting next to him and then pulled the cow to walk slowly on the village road. He suddenly realized that that small figure was always next to him and burdened when he was tired, but sometimes he selfishly forgot about it because of the hurt his family brought.
- Did you enjoy going to school?
- Nice to hear, Dad. I just gave you a few more notebooks, yesterday I told you at school that there is a reward for poor students. If I study hard, I will get a scholarship, which will help my family a lot.
He enthusiastically told his father about the sunny schoolyard, the shade of the red scarf fluttering in the wind. The time to salute the flag at the beginning of the week and the school's drums have struck. It tells about lessons with a school that only has a few classes but is always bustling with people. It also tells about the times when it rains, the school yard is flooded, sometimes the water is up to the thighs but wading is fun, and even making banana rafts for your children to go up so they don't get wet.
He listened attentively to the little boy's every word. Maybe the minute it might be lost he'll appreciate it and know what's good for it. Everyone could clearly see a glint of light in his eyes.
