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  • The story of the letter "T" by Journalist Tran Ngoc Hy

I don’t understand why people called it a theater troupe at that time, even though their signboard clearly said “cai luong troupe”. Every time the troupe came to Rau Dua, my neighborhood was as happy as a festival, and all daily activities suddenly became bustling. Wherever I went, I heard people talking about the plays and the artists. So everyone made their own schedule, trying to go to the theater a few nights, otherwise if they missed the opportunity, they would have to wait until the dry season next year for the troupe to return.

My parents are real farmers, but when it comes to enjoying cải lương or any other form of entertainment, they are very open-minded, not forbidding their children like many other families. However, they are also very strict about the money to buy tickets, whoever earns money can go. In general, the expenses for a night of watching a show must be paid for by themselves. My siblings and I were very happy to be able to do that, the neighbors had to beg for a whole day to get an angry yes from their parents. In my hometown, the dry season can be considered the money-making season for children like me. Carrying soil, hoeing rice seedlings for hire, catching dry fish, stinky fish... can all be managed to earn money to buy tickets every night. After breakfast, the children would gather in baskets, carry buckets to the fields to catch dry fish until dusk, bring the fish back to sell to the fish sauce factory, have enough money to buy tickets, sometimes have leftovers to eat shaved ice, lemon candy, roasted peanuts...

It has been decades, and until now I still remember clearly my feelings when I first went to see a play. Every time I remember, I often smile and sink deep into my memories.

MH: Minh Tan

MH: Minh Tan

That year I was in 6th grade, not smart enough and had never gone far alone or with friends. My mother assigned my fifth brother the task of taking me. My fifth brother did not want to, for some reason that I could not explain, until later I found out that it was a date between boys and girls from this neighborhood or that neighborhood. Because every time the theater troupe returned, in addition to watching the show, it was also an opportunity for young men and women to date and get to know each other. Seeing me crying so much, and being protected by my mother, my fifth brother reluctantly accepted. So all that day I was like a person in the clouds, unable to sit still, every now and then running out to the yard to look at the sun, as long as the sun set in the West, I could go with my brother to Rau Dua to watch the show. I heard that this time the theater troupe returned with all "4 Minhs", meaning 4 artists: Minh Duong, Minh Hoang, Minh Sang and Minh Chien. Standing outside the porch, I saw my brother Nam take a knife to the garden and cut some dry coconut leaves, bundle them into many torches, and when he left, his brothers would carry them along so that when they returned, they could light the torches to show the way.

When the sun had set, the sunlight was much lighter, my brothers and I, along with a few people in the neighborhood, started to set off. Everyone was dressed smartly, their faces were cheerful. After walking a short distance, my brother Nam hid a torch to use when we got home so we wouldn’t have to carry a bundle. We followed the path, passing through this village and then across the fields to another village, and when the sun was setting, we arrived at Rau Dua. A few hundred meters before reaching the empty land where the Huong Tram theater troupe set up the stage to perform, I felt like I couldn’t walk anymore. The drums were beating fast. The loudspeakers were blaring... blaring... The sound of the generators mixed with the loud laughter and chatter, the calls of old acquaintances who hadn’t seen each other for a long time... made my legs feel like they were about to collapse, my face was bewildered, a strange feeling of excitement and nervousness that I had never experienced before. Mr. Nam led me to the base of a large banyan tree, near the ticket booth, gave me some lemon candies and said: "Stand here for a bit, I'll come back later and buy a ticket to get in, the show still hasn't started for a long time". I knew where he was going, but whatever, I was happy enough standing here looking at the pictures of the artists hanging in front of the theater.

That night the troupe performed the play Pham Cong - Cuc Hoa. I can't remember how many times I laughed, how many times I cried, emotions kept surging with each opening and closing of the play. I hated the old woman and stepmother. I felt sorry for her, then cried with Nghi Xuan, Tan Luc... then laughed out loud at every line, every movement and the clown's unique style of dress and makeup.

At 11pm, the play ended. People crowded out the gate. Each group went in a different direction, each going home, behind them the sound of the theater's loudspeaker advertising the next play. My group had torches, so many people accompanied us, forming a group of about a few dozen people. The atmosphere was even more bustling than the previous time. Everyone was chatting animatedly about the content of the play, talking about each artist, most of them still focusing on the main actors and actresses. I was young, so of course I couldn't participate, but I just tried to be quick for everyone.

My brothers and I got home after midnight. When I crawled under the mosquito net, my eyes were stinging, every detail of the play kept appearing and disappearing. During breakfast the next morning, when everyone was talking about going to the theater, I took the opportunity to interrupt and boldly declared: "I know everything, this afternoon I will go with my friends, I don't need to go with the adults anymore". Of course, my brothers and sisters all supported me.

My mother looked at my father and whispered: "Never mind! It's okay, we won't be able to go out much this season, and it's about to rain"./.

Nguyen Minh Sang

Source: https://baocamau.vn/lan-dau-toi-di-coi-hat-a35978.html