Tun's Summer

Playing in my grandparents' garden

Tun's grandmother is probably the most difficult grandmother in the world. Because Tun is often scolded by her. Her hometown is near the sea, so Tun can swim freely. But never ask Dad to take him at 8am, because Grandma will frown: "It's only 8am, why are you soaking in the water? Let's go when the sun comes up at 10am." Then Dad is busy with guests, so he promised Tun that the two of them will go to the sea at 3pm. Grandma also scolded: "At 3pm, the wind is too strong. If you go to the sea, the wind will get into your lungs and you'll freeze to death." Tun suggested 5pm but it was no use: "That time is dark, and it's dinner time."

There were also a few incidents that caused Tun to be so angry that his grandmother couldn't speak. For example, one time Tun was so absorbed in blowing dandelions in the front yard that he felt hungry that he ran in to find something to eat, right when the whole family was setting up the offering tray - that day was also the anniversary. Seeing the delicious grilled sesame rice paper, Tun broke off a piece. Unexpectedly, his grandmother flew into a rage: "You little child, eating rudely at the offering place. Tun's mother didn't remind him of these things, when he grew up he would be spoiled." One year, Tun played marbles right on the doorstep, the marble hit the cup, and at the same time the handle flew off. Grandmother jumped up: "Oh my God, I've kept this set of cups and glasses for decades. That guy is so destructive. I don't like him." Tun felt very sad when he heard her say that. He felt that his grandmother was a bit distant, so to be honest, Tun didn't like her very much. He only liked her a little bit.

When he returned to his maternal home, oh my, Tun could be Tun, he could do whatever he wanted, his grandmother did not scold or scold him at all. Tun ran around the garden until he was very dirty and wet. His dirty feet entered the house, leaving muddy tracks, but his grandmother only laughed. It was fine to eat anything, as long as he was a child, he would eat until he was full first. Running and jumping, screaming loudly, breaking the elephant-sized stool, breaking a plum tree, splashing in the rain on the brick yard... Even if his mother or father scolded him, his grandmother would just laugh: "Never mind, it's been a long time since the children came back to the countryside." Of course, Tun liked his grandmother very much.

One time, Tun told his mother about his two grandmothers, including who he liked more. After listening, his mother pondered for a moment, then she began to tell Tun about her summer when she was little. His mother also had two grandmothers, who came to the house, played, and made trouble... but back then, even though she was young, her mother still knew how to help her grandmother and grandmother with many tasks. For example, she dried the rice, watched the chickens, watered the cabbage beds, set the dishes on the dining table, cleared the dinner tray when the whole family finished eating, rocked the baby in a hammock when the aunts were busy... His mother asked Tun, when all the running and playing were over, what did Tun do? Tun said: playing games on the phone, or each of us in a corner hugging the phone watching mindless laughing and talking clips. Oh, it turned out Tun didn't help his grandmother or grandmother at all. Tun did not remember that even though his grandmother was very picky, she knew that Tun liked boiled meat, so she tried to find a really good piece of pork belly. Or his grandmother, knowing that Tun liked duck porridge, always prepared it for him whenever Tun came home and left him a thigh.

Mom’s summer was no different from Tun’s, except that back then Mom didn’t have a phone, wasn’t addicted to games or watching “top top”. But Mom’s summer was probably more interesting than Tun’s, because Mom also knew how to help serve people in things within her ability, not waiting to be served like Tun’s group. Mom was young but also knew how to feel that her paternal family had a different culture, her maternal family had a different tradition, which would be the foundation for her to grow up and see a broader view of a countryside, a country.

And more importantly, Tun, run and jump and look up at the sky, catch crickets and observe cicadas. Love the fields and the burning sand. Look outside, look at the yard, the bridge and the stream, the roof and the familiar chair.

Each person has thousands of summers in life, but the summer of childhood will never come back.

Minh Phuc

Source: https://baodongthap.vn/van-hoa/mua-he-cua-tun-132907.aspx