A Christmas without Dad

Dad! This might be the first Christmas I've spent without you? Yesterday, I got home early from work and bought some flowers and fruit to visit you. The house and furniture are still clean and tidy, so I always feel warm whenever I come home. I thought you were just away for a few days, and you'd be back soon. The orchids I brought for you are still lush and green. The dwarf flowering tree is producing new blossoms. The kumquat tree from last year is also bearing fruit.

Peaceful neighborhood.

Yesterday, my youngest aunt put Dad 's pruning shears away in the shed, and she cried again. All of Dad 's belongings are still there, no one can bear to throw them away. These past few days, winter has arrived , but the weather is only colder in the mornings and at night, Dad . Is your new house cold? It's already been over 100 days, Dad . You must be so happy to see Grandma , Grandpa , and Uncle again there , right? And what about Uncle Tan? It's been 50 years of peace , but he's still lying somewhere in Quang Tri . You're still looking for him, aren't you, Dad? My friend knows about him, so every time he has the chance to visit Truong Son Cemetery, he goes to the memorial for fallen soldiers in our hometown to light an incense stick in his honor.

Dad! The other day I went to see the movie "Red Rain," and I saw a reflection of my uncle in it. War is so brutal… Tears couldn't roll down my cheeks. They were held back, a profound silence… The writer Chu Lai, the author of the novel "Red Rain," once said that back then, without romance, one couldn't have crossed the thick smoke and fire; one couldn't have risen from the land stained with the blood of fallen comrades… Watching "Red Rain" made me appreciate the value of peace even more; I appreciate even more the blood and bones that my uncle and his comrades sacrificed, Dad. Our generation, the young people born after the war, even though we only know war through films and stories, still feel a pang in our hearts whenever we touch upon the wounds left behind by the war…

Christmas is almost here again, Dad. I do n't know why, but even now I still can't get used to you being away , so far away. And what about the trip to Hue , Dad ? You said we'd go together once I was less stressed with work. Now I'm doing better, so why are you going alone? Everyone in the family says I'm most like you; from my quiet, reserved nature to my feet that always peel in the summer. I always tease you, saying, "Why do you have to be like me in every way, only in the bad ways?" Do you remember? Every time I came home, you'd secretly slip a few hundred dong into my pocket for gas. When I asked, "You have a secret stash of money, don't you?" You'd smile gently like a child caught doing something wrong, but it warmed my heart so much.

Yesterday, when I came home, I bought some of your favorite snacks, and some custard apples too. Please share them with everyone for me. At your new house, I planted some spotted evergreen plants, but the sun has been too strong lately, so the leaves are scorched. I'll find some other plants to replant later. Now I have to go to work. Please go visit your aunts, uncles , and grandparents. I'll come back tomorrow when I'm free.

Minh Thu

Source: https://baoninhbinh.org.vn/mua-no-en-vang-ba-251220100428541.html