Anniversary

Every time September 2nd is approaching, the whole house is bustling. Especially on the afternoon of the 1st. This year, Van plans to bring his girlfriend to his house to visit. Van is a Japanese girl, tall, white skin, pretty face, black eyes like pure Vietnamese girls, her name is Hiroko. Hiroko lives in Tokyo, she came to Vietnam to study at the Faculty of Vietnamese Studies, at the same teacher training college as Van.

Every time she had a chance to go home from school, Van told her family about her friend from Japan. Hiroko loved Vietnam very much. She came here to study to research the Vietnamese people. Everyone was happy to hear Van talk about Hiroko, especially her grandmother.

This year, as September 2nd approaches, Van’s school gives students three days off. This is an opportunity for Van to invite Hiroko to her house, to have the chance to listen to her grandmother tell old stories that her grandparents used to tell the whole family like on National Day last year.

If Hiroko came back to visit her family, her grandparents' story would be the center of the "universe" - Hoa, the youngest in the family, slyly joked with Van like that. Hoa was right, tomorrow had a special meaning, not only to celebrate the National Day (September 2nd), but also a day with beautiful memories from decades ago of her grandparents. The day the whole country listened to Uncle Ho read the Declaration of Independence was also the day her grandparents met, and then they got married. On National Day this year, as the kids say now, Van and her grandparents will hold a "Diamond" wedding to celebrate their 70th wedding anniversary.

- Do you know what September 2nd is in Vietnam, Hiroko?- Hoa asked.

Hiroko smiled, then replied in Vietnamese:

- Vietnam's National Day, dear. Everyone knows.

Flowers smile:

- You are so good! How can you speak Vietnamese so well? Then Hoa continued:

- But I bet you, what other day is it?

Hiroko frowned in thought. Seeing Hoa ask her friend that, Van smiled and said:

- He was teasing Hiroko. September 2nd has a very special meaning for our family. But we should ask grandma about that!

Hearing that, Hiroko did not hesitate, immediately went to Van's grandmother and asked coquettishly:

- What else is September 2nd, grandma? Is it a secret that only you know? And why do you know it?

Van and Hoa's grandmother is almost ninety years old this year (according to the Vietnamese lunar calendar, she is 90 years old) but is still clear-headed and sharp, looking at Hiroko affectionately:

- They were joking!

Chattering flowers:

- No, tell me. Tell Hiroko about how you and he met on National Day! Tell me how your "love story" with him began! If not, when you come back from playing chess, I suggest you tell me! And you tell it much more emotionally than me!

Hearing Hoa's introduction, Hiroko became even more curious and impatient. She looked at her and pleaded:

- Come on, grandma, tell me...

Hearing Hiroko call “grandma” as clearly as Van and Hoa did, everyone was surprised by this Japanese girl’s Vietnamese pronunciation. Grandma affectionately slapped Hoa’s back:

- This girl, just likes to make up stories!

But then she told the story, the story that she told to the whole family every year, no matter how many times she heard it, everyone still liked it. But this year, she told Van that the Japanese girl was the first time, and then she remembered….

* *

That day, early in the morning of September 2, 1945, when the sun was still half asleep, a sea of people appeared in Ba Dinh Square of Hanoi Capital, everyone dressed neatly, with joyful faces, holding flowers, waving flags with a yellow star in the middle, because they were waiting for a very important event. The provisional President of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, would read the Declaration of Independence, giving birth to the Democratic Republic of Vietnam in front of a large number of compatriots. Thus, from now on, Vietnam was independent, free, rejecting all the domination of colonialists and feudalists... For many consecutive days before that, in every village and alley, hand-held loudspeakers, commune announcers went to every alley to broadcast this news. Therefore, on the streets and alleys, flags, flowers, and slogans were brilliant. Seeing this, the people were very excited, especially the elderly.

What could be more joyful! From now on, the people would no longer suffer the misery and suffering of people whose country had been invaded and lost. There would no longer be oppression, exploitation, and suppression by foreign feudalists and domestic lackeys! Therefore, people from the areas around Hanoi flocked to witness the event that had "only happened in thousands of years" since the time of King Ly and King Tran. Many people wanted to stand close to see Uncle Ho with their own eyes, the talented person like a "living saint" who brought independence and freedom to the people. Mother and daughter Lanh from Phuc Yen province were also eager to be present in the bustling crowd returning to Hanoi. The mother and daughter walked from the first cock crow until dawn to arrive. Yet the surrounding area was already packed with people. The troops lined up neatly in the middle of the square, and the people stood around. They walked dozens of kilometers, but no one felt tired. The joy and excitement made people feel as if they were flying. The sound of excited chatter was everywhere. Although Lanh was nineteen years old, it was her first time leaving the village, so she was very surprised. If it weren't for this special event, she probably would never have been able to go anywhere. Village chief Kien asked Lanh several times to marry his squinting, crippled son, but Lanh shook her head and refused. The family was a widow with an orphaned child, if she didn't like it, she would probably be forced to marry that family in a day or two. They had money, power, and were as powerful as God... But suddenly, the revolution succeeded. The feudal class was overthrown. The lowly people like Lanh and her mother during the colonial period had a new life, no longer having the lowly status of worms and ants... Just thinking about it, Lanh's tears kept flowing. Little Lanh felt so happy, choked with emotion in the midst of joy... The widowed mother and orphaned child were no longer afraid of being bullied or harassed by foreign invaders, and could focus on working and farming...

- Hey girl, back away a little. Back away a little... Oh, why are you crying?

The guard was wearing a white uniform, a cap, a young face, and charming dimples. His job was to ensure order so that everyone could stand in line and listen to President Ho Chi Minh read the Declaration of Independence. Seeing Lanh, he suddenly stared blankly at the pretty girl crying in front of him. Her eyes were red but still exuded a strange beauty. The guard spoke up: "This girl is not happy, why is she crying? So many people are happily celebrating the day the country became independent, why is she crying?"

- Yes... yes I... yes I... - Lanh was flustered.

- My child! Stand back a bit - Mother Lanh pulled her daughter's hand, shyly looking at the guard with a kind face.

Lanh followed her mother's hand and retreated, nestling close to her. The guard, while carrying out his duty, did not forget to glance at the young girl. At that moment, Lanh risked a curious look at him. Her face began to turn red, but tears were still smeared on her cheeks.

When the President of the Provisional Government of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Ho Chi Minh, stepped onto the stage in a simple khaki suit and spoke… the entire crowd below fell silent to listen. Lanh’s hands trembled in her mother’s hands. Standing too far away, she could not see the President’s face clearly, only seeing his tall, slim, graceful figure, his gentle face like a fairy. President Ho’s voice resounded through the loudspeaker, warm and extremely firm as he read: “All peoples in the world have equal rights; every people has the right to live, the right to freedom, the right to pursue happiness. All of those rights are sacred, inviolable rights of every people in the world… “Vietnam has the right to enjoy freedom and independence, and in fact has become a free and independent country. The entire Vietnamese people are determined to devote all their spirit and strength, their lives and property to maintain that freedom and independence.”

Then suddenly he asked again:

- I said, do you hear me?

Hearing President Ho's warm question, the whole crowd was moved and shouted: "Yes! Yes!". At this moment, Lanh suddenly woke up from her dream.

- Hey, did you hear that? Why didn't you say anything?

Lanh startled and looked to the side, the same guard from earlier asked kindly. She shyly hid her face behind her mother's shirt...

Coincidentally, when the ceremony ended, I met the guard from the morning again. He kindly showed me the way when Lanh and her mother were still fumbling to find the exit (when they left, they were with the villagers, but later, they couldn't see any villagers), kindly asked about their hometown, then took both Lanh and her mother to Long Bien bridge. Lanh's mother kept thanking him, "What a good person to meet", and invited him to come home to visit when she had free time. Lanh just kept quiet, occasionally stealing glances at him, feeling her face burning...

- That's love, grandma! You fell in love with him at first sight - still the mischievous Hoa said.

- Your father! Grandma scolded.

- Is that guard... is he... your husband? Hiroko asked.

- Yes - she smiled happily - it's this old man. Who would have thought that about a month later, he would come all the way to her hometown. He told her mother: I lost my parents when I was young, I don't have a family so I'm emotionally deprived. Luckily, the Viet Minh brothers enlightened me and I followed the revolution. Soon, I have to join the resistance all the way to the Viet Bac war zone, I came to say hello to you... My mother is a country girl so she also appreciates a simple person like him...

- At the end of September that year, because he had to transfer his job to Viet Bac, they got married, it was that simple, sister. Hoa was chatty again.

- That day, he just came back to the village to visit her... It was called a wedding, but there were only a few trays of food invited to relatives, neighbors, and neighbors to celebrate and witness. That's how they became husband and wife. After that, he left, and he stayed away for decades, rarely having the chance to stop by her house for a moment. During the resistance war, the whole population suffered... He went to fight the resistance war, she stayed home to raise the children and do production. Then the children grew up and joined the army one by one. Once we have independence and freedom, we must maintain independence and freedom...

- Your love story is so beautiful! Hiroko exclaimed.

- At that time, everyone was like that. Everyone was the same. Without independence and freedom, there would be hardship and no one would be happy, my dear... I was a follower of the Viet Minh and President Ho Chi Minh, so we trusted each other very much. It didn't take as much time to get to know each other as it does now. Grandma smiled toothlessly.

Hiroko held her hand, her eyes clear, whispering: "When I return to Japan, I will tell my parents this story... Although my father has never been to Vietnam, he still said: The Vietnamese people are small but a heroic people, so I want to go to Vietnam to study and research Vietnamese culture.

This year is also the 50th anniversary of Vietnam-Japan friendship, and many cultural activities will be held in both countries. Van's grandmother's story seemed to awaken Vietnamese culture in her. After Van's grandmother finished telling the story, she smiled, her toothless mouth chewing bright red betel, her eyes looking into the distance. She urged Van, Hoa and Hiroko to go down to visit the historic Ba Dinh Square to witness the cultural activities celebrating Vietnam's birthday. She also said: Come back early in the afternoon to attend the "Diamond" wedding of grandparents at home. The party will be very simple, just two trays of food to share with the children and grandchildren in the family with some old dishes such as boiled green bananas, mixed vegetables, crab soup... After that, the children and grandchildren took souvenir photos with grandparents. She did not forget to invite Hiroko to take photos with the family.

Hiroko was very happy and excited. After two years of studying in Vietnam, this was the first time she truly felt the unique culture of the Vietnamese people. At this time, all over the streets of Hanoi and Ba Dinh Square in the middle of the capital Hanoi were filled with flags and flowers...

Nguyen Thi Viet Nga

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