It was mid-summer so the air was really hot. The workshop she worked in was already cramped and the low corrugated iron roof made the heat seem to double. She witnessed two former female workers fighting over a fan and felt sorry for them. They did not use vulgar words. In the workshop, quarrels and fights often happened like daily meals. Not only did they fight over each board to make because they wanted to earn more income, they also fought over where to stand and fight over a glass of ice water... She could sympathize with them when they fought over each board because the goods they made were scarce, sometimes not enough to distribute evenly to the workers. Sometimes, some people had to go very early just to get a batch of good, easy-to-make goods, which was no longer a strange thing. To do that, one had to get to know and win the hearts of the forklift drivers and team leaders, it was not simple. That showed that earning money, even if one had to put in effort, was not easy.

The first days of apprenticeship were really stressful and stifling. She was still fumbling when suddenly she was startled by a shout: “Your hand! How can you do it if it’s so stiff?” The owner of the wood workshop turned red, her eyes glaring at her like a tiger looking at a lamb. There were times when she felt discouraged and wanted to quit her job, but she felt sorry for the effort she had put in. If she didn’t work for ten days, she wouldn’t be paid. So she tried, tried to raise her children, tried because of the debt her delinquent husband had caused. She thought that even though the working conditions were poor, it was better to have something than nothing.

She was assigned by the team leader to the cold repair team. The team had nine people, including her. It was said that everyone worked in pairs. She worked with Ms. Nga, who was also a new worker, a month before her. Here, workers were trained for ten days, then their wages were calculated based on the products they produced. The work was not complicated, but because she was not used to it, after each work session, her wrists and knuckles were very tired and painful. Ms. Nga said that it took her half a month to gradually get used to it and know how to do it, so her hands hurt less, but in the beginning, she just wanted to quit.

While working and thinking, she let the knife blade cut her hand, it was painful. Sister Nga panicked and wrapped a bandage around her finger, her mouth kept exclaiming: “Oh my God! I told you to take it easy when you are not used to it at first, but you didn’t listen. How miserable!” Sister Nga is a single mother, there are only two of them at home. Sister Nga’s situation and personal story are also very sad. The two sisters have many things in common in terms of circumstances and personalities, so they easily get close to each other. The stories, sharing, and encouragement between each other make the work easier. The two sisters quickly became close, making her more confident in working.

Going to work is tiring but better than staying at home. When she gets home, she feels depressed. Her two children without their mother cling to her legs, she often cooks, does the laundry and looks after the children. Her husband, when he sees her coming home, throws the two children to his wife and then goes out drinking and partying. Then gets drunk. Then he yells at his wife and children. There was a time when he was gone all day and didn't come home until two or three in the morning. When she called him, he turned off his phone and didn't answer. The first few times, she couldn't sleep, worrying about going in and out, but then she got used to it and didn't care much anymore. He went out gambling and brought a mountain of debt home, so why did she have to worry so much? There were gentle advices. There were harsh words, complaints, crying, but there were times when he beat her up. So she was so depressed that she didn't care, letting him go wherever he wanted. She worked hard, working overtime until dark just to earn some extra money to buy her child a box of milk, but he didn't love her.

Saying that she doesn't care about him anymore is just saying it to relieve her anger, but her husband's debt still has to be paid, old debt then new debt, debt on top of debt, how can she keep up. Sometimes she feels so tired that she can't move, doesn't want to do anything, but thinking about her children makes her persevere.

***

A dull afternoon in the cemetery. A man sat with his head bowed beside a newly dug grave, the incense stick had long since burned out and he was still sitting there. Beside him were two children, they must have waited for their father for too long, so they were picking some wild flowers. The person lying under the grave was their mother and the man's wife. The man's eyes were red, looking into the vast space. Then he looked at the two children, then at his wife's grave, tears streaming down his cheeks. The man's heart was now filled with remorse, but it was too late. Before his eyes, everything was gray and full of suffocation. He no longer knew what he would do to pay off his debt and raise his children. He collapsed and sobbed, cries of remorse and helplessness.

In the sky, dark clouds rolled quickly towards the west, a part of the sky became dark. The wind blew dry leaves into the air. A big storm was about to fall.

She slowly opened her eyes after being unconscious for more than an hour. Actually, she had woken up for a while before, but because her body was weak, she fell asleep again. The doctor said she only had a minor head injury and it was not life-threatening. However, her left leg was broken, so she had to stay in the hospital for a long time. It turned out that while she was asleep, she had dreamed that she died. Even when she died, she was still worried about her children, only worried about how they would live without her. She had never been able to feel secure or trust her husband. Maybe that was why she woke up?

She looked around. There was her husband, his face filled with shock and then a smile, a smile that made her suddenly feel warm. There was Nga. There... who was there? It was the owner of the wood workshop where she worked.

- You're awake! My wife is awake! - Her husband shouted, the sound reaching her ears made her heart ache.

- Are you really alive?

- True. - Her husband, Ms. Nga and the landlady answered in unison.

- When can I go to work again?

The owner of the wood workshop took her hand, smiled and looked at her affectionately:

- It will be a long time before you can go back to work. Try to eat and get well and get your leg completely healed before thinking about going back to work. I have heard Nga tell me about your situation. I will hire your husband, he has agreed. Don't worry.

- Yes, I will go to work. From now on I will work hard to make up for my mistakes.

She heard the words of the wood workshop owner and then heard her husband speak and wanted to cry.

Something new and joyful filled her heart. She told her husband to open the hospital room window a little to relieve the stuffiness. The window opened, and the rays of sunlight from outside flooded in, making the room brighter. She heard the chirping of birds in the foliage outside the hospital window, making her feel light and peaceful. Suddenly, she realized that it had been a long time since she had felt so peaceful. She began to think about tomorrow, those would be beautiful days, she and her husband would go to work together, the factory job was hard but the work was steady, they were not rich but if they were diligent and smart with their spending, they would live well. Then they would pay off all their debts, and build a small, beautiful house to replace the dilapidated house now.

Tomorrow will surely be a happy, sunny day. She looked at her husband and smiled softly!...

Le Minh Hai