Sit together

Because it is located on a busy street, the front of the house is divided into two halves, one half is a coffee shop, the other half is a women's fashion store that livestreams new models continuously. The path on the side of the house is nearly ten meters long, connecting to a small, narrow staircase leading to the wooden attic, which is the meeting place for me and an old lady.

Unlike the narrow stairs that can only fit one person, the couple's living space is spacious, clean, and fragrant. Except for the concrete walls, the rest is almost entirely covered in wood. The wooden floor, wooden ceiling, and dark brown shutters open to welcome the wind and light. Outside on the balcony, potted flowers and bougainvillea bloom brilliantly in the summer sunlight.

I met the old lady through a friend who is a poet. With the acumen of a creative and writing person, he asked for the homeowner’s phone number and told me to boldly visit her house. “If you can’t exploit or learn anything, just listen. That house and that person will definitely bring interesting stories.” The introduction was like a door, opening the way for me to come, and then I stayed because the feeling of peace kept rising little by little in my heart.

Like other houses, the attic of the grandparents is divided into many different rooms according to their separate functions, in which, the area for receiving guests occupies the largest area. In addition to the shiny wooden table, the bookshelves are placed next to each other in rows, on which are thousands of books of all genres and topics. On the wall hang photos of the grandparents when they were young. The photos are slightly yellowed and faded due to the traces of time.

At the age of over seventy, both he and she are beautiful and old. And if you only look at their appearance, no one will discover that he has Alzheimer's disease, and that he has to update his memories every day. He was a martial artist, fighting in many national and international arenas. The room at the end of the hallway holds medals, martial arts uniforms, protective equipment, and training weapons, full of evidence of a glorious youth. She was once a beautiful young lady in a prestigious and noble family. She and her husband have four children and more than ten grandchildren. Because they are busy, their children rarely spend time with them. She said that in the end, the saddest thing in life is still loneliness. Because she is afraid of loneliness, she connects with many friends. The meetings are like a small ritual for strangers to gradually sit together.

That afternoon, besides me, there were many other women at the appointment. They came, carrying a few ripe bananas, a bag of boiled potatoes, and a few boxes of coffee. They sat around the wooden table, telling each other stories so disparate that it was hard to put them into a single topic. Stories about fashion, food prices, playing with grandchildren, taking care of flowers and plants... Most of them were still reminiscing about old memories and stories about old age and illness that required going to the hospital. The stories had no beginning or end, sometimes, while one person was speaking, another suddenly interrupted. However, the closeness created an exciting atmosphere, naturally covering the room. I saw a beautiful picture of life when people know how to connect to stop being apart.

I am the youngest in the group. Unlike the older friends I am in contact with, many of the younger generation like me have adapted to a new way of communicating. There, we can meet several times a day in the basement parking lot, can take the same elevator to go to the same adjacent apartment block, but we do not need to take off our masks to smile, say hello, let alone sit down and chat like the older generation.

I suddenly forgot the reason and purpose of the appointment. In the wooden-paneled room, with the flowers, light and blue sky outside, we were together in an intimate, lyrical space, telling stories. I know that the moment will never come back. But the peace and warmth will be remembered for a long time.

Source: https://baodanang.vn/channel/5433/202505/ngoi-lai-ben-nhau-4006945/