Special father

BPO - I have a special father. Really! Special in the way that if you come to my house one afternoon, you will see a “boy” in his fifties holding a water gun chasing the neighborhood kids, running and shouting: “Stop! Police!”. And the kids laugh and run away like a swarm of bees. And me? Sometimes I also join in that game, just like when I was a child, holding a water gun chasing my dad, only now, my roles and his have been reversed.

My father used to be a mature, calm and serious man. He was a police officer who had confronted many dangerous criminals. And then, during a crime bust, an accident happened, and my whole family’s life took a completely new turn. After the accident, my father survived - the most miraculous thing - but his brain… “regressed” several decades. In short, my father is now a “ten-year-old boy” in the body of a middle-aged man.

At first, my whole family was shocked, confused and sad. But then, we felt lucky and grateful that Dad was still alive. From the initial difficulties, we patiently learned to live with “an upgraded version of a child”: Bigger, more stubborn and especially very naughty.

Early in the morning, when everyone was still yawning, Dad rummaged through the refrigerator looking for milk. He drank all the milk in the house. For an adult, a few cartons of milk at a time were not enough to quench his thirst. If he saw me hanging around, he would immediately suspect that I was the one drinking his milk, and would cry and throw tantrums. I wanted to get angry and laugh until my stomach hurt. But it was thanks to Dad's "eternal childhood" that the atmosphere in my house was always bustling.

At night, my father often dragged me out to play “rock, paper, scissors”, the rules of which kept changing according to his mood. Losing was funny, winning was funny, and drawing was… even more funny. Once, I won 3 games in a row, he sat there biting his lips, muttering: “You cheated. I won’t play anymore. I’m going to tell mom”. My mother just shook her head, and I collapsed on the chair laughing.

Of course, taking care of an “older child” is not always easy. There were days when Dad cried because he couldn’t find his favorite teddy bear, causing the whole family to scramble to find it; and there were days when he asked to wear my shoes because “yours have a prettier ball shape”. At those times, I had to be both a friend and an emotional “coach” for Dad. But strangely enough, in those moments of fatigue and frustration, I could always clearly feel the love in each of his awkward hugs and naive questions: “Why are you sad? I won’t take your shoes anymore!”

Sometimes I look at my father, the strong, steadfast man who once fought bravely against social evils, now sitting in a corner of the house playing with plastic children's toys, his mouth constantly laughing and talking senselessly, and suddenly my heart is filled with emotions that are both peaceful and painful, regretful... There are so many things that have been lost. But honestly speaking, even though he is no longer the strong pillar he once was, even though he can't remember his own birthday, and sometimes avoids eating vegetables like a child - my father is the one who taught me many things about love, patience and how to find happiness in hardship.

Now, every time my dad puts a candy in my hand and says, “Here you go, I got it from the fairy,” I no longer wonder where the “fairy” came from. I just smile, put the candy in my pocket, and whisper, “Thank you, Dad, the oldest baby in my life.”

No matter how ironic life is, I still have my dad by my side to laugh, cry, and go through every important milestone in life.

I know, you can forget everything, but never forget how to love me.

Hello love, season 4, theme "Father" officially launched from December 27, 2024 on four types of press and digital infrastructure of Radio - Television and Binh Phuoc Newspaper (BPTV), promising to bring to the public the wonderful values ​​of sacred and noble fatherly love.
Please send to BPTV your touching stories about Father by writing articles, writing feelings, poems, essays, video clips, songs (with recordings),... via email chaonheyeuthuongbptv@gmail.com, Editorial Secretary Office, Binh Phuoc Radio - Television and Newspaper, No. 228, Tran Hung Dao, Tan Phu Ward, Dong Xoai City, Binh Phuoc Province, phone number: 0271.3870403. The time to receive articles is from now until August 30, 2025.
Quality articles will be published, paid royalties, and rewarded at the end of the topic with 1 special prize and 10 excellent prizes.
Let's continue writing the story about Father with "Hello Love" season 4, so that stories about Father can spread and touch everyone's hearts!

Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/173234/nguoi-bo-dac-biet