My father used to be a mature, quiet, and serious man. He was a police officer who had confronted countless dangerous criminals. Then, during a criminal arrest, an accident occurred, and the lives of my entire family took a completely new turn. After the accident, my father survived – the greatest miracle – but his brain… regressed by 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, both bewildered and saddened. But then, we felt lucky and grateful that Dad was still alive. From those initial difficulties, we patiently learned to live with "an upgraded version of a child": bigger, more stubborn, and especially very mischievous.
Early in the morning, while everyone else was still yawning, Dad would rummage through the refrigerator looking for milk. He'd drink all the milk in the house. Even for an adult, several cartons of milk at once weren't enough to quench his thirst. If he saw me loitering around, he'd immediately suspect I'd drunk his milk and start crying and throwing tantrums. I wanted to be angry, but I couldn't stop laughing. But it was precisely because of Dad's "eternal childishness" that the atmosphere in our house was always so lively.
In the evenings, my dad would often drag me out to play rock-paper-scissors, the rules constantly changing according to his whim. He'd laugh if we lost, laugh if we won, and laugh even louder if it was a draw. Once, I beat him three games in a row, and he sat there with his lips pursed, muttering, "You cheated. I'm not playing anymore. I'm going to tell your mother." My mother just shook her head, while I slumped into my chair, laughing uncontrollably.
Of course, taking care of an "older child" isn't always easy. Some days, Dad cries because he can't find his favorite teddy bear, causing a commotion as the whole family searches; other days, he insists on wearing my shoes because "your shoes with the ball design are prettier." At those times, I have to be both his friend and his emotional "coach." But strangely, even in those moments of weariness and frustration, I always feel the love in his clumsy hugs and innocent questions: "Why are you sad? I won't take your shoes anymore!"
Sometimes, when I look at my father, the strong, steadfast man who once bravely fought against social evils, now sitting in a corner of the house playing with plastic toys, his mouth constantly smiling and talking aimlessly, a feeling of both peace and sorrow, of regret, wells up inside me… So much has been lost. But honestly, even though he is no longer the solid pillar of support 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 so much about love, patience, and how to find happiness in hardship.
Now, whenever Dad slips a candy into my hand and says, "Here you go, I got it from a fairy," I no longer wonder where the "fairy" came from. I just laugh, put the candy in my pocket, and whisper, "Thank you, Dad - the oldest baby in my life."
No matter how ironic life gets, I always have my father by my side to laugh with me, cry with me, and go through every important milestone in my life with me.
I know he may forget everything else, but he's never forgotten how to love me.
Hello, dear viewers! Season 4, themed "Father," officially launches on December 27, 2024, across four media platforms and digital infrastructures of Binh Phuoc Radio and Television and Newspaper (BPTV), promising to bring to the public the wonderful values of sacred and beautiful fatherly love. |
Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/173234/nguoi-bo-dac-biet
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