Casual Conversation: Father and the Radio

The children have all grown up and have their own families. The old house is now only occupied by the parents, who happily spend time together through the rain and sunshine.

My parents, both 80 years old, are anxiously waiting for me, but because of my work far away, I can only visit them during holidays, festivals, or weekends. Each time I return, I see the old, worn-out radio lying on the doorstep, in the corner of the yard, or on a plastic table with a warm tea set. Among my father's most cherished possessions, the radio is always there, keeping him company day and night.

My father left home to join the resistance against the Americans in 1965. He recounted that during the fierce war, soldiers on the front lines, amidst exploding bullets and falling bombs, traversing forests and mountains, found a radio invaluable. Thanks to the radio, my father and his comrades learned of the war, the signing of the Paris Agreement, the liberation of the Central Highlands and Central Vietnam, and the continuous victories on the battlefields, especially the news of the complete victory on the afternoon of April 30, 1975. At that time, my father and his comrades, soldiers blackened by the smoke and fire of war, erupted in joy, cheering and experiencing overwhelming happiness. With the country at peace and the nation unified, my father returned home on leave and married my mother when they were both 31 years old. My mother stayed in their hometown, while my father returned to his old unit, stationed in Pleiku town. In 1982, due to the difficult circumstances of having a single family, a frail wife, and young children, my father requested to be discharged from the army after 16 years and 8 months of service. Returning to his hometown to work in agriculture, despite the many hardships and shortages, he always hoped for a brighter future.

The radio has been a close companion to my father since childhood. He often listens to it early in the morning and late in the evening, from the Voice of Vietnam to the Phu Yen provincial radio station. It's convenient because he can listen while splitting bamboo, weaving baskets, planting vegetables, watering plants, or doing other chores. My father loves the news, the People's Army, "For National Security," weather forecasts, and music programs… Sometimes he worries about the cold rain in the North, the drought in the Central region, and the tidal surges and saltwater intrusion in the South. Other times, he rejoices and feels confident in the Party and State's policies, such as tuition fee exemptions, streamlining the administrative apparatus, and merging provinces to promote overall development… Thanks to these programs, the wider world outside feels closer.

Listening to the radio for information and entertainment is also a way for my father to preserve his memories. The radio has become a bridge connecting the past with the present, pointing towards the future. Although the war ended 50 years ago, through the stories, revolutionary songs, and recollections of generals and veterans on the radio, it has revived in my father a time of youth, arduous yet heroic, fierce yet glorious. What moved him most was hearing that soldiers today are still silently crossing streams and forests to search for their comrades, with unwavering devotion to finding and collecting the remains of fallen soldiers. My father was silent, remembering his fallen comrades, thinking of his own good fortune, and then reminding his children and grandchildren to cherish the value of peace and their responsibility to their homeland.

As life becomes increasingly hectic, and the elderly become fewer and fewer, with children and grandchildren busy far away, the radio becomes more like a confidant, a conversational companion for my father. During holidays and festivals, especially this year, the radio helps my father feel the joyful and festive atmosphere across the country celebrating the 50th anniversary of the complete liberation of the South and the reunification of the nation, filling him with even more excitement and pride. Fifty years of reunification – a half-century journey of a heroic nation. It's a source of immense pride and happiness, and also a responsibility for each individual and the entire nation on the journey towards the future.

I ordered a new radio with better reception, and I'm planning to visit my family this weekend and give it to my father as a gift!

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhan-dam-cha-va-chiec-dai-radio-185250426190000444.htm