The April Flower Seasons

For some reason, every April, my heart yearns for a place I've been to. Because there, memories are filled with the vibrant blossoms of different seasons. April arrives with scorching, blinding sunlight streaming down the hot streets and through the windows of my room each morning. Many people dislike April because they can't stand its harshness and dryness. But I love April in a very unique way, one that is intimate and strangely poetic.

Having traveled extensively and endured many scorching Aprils, I suddenly realized there are certain flowering seasons reserved solely for April. I remember how nostalgic I felt standing beneath the blooming kapok tree at the edge of the village. Each flower was like a crimson flame illuminating a corner of the countryside sky. Locals say that whenever you return home after being away, catching a glimpse of the kapok tree at the village entrance means you're near home, evoking memories of childhood fluttering like butterflies, and the shy smile of a childhood friend wearing a kapok flower in her hair… And no matter how many children of the village come and go, the kapok tree silently stands beside life, watching the years pass by. I lean against the kapok tree, listening to the quiet passage of time under the crimson sky.

Walking through the streets of April, I sometimes stop at a street corner, idly gazing at the bustling shops and stalls. I long for the summer rains, brushing past the lilies in the heart of Hanoi . Every April, the lilies seem to hold people back. Passersby are captivated, turning their heads to look at the flower vendors lining the streets. My friend took me on a tour of the Old Quarter. I suddenly saw a gentle, old-fashioned Hanoi still nestled in the April sunshine. And it seems the lilies have created a very special April for Hanoi. A humble yet pure April.

But sometimes, in certain Aprils of my life, I find myself reminiscing about the vibrant pink in the early morning sun. The breathtakingly beautiful bougainvillea vines amidst the bustling city of Saigon. These flowers, devoid of fragrance, nonetheless evoke a sense of wistful nostalgia. Sometimes I think that perhaps, knowing they lack scent, they try to preserve their color as they fall from the branch. Picking up the fallen petals, I remember Saigon, the days of learning to live in the city, the times I got lost at crowded intersections. And so, every time I see bougainvillea, I remember Saigon in those April days.

Another flower makes April sparkle in my memory. A flower that always turns towards the sun, a flower I was often taught about as a child. And whenever I face difficulties or setbacks in life, I still believe in the sunflower in my memory. A flower that is always strong, reaching towards the dazzling light of life. When April arrives, I remember Da Lat - Lam Dong , remembering the seasons of sunflowers, golden like a rice field in full bloom. Standing on a high hill, gazing at the sunflowers proudly holding their heads high, I feel a stirring in my heart, as if no matter how many hardships I go through outside, just coming here, standing and looking at the sunflowers blooming golden, never bowing their heads before the sun, everything becomes peaceful. Therefore, I know I must not stop in the face of surrounding difficulties. Because everyone needs to find their own light.

The road to Ha Giang in April is covered in pristine white blossoms interspersed with the green foliage of the mountains and forests. The color of the tung blossoms silently endures the rain and sunshine, season after season, alongside the rocky plateau. A slight chill lingers in the air as I follow the path up to the village, over the steep hills. I stretch out my arms and take a deep breath, inhaling the scent of the earth and sky. A gust of wind blows, rustling the clusters of tung blossoms peeking out from the hills, creating undulating waves as if they were floating amidst the verdant forest. I return to the plains, carrying with me the pure white of the tung blossoms floating gently in the valley.

Through the quiet Aprils of life, you can encounter many different flowering seasons such as: bauhinia flowers, star apple flowers, crape myrtle flowers, azalea flowers, golden shower trees... Each flower silently offers its fragrant blossoms to life, adorning a pristine April landscape. Sometimes I thought I would never be able to escape those intensely hot and passionate Aprils. Every April, as I travel through a new land, I know there will be another flowering season waiting for me there...

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