Games filled with memories.

Việt Nam•14/06/2024

Born and raised in the countryside or the city, everyone has a childhood. When talking about those sweet memories associated with childhood, one cannot forget games. These are beautiful, gentle memories that stay with each person throughout their life. The same is true for the 70s generation. We spent years playing together, enjoying many traditional games that we will cherish as we grow up.

Back then, the country had just ended the war against America. Everything was very difficult. To have fun, in the countryside, mornings and afternoons, the children in the neighborhood would gather to play all sorts of games: hopscotch, jump rope, hide-and-seek, marbles, tin can throwing, tug-of-war, blindfolded tag, dragon and snake; or games like "O An Quan" (a traditional Vietnamese board game), throwing rubber bands at shapes, planting seeds, and playing catch... These were very fun folk games, sometimes taught by older children, sometimes by parents. Games with fewer participants, like catch and "O An Quan," were usually played on the porch or in a corner of the yard. But for games with more participants, like tug-of-war, "U" (a traditional Vietnamese game), and blindfolded tag, we had to choose large open spaces or recently harvested rice fields to play freely.

Some traditional folk games: Playing catch, hopscotch, O An Quan (a traditional board game), sorting beans. Photo: NHAN TAM

Back then, rubber bands were a favorite among us. In games involving betting, we used them as a kind of prize. Some kids would get money from their parents to buy them at the market, while others, after winning, would gather the rubber bands together and braid them into a long, thick strand, as thick as an adult's big toe, in various shades of green, red, and yellow, which they would carry around to look cool. Glass marbles were quite rare in the countryside, and if any boys got one, they would carefully keep it in their pockets, ready to play with when needed.

Among the girls my age in the neighborhood, Hoa liked playing "planting buds" the most. This game involved four people (three would also work if needed), divided into two groups: a sitting group and a jumping group. Two girls from the sitting group would sit opposite each other, legs extended so their feet were close together, and one girl's foot would rest on top of the other girl's upright foot. The girls from the jumping group would jump over and back. Then, the girls from the sitting group would place one hand on top of their friend's foot to form a "bud" for the jumping group to jump over. If a girl from the jumping group touched the "bud," she lost and had to sit instead. Hoa liked this game because her legs were long, so she rarely touched the "bud."

When it comes to playing catch, Kim is a must-mention. This game requires quick hands and sharp eyes, as players must simultaneously toss and catch the ball while picking up the sticks placed on the ground in a rhythmic and correct manner to prevent the ball from falling. Furthermore, from the sections on "watching," "bundling," "cutting," "pounding rice," "gently," and "sweeping," to the "passing" part, besides agility, players must also sing. Kim plays well and sings beautifully; her voice is clear and rhythmic in every verse: "The latest, the latest/Boy, the clam/The spider spinning its web/The apricot, the plum/The near, up the table in pairs/Our pair/Their pair/The pair of dogs/The pair of cats/Two rowing three/Three going far/Three coming near/Three rows of celery/One up four/Four taro/Four garlic/Two asking five/Five girls lying down/Five up six…"

We didn't just play during our free time in the day; sometimes at night, some kids in the neighborhood would get together to play games. Once, on a moonlit night, I and a few others gathered in Aunt Tư's yard at the beginning of the village to play hide-and-seek. Seven-year-old Hồng insisted on joining us. While we were engrossed in the game, we suddenly heard her screaming from the pile of straw under the jackfruit tree. We ran over and found Hồng hiding in a fire ant nest, so we quickly took her inside to wash her feet and apply oil. That time, Aunt Tư scolded the older kids in the group, but none of them dared argue and quietly slipped away.

There's another story I'll never forget. Once, in the village square, I saw some boys playing "jumping horse," and I wanted to play too, even though it wasn't a game for girls. To play this game, one person would bend over while the other, from behind, held onto their back with both hands and jumped over their head. Then, the person who was jumped on would bend down to act as the horse. Thinking it was easy and wanting to have fun, I jumped too hard and fell headfirst, hitting my forehead and getting a bump. When I got home, my parents scolded me for playing "jumping horse"—a girl playing that!

Like many schools in rural areas, the primary and secondary school in my village back then had a very large playground, planted with many trees. During recess, students would gather in groups to play their favorite games. Some girls would jump rope and throw pebbles, while boys would play marbles and hopscotch… Many lunchtimes, we would arrive early to play before class. Once, a group of friends in the class was playing blindfolded tag. While Tuan, whose eyes were covered, was waving his hands around looking for someone to catch, the homeroom teacher suddenly approached. Seeing us having fun, she gestured for us to be quiet and told us not to tell Tuan she was there. Unexpectedly, Tuan bumped into her and quickly hugged her, excitedly shouting, “I caught the goat! I caught the goat!” making everyone burst into laughter. When the blindfold was removed, Tuan turned pale and apologized profusely out of fear. But the homeroom teacher said nothing, just smiled, and told us to continue playing…

Today, life has evolved with the advent of countless electronic devices and various modern games. However, whenever we reminisce about the old days, we all remember the cherished memories of traditional folk games that were a part of our lives. These games are one of the sweet, vibrant sources that nurtured our young souls.

MINH HUYEN

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