Nostalgia for water hyacinths

For reasons unknown, I've always been drawn to purple flowers. I feel a pang of nostalgia when I see a river of purple water hyacinths floating by. Each dark green leaf spreads out like a hand, and the vibrant blue of the flowers seems to deepen in the soft afternoon sunlight. The color of the flowers fills my heart with a sense of melancholy.

For reasons unknown, I've always been drawn to purple flowers. I feel a pang of nostalgia when I see a river of purple water hyacinths floating by. Each dark green leaf spreads wide like a hand, the vibrant purple of the flowers seemingly deepening in the soft afternoon sunlight. The color of the flowers fills my heart with a sense of longing. The gentle afternoon sun casts a shimmering golden light across the river's surface. My eyes are drawn to the petals drifting along, making the scene even more vivid and enchanting. Water hyacinths, a fragrant wildflower of the countryside, with their loyal, simple, and vibrant purple hue, float silently across the waterways. Whatever their meaning, water hyacinths remain beautiful flowers. They evoke feelings of peace, serenity, and tranquil living.

To me, those clusters of purple flowers hold a strange enchantment; I could gaze at them for hours. I especially love it when the water hyacinths bloom, almost completely covering the river's surface. The river, a vibrant purple against a lush green backdrop, creates a beautiful and serene picture of the countryside. The delicate purple of the water hyacinth petals seems to touch upon my cherished memories. Interestingly, water hyacinths are only beautiful when submerged, standing together. Once lifted out of the water, they quickly wilt, their petals becoming soft and wrinkled, as if lifeless. Therefore, no matter how much I love flowers, I prefer to admire them gently blooming on the river.

I remember going swimming in the river with my friends, then picking water hyacinths to play shopkeeper. The small, round, smooth leaves were used as money for our children's game. Everyone's pockets were full of water hyacinth money. At the end of each game, we'd always sit down and count to see who had more money, who was the best seller. All those memories have now become gentle streams in my heart. Water hyacinths weren't just for us children to play with. They were also a delicious vegetable for the chickens and ducks. My villagers often collected water hyacinths, chopped them up, and mixed them with rice bran or corn bran to feed them. I often followed my mother as she pulled her ox cart to collect water hyacinths from the village pond. After cleaning the roots, she would neatly arrange the bundles of water hyacinths on the cart and pull it back. Water hyacinths are porous, their stems retain water, and they don't wilt even after a few days. Each time she went, she'd bring back a lot and chop them up by the pond to feed the hungry chickens and ducks.

Time has passed, and everything has changed. Looking at the water hyacinths swaying in the evening breeze on the river, my heart is suddenly filled with a simple, pure, and strangely peaceful longing. It's the voice of my heart, a deep yearning, a desire to return to the sky of youth and the love that I once shared.

AN THI HONG

Source: https://www.sggp.org.vn/noi-nho-luc-binh-post806647.html