Essay: Hope life returns to normal soon

1. My house is in Thanh (Dien Khanh commune). During the recent flood, when the floodwaters entered my friend's yard, the message from my friend was that the road in front of my house was still without water. After the floodwaters receded for 3 days, my husband returned home from Ho Chi Minh City to clean up the flood. When my husband returned, the house was completely destroyed: Mud covered the stairs upstairs; the rosewood cabinet collapsed, glass was broken everywhere; the refrigerator, washing machine, pots and pans were covered with mud and damaged; tables and chairs were scattered...

Báo Khánh Hòa•02/12/2025

Looking back, my loss was nothing compared to many people who lost all their goods sold in the market, electronics, rice warehouses, etc. due to being submerged in water. A young man who lives opposite my house, which has no upper floor, only a mezzanine, said: "My house is considered to be completely empty."

My friend, a couple from the US, returned to Vietnam to live for about 3 years, built a beautiful, spacious house on land given by his parents. He bought all the expensive furniture. The floodwaters came and destroyed all the furniture. He said: "I left everything. I bought a mattress to sleep on. I only have 2 sets of clothes that I grabbed when I evacuated the house. I just ordered a refrigerator and a washing machine, the 2 most necessary things. I am luckier than many people because I have money to buy new things. Many houses were lost, especially those in the countryside. Rice, buffalo, cows, pigs, chickens, and furniture were all swept away by the water."

Then my friend, who had been well-off since childhood, told me in tears and with a grateful voice: “I never thought that one day I would have to rely on my neighbors to have food. Those who had stored water and rice to cook, they cooked and brought it to my house by going through the corrugated iron roof; or received food from relief boats. The love of people during the flood was immeasurable.”

2. The first day I came home, my husband said that in the morning someone brought me a bun, 100,000 VND, and a relief package with a blanket, a mosquito net (new), toothpaste, a cup, a knife... At noon and in the afternoon someone came to give me rice...

I am truly grateful for the spirit of rescue and sharing of the people, as well as the rescue forces during the recent flood. As soon as the floodwaters came, they not only saved people but also worried about food. A series of charity kitchens were set up to provide hot lunch boxes for people in the flooded areas. Then trucks of relief goods poured into the flooded areas of Khanh Hoa and other provinces.

3. My son also came from Ho Chi Minh City to Khanh Hoa to help his father clean up the flood. He texted me exactly 2 sentences to let me know he had arrived: A whole car full of people went down to Vinh Thai roundabout; the road home was full of mud.

Just two sentences say a lot. People living far from home are rushing home to help their parents and relatives clean up after the flood. More than a week after the flood, mud and traces of a big flood are still lying around, and large piles of garbage have not been cleaned up yet. "It will probably take a long time to overcome the consequences and return to normal life" - my friend said when someone wished him a quick return to normal life.

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