Tet in heart

On the last afternoon of the year, the airport was bustling with people coming and going. The farewell kisses and the hugs made my heart restless with excitement. A new flying season had begun. I was happy because in my heart I had Tet...

Mom likes a straight Hue apricot tree like the one in front of her grandmother's house... Illustration photo from the Internet.

Mom was busy mixing pickles on the stove when the phone rang. I rushed down from the third floor and shouted:

- Brother, are you home? Mom. Are you home?

Mom didn't answer, just left the kitchen. The phone was still on. Brother Hai's voice on the phone sounded tearful:

- I probably can't come home, mom. Don't be sad.

- I'm not sad - mother said angrily: - You guys are all grown up now, you can fly wherever you want. I can't control you.

I picked up the phone, signaled my brother to hang up, then quietly walked out to the garden. In the small garden, the apricot tree that was almost as tall as the roof had begun to bloom early. My brother had planted this apricot tree for Tet before he left. It was only natural for my mother to be sad. It had been 5 years since my brother had been in a foreign land.

My mother could no longer work, she sat down absentmindedly, her apron loosened, her hands trembling as she clasped each other as if trying to hold back her sobs. Unlike other mothers, my mother's words were filled with hidden feelings.

Actually, he was not born by my mother. His mother died of a serious illness when she gave birth to him at the age of 1. My mother recounted that during those years, seeing her father raising his child alone, the young kindergarten teacher could not help but help. Sometimes she waited for my father to be late, sometimes she took my brother home to bathe and feed him, and then when my father was away on business trips, he left him at her house to raise the children for peace of mind. My mother, from a girl of eighteen or twenty, suddenly became a young mother. Some people who did not know the situation fabricated a story about my mother accidentally giving birth to a child and becoming a single mother, causing many people to feel embarrassed and not come to the house to find out. But regardless, my mother and my brother seemed to have some kind of connection, inseparable. Even until the day I grew up, after so many years, I still did not know that my brother was not born by my mother.

We lived like that for many years until my father passed away. A year later, he announced to my mother that he was going to settle abroad. When she received the news, my mother was stunned as if she had lost something great and was speechless.

I remember, that year my second brother bought a mai tree. The mai tree was just like my mother imagined and wished, "when the new house is finished, I will plant an mai tree in this corner of the yard." At that time, I interrupted, "What, there are plenty of mai trees on the street," "No, I don't like that mai tree, I only want a straight Hue mai tree like the one in front of my grandmother's house." My mother said that, but I forgot. My mother always longed for old things. I didn't understand my mother very well, wasn't sensitive enough to realize her emotions when she remembered her hometown. But my second brother knew, since the day my mother married my father, my grandparents had banned a daughter like my mother who "didn't know the pros and cons" from entering the house. At that time, my mother could only hug him and choke up, "I have gained, but I have not lost"!

- Why are there so few apricot buds this year, Tu? - my mother squinted her eyes, looking up at the skinny apricot branch that had just lost its leaves last week, asking doubtfully because her eyes couldn't see clearly.

- It will bloom late, Mom - I called out.

- The other day when the leaves came down I saw many tiny buds. They will probably bloom beautifully after Tet.

- Well, it blooms anytime - my mother sighed - with you kids, every season is spring for me.

With children, every season is spring for me... Photo: Hoang Anh Hien.

I smiled silently, looking at my mother with pity. I couldn't reveal my brother's intentions to her, so I tried to hold back. Looking at my mother, my tears welled up. My mother worried about my brother every little thing, waiting for him every minute, every second, but he still didn't come back.

I quietly looked at the pickled vegetables my mother was pickling and sighed:

- At home, my brother likes this dish the most, mom!

- Yes - mom was silent - what's the point of being a foreigner when you can't even get simple food.

- Or... - I was excited - next week I have a flight to Germany and back, will you come visit him with me?

- You said going abroad is like going to the market. You have to prepare carefully if you want to go.

- It's easy, Mom. You've already applied for a family visit visa a few months ago. With this visa, you're allowed to enter Germany for 6 months and stay for a maximum of 90 days. You've been there so many times, but you keep putting it off...

- But I'm not ready yet.

- They have everything there, but only the food my mother cooks makes me crave it, mom.

- As for me..., I spend Tet alone.

- Don't worry about me, Mom - I hugged her and smiled - As long as you're happy, I'm happy.

- You're like a bird, I really don't know what to hope for in you anymore - my mother said angrily but her hands and feet were now quick.

- Let me buy Su some traditional ao dai to wear for Tet. Vietnamese girls everywhere must have traditional clothes to remember their homeland, her father and her family, over a year old, they don't let her visit her grandmother, just look at each other on the phone.

I left my mother to her busy shopping and preparations. She seemed to want to pack all the traditional Tet flavors to bring to him even though I had told her carefully what she could bring and what she couldn’t.

Brother Hai called again. Mom's voice was excited:

- Hey son, Tu will fly to your place the day after tomorrow, I will send him some Tet gifts.

- Mom, you don't have to work so hard - my brother waved his hand.

- Mom packed the boxes - my mom turned the phone to show my brother the carefully packed boxes - 3 boxes, baby, mom marked them all, remember to check carefully when you get there.

- Mom is not fair!

I peeked into the screen, looked at my brother and winked. My brother quickly raised his finger to signal me not to reveal his secret. Only my mother didn't understand anything and turned to me and said:

- You should get married, don't you get tired of depending on someone?

- I'm not getting married. Mom is so difficult. Will getting married make my wife and children suffer? - I said that and hugged my mom - I'll just stay with you!

- Well, that's okay - my mother sighed - With a job that requires traveling, it's okay to get married a little late. The age of a dog is like the age of a bird, before it can finish a banh chung it flies away.

- Next year I will get married and come live with you, Mom - I said and then carried my suitcase out the door.

- Mom, don't be sad. I'll be back soon!

- I can take care of myself, it's not your turn to worry.

Mom said that and stood behind the door watching until my figure disappeared. For a long time, we were so engrossed in our work that we didn’t notice that Mom was living in a house that was too spacious for her to love. Surely, in my mom’s heart, there was always some emptiness that she didn’t want us to worry about so she avoided it.

Bustling airport on year-end afternoons... Photo: Vietnamnet.

Since the day my second brother left home, he has been calling me constantly to remind me to pay attention to my mother. He also realized that his decision has upset my mother. I have no doubt about his love for my mother, but the words he told me could not fully express to my mother, and instead became just vague questions. He had wanted to bring my mother to live with him for a long time, but every time he mentioned it, my mother would push him away. Finally, we came to this unexpected decision.

- Mom, are you there yet?

- The car is almost at the airport, but you, why did you tell me to go home and now you make me rush?

- It's sudden, Mom. Did you lock the door? - I asked.

- Okay, I send it all to your aunt at home.

- Good...

- Good for you - my mother said and hung up.

The airport was bustling with people on the last afternoon of the year. Mom’s ticket had been checked electronically, all she had to do was go through security. I felt sorry for Mom, she had worked hard all her life for her children, and now, on the day of our reunion, she still couldn’t stop worrying about this and that.

- Mom... mom - I pretended to be carefree - Mom, I'm so happy!

My mother, half-crying, half-laughing, punched me on the back:

- You guys did this, you should have given me a few days notice so I could prepare more gifts for my grandchildren!

- This is a huge gift. My brother said he only needs mom, having mom means having Tet - I hugged my mom - After so many years away from mom, my brother can't stand it anymore, mom.

My mother cried when she heard that. She was filled with longing and excitement, and walked quickly as if my brother was waiting for her ahead.

I waited for the plane to take off before calling my brother sulkily:

- I just let you borrow my mom.

- You're funny - my brother laughed - Mom is now Su's, no one can take her away.

- How cunning - I said and laughed.

The airport was bustling with people on the last afternoon of the year. The farewell kisses and the hugs made me feel restless with excitement. A new flying season had begun. I was happy because I had Tet in my heart.

Tran Quynh Nga

Source: https://baohatinh.vn/van-hoc/trong-long-co-tet/259659.htm