Short story: The Full Moon Night

( Quang Ngai Newspaper) - The moon was fuller, the wind was cool and crisp, signaling the arrival of another Mid-Autumn Festival. I visited the orphanage on a late afternoon with the sun setting. The road to Hoa Dan hamlet was remote, inaccessible to cars, and we had to park on a small slope at the foot of the bridge, at the fork in the road leading to the gently rippling river.

As Huyen had said: The hamlet was deserted. From one end to the other, there were only a few households, a small market at the beginning, with a few scattered stalls selling vegetables, meat, fish, and groceries... Hoa Dan hamlet was nestled amidst rice paddies and waterways. A road stretched from the district market through the hamlet, running across to another area. Nhan arrived at Hoa Dan hamlet during the unpredictable rainy season; just moments ago it was blazing sunshine, but now dark clouds were gathering, and it was about to rain.

"In that dreary place, there's an orphanage," Huyen said when she returned to Hoa Dan village to gather information. Nhan immediately asked her department head for permission to organize a volunteer trip to Hoa Dan village. The trip included Nhan, the leader of the Bup Mang charity group, and several enthusiastic university students involved in volunteer work.

*

“The children at Hoa Dan orphanage are so pitiful, Nhan!” Huyen’s words lingered in Nhan’s mind until he boarded the bus, which left the city and headed towards the remote countryside. Nhan went ahead, following Huyen’s directions, followed by the leader of the Bup Mang charity group, and then the other young people with warm hearts. The road to the orphanage was bumpy. Rainwater still clung to the large, haphazardly placed wheel tracks on the dirt road. Lush green trees lined both sides of the road. As evening approached, the buzzing of mosquitoes grew louder and louder.
Nhan dedicated much of her youth to charity work. She was an orphan. As a child, Nhan and Huyen grew up together in an orphanage in the heart of bustling Saigon. Therefore, Nhan always longed for the love and warmth of parents. Because of her misfortune, Nhan wished to bring joy to others in less fortunate circumstances.
This time, Nhân returned to Hoa Dan Orphanage with mixed emotions. It was like a homecoming, a return to the orphanage where Nhân had lived since he was a tiny baby. Thinking about it, tears welled up in Nhân's eyes.

*

The Bamboo Shoot Group arrived at Hoa Dan hamlet as the old nanny was quietly sweeping the yard, littered with fallen leaves after a gust of wind. These days, Saigon was bustling with activity; yellow tents bearing the words "Kinh Do"—the famous mooncake brand—were erected on street corners. Lanterns hung everywhere in shops, especially in the Chinese quarter of District 5. But here, by late afternoon, it was deserted, with only the rustling of trees and the chirping of insects.

The old nanny opened the door to welcome the group of young children. The little ones were sitting in the main house practicing drawing. Seeing visitors, they ran out, lined up, and bowed in unison. Nhân waved back. Several young students took out snacks and treats from their bags and gave each child a little. The children thanked them profusely. The students went back into the main house to watch the children practice drawing. Their cheerful laughter filled the air. The old nanny led Nhân along a path paved with bright red terracotta tiles. Plum blossoms lay scattered here and there. This season, the plum trees were in full bloom, their white blossoms filling the air. Nhân could already smell the scent of plum blossoms infused with the evening mist. Outside the main house was a row of the children's bedrooms. They were communal rooms, with beds arranged in order. The nanny's room was at the end, a small, old room with a table holding a pile of papers and books, all stained with the passage of time. Finally, there was the kitchen.

- Do you do everything here, nanny? Is there anyone else to help?
- It's mostly me, you know! Occasionally, some women from the neighborhood come to help with cooking, laundry, and weeding the garden. The schoolchildren also often come to teach the kids how to read and write. I really appreciate them!

Nhan looked at the old nanny, her face kind and generous, her hair streaked with gray, yet her heart still full of passion for underprivileged children, and was so moved that he couldn't speak. Nhan suddenly remembered the woman who had once raised him in an orphanage in the heart of bustling Saigon. She was a woman who never married, dedicating her life to children who were not related to her by blood.

Nhân then asked:
- Mid-Autumn Festival is almost here. Have you made any plans for the children to have fun, nanny?
- Like every year, I'll probably go to the market to buy some pastries to share and sing together. If the students in Hoa Dan neighborhood are free, they can come and make lanterns to create a Mid-Autumn Festival atmosphere.
Nhan, the old nanny and leader of the "Buds and Bamboo Shoots" group, returned to the main house to watch the children practice drawing. Seeing a little boy sitting in the corner, busily drawing a red-tiled house with a lush garden full of fruit trees, and his parents gathered around him, Nhan suspected that this was his dream. Nhan herself had once drawn those very images on a blank sheet of paper. Nhan, too, had once harbored a burning dream of a warm, loving home filled with laughter and conversation.

*

The whole group left Hoa Dan village and returned to the city, and they would certainly return to this place again. The old nanny escorted the men to the parking lot, despite Nhan's attempts to stop her. The car started moving, leaving Hoa Dan village as a light rain began to fall. The wipers moved steadily across the windshield.

Upon returning to the city, the "Búp Măng" group – thanks to the reporting support from reporter Huyen – quickly received assistance from benefactors. The "Búp Măng" group planned the program "Warm Autumn Night - Lantern Procession in Distant Lands." The program received material support and assistance from students in the city. They worked together to make star-shaped lanterns, rocket-shaped lanterns, chicken-shaped lanterns, etc. Another group went to buy mooncakes, sticky rice cakes, sweets, and other gifts to bring back to distant lands, preparing for the Mid-Autumn Festival lantern procession and feast.

Everything was arranged smoothly; the cellophane-covered lanterns were brought out to dry in the sun, their glossy, brightly colored patterns glistening. Huyen took a few photos for the news report. The "Warm Autumn Night - Lantern Procession from a Distant Land" program promised to create a meaningful autumn night for the underprivileged children at the remote Hoa Dan orphanage.

*

On Mid-Autumn Festival, Saigon was vibrant and bustling. A vehicle bearing the "Búp Măng" logo slowly made its way to the beautiful countryside of Hoa Dan. A banner printed with images of the full moon, the Moon Goddess, and the Cowherd was hung in front of the yard. Lights strung along the path. Lanterns were given to the children, candles lit inside, their shimmering light illuminating the Hoa Dan children's campyard. Songs of the lantern procession and feasting filled the air, adding to the festive atmosphere. Mooncakes were arranged on plates, various fruits and green and red fruit juices were poured into long rows on the table. After the leader of the "Búp Măng" group announced the purpose of the event, the students from Saigon dressed up as the Moon Goddess and the Cowherd performed humorous and meaningful skits. Laughter from the children filled the air, and the feasting began. The children carefully held each piece of mooncake in their hands; among them, Nhân knew some were tasting mooncakes for the first time, experiencing the full moon night of lantern parades and feasting for the first time.

MH: VO VAN

Suddenly, the sound of a child's sobbing could be heard. It was the boy who had been drawing his dream house the day before – the boy with the sparkling eyes and innocent, endearing face.
"Why are you crying, little one?" Nhân asked.
- I'm so happy! This is the happiest Mid-Autumn Festival I've ever had.
Hearing the child's innocent and touching reply, Nhân hugged the boy tightly:
- What is your dream, tell me!

- I want... to be a teacher someday. I'll go to school in the morning, and come home at noon to my mom and dad. A warm and loving family...
Who knows what dreams lie hidden within the innocent words of a child? In the past, Nhân also longed for something similar – a simple, ordinary dream for many, but one that burned intensely for Nhân and for other children who didn't live with their parents.

That Mid-Autumn Festival night was a night full of meaning. The "Buds and Bamboo Shoots" troupe brought radiant light to the poor countryside, pouring a refreshing stream of water into the souls of children who had suffered so much misfortune.

That night, Nhân and the Búp Măng group stayed overnight at the Hoa Đan children's camp. The photos Nhân sent back were used by Huyên for an elaborate article published in the newspaper, about a charity group that always brings joy and happiness to others, about the Hoa Đan children's camp - a place that generously welcomes underprivileged children, raising and educating them to become good people.

HOANG KHANH DUY

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Source: https://baoquangngai.vn/van-hoa/van-hoc/202409/truyen-ngan-dem-trang-ram-0601427/