Go home to sea with dad

My father was a fisherman. When I was a child, I often woke up early, sat on the sandbank, watched the flickering lights in the distance, and waited for him to return. The old boat rocked, the loud sound of the engine was a sign that my father had returned safely after a night in the vast ocean. At times like that, I ran out, barefoot covered in sand, calling out loudly: "Dad!". My father smiled, picked me up, the fishy smell of fish, the salty smell of salt mixed in his arms - a scent I could never forget.

Growing up, I left my hometown to study far away. The hustle and bustle of city life made my trips back to my hometown less frequent. It was not until this year, when I started working, that I had the chance to return for a long time and went out to sea with my father for the first time. My father smiled gently: "Be careful not to get seasick when you go to sea for the first time, okay?". I nodded, my heart eager but also unable to hide my anxiety. The sea in my memory was a poetic blue sky, a golden sandbank under the morning sun, never the big black waves in the middle of the night as my father had described.

The trip started at 3am. It was pitch black. My three children put on their flashlights and walked to the boat dock. The old boat that my father had been attached to for decades was still as strong as ever. My father said: “A boat is like a companion. If it can withstand storms, then I have nothing to fear.” I sat next to my father, listening to the sound of waves crashing under the boat, the sound of the wind whistling past, and the sound of the engine echoing throughout the space.

Once out at sea, I finally understood the hardships that I had only heard about before. The waves were strong, the boat swayed, and at times it seemed like it was about to capsize. The cold sea wind cut into my skin. I hugged the side of the boat tightly, my face pale. My father just smiled: "Try to endure a little, once you get used to it, the sea will be very gentle." But for me, the first night at sea was a real challenge.

Then when the sun rose, the first rays of light shone down on the water, making the ocean look like gold. The waves were calmer, and the sky was brighter. My father prepared to cast his net, his movements skillful, each strand of net flying like a bird in the middle of the ocean. I looked at my father - his hair was already streaked with silver, his back was slightly bent, but his hands were still steady, his eyes still shining brightly every time he looked towards the horizon. That figure, that image made me suddenly tear up.

I helped my father pull the net, the fish glistened in the sunlight, filling the boat. My father smiled: “You’re lucky today, son, the sea gives you a lot of fish”. I smiled too, feeling relieved - not because there were a lot of fish, but because for the first time I felt so close to my father. Amidst the vast waves, the salty water and the wind, I felt like I had returned to a part of my forgotten roots.

When we returned to shore, the sun was already high. The villagers were waiting to buy fish, their laughter and chatter echoed across the beach. I looked at my father, at the village, and saw that everything was so simple and beautiful. That was where I was born, a place with honest people, a blue sea, and timeless stories.

That night, I lay on the bamboo bed in my parents’ old house, listening to the sound of the waves outside, my heart filled with gratitude. Grateful for having a homeland to remember, a father to love, and a trip out to sea to learn more about my roots.

Going back to my hometown and going out to sea with my father is not just a trip but a return, a return to my childhood, to love and to myself. I suddenly understood that there are values that do not need great words but lie in very simple things - like a trip out to sea with my father, like a peaceful smile after a storm.

Hello love, season 4, theme "Father" officially launched from December 27, 2024 on four types of press and digital infrastructure of Radio - Television and Binh Phuoc Newspaper (BPTV), promising to bring to the public the wonderful values of sacred and noble fatherly love.
Please send to BPTV your touching stories about Father by writing articles, writing feelings, poems, essays, video clips, songs (with recordings),... via email [email protected], Editorial Secretary Office, Binh Phuoc Radio - Television and Newspaper, No. 228, Tran Hung Dao, Tan Phu Ward, Dong Xoai City, Binh Phuoc Province, phone number: 0271.3870403. The time to receive articles is from now until August 30, 2025.
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Source: https://baobinhphuoc.com.vn/news/19/173338/ve-que-ra-khoi-voi-ba