The Water Mark of the Ferry - A Mark of a Time Not Too Long Ago

The ferry and the ferry are an unforgettable part of the memories for the people of the river region.

Southern people in the past mainly traveled by water. From the culture of the river, today, whoever wants to ask for a ride often says "qua giang" (cross the river), if someone calls someone and they don't answer for too long, they say "kẻ như cái cỏ do". According to writer Sơn Nam, in the 30s of the last century, the French established a number of passenger car companies to the West . At that time, the road was not developed, the car had to transfer to the ferry when it arrived, so it was called a bus for convenience. The old ferryman was very "valuable", so there was a saying: "Young corn grilled on the stove/ I dare anyone to drive my ferry". It can be seen that the image of the ferry has long been deeply ingrained in the lives of people in the river region.

In the past, ferries across the river were usually small boats or canoes. Currently, many passenger wharves have been upgraded to large ferries, but people still call them ferries. In daily life, ferries help shorten the distance and travel time. In Tan Tru district, Le Thanh Tai takes the Tan Binh - Long Cang ferry to Can Duoc district to work every day, costing only 4,000 VND per trip. His workplace is separated from his house by a river, just looking across, he can see it. Without the ferry, he would have to travel nearly 20km. Thanks to the ferry, he does not have to wake up too early, has time to take his children to school and feels more secure when working overtime because the ferry owner always supports taking passengers across the river. From this ferry, every day, thousands of workers go to Long Dinh - Long Cang Industrial Park to work. For them, the ferry becomes a "bridge" connecting the two banks, making it much more convenient.

Many people have had a beautiful childhood with the ferry, the wharf, remembering when it is far away, loving when it is near. Thanh Dieu's maternal home is in Thuan My commune (Chau Thanh district), every summer she returns to her maternal home to visit. She said her hometown is very peaceful, this season the wind from the river blows cool. Every time she comes back here, she often invites her cousins ​​to cross the Ba Nho ferry to go to Can Duoc market to play. "There is a very delicious sweet soup shop over there" - she said. Now she is married in Quang Ngai , it has been a long time since she has returned to her hometown. Every time she misses her hometown, the image of the ferry, the wharf appears and she proudly tells her friends that her hometown is like that, very peaceful! Duong Thi Ngoc Huyen's house is also near this ferry, on the bank of Can Duoc. Along the ferry there are often shops selling candy and soft drinks. She said that when she was little, she often went here with her friends to play ball, jump rope, when she was bored, she would come back to ask her mother for money to buy snacks. She said that the aunts here all love children, they sell little but give a lot. Later, her parents moved to Binh Hoa Trung commune (Moc Hoa district), where there are also some ferry piers such as Hong Duc and Sau Don. She said: “I work in Ho Chi Minh City, every time I go back to my hometown, I intentionally go through places with ferry piers to remember my childhood memories. The feeling of sitting on a boat in the middle of the river is special, hard to describe, both wild and peaceful.”

Passengers take a ferry at Vam Thu ferry (Thu Thua district). In the past, many students used to cross this ferry to go to school. Now they are successful but still come to find Mr. Chau Bao Duc (a ferryman for nearly 30 years at Vam Thu ferry) to give gifts and recall old memories.

For ferrymen, the love for the river, for the water, for the profession is very deep. Composer Vien Chau wrote the song "The Old Ferryman", through the skillful voice of People's Artist Ut Tra On, the image of the ferryman appears very beautifully: "On this old boat, whoever wants to cross the river, I will take them. The money to pay is not a big or small thing, I only need two meals a day because I love the ferry as much as people love an ideal lover". We met Mr. Chau Bao Duc, a ferryman at the Vam Thu ferry (Thu Thua district) for nearly 30 years. This ferry has many students as customers. "Many of them are now successful, working far away, but every time they come back home, they still look for me to give gifts, to reminisce about their school days. I remember back then, everyone's face was still as young as milk, but now their hair is covered in silver" - Mr. Duc confided. For him, transporting passengers across the river is not simply a service but also love, gratitude and something greater that he cannot express in words.

We are also people from the river, many times we have been on the ferry, hitchhiking, everywhere we see the affection. Every morning, if someone forgets to bring money, they can pay on the next trip, if someone doesn't have change, they can pay later. Many couples have become lovers thanks to the ferry trips. The ferry is personified as a man, the riverside dock is compared to the silhouette of a girl.

The ferry is now different, there is no longer the scene of “clumsy rowing, skillful steering”, large-capacity motor ferries are gradually being put into service to serve the travel needs of the people. That is the progress of river civilization, of which the old ferry is the premise and foundation. “As long as there is sky, water, and mountains/ As long as there is the old banyan tree, there will be the ferryman”.

Chau Thanh

Source: https://baolongan.vn/vet-nuoc-con-do-dau-an-mot-thoi-chua-xa-a193575.html