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Tiếng Việt
Energy
Posted date 20/08/2018
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Posted date 20/08/2018
4.102 view
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Last night, I went to the airport to pick up my wife. Although it was a January winter, the cold was still piercing. I loaded all my stuff into the trunk of the car and prepared to head home.
(Good story by Michael Le in the group Storytellers)
Last night, I went to the airport to pick up my wife. Although it was a January winter, the cold was still piercing. I finished loading all my belongings into the trunk of the car, preparing to drive home. Suddenly, I came across a young boy, who seemed to be Vietnamese, wearing a thin coat, standing huddled in the freezing cold with a suitcase and a large box of things, seemingly waiting for someone to pick him up. Seeing the boy whining about the cold weather, I pulled up and asked, "Do you have someone to pick me up? Please give me a ride home." The boy's eyes suddenly lit up, "Really, uncle? Thank you. Please take me back to 287 Walnut Grove." Before I could nod, the large suitcase was already in the trunk. The guy hurriedly jumped into the seat next to me, still having to hold the large box of things because there was no more room in the trunk.
Occasionally meeting a fellow Vietnamese, the uncle and nephew chatted animatedly. The boy's name was Alan, his Vietnamese name was Tin. He was so small and young, yet he was already 27 years old. Tin was from San Diego CA. He had two Bachelor of Science degrees and had just been accepted to study Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health & Sciences. He had to come all the way to Tennessee to study because the cost was much cheaper than in California. Tin was born in the US but his Vietnamese was quite fluent.
Uncle: "Do you have many brothers and sisters?"
Tin: “Yes, I only have one older brother. He just graduated as a Doctor in San Diego, CA.”
(He thought to himself, these two parents must be...crazy, only caring about their children's education to become doctors and pharmacists).
Uncle: "So what do your parents do?"
Tin: "We don't have parents."
Uncle: ?????
Tin: “My mother abandoned my father and us when I was only 1 year old. Later, my father abandoned my brother and I when I was 14 years old. My brother and I have had to support ourselves and support each other's education for more than ten years now, Uncle.”
He felt something choking in his heart, not wanting to stir up more pain for the boy, so he changed the subject.
Uncle: “Do you like Memphis, Tennessee?”
Tin: "It's too cold here. And...so sad, uncle."
Uncle: “That's right. Memphis is not as crowded as San Diego. You probably go to coffee shops and have drinks with your friends there.”
Tin: "No...my family is...very poor."
Uncle: ????
Tin: “My brother and I have to work hard to pay the bills, then save money for higher education. We still have to borrow loans, uncle. For the past 27 years, we have lived in apartments.”
Uncle: "Do you think the Vietnamese food in Memphis is as good as in CA?" (The apartment you rented is right next to Pho Saigon).
Tin: “I don’t dare eat out. The first day I went to Memphis for my school interview, I brought 6 bags of rice, 1 box of soy sauce and 1 box of fish sauce. Cooking rice at home with soy sauce and fish sauce is enough to get me through the day, uncle.”
Suddenly, in his mind, the image of when he first entered Saigon University of Technology came back. He remembered the dormitory meals with ocean soup, he remembered his friends from the time when “the guy who worked at the restaurant, came home with a pack of instant noodles at night”. He could not utter another word.
Uncle: "Give me your phone number. Come visit my house when you have time."
Tin: "No, I don't dare bother you. I just want to focus on studying so I can graduate and get a good job."
Just in time to arrive at the kid's apartment. Seeing him carrying a box and a suitcase in, I guessed that inside were boxes of...soy sauce, fish sauce, or...instant noodles or something.
I hope that one day the boy will come to visit my house. My husband and I will treat him to beef noodle soup, crab noodle soup, etc. It will give him the warm feeling of a family that he has never really known in the past 26 years.
Occasionally meeting a fellow Vietnamese, the uncle and nephew chatted animatedly. The boy's name was Alan, his Vietnamese name was Tin. He was so small and young, yet he was already 27 years old. Tin was from San Diego CA. He had two Bachelor of Science degrees and had just been accepted to study Pharmacy at the University of Tennessee Health & Sciences. He had to come all the way to Tennessee to study because the cost was much cheaper than in California. Tin was born in the US but his Vietnamese was quite fluent.
Uncle: "Do you have many brothers and sisters?"
Tin: “Yes, I only have one older brother. He just graduated as a Doctor in San Diego, CA.”
(He thought to himself, these two parents must be...crazy, only caring about their children's education to become doctors and pharmacists).
Uncle: "So what do your parents do?"
Tin: "We don't have parents."
Uncle: ?????
Tin: “My mother abandoned my father and us when I was only 1 year old. Later, my father abandoned my brother and I when I was 14 years old. My brother and I have had to support ourselves and support each other's education for more than ten years now, Uncle.”
He felt something choking in his heart, not wanting to stir up more pain for the boy, so he changed the subject.
Uncle: “Do you like Memphis, Tennessee?”
Tin: "It's too cold here. And...so sad, uncle."
Uncle: “That's right. Memphis is not as crowded as San Diego. You probably go to coffee shops and have drinks with your friends there.”
Tin: "No...my family is...very poor."
Uncle: ????
Tin: “My brother and I have to work hard to pay the bills, then save money for higher education. We still have to borrow loans, uncle. For the past 27 years, we have lived in apartments.”
Uncle: "Do you think the Vietnamese food in Memphis is as good as in CA?" (The apartment you rented is right next to Pho Saigon).
Tin: “I don’t dare eat out. The first day I went to Memphis for my school interview, I brought 6 bags of rice, 1 box of soy sauce and 1 box of fish sauce. Cooking rice at home with soy sauce and fish sauce is enough to get me through the day, uncle.”
Suddenly, in his mind, the image of when he first entered Saigon University of Technology came back. He remembered the dormitory meals with ocean soup, he remembered his friends from the time when “the guy who worked at the restaurant, came home with a pack of instant noodles at night”. He could not utter another word.
Uncle: "Give me your phone number. Come visit my house when you have time."
Tin: "No, I don't dare bother you. I just want to focus on studying so I can graduate and get a good job."
Just in time to arrive at the kid's apartment. Seeing him carrying a box and a suitcase in, I guessed that inside were boxes of...soy sauce, fish sauce, or...instant noodles or something.
I hope that one day the boy will come to visit my house. My husband and I will treat him to beef noodle soup, crab noodle soup, etc. It will give him the warm feeling of a family that he has never really known in the past 26 years.
The story in America felt like it was in my hometown in the West. Thank you, Tin, for teaching me another lesson about perseverance and faith in a bright future. I wish you and your brother great success. I hope to see you again soon.
Life is full of romantic pink
Who knows that it is also full of thorns
Try to always be optimistic.
Around us there are many people who are more miserable than us....
Life is full of romantic pink
Who knows that it is also full of thorns
Try to always be optimistic.
Around us there are many people who are more miserable than us....
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