The year was 1972,
Our scouting squad was provided with a young recruit, just eighteen. His name was Minh, from Hanoi. As very young men, we were irresistibly attached to one another like blood brothers.
On a rainy night, we were lying on hammocks chatting… I took out a picture of my fiancée for the entire group to see. Minh, in turn, took the picture, grinning, and said, “The squad head’s fiancée is very beautiful… but my sweetheart is more beautiful.
There were loud voices, “Show us…her picture”.
Minh scratched his head, “Don’t you remember, guys? Before we got here, our superiors had taken all of our papers & pictures!”
“Why didn’t you try to hide your sweetheart’s picture?” “You’re right. I was so stupid that time”. “What is she doing?”
“A student of the Vietnam dancing institute.”
“Wow!”
Muted appreciation. Sure, dancing institute students must be very beautiful. A voice was heard, “What’s her name?”
“Hạnh”, was the response.
“How did you get to know & love her, tell us.”
Again, Minh grinned, “Ok. I’ll… But be sure not to make fun of us.”
Looking at the crackling fire, he began, “When we were stationed in Hanoi, one day I was on leave and went back home for a visit. On board a Cầu Giấy – Bờ Hồ bus, I found myself standing behind a girl in a dress with flowers on it. Curious to know whether she was beautiful, I tried to go ahead through the crowd. I ran into her. She gave me a hostile look then tried to keep me away. Ashamed, I stammered, “Sorry… I don’t have the money to buy the bus fare. Please buy me one”.
She gave me a suspicious look. The conductor was coming.
She bought two tickets and gave me one without a word.
I stood still like a statue, but stole a look at times…
Her big eyes sparkled bright like stars. The bus stopped at Bờ Hồ and she got off. For reasons unknown I followed her like iron being attracted by magnet. I kept a distance of about ten steps. She turned left, I followed suit. She turned right, I followed suit.
Suddenly, she turned back asking, “Hey, soldier, why are you following me?”
I scratched my head, smiling & saying, “I want to know where you live… so I can pay you back.”
“No need. You don’t have to pay back,” retorted the girl.
She then rushed in behind an iron gate. I brushed and walked away like a drunkard.
The following afternoon, I came to pay back the bus fare. I ventured to ask her out for a movie. She accepted…and we fell in love…”
That night, when the rain stopped, we looked up in the sky, at the glittering stars… unable to sleep.
Six months later, an October night, Minh and I were assigned a scouting mission to Cửa Việt harbor. After 3 hours in access of the objective, we both retreated to the outside.
It was three in the morning, we tried to cross the immense sand hills to come back to our quarters. A sudden series of shells came roaring from the sea. I crept on the sand. After the shelling I straightened up and called out loud. No answer. I ran hurriedly to where Minh was lying, face down. A morsel of shell had hit him in the belly. Blood oozed out of his shirt. After bandaging his wound, I carried him on my back. His blood wetted my back and dripped down on the white sand. Suddenly, Minh came to and spoke to me in a whisper, “Put me down, please… I couldn’t live any longer.”
I softly put him down on the sand. He looked at me, speaking at intervals, “You bury me here… and you try your best to return safe to the quarters before dawn.”
The wind was blowing hard. Minh was freezing cold. I took his hand hurried, “You have any message for Hạ nh?”
He forced a smile, “That story was imaginary. I haven’t been in love. I am an orphan and have no relatives…”
I couldn’t help tearing at that. Minh spoke again, “I have a letter. Post it for me when peace comes…”
A gust of wind was around. My companion-inarm passed away with the wind.
I took out of his pocket a piece of paper, folded in four.
I hurried to turn on my torch to read it.
Only a line of tottering words, “Hạ nh!... I am very lonely …” and a signature.
It was April 30, 1975. I was among those soldiers who liberated Saigon. Fivep.m. The city was flooded with flags and flowers. I bought an envelope, put the letter in, the letter stained with blood. I wrote the recipient’s name and address on the envelope, “To Hạnh, student of the Vietnam dancing institute – Cầu Giấy, Hanoi”.
We all squad members believed that the letter would come to the girl with glittering eyes.
- Nguyễn Thị Ấm