He stood up staggering. The house was deserted. He smiled at the occasion of hunger reduction. He searched trunks, cabins. He staggered with despair, yawning to saliva. He decided to go out. It would be easy for him to do business. Adults were at work, teenagers at school.
He wiped the saliva, straightened his clothes.
Feeling that he was a decent person, he walked out.
His seeming decency only lasted until the gate. His being short of drug proved him to be a roguish, cunning and overbold guy. He came to a deserted hamlet. The house at the entrance was his target. Hardly had he touched the lock when he jumped back. He was greeted as an unwanted guest by a 40-50 kg greyhound prancing up at him. “Didn’t work!” Determined to control his greed, he returned home.
But only after a few steps, his determination was out-matched by his greed. He staggered sweating and dribbling saliva. Greed was, again, embodied in a guy of unshakable stamina. He made a sharp turn. It was quite easy for him to sneak into a house at the end of the hamlet. What bad luck! Some old clothes, a broken spade, dirty baskets wouldn’t do for half his dose of drug. The owner must be poorer than he was. His greed forced him another exhaustive search.
He approached a table with a pile of books on top. His eyes sparkled. Was it likely? Who knew? Gold, money bills could be inside the earthen pig. Artistic work of disguise! His parents had been victims of such art.
He himself had found a necklace, pulled a moneybag out of a useless pan under a cabinet. Carefully, he picked up the earthen pig and shook it. Unable to wait, he licked his lips. The rather heavy pig sounded rough. He grinned in ecstasy at the thought of a new wonder drug. He loudly kissed the pig and moved the treasure-box, like a little trick, over his head and dropped it. Whoop! The pig broke in pieces.
He was dazzled. The precious VND100, VND 200 coins and bills, old and new, but all tarnished, which resulted from the pig being shaken many times. He squatted, picked them up, and flattened the small money bills. The greed for drug returned again. His sweat oozed, saliva dribbled. He saw double. He wiped his eyes with his hands, opened his mouth. “What’s happening? Am I dreaming? Where am I?” He could never figure it out.
But he fancied two kids in front of him stroking the earthen pig. The boy showed the girl a real dirty VND200 money bill. “I earned this money by selling empty bottles.” The girl grinned, “I have VND500 for ice cream. Mom gave me. I didn’t eat ice cream. Now we feed the pig…” He couldn’t believe his eyes. The two kids disappeared. Instead, another kid appeared. He was sobbing silently, putting the pieces together. He stared at the boy, and remembered having seen him somewhere. The boy stopped crying, wiped his eyes and looked at him saying, “Don’t you recognize me? I’m you. You used to keep an earthen pig and couldn’t help crying when your earthen pig was broken by some thief.
Days of yore, right?”
The boy suddenly disappeared. His greed for the drug rose to its summit when an idea came to his mind which would support him to fight the bad guy. He then picked up the bills, flattening them again. He also took out of his pocket a VND200 bill, adding it to the small money pad. He also picked up the pieces of the broken pig.
“Hey, young man!” cried a voice. He was startled to look out. Then he recognized a drug abuser of the same area. His friend staggered, dribbling saliva. Just like him, his friend was looking for something to fill his greed…
“Have you got a dose?”
“No. Get out of here.”
“No such kidding, young man. That amount of money will do for several some doses. OK, let’s go.”
“No. This is a kid’s savings”
“Don’t care. Money is a drug. You go with me or not?”
“No. Beat it!”
He stood up, in a defense position. His friend grabbed a chair holding it up. He plunged into his friend whose kick sent him flying on the floor, his head running into the wall. His friend laughed roughly and picked up the money bills and coins. He tried his best to stand up with sharp composure. The chair flew over his head, hit the table. Again, he pulled himself together flying into his friend and fell upon the broken pieces and small money heap.
He woke up when mild small hands caressed him on the chest as well as on other places of his body. Out in the nurse-on-duty’s room sounded a child’s voice, “Miss, we don’t have large money bill, please accept these small money bills”.
- Tống Trung