It is the moment...
When the classical music mingles with the breeze wind...Following the melody, silence becomes calms
When you see the old tree in the warm summer, standing stills under the high sky
When the sounds of birds chirping made you want to fly along beside them
When little embarrassment is hided under the back of small hands,
there is a small girl with a red umbrella
...
I pace the street and look around, memories come flooding back. I am walking on the paths with soil and stone which are seen as a small river on heavy rainy days, pacing every small corner where our children used to play seek and hide, seeing old tree with huge branches which I used to climb with childhood friends, looking around the little backyard playground behind my old house I used to live before. Everything stays the same, but my small poor hamlet has become so silent with time.
I miss those warm summer days, with the bright sun and blue skies. I was sis years of age, free from the first year of school. Coming back to home, back to my poor hamlet with neighborhood friends. Together we could explore the worms, the snails, the creek, or the ground could lay hidden from our greedy eyes for long. I had a little love for adventure and childish games with full of the fun, the curiosity, the laughs and even the tears.
Day in and day out, it is the same routine with the rhythms of life already beating dully. The clock ticks, life rolls on, and it is really rather difficult for someone when waking up a child who used to claim to be able to sleep during the day without eating anything like me. My mother only could wake up me when noticing that my neighborhood friends standing in front of the fence. Huy's loud voice was strong enough to make me to get out of my bed quickly and immediately that was worth much more than three or four time my mother called. With a ruffled head of hair, I went barefoot out and scolded Huy because of his noisy shout. I really did not know why a lanky child as him who could have a terribly strong voice. He always wore short trousers with a red hat upside backwards, looked like a powerful leader of children in the small hamlet. He always teased to make me angry and saw me as a silly dump penguin. When I stood besides on him, that would be always an interesting and exciting topic for naughty children in the hamlet to imagine, such as we would be number 10, combined of number 1 from him and number 0 from me or even children supposed them as reacting cat and mice's fighting in Tom and Jerry cartoon which we had watched tonight. While according to the logical explanation of An, we were similar to two magnets or water and fire. We never denied anything An said, and he was always proud of what he knew much more than other children in the hamlet. We thought a philosopher or a wise man would be so suitable for him. Diep always showed a fret on her face every when my name and Huy's name were called together in neighborhood friends' childish discussions. That was just because she liked Huy.I saw this was funny. Diep was not pretty, but sang well, at least better than me, and she wished to become a famous singer. In the children, I could not bully anyone, except slow and fat Long wept away the time. Seeing Huy and I fought, he also could cry. Even when Diep's Bong dog had gone, he cried for two days and I threatened to not make friend with him if he did not stop crying.
My summer days had begun with naughty odd and silly friends like that. If someone supposes these are so wearisome, I see everything was fresh as the bright blue sky.
I brushed my teeth quickly and ran out with friends. Leaving behind was my mother's shout when I had not completed my boring breakfast yet. I held up my hands to keep my ruffled hair straight and tidy. Yet, its obstinacy was similar to me and it was still messy something, add into that was a very short cut-hair that my mother supposed it was her most perfect work. Looking at me, my friends burst into a laugh. They laughed as if they had not laughed for a long time. I looked like silly Maruko-chan in Maruko comic. This also made me to not speak to my mother during yesterday. I took a glance at fat Long, making him stop laughing. I knew he was scared of my threats. I also guessed this would be exciting for Huy to tease me and Diep felt interesting when with my super silly hair, I was not as pretty as her. Only An stood up for me with his adult explanation that is I looked like a Japanese doll. Huy, Diep and fat Long showed an amaze and stopped laughing, but I knew this had not still ended with them yet, especially Huy and Diep.
Our five children were hiking to the little backyard playground behind our houses. Huy always was walking ahead of us, and Diep only liked to walk along by Huy. I was in behind in order to urge for slowness of awkward fat Long. Seeing skinny An walking, I imagined if there was a strong wind going through the hamlet, he would be the first person be thrown away. If this would happen, An needed to have a strong string to hold him like as our children flew the kites upon the sky. Together five of us sang favorite children song " I love you, you love me. We are happy family with a great big hugs..." until we went to the backyard. Huy always put me to silence because my singing voice was as bad as Chaien's in Doremon. The more he said that, the more I sang loudly. I liked do what he hated and he hated all what I did. When we played wedding game, Huy claimed strongly he would not play if I was bride, and he was groom. Therefore, I forced to give up this position for fat Long and I played a role as Huy's mother, while Diep was my husband, meant Huy's father and skinny An was vicar. Huy hated me to such a degree that he could accept to get married with a awkward slow boy as fat Long, instead of a girl with silly hair as me. The games could not also last more ten minutes when Huy and An could not stand a jerky game like that. Did not know who could think out the weird game, but I guessed that could be Diep. She wanted she and Huy were a couple in the game, but unfortunately she was not lucky in drawing out's plan of An. I made sure she was still full of pent-up anger during this day.
While sitting on the ground and listening to An's stories, we heard loud voice of Huy's mother calling him. Huy had to come back to take care home for his mother. Huy was not still be there, and Diep also did not want to play more. Therefore, all of us dispersed to go home after Diep reminded us to go to her birthday's party on this evening. I really did not have much money to buy beautiful things for her. All my savings were used to buy comics and ice-creams. I started to search thoroughly everything in my little closet to make unique strange something for her birthday gift. I did a mini television from my father's empty cigarette box and some cut-papers from my comics. Make sure they would admire me and love it a lot. I was so eager for this evening's party because this was the first time five of us had a birthday party. I read comics and knew in the party, there would be many delicious foods and I swore to eat them until my stomach hurt or my feet could not leave.
At 6 o'clock, Huy, An and fat Long together was standing in front of the fence, shouted and urged me. It seems they were more impatient than me. Yet, they had to wait for me for ten minutes, just because my mother asked me to wear a dress while I wanted short trousers with T-shirt, making me feel more comfortable and eat much more. I got out of door and could not believe in my eyes. An looked like so formal that I thought we were going to party in King's palace, when he tied a bow on his shirt; while fat Long wore a shirt so gaudy that I guessed even An could not explain the reason why rainbow could appear in the evening. Only Huy was not still different from him on usual days, except no red hat and no short trousers, replaced with long trousers and blue T-shirt.
Diep was standing at the gate to wait for four of us. They were so surprise when seeing she looked like a princess with a pink dress. It was right as I thought, there were many good foods in the party. All of us together shouted for joy when Diep's mother brought a birthday cake. Even in my dream, I also had never eaten a great birthday cake like that. With children in the poor hamlet as us, this was really a great happiness. It seems there was nothing that can describe how excited five of us were. We gathered into one circle round the cake. When Diep was making great wishes for her, fat Long and I stooped to look at the cake before Diep's mother cut into parts. Suddenly, I felt sweet something on my mouth and my eyes were hidden by soft something. I heard loud shouts from Diep and fat Long. I recognized that the birthday cake was upon my face. That is because of Huy. He turned the cake upon my face. Both Diep and fat Long burst into tears when witnessing the cake was not still their great one, but only was a messy thing. An looked at me amazingly. I immediately jumped into Huy and gave him a fight. An did not dare to restrain us, while Diep and fat Long still continued crying. Until Diep's mother pulled my and Huy's ears and tugged every to every corner, we stopped fighting.
Diep ran to her mother and cried louder as to pay compensation. Fat Long was trying holding remained pieces of cake on the dish with full of tears on his face. An did not say anything, he knew keeping silence now is the best. Everything looked so awful. I looked terrible with untidy head of hair and slovenly clothes, and Huy was same to me.
Diep's first birthday party had ended like that. I thought after this time, Diep would not want to celebrate any more party for us, or she would never want to invite Huy and me together.
No one in five of us who wanted to repeat anything, relating to Diep's birthday. I did not want to speak and play with Huy from that day. Diep hated me because she supposed I broke everything, and fat Long continued crying for a few days.
We had not met each other until I had to be in hospital for a few days because I was scalded from my father's hot coffee cup.
Lying on the bed, looking raining through the white small window, I suddenly missed Huy, Diep, fat Long and An. Do not know what they were doing, if they were playing under rain or sitting in the house and looking at outside through the window as the same as me. When that thinking appeared in my mind, I was so amazed for naughty four friends standing at the room's door. They had visited and played with me. Fat Long saw me, immediately burst into tears as if I looked so piteous. An gave Doremon and Maruko comics me to not feel boring there. Diep cut oranges that she brought for me to eat. Huy looked at me and told me that I restored my health to fight to him. At that time, I tried holding back tears because I had never wanted to cry in front of them.
Few days after, I came back home, but my mother was worried about my health and did not allow me to go out for playing. This was really like as an awful force to me, to a six age child, running and playing with neighborhood children were things I cherished most.
On a hot morning, An went to my home and told me he discovered great garden of stars for us. I did not understand what his garden of stars was, but also agreed to go with him and others tonight. I tried to show obedience during the morning so that I could beg leave to my mother.
It was one of muggy nights of summer days. Our five children gathered at the little backyard and started finding An's garden of stars. We was walking along behind An. It seems we walked rather far away from our houses. It was becoming darker. Looking upon the sky, the moon and the stars were following our little steps. An led us to a ground maybe that was much larger than our little backyard. We were lying on the cool grass, looking upon the stars, together singing loudly happily. We were waiting for appearance of An's garden of stars. We had sung a bunch of songs, but garden of stars had not still appeared yet. Diep asked with annoying insistence to go home. Fat Long started crying. I turned to look at and scolded him, and at that time, suddenly there were hundreds of tiny lights surrounding five of us. Fat Long immediately cleaned his tears so as to look at what they were. An shouted for joy and told they were lighting bugs. I, Huy and Diep could not say anything, except amazement on our faces. All of us were steadily sitting on cool grass, observing this dance of silent lights. The sounds of crickets and frogs mingle as a great country song. All made the quiet ground become a wonderland where golden-green lights were dancing, twirling. This was the first time I was aware that my time of freedom and joy was infinite.
We knew surely when coming back home so late, we would be scolded. Yet, to be seen this wonderful place, we had not been still worried or scared of that.
That evening, five of us were scolded awfully. Though we told not to be scared, being scolded was really so terrible.
Our summer days continued with glory and fun. Singing and walking barefoot in such good weather. We played, we laughed, we smiled, we cried.
On a sultry morning as usual summer days, my mother told me that we would have to leave this hamlet and go to American with our grandparents. A six child as me did not know where it was, and if it was far away from this small hamlet; yet I had never thought that there would be someday I left to here. It was really terrible for me. I just wanted to live in this hamlet, playing with our naughty friends.
Huy, Diep, An, and fat Long ran into my house. I guessed their parents told them this. Fat Long was crying while An and Diep were asking my mother if it was true. Huy was standing there and looking at me without words.
From the day, no one in five of us wanted to play any more. I knew they had cried a lot except Huy and me. I had never let him see me crying and he did too. We did not play hopscotch, did not blow bubbles, and even did not sing.
Two days before I left, I forced them to gather at the little backyard to meet. I brought them a small box. I told them that we would write letters to each other, about the time, the feelings we used to have together. After that, we would put letters and our beloved things in the box. Together we put the box underground, besides on the tree with our swing. We promised when all of us were twenty age; we would come back there and together read those letters. We did like that, and together running, playing, singing until it became dark.
Those muggy summer days had not still ended yet. The day I had to leave came.
Huy, Diep, An and fat Long ran into my house. I still remember fat Long's face with full of tears. Although I scolded him, he did not still stop crying and burst into tears much more. Diep gave me her hair clip. She told me that when my hair was longer, I would need it. An gave me a big bag with his favorite comics. Huy still did not say anything until I get out of my house. At once, he ran to me. His voice was whispering in my ears, shaking with his nervous anxiety. I had never seen him like this, and I hated to see him like this. Hating how weak and pathetic I sounded.
Stupid. I broke down. The tears unconditionally flowed down my face, and I started crying. He brushed my tears with his hand. He took an intake of breath “You’ll come back?”
"That is a promise " I said and nodded many times.
I took a deep breath. I turned off and left Huy, An, Diep and fat Long behind. They ran following me. They cried and called my name.
Looking back through car window, I cried. My friends, my house, and my small hamlet were becoming away from my hands, away from my eyes
and I left there.
...
A twenty girl, no longer the carefree girl of the past, walked slowly down the backyard, the old trees rustling in the breeze wind. The rain pattering quietly on my umbrella has reminded me of wondrous days nearly fifteen years previously. A powerful longing for the past accumulated inside me.
It stops raining. I sit on the old swing. Looking upon the bright sky, feeling the wind in my hair, smelling the cool grass.
I come back here.
I am standing here, with memories of my friends
I am not alone.
I look down foot of the tree. I dig to find something of the past,
a small dirty old box,
a box, holding our childhood.
" Why don't you wait for me to open together? " I hear a similar voice
Looking up and I see my childhood friend standing in front of me. That is Huy. Although he has changed a lot, I can recognize by his voice, not different from before.
I choke in. It seems there is something holding my heart tight.
The tears rolled down my face, just like when I was six and cried after fighting with him. And just like then he brushed my tears with his hand and looked down on me with a pat on my head and a hug " I come back."
Time flies by as sand in an hourglass. Those summer days faded into the safe keeping of our memory where our youth and innocence still lives.
Looking at children playing there, we asked ourselves if we can remember what the world looks like through a child's eyes. We smile as the joyful memories playing itself in our mind. I am still smiling even as a tear ran down my face, a glistening embodiment of wonder, and sadness.
We know,
where childhood comes...
I sketched my characters from my story. :D
[ This piece was written for my Narrative class. My lecturer told that this piece is like as a beginning of a novel, not a short story :D. And I think, someday I'll write it in Vietnamese as to show my real feelings coming from something called my childhood. ]
