Don't wait for me anymore

The temple yard was shaded by the longan, bodhi, banyan, and milk trees. Under each shade was a team of clay firecrackers working hard to make firecrackers. Phuong followed Ms. Dinh into the middle of the firecracker yard. The patches of sunlight painting fluttering flowers, the kind smiles, the murmuring voices, the cool sweat, the sunburned faces... everything was still the same as twenty-five years ago. Twenty years had passed since the midsummer day Phuong followed Ms. Dinh back to her hometown to watch the clay firecracker festival. There had been so many changes, yet the games were still the same, the people at the festival were still as rustic and simple as ever.

That year, after finishing the semester exams, Phuong followed Dinh back to her hometown to watch the clay firecracker festival. Dinh rode her bike ahead, Phuong followed behind. After more than two hours, they arrived at Dinh's hometown. The village was located among rice fields and next to a river, like many other villages in the delta.

Ms. Dinh stopped the car and leaned against the old banyan tree:

- The banyan tree is the landmark of my village. Sit down and rest for a bit. When we were kids, we often came here to play and let the buffaloes graze in that grassy area.

Dinh was two years older than Phuong and the others, but she always acted like the oldest sister. The whole office respected her as the head of the office because she was the oldest and also the most gentle and thoughtful. She was like an "old lady", often telling stories about the past, as if she had been through her teenage years for decades.

While Ms. Dinh was telling Phuong stories about herding buffalo and cutting grass, two boys emerged from the riverbank, carrying baskets of clams on their sides, water dripping down. Ms. Dinh's cheeks suddenly turned red. One boy approached Ms. Dinh, looking very affectionately, while the other stood a little further away, smiling gently.

- Are you on summer vacation? Why didn't you tell me to pick you up?

- I go with friends.

Phuong guessed that the boy standing next to Dinh was Tung, the guy who often sent her letters. Phuong and her friends often teased him that he was her boyfriend, but Dinh still denied it, saying they were just close friends and not in a relationship.

- Are you Phuong?

-How do you know me?

- Dinh often talks about her roommates. Phuong is pretty and has dimples.

Phuong smiled, revealing two dimples. Tung pointed at the boy:

- Binh, my friend also has dimples like you.

Phuong suddenly blushed. She remembered Dinh once saying she would introduce her friend to someone who had dimples like Phuong. Now that they met here, it was as if it was God's arrangement. The other two hadn't seen each other for a long time, so they didn't notice Phuong's change, nor did they pay attention to the common conversation. They turned to talk privately, leaving the two new acquaintances to talk on their own.

Binh said that the two of them decided to go swimming in the river and look for mussels. They thought they were just playing, but they unexpectedly found a big haul of mussels, so they just got to shore and had the chance to meet two female students who were on summer vacation. Phuong told about the stubborn bike that had slipped off its chain while going downhill and was struggling to put it back together. Luckily, a mechanic driving by on a motorbike came down and helped them put it back together. Binh said that he had prepared the clay for making firecrackers for tomorrow.

Hearing about the firecrackers, Ms. Dinh turned back.

- These two are the best fireworks players in the New Hamlet, especially Binh. Last year, the team was even chosen to perform at the Hung Temple Festival.

- Then tomorrow I can see you two perform.

Mr. Tung took out a plastic bag and gave Ms. Dinh some clams to bring home to cook sweet potato soup, but Ms. Dinh refused to take them. When they parted, Phuong asked why she didn't take them. Ms. Dinh said that if Tung's clams were exposed, her parents would scold her to death. It turned out that their relationship was still a secret. Her father was a strict village teacher, he wouldn't be happy if his daughter was in love while still in school. But he didn't forbid Ms. Dinh from having friends. So, to be careful, every time he went to Ms. Dinh's house to play, Mr. Tung always invited Binh or some of his male friends from the neighborhood to go with him.

That night, Tung invited Binh to come to Dinh's house again. Using the excuse that there was a festival in the village, the four of them went to the pagoda to watch a play. Dinh's father agreed.

The temple yard was quite crowded. There were cheo singing, quan ho singing, and chau van singing. The performances were homegrown but very attractive. Half an hour later, only Phuong and Binh were left sitting under the peony tree listening to the singing. The loudspeaker played the deep, warm male voice singing “Truong Son Dong, Truong Son Tay”. Binh boasted:

- Tung's father sings.

- His voice is warm and nice.

Binh said: Binh's father and Tung's father were soldiers in Truong Son and were both wounded. Binh's father was wounded in the arm and Tung's father was wounded in the stomach. Luckily, both of them survived and returned to their hometowns. A few years later, they got married and had children. Tung's parents gave birth several times but in the end, they could only support Tung. Binh's family had three brothers. The oldest brother went to Germany and got married there. Binh's younger sister just got married. Binh was twenty-five years old but still dependent on his parents.

Phuong laughed:

- Sister Dinh said you are working at a motorbike repair shop in town and you say you are a parasite? Then how can we still depend on each other when we go to school?

- Future teachers like you are loved by everyone. Right now you are just studying to teach children, no one calls you a parasite. Learning to repair motorbikes is hard, dirty and greasy. No one likes you.

- Each person has their own job. Whatever you do, just be good at it and love it. If you don't have someone to fix your bike, you'll be exhausted if you keep pushing your bike like I did this afternoon.

- Thank you for not criticizing my greasy job.

Tung and Dinh came in with some ice cream sticks. They all sat down to eat ice cream and chat until the show was over before leaving. When they said goodbye at the entrance to Dinh's house, Phuong felt a flutter in her heart when she looked into Binh's eyes.

The next afternoon, Dinh took Phuong to the temple yard to watch the clay firecracker festival. Seeing Binh shirtless, wearing shorts, his skin shiny brown, sweating profusely, sitting kneading the clay, shaping firecrackers with the other firecrackers, Phuong was no longer natural. Binh looked at Phuong, smiling. When Binh was chosen by the team to throw the firecrackers, he held the firecracker tray, spread his legs to maintain his stance, raised the firecracker tray to his face, then pursed his lips, turned around, and threw the firecrackers to the cheers of the whole team: "Go! Go!" The clay firecrackers exploded loudly, the string of firecrackers stretched out on both sides like a dragon's beard. The brothers held Binh's hand and cheered. Binh's eyes looked at Phuong with joy.

*

Phuong returned to her hometown, bringing with her the exciting summer in her heart. Phuong always felt like she could hear the sound of firecrackers. Binh often borrowed the motorbike of the repair shop owner to visit Phuong's house. Sometimes he went alone, sometimes he went with Tung. The following month, Binh proposed to Phuong, Phuong accepted Binh's love. Before Phuong went to school, the village held a firecracker festival, Binh came and took Phuong back to the hometown to meet his parents.

Binh's parents were both happy when their son brought his girlfriend home. After lunch, the two went to the temple yard to watch the festival. But Phuong did not see Tung in Binh's fireworks team, nor did she see Dinh. After Binh finished setting off the fireworks, Phuong asked him what happened. Binh said:

- Tung's father fell ill and went to the hospital. The whole family went there. Tung got a job and went to the hospital at night to take care of his father instead of his mother. He hadn't seen Dinh for a few days.

The temple yard still echoed with the sound of firecrackers exploding. Phuong walked towards Dinh's gate. Dinh's parents were not home. Dinh was sitting absent-mindedly at her desk, her eyes red and swollen. Seeing Phuong, tears welled up in her eyes. Phuong felt guilty:

- What's wrong?

She gave Phuong a handwritten letter:

- Mr. Tung wrote back telling her not to wait for him anymore, to finish school and get married.

- Did he change his mind? Phuong asked.

Ms. Dinh cried. While crying, she told the sad story of Mr. Tung's family. Mr. Khang, Mr. Tung's father, fell ill and went for a test. They said he was infected with Agent Orange and referred him to the higher level. The villagers gossiped, saying that Mr. Khang was affected by Agent Orange and had several children but could not raise them. Luckily, Mr. Tung was saved. But maybe Tung also had inherited Agent Orange. Ms. Dinh's parents heard the news and did not accept her love for Mr. Tung anymore. Ms. Dinh was heartbroken and tried to persuade her parents but they did not agree. Today, on the day of the firecracker festival, she did not want to go out to watch. She was looking forward to the day Mr. Tung returned. But Mr. Tung had not returned yet and his letter of love had been sent to her.

Sister Dinh's tears welled up again.

- What do you think now?

- I will write him a letter of encouragement, but I don't know what to do.

At school, Dinh spoke less. She also did not receive any letters from Tung. Phuong was afraid of touching Dinh's sadness and did not dare to ask much. Binh went to the dormitory to visit Phuong once. After a month, Binh did not come. After a while, Phuong received a letter from Binh, her heart filled with excitement. Opening the letter, Phuong was stunned by the words:

"Phuong! I'm sorry.every girlinertiadecisionhey. my brotherplayyou and i havelet me follow my brother to Germany. I want to go to change my life.yesat homeoh brotherlam ma car repair guyI don't know what the future holds. IDon't wait for me anymore. Lthis lettercome to my handi have lwill youbeen thereOh. I'm sorry!

Phuong was silent. The sky and earth seemed gray before her eyes. Phuong had to lean against the wall to keep from falling. It turned out that to break up, all she needed was the sentence "Don't wait for me anymore". The two of them were friends, no wonder they wrote the same ending sentence. However, Tung, due to difficult circumstances, had to write that for his girlfriend to get married. That meant Tung loved Dinh very much. As for Binh, he gave up his first love to go to a new land, to find a better life for himself. Binh didn't care about Phuong's feelings. Binh didn't love Phuong as much as he said.

Phuong's body shook and she cried.

*

Ms. Dinh pulled Phuong's hand to where Mr. Tung was making firecrackers:

- Hi Phuong. Do you want to set off fireworks?

Phuong waved his hand:

- I can only sow letters.

Phuc, the couple's son, went to take the tray of fireworks from the gunners' hands, then turned around and threw the fireworks up. The fireworks exploded loudly, the strings of fireworks flew out straight and tight. The sound of clapping and cheering echoed in the temple yard.

Phuong looked at Mr. Tung and said:

- If you had listened to me and said "don't wait for me anymore", how would there be this gunner?

Mr. Tung smiled, pretending to scratch his ear:

- Fate, my dear.

Ms. Phuong gently used a towel to wipe the sweat from her husband's cheek:

- I told my parents, if they don't let me marry him, I won't marry anyone.

A year later, Tung's family returned to the village. Uncle Khang had recovered, had an additional standard allowance to support victims of Agent Orange, and had more money for medicine. Ms. Dinh came to visit her like a daughter. Tung no longer avoided her.

They happily got married. On their wedding night, in the sacred moment of happiness, Mr. Tung hugged Ms. Dinh and whispered: "Thank you for waiting for me!". He said that before leaving, he had gone for a check-up and the doctor said he was normal and could get married and have children. Hearing him say that, Ms. Dinh laughed and cried.

Phuong listened to her brother and sister's story as if she was listening to a fairy tale love story.

Suddenly, Ms. Dinh pulled Phuong's hand and pointed at the man walking towards her:

- Do you recognize anyone?

Phuong squinted:

- Who is like Mr. Binh?

- Binh, back on father's death anniversary.

Binh walked over and smiled at the two of them. His big face no longer had the dimples it used to have. Binh shook hands with Dinh, then Phuong:

- I'm still waiting for the day of the fireworks festival to see you again. How are you?

- Thank you. I'm fine.

Phuc took the tray of firecrackers out to sow, Phuong pulled Dinh's hand:

- Come out and cheer for Phuc!

The sound of firecrackers exploded loudly.