Summer with Orange

“Meow… meow”. My summer afternoon nap was awakened by the meowing of the cat curled up in the sun by the window. I stretched, and she seemed to imitate me and also stretched her back with a relaxed look. Her name was Cam, a name given by her previous owner because she had a beautiful, shiny yellow fur that seemed to have been dyed very carefully. Cam came to me at the beginning of this summer and spent the longest vacation of the year with me. The past summers did not leave me with many memories, there were only patches of hot, uncomfortable afternoon sunlight, heavy rains with terrifying thunder and lightning… But this summer was completely different for me thanks to Cam. Cam came with so many new things that I had never felt before.

These days the sun is blazing hot, the plants in the room are also wilting because of the sun. But my Cam is still very leisurely, enjoying this not-so-lovely atmosphere. Looking from my bed towards the corner of the window, I can not only see the sun but also a "fairyland". There are clumps of bright red hibiscus, large green bamboo bushes stretching out to provide shade, or a small river flowing gently. Luckily, that "fairyland" is located in the backyard, an ideal place for Cam and I to roll around all day without getting bored. To make any "picnic" more perfect, we need a soft pillow, a big rug, and a can of cold soda. The first time we came to this place, Cam was curious and ran around exploring. She did not choose to lie under the cool shade of the bamboo but curled up on the grass right next to the river, looking very excited. So I approached Cam to feel the more unique features of summer. Lying on the grass under the gentle sunlight, oh what a strange feeling. The sunlight was no longer blazing like fire, but like shimmering golden threads, piercing through the clouds from the sun spinning frame to the earth. Each sparkling ray of sunlight seemed to fill the empty space on her body, playing and caressing her skin. Cam still lay there with her eyes half-closed and sleepy, she raised her paw to scratch her ears and then licked her fur with a satisfied face.

Enjoy the pleasures of summer besides the scorching sun is the cool shower, watering the grass and trees. The summer rain comes not as humid as the spring drizzle, dark clouds cover the sky, the wind blows stronger and stronger. The rain is not persistent but happens very quickly, each raindrop falls to the ground, lingering on the green leaves. Sitting still by the window after the rain, the scene suddenly appears different. Everything is washed clean, becomes brighter, the air is suddenly fresher, purer and more pleasant. If you pay attention, what we receive after the rain is not only the cool climate but also a pleasant scent. It is the smell of rain, a pure scent combined with the smell of soil, flowers, grass and leaves on the roadside. Sitting with Cam by the window under the rain in the cool weather is so strangely peaceful.

Cam came to me like a breath of fresh air, giving me more energy to travel everywhere. Those moments were so wonderful, cycling along the familiar village road, we saw the golden rice fields being dried under the bright summer sun, saw the royal poinciana trees blooming with bright red flowers like giant torches standing tall in the sky. Cam was still sitting in my bicycle cage, leisurely enjoying the afternoon sun, the smell of straw wafting in my nose on the harvest day. Cycling on the dike, we not only got to see the beauty of our homeland in our sight, the golden ripe rice fields, the lotus ponds with fragrant pink and white flowers, but also were satisfied with the kites fluttering in the sky carrying the joy of children.

Summer came to me as gently and peacefully as the way Cam came to me. Accompanying that lovely cat during the summer days, I felt the beautiful things around me that I had not realized for a long time.

VU TUAN KHANG
(13 years old, Cam Giang town, Cam Giang)