Volunteer Train Guard

The passenger train rumbled past, making a loud noise in a corner of the village. Waiting for a safe distance, Mr. Dao leaned on his crutches and lifted the barrier made of long bamboo painted white and red for bicycles, motorbikes, and pedestrians to pass. Mr. Dao has been diligently doing this daily task for more than ten years.
- Hello Mr. Dao!
Nam said hello. Recognizing the familiar person, Mr. Dao nodded enthusiastically:
Hello comrades of the Youth Union.
Hearing Mr. Dao's reply, Nam stopped the car and held his rough, calloused hand. On the way home, a warm feeling spread through Nam.
Mr. Dao is a volunteer train guard, without any salary. People who don't know him say he's crazy. But the people around here are very grateful to him. Because of him, many train accidents have not happened.
Mr. Dao's house is in the middle of the village, a few hundred meters from the intersection where the railway runs. Although it is only a residential road, it is the main artery of the commune. The traffic volume of people in the village and neighboring areas passing through this intersection every day is very high, especially in the early morning and at rush hour when workers from all over the place flock to the industrial park to work. When Mr. Dao's bamboo barrier was not there, railway traffic accidents occurred almost every year, and some people even lost their lives. That is why this intersection is also called the crossroads of death.
Continuously witnessing tragic railway accidents, many families lost their loved ones, Mr. Dao was very worried. He hoped that in his last years he could contribute something useful to society. After many sleepless nights, he hid from his wife and children, wrote a request to the commune to volunteer to stand guard at this intersection.
- Your heart is truly precious - when listening to Mr. Dao's presentation, the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee was moved. But is it appropriate for you to do that job? What about your family?
Mr. Dao laughed:
- I know what you're going to say. Don't think that I'm disabled and useless. Didn't Uncle Ho say "disabled but not useless"? My wish is to do useful things to prove to everyone that I can still contribute to life. As for my family, don't worry. At my age, how can I not decide what to do?
Hearing Mr. Dao say that, the Chairman of the Commune People's Committee nodded in agreement but could not help but feel worried and concerned. Knowing the thoughts of the local official, Mr. Dao smiled:
- Don't worry. I said I could do it. I did it all voluntarily.
It is true that the family did not accept Mr. Dao's decision. That job is difficult even for a healthy person, let alone a disabled person. Therefore, when they heard that Mr. Dao had applied to the commune to volunteer to stand guard at the train, his wife and children strongly objected.
- Are you crazy? - Mr. Dao's wife, Mrs. Hai, said harshly. Please stop thinking about that.
Mr. Dao's son and daughter also joined in with their mother:
- Mom is right. Dad's health is not as good as anyone else's, but he still wants to go to the crossroads to do the job of carrying prisoners and goods.
Mr. Dao smiled to comfort his wife and children:
- So what if I am disabled? So what if I have to carry the whole load of goods. I am disabled but I can still do useful things for the community and society, you and your children should support me. Okay. I have made up my mind. Even if you and your children do not support me, I will still do it.
Mrs. Hai understood her husband's personality very well. Once he said that, no one could change his mind. However, she still refused:
- But I'm worried. Do you know that intersection is deserted and full of crooks? If something happens to you, who can my mother and I turn to?
Mr. Dao said softly:
- I know you and your mother only want the best for me. Everyone, don't worry. I believe that if I do good deeds, God will bless me.
No sooner said than done, the next day, Mr. Dao went alone on crutches to an empty plot of land next to the railway, planted a wooden stake, and went into the village to ask for a long bamboo pole painted white and red to cross the road as a barrier. At first, people whispered and said this and that. Some people were upset and openly reacted when he blocked their cars. After a while, everyone knew that he was genuinely concerned about their safety, so everyone supported him and strictly followed his orders every time a train arrived.
Being a volunteer train guard is not easy. There are no traffic lights, so Mr. Dao has to time himself, listen to the train whistle to lower the barrier. He has gotten used to it, and gradually he has learned all the train times. Since he started volunteering to guard the train at the intersection, Mr. Dao has never left his post. Regardless of rain or storms, every time the train arrives, Mr. Dao pulls down the barrier, warning people to stop and wait for the train to pass. Every day, Mr. Dao is on duty at the checkpoint from 5am to 10pm.
As a fellow villager, Nam admired Mr. Dao's work. Seeing him exposed all day at the crossroads regardless of sun or rain, he mobilized several youth union members to help him build a tent to shelter from the sun and rain. He also discussed with the members of the village's youth union to arrange for someone to support Mr. Dao whenever he had to take a day off.
Once while talking, Nam said jokingly:
- Mr. Dao, do you know what people call you?
- What is it? - Mr. Dao asked again:
- They call him the "rice-powered" barrier, the nemesis of death.
Mr. Dao smiled:
- They call it that, but I dare not accept it. All I do is hope to not witness any more tragic accidents at this intersection.
Nam nodded:
- I have to admit, you're really good. How do you remember all the train schedules?
Mr. Dao laughed heartily:
- If you do something over and over again, it becomes a habit. For example, on this railway line, there are 8 passenger trains and 10 freight trains every day. For each trip, I clearly note the train's arrival time to lower the barrier. Passenger trains move fast, so the barrier must be lowered 5 minutes in advance to warn people, while freight trains only need to be lowered 2 minutes in advance.
Since Mr. Dao volunteered to guard the train, the village’s deadly railway intersection has had no more tragic accidents. His actions have now been recognized by his family, government agencies, and the people.
As a habit, every time he went to work or returned home and passed the intersection where Mr. Dao set up his guard post, Nam stopped to ask about his daily work. In the evening or on his days off, he spent time visiting and helping him repair the hut, fix the pillars, and repaint the barrier. The two people, one old and one young, from two different generations, became as close as soul mates.
One evening, Nam went to the checkpoint to drink tea with Mr. Dao.
- You once said you wanted to visit Uncle Ho's mausoleum, right?
Mr. Dao nodded:
- That's right.
Sincerely:
- On the upcoming May 19th, our Commune Youth Union will organize a trip to the capital to report to Uncle Ho. From the things you have done for the community and society over the years, we respectfully invite you to participate as an honorary member.
- Well, what more could I ask for?
Mr. Dao was moved. It seemed like he could not believe what he had just heard. After a moment of contemplation, Mr. Dao asked Nam:
- Do you know why I volunteered to guard the train here?
Nam looked at Mr. Dao strangely and asked again:
- Don't you want traffic accidents to happen at this deadly intersection?
- That's true. But there's another reason.
- What's the reason? - Nam asked in surprise.
Mr. Dao suddenly became pensive:
- That was a long time ago, from the war. But it is also the motivation for me to work today.
Curious man:
- A story from the war. Tell me.
Mr. Dao nodded and said: It was a noon in 1965. At that time, the American invaders were frantically bombing the North. Our district was the target of enemy planes' daily attacks.
That day, two friends and I were assigned to go to the fields to receive the buffaloes at noon. At that time, the buffaloes were still being plowed, so my friends and I sat on the railway tracks and waited. After sitting for a while, we saw groups of American planes roaring from the river mouth towards the pontoon bridge at the beginning of the town, scattering black bombs. Because we were used to planes bombing the pontoon bridge every day, we calmly watched each group of planes hovering overhead. At that moment, we saw a train carrying military supplies from Hai Phong appear in front of us. If we did not notify in time, the train would certainly fall into the area where enemy planes were bombing. We immediately jumped up and shouted: "Stop. There are bombers ahead." Afraid that the train driver would not hear, we shouted and waved our hats, pointing to the sky to signal. Understanding our intentions, the train slowed down and stopped in the middle of the village with dense trees.
After the incident, we returned to our daily work of herding buffalo and cutting grass. Unexpectedly, the train driver reported to the railway leaders that the three of us were not afraid of danger when the enemy planes dropped bombs to signal for the train to be saved. After that, we were sought out by journalists for interviews, photos, and articles. What was even more surprising was that we were honored as "Good Children of Uncle Ho" and honored to receive a badge from Uncle Ho. On the day we received the badge, the commune held a solemn ceremony. The three of us wore red scarves, and the superiors pinned the badge on their shirts and told us: "You must try to study hard, promote your achievements, and do more good deeds." Later, we joined the militia and participated in the work of transporting the wounded to serve the battlefields protecting the pontoon bridge.
Listening to Mr. Dao's story, Nam exclaimed:
- You were awarded the "Uncle Ho Badge". What a surprise.
Mr. Dao looked embarrassed:
- It's an old story. Don't laugh.
- Why are you laughing? This is a very good story, very proud for us young people to learn. Do you still have that badge?
- After the peace, I applied to work at a river transport company. Unfortunately, while the ship was loading goods at Hai Phong port, I had an accident and lost a leg, becoming disabled as I am now. Although I always considered it a sacred relic, 5 years ago, the provincial museum called for donations of relics of Uncle Ho, I brought that badge back for them to keep and display.
Another train came and interrupted their conversation. Mr. Dao told Nam to sit and drink some water while he went down the train guard. Let me go out with you - Nam quickly stood up and went with Mr. Dao.