"A story about a Romantic Vietnamese Guy who feels that he was never meant to be a warrior, but he was obliged to do it for his country. trying to survive to return to his family while protecting his best friend and himself. " “I cannot believe that war is the best solution. No one won the last war and no one will win the next." |
PAM HÙNG DUNG, "HÙNG" which means Heroic and "DUNG" means Brave,
really does not describe my personality best...
for me, i really hate war.
it's better for me to be a writer or a poet because i know i have a talent for it.
like the way i attract my wife Chau Hong Kim,
In 1949, i met Kim when i was 17, and she was 15.
It was love at first sight and everyday since, i tried to attract her in anyway i could.
one day in 1950, it was June, we're walking together besides a small river at our town side.
we had our first kiss there.
and we made a symbol that only two of us know.
i took a leaf and placed it on top of Kim's head, covered it with my hand, and i said,
"whenever i put this leaf, it means that i really do love you. i know that there will come our hard time and when everything goes wrong, i hope this leaf will tell everything from my heart.."
i really remember when she blushed and she punched my stomach at the end of that moment. Everything was so beautiful back then..
we lived in a small town called Bee-Enn Foo, North Vietnam. during that time, our government was in an unstable position because of a clash between the communist and democratic party. my wife and i lived in the communist territory and in a matter of time, we really didn't want to be involved in any of this nonsense.
but obligation beats everything. i had to leave Kim and PHAM HAO PHUC, my only son.
My little treasure that born on 21 January 1953 from my marriage with Kim a year before.
the farewell was the hardest.
Probably because she aware that she should be the one who go to war better then me.
for the first time, i saw Kim cried in front of me.
questioning that this strong hearted girl could drop her tears for me.
i put leaf on top of her head, and then cover it with my hand and we prayed.
we hugged and kissed.
my war start at 3 May 1959, at the border between South and North Vietnam.
at this war, i met a young boy named Huỳnh Công Út.
he was 19 when he entered the war, not as a soldier but as a Photographer.
Nick and I became good friend since then, maybe you can say he's my only friend.
to be honest, 3 years of my duty, i NEVER killed anyone.
until that day comes when i have to choose between taking live or let my friend die.
it was dusk, middle August 1962, in the middle of an ambush, guns firing everywhere.
my squad was trying to win the ground. and Nick was there hiding and taking a lot of pictures.
i stood 7 meters away from him.
then, one american soldier ran blindly towards Nick holding a bayonet, trying to killed anybody in his way.
i stood and screamed to Nick to run, but Nick couldn't hear me, he couldn't even move because of the killing pressure from that american guy.
i fired.
it was my first time shooting a person. Nick was shocked.
everything seemed to move slower and a thousand of emotional thoughts came into my mind.
i smiled. and trying to scream "You own me one NICK!"
but,
BANGG...
i heard a gun shot really near my spot. and i felt something touching my body.
everything went so quiet. i saw Nick's face so ugly like screaming and crying. but no voice came from him.
and suddenly, i breathing began to hurt.
i fell. i got shot. i'm dying.
Nick comes to me, he grabs my hand and screams my name.
i tried to grab any leaf around me and put it upon his head.
hardly, i said to him.
"Please nick.. find my wife.. and do this to her.."
i believe that nick would find my wife. i showed him picture of my wife once and if he need to see it again,
i always kept the picture inside my pocket. he knows it.
then,
i prayed.
that day, the most talented poetic, the Romantic Warrior, died in a war.
not for his country, but for his friend.
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