Friends not Foe

"Story about one man remembering his past best friend when they were in junior high school, and one incident makes them separated while he trying to put everything back in his mature age"

a punch..

right into my face..

20km/hour, i guess..

And from a best friend of yours..

have you ever feel it?

man.. it feels perfect...  ly.. 

hurt..

still remember how is it feels..

i never forget the day i got my first fight at school..

it was my third year of junior high..

so i'm 15th back then..

My very best friend named, Pham Hao Phuc, -weird name uh? yeah.. he's Vietnamese-

punch me right into my face with his small yet strong hands..

questioning why he did that?

i think it's better questioning "who is he.."

i know Hao well more than any of our friends know him..

and that knowledge also became the source of our scuffle.. 

Hao is a Vietnamese boy who got Evacuated from the war back in his country.

He said that his uncle with his auntie, take Hao from his home since he was a baby.

separated by his mother and unknown father makes him turn into a very independent personality..

which i like most from him..

we meet when we enter kindergarten.. 

since then, i think something called "destiny", turn him into my best friends..

we never leave each other, we play so well even i can say he's so much fun than any other kids.

but.. nothing is perfect.. even that 10 years bounds, have to be broken..

and it caused by something silly that a teenager could not understand..

" A RACE DIFFERENCE"..

silly right..??

but back on that time, -even until now-

we're the Americans putted our hands in the on going war that happened in Vietnam..

War that in fact is happening only between South and North Vietnam them self.

yeah..just as usual, some of the Americans became to smart and wanting to involved in any war..sacrificing a thousand of their troops just because of  one person ego.

Including  sacrificing my father

Any way, this thing also happened for hao. His father went to war zone since hao just a baby, just like my father left me back then when i was 5.

The main problem that we got is,

 My father was a commander in USS troops who fight against North Vietnam Troops, which is where Hao’s father were in..

or in rough way, i can say that My father is Hao's father's Enemy..

haha..

thinking about the punching incident that happened to us back then, makes me want to laugh.

it wasn't a big deal for me now, -and i think hao also thought the same way..-

our dad's died in a war because they fight each other..

after all, they fight for their country isn't it?

but that's wasn't what i'm thinking back then.. when i was 15..

on that time, my heart fulfilled by wrath and revenge..

having a Father image is always became my dream...but sadly no one there for me and no one could replace him..i think that Hao's existence makes my father's died in the war.. and so on, Hao's my enemy.. 

hahhaha.. what a joke..

so, that bad tought about hao's existence, is what make us becoming something called "enemy" until now..

i never had a chance to ask for forgiveness for talking bad about him..

but i will.. 

soon when i find him..

because i know,

for once, he was my best friend..

and forever he will still be..

BINH the Bear.

"story about one doll seeing and caring about his master journey of life, loosing his childhood, loosing his mother and put all his memories into that doll"

do you have any dolls in your house? or more specify, bear doll..? if you have..please take care of it.. just like my late master take care of me, his most favorite toys. 

i'm an old doll, a very old doll, and please don't compare me with yours. because the artist who made me, just a poor mother who wants to make her son happy. with cloth, button, thread and love, she made me. 

just like every story, it start with Once upon a time.

once upon a time, i remember the first time i opened my eyes, and there's one little boy hold me and just smiled with a lot of spark in his eyes. his name in Hao and he's my master.

doll for a boy? why not..?

on that time, people says that Bear doll was a prestige toys to play. i was prestige on that time and i'm proud of it. Hao played with me everyday, literally everyday.

because i never saw any other Toys beside me. uh.. wait,

there's one and it's an car toys made from bamboo. .

then..there's only two of us back then.

until one day, Hao being kidnapped by his uncle.

and separated by his lovely mother.

it was a big war. Vietnam most horrifying years where a lot of soldier sacrifice for their land. including Hao's father, one of the warrior for North Vietnam.

that night, i saw a lot of misery. we were surrounded by cacophony of screams and explosion.

Luckily, Hao was asleep. i, Hao, Hao's uncle and auntie, run away from North Vietnam to South Vietnam. we're trying to evacuate to America with the helps of South Vietnamese people.

"dont worry Hao, Binh will always accompany you."

that night, it was my promise for my master.

Years passed, ever since we moved, Hao got new toys and new friends. i know this day will come. left the new toys for the good ones. he left me somewhere and just forget about my existence. so, i just be able to wait for his returns. i believe that day will came.

i saw how Hao's grow. from a little boy, into a grown up man.

one day, when he was a teenager, i saw him came home with bruise on his face, he had a fight with Walter, one of his best friend. Hao punched him because he think Walter talked a bad thing behind his back, blaming Hao's race. because Walter father was one of the commander in American army which got involved in south Vietnamese war towards North Vietnamese, towards Hao's father.

hah.. i wish i could tell him not to put any hatred in his heart.. 

as time goes by, Hao became older and start considered about keep me carefully. one day Hao came back home rushing and try to search for me. and when he found me again, i can see pain in his eyes. then, i know my await, was not futile. hao really do take care of me since that day. it's like, im the center of his "peace" now.

i know that i will always be his special toys.

the one and only toys from his mother.