Page 346 - Thorn In The Heart

Thorns in the Heart I

night to watch their cakes because sometimes they must add more
hot water to the pail while cooking. After 12 hours he took the cakes
out of the pail, setting in order and equal height on the kitchen table,
put the flat door on the top of cakes then laid the bricks for just
enough on it to press the water out of the cakes until the cakes were
drying.

On a day long and last night, Nguyen was a charging officer in
Pyramid Controller Rada Airforce base. His father has covered the
cakes by himself, and his mother cooked them.

Just stepping into the house, Nguyen looked at his mother
putting the rice cakes on the kitchen table.

"Mom... It smells good" Nguyen called and said.

She didn't look at him; she paid attention to check a cake, which
she just took it out from the pail, and put it on the table at the corner
of the living room.

"Nguyen, You will be home this New Year, are not you?" She
asked.

"Yes, Mom..."

"How about your base has confined to barracks?"

Nguyen shook his head.

"I don't know about this order until now. If my commander gives
this order to his soldiers, it should be tomorrow."

Nguyen mom had sight and said:

"The soldiers were confined to barracks every New Year ever!"

"Mom, because of the war! It will break up everywhere! Most
the time Viet-Cong had an advantage on the greeting celebration of
the people as Christmas and New Year to attack us."

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