Page 427 - Thorn In The Heart

Chinh Nguyên

lived without direction...! I thought you were a student at the

time we met in Van's house, weren't you? " In a raised

voice Nguyen asked.

She clasped her face with her hands, and sobbed.

" Yes, I studied in laws school just the first year at that time.
Sometimes I went to the ball-family with Hung, he was my brother in
law. After my parent died at the TET Offense (1968) in Thai-Binh,
Xom-Moi, Saigon by Viet-Cong, I moved into my sister's house and
living with her family a year..."

" Your parent died at Tet Offense...! " Nguyen was interrupted.

Phuong nodded her head, and in a sobbing she continued:

" Viet-Cong took advantage of the celebration of the people
from New Year's ever to attack into the cities like you were known,
Viet-Cong knocked the doors in the transition hour at the midnight,
they thought the people inside the doors should be the public
officer, policeman, or soldier which they can consider to force the
people giving their information. They knocked our door while my
parent sat on the salon in

the living room, talking of about future and drinking tea, while I
step

up on the stairs to go back my bedroom at the second floor after
I took

Some more hot water and tea for them. I stopped on the low-
end stairs to look at my mom, she walked to the window, setting the
window curtains ajar to look out on the doorway. Suddenly, I saw
her be so much afraid after she looked out the window, her knees
are shaking, her voice gabble to my father, her hand gave a sign to
my father and me to escape from them, while I heard a nasty voice
at outside of the door :

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