Page 135 - Thorn In The Heart

Chinh Nguyên

street in Hanoi Capital. The house looked as the condominium
house by the common walls joined with the neighbors and built
along the alley on both sides. It had two narrow bedrooms since
two Nguyen’s sisters shared a room with his mother and Nguyen
favored other for his private. The small living room was just
enough for a small sofa, a living room table and a chair with
some pictures of Nguyen’s grandparents and family member
hanging on the wall. The kitchen room was just a table to put an
oil-kitchen or a ranger on it. Therefore Nguyen’s mother had
cooked the foods before she steams the rice.

The common Thang-Long alley court was the front of the
houses on both sides and without backyard for the houses.
Therefore the kids joined with their friends to play games on the
Thang-Long alley court every afternoon after they were back
home from the schools. Sometimes they fight one to another for
the leader in the court, or by cheating of a player, or without
reason. It was to show their energy, but after all the winner and
loser was a friend without an enemy. They knew the name of
each one, even the house that their friends were living, and some
kids knew the job of their friend parents is working. Also, they
recognized their friend's parent faces. Since most the time
Nguyen father just walked in the front of Thang-Long alley from
Bach-Mai street, Nguyen’s mother had news about her spouse
going home from them at another end.

The front of Thang-Long alley confronted to the Bach-Mai
Air Force base entrance on another side of Bach-Mai street.
Therefore Nguyen saw French soldiers everyday morning while
he waited for the trams on a station nearby the Air Force base
entrance. It made freshly his memories about the war on the
village, and the hate for the French evil actions was growing in
his soul. Sometimes, Nguyen tried to forgive and fogged any
dirty of French colonials as his mom said, but he could not do it.
Because the image of French soldiers, who fire a hundred shots
at his uncle Hung still appearing on his mind.

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