Page 65 - Thorn In The Heart

Chinh Nguyên

Do the best you can. If you have promise with some else, you
must keep it forever...”

“Yes! Grandpa. I will...”

“Good... You are a good boy.

Sunday morning after Viet-Minh troops had moved in the
village four days.

Nguyen woke up much like any early Sunday morning,
hurry running toward the restroom to wash his face and brush
the teeth. He dressed up and was ready to follow his
grandparents going to the Church. Nguyen met his grandparent
in a grandma room and had a look of astonishment at them when
he saw their quiet actions and the serious worry faces. They
were not in full dress as they were before on every Sunday.
Instead, they were hurry discussing in the low voice while his
grandma is walking back and forth from her room to his grandpa
room to connect the indispensable clothe for them and him.
Nguyen held his grandpa right hand and had a strong feeling of
something that will occur on this house soon. In suddenly,
Nguyen pays attention to the Viet-Minh soldiers in the house
and only the reports on the front lines that echoed into his
grandma room by a Vietminh's PCR-25x radio in the living
room.

Nguyen left his grandpa’s hand and runs out of grandma
room toward the living room. He stood between a hallway to
watch around the living room and the actions of the Viet-Minh
commander group. Nguyen saw a Viet-Minh Co-General and his
staff officers were looking at a map that hangs on the wall. They
were discussing their plan of defense and moving the troops. A
General sat on the sofa confront with a small map and quiet,
listening to his staffs reporting in the tense situation on the
battlefront line. Sometimes he ordered his staffs to move the
troops in preparation for fighting at any time in the front and

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