We Belong Together

Chapter 6

Three times a week, as regular as squeezing lemons, on odd days, Viet is here again, right on runway 14 at Bowling Stabow. Usually he goes with a girl, but today he only went with Phan. When Phan was with him, Viet didn't want a girl to come in between the two, including Thao. Sometimes Viet likes that, it's just him and Phan. Just two men and bowling balls.

- The form is so low these days? - Viet raised his face and asked Phan like he was screaming in the music that beat like a battle drum, after he had just made another Strike, and Phan had not yet poured 10 bottles of Kegel even though he threw the second round. - You don't practice at all, losing to the "long-legged" girls on the other side.

Phan looked at the next table, where a few young girls were huddled. The girl that Viet only has a tall figure, but the makeup is very heavy and the blond hair is dyed in a chestnut color that does not suit her very well. The girl with a very skilled way of throwing the ball was puffing a cigarette from her lips. Phan grimaced, he was allergic to all smokers, regardless of whether they were male or female. But Viet did not care, he still did not take his eyes off the girl:

- How much?

- It's hashed.

- Two beers.

- Agree. - Phan patted Viet's hand.

- Just turned 20. You lost, why do you think she's so old?

- No way, she looks old, if not old.

- Do you want her ID number, measurements, height, weight, arm length, lip thickness, and some other measurements?

- You're terrible, aren't you? But I still can't believe she's only twenty.

- Oh, how about going to the disco six times a week? Doesn't look like a 50-year-old guy.

- Do you have experience with the "Playing" world?

"No, an acquaintance." Viet winked at Phan, then walked over to the girl's table, two tables away from him. Viet shocked the girl's hand and whispered something very intimate, the girl squealed and punched Viet on the back.

- Any stylish girl playing around is also your friend? - Phan asked when Viet returned. - Right?

- It depends on the meaning of the word "playing and demanding" that you just said. This city has just over four million inhabitants, but fortunately the bunch of playboys, in the true sense of the word, make up only about one in ten thousand. And Hanoi does not have many discos. Do you think I'll know them all?

- Not only know, but also seem friendly?

- Come on, I just told her to be careful, don't fall on the floor. - Do I care about her a*s?

- Ah! If she falls on her butt to the floor, I'm afraid she'll have a traumatic brain injury.

Viet laughed loudly, Phan shocked his head, then also laughed. The "long-legged" girl on the other side looked over, but didn't understand what the two were saying, but also raised a bottle of Heineken beer to invite. Viet raised his beer bottle in response, winking at Phan. Phan shocked his head.

- You're so strange, do you still hang out with girls like her? Why talk about them now?

- Make no mistake, I still play with them, but that doesn't mean I will "friend" or fall in love with a certain girl. Me and them, if you like it, play, if you don't like it, then bye. Very comfortable, no one bothers anyone. It's symbiotic, like the Mistletoe.

- What's wrong with that? - What's wrong with that? Mistletoe is not a symbiosis? But isn't it okay for you to live like that? Find a decent girlfriend, "yeah".

- I beg you, am I still young? I don't want to put my hands in the shakes soon, maybe it's better not to get married. Live it comfortably. Have you heard the saying "Young people are not aggressive, old ... lose their temper"? Look at that guy, won't come with me, now he's worse than a woman.

- I don't care, free time, I go to school, or work.

- That seems like a very good reason for you to abandon me, doesn't it? And your bad form?

- YES! There's a lot of work at the hospital these days, the patients are obviously crowded - Phan just threw another ball and glanced at the other side of the runway, the "long-legged" girl was about to throw the ball again - More and more crowded.

- If you don't sing well, don't blame the stage for being bad. If you don't focus, how can you hit it? Whatever you do, pay attention, look at me.

- Stop with your broken lessons. These days, I know that there are a lot of patients, the hospital is overloaded. - Phan brought the beer bottle to his mouth - Feel free to let your private hospital "pick up" silver. Then money will crush you to death.

- I'm not greedy, nothing should be too much, even too much money. Speaking of your patients, remember Minh Hanh? That girl that crashed into my car in the middle of the night.

- I'm a bit absent-minded, but I never forget special things. For example, when I had to get up in the cold rainy night and run like a madman on the street, I put it in the category of special things.

- I just met her again this morning - Viet pretended not to hear Phan, the ball he threw only spilled nine bottles of Kegel - I just read her resume this morning, exactly. She quit her job at the hospital, and she just happened to be applying for my place.

- What does your word "just met" mean?

- Didn't I tell you how I met her at the record store? Turns out she's also a Chopin enthusiast like me, and she's also a great audiologist.

- I'll take your word "great" to mean that she knows the names of some classical tunes, too. Will you accept her? I mean get a good doctor, not someone with the same taste in music as you.

- Are you kidding? Why can't I accept her, we're very destined - Viet laughs - Look at your face, stop with that look, I mean how can I ignore such a talented person okay? If only he looked at her profile, studying extremely "dirty", and full of good comments from professors and doctors who have worked with him. I'm sure you've never been, don't be jealous. Maybe I should take the initiative to call her, to invite her to work at my place, don't you think that's better?

- You should call, if the sky is going to fall tomorrow because you don't have an employee who can listen to Chopin's music.

- You have a lovely way of showing consent. However, did you know that Vietnam has a serious shortage of physicians? The difference between successful people and people is how they find and seize opportunities. So I will not pass up the opportunity to cooperate with a genuine physician. But, - Viet shocked his head - I don't quite understand, why did she quit her job?

"I can understand this," replied Phan thoughtfully, "She wants to run away from old memories, from the bad man she once, she doesn't have the heart to hate. him, so he had to run away. But more important, in my opinion, maybe she understands she should, because her goal now is no longer to find a place to work, study, and improve her profession She had no other choice, she needed a place to earn a lot of money, lots of money to save for her treatment later. And that, a state unit like that central acupuncture institute can't provide. Time too, you know, time won't wait for her...

Viet finished the second shot, the lever lowered and overturned the stubborn kygel that had just dodged his ball.

Nodding his thanks to Viet as he politely pulled his chair, Minh Hanh sat down on the chair across from him. Her eyes sparkled with curiosity as if wondering why suddenly Viet invited her to this Café? She hated his vague, secretive look when he talked to her on the phone. She looked at him, eyes waiting for an answer, and in return, he smiled.

- I have something to discuss, no, I want to ask you, don't mind?

- Don't mind, but a bit surprised, because I was also wanting to see you, but you called me again. How do you coincide?

- What do you want to see me about?

- Let's talk about yours first, because you called me out here. Agree? - Hanh wears a pale pink scarf around her neck, even though it's autumn, the northeast monsoons make the weather cold like it's the middle of winter. Her hands cupped the cup of warm water that had just been raised, still steaming as if trying to find some warmth to dispel the cold that was freezing her hands - I'm listening.

- Okay, I heard rumors that she graduated from the Department of Pediatrics?

- Did you hear the rumors, or did you know?

- I know!

- That's right, but that's not important now - Hanh sobbed, steam emanating from her mouth like a thin layer of air, she was sad - Why are you asking me that?

- It's because I'm running a private hospital, maybe you know it too, Life private hospital.

- Are you working there? - Hanh exclaimed in surprise - What are you doing there? - A small position, for example director?

"You're making fun of me," Hanh's voice became harsh, "right?"

- Why am I making fun of you? Viet was surprised.

- Because I just applied for a job there the other day, but to be honest, it was only because of your advice, and I am not very confident in my ability to get the job. I know what big private hospitals like you need. Your hospital is so big, where can you not have good doctors? What do you need someone like me for? But suddenly today he called me out here to talk. Either you're kidding me, or you're pitying me?

- What does "someone like me" mean? Why do I pity her? You're putting yourself down too much. Believe me, we need your expertise, we need a good physician, that's why I called you today.

Hanh looked deeply into Viet's eyes, his eyes full of suspicion and he scrutinized.

- I have absolutely no problem with you having the disease, I know the reason why you have it, but that's not why you can shrink yourself like a snail. - Suddenly Viet lowered his voice, he looked around, the shop was empty, just the two of them, but he still spoke in a whisper - She is isolating herself from the world, before people discriminated and isolated her. there. If you want others to get along with you, you have to get along with everyone, right? Sick people are pitiful people, but that's not why I asked you to work for me, it's your talent that we care about. Moreover, everyone has the right to work. You need a job and I need a good partner. That is a completely objective reason. At work, a good boss is someone who knows how to use people according to their ability, not according to their feelings. Besides, I'm not her close acquaintance, moreover, we've only met a few times, and she's not my friend, nor my cousin. So, can you give me any reason to feel sorry for you?

Hanh looked deeply into Viet's eyes again, her eyes were less suspicious, her hands were twisted together, looking very confused. Viet smiled and extended his hand: - How?

- Okay - She shocked his hand - Looks like I owe you an apology.

- Wonderful. I'll let you apologize that later. Now, let's talk about you wanting to see me, what's the matter?

- I have this for you - Hanh handed Viet a carefully wrapped gift - My friend in France came back to play, and gave me some good music, I think it would be unfair for you not to enjoy it.

- What do you have for me? - Viet was surprised - Bribing your boss is a big crime.

- Where did I sign a labor contract? Why are you in such a hurry to be your boss?

- You already agreed to work for me. "Blood words".

- Okay, either you accept a bribe, or you lose the CD Chopin performed by Vladimir Horowitz, which one will you choose?

- Horowitz's CD? Why didn't you say earlier? - Viet almost screamed with joy, his eyes sparkling with uncontrollable joy - you don't know how hard I dreamed and found it?

- So, in return, I hope the boss will clear the charge of bribery for me, okay? That is too big of a crime.

- On the contrary, thank you. - Viet didn't notice that he just changed his address to Hanh - Thank you.

- I just returned Rome to Caesar. Horowitz's CDs should be listening to with his excellent Tannoy speakers, instead of your crappy Chinese radio. Listening to your radio is also an injustice to our great composer.

- The important thing is the feeling, but I have to admit, listening to the radio is a bad idea. Or that's it, someday I'll invite you, Phan and Thao, maybe you don't know Thao, she's Phan's girlfriend. People will come to your house, cook something and enjoy this wonderful record, how? - Very good, I have not had the opportunity to thank Mr. Phan.

- Don't be so strict, I just hope you consider us as friends, isn't that difficult for you? - Happy Vietnamese.

The sun had begun to peek out from the gray clouds in the sky, radiating a bit of warmth onto the ground. The sunlight poured into the restaurant, adorning the copy of the painting "Girl with the lily" by painter To Ngoc Van with new colors.

Hanh looked around, the owner of the shop is really a connoisseur of paintings, although all the pictures hung on the wall are just redrawn versions, but they all have an elegant, gentle and very sophisticated style. economic. She looked over at Viet who was busy fiddling with the unexpected gift he had just received, her face shining with joy like a child who had just picked up his mother from the market and received a gift from her mother.

She smiled.