We Belong Together

Chapter 11

Thao folded the notebook, there was nothing worth taking notes, her father's internship at the office did not have much work for her to apply what she had learned, besides making tea and washing dishes. However, the job that was implicitly assigned to the intern never reached her, because no one dared to tell her anything. After all, she is also the "little princess" of boss Hoa. But boss Hoa, everyone knows. People in the agency likened that every time he shouted, fire came out of his mouth, it sounds like he could cook a whole egg, right?

Thao went to the balcony, the old rice tree at the end of the trail leading to the stream flowing along a small valley was showing red rice flowers above. The red color of the flowers attracts the Hello Crested birds that are constantly flying back and forth, singing in the sky. Smoke was emitting from the tiled roofs of houses not far from her office, in this area, it was still customary to cook rice very early and cook it with straw or firewood. The wind carried the smell of cooking, the smell of burning straw and the scent of plants flying everywhere, but the afternoon light was pouring down on the tiled roof of the house opposite, making the space look somber. Since this is a mountain town, the sun is often hidden behind very high mountains very early in the morning, making the afternoon sky always look as dark as sunset. Thao looked at the clock, what is Phan doing now? I wonder if during the days she went to practice, did he take good care of himself? Because every time she called, he answered the same questions, as if they were coming from a tape recorder. "I'm fine, don't worry."

Pulling out her mobile phone from her pocket, she dialed the phone to call Phan, but then stopped. Phan is probably working now, while consulting with patients, Phan often does not turn on the machine. Thao looked at the clock again, let out a frustrated sigh, then went back into the room, sat down at the table to drink water. The girl sitting behind the computer desk at the end of the room looked up at her, winking:

- What's wrong, remember him?

- It's nothing, I just don't have anything to do, I feel a bit bored.

- YES! I used to be like that when I went to practice, but I didn't have anything to do, I was worried, but when I finished the internship, I asked my friends to find out who were the same as me, - The girl left the computer, went away. Go to the table, pour yourself a glass of water, shrug - mix the whole village.

- Yes - Thao's voice is weak.

- This! - The girl pulled the chair closer and looked at Thao with a very mysterious look, her eyes, smiling. - I know.

- What do you know?

- Still pretending, yesterday saw her go with Mr. Vu of Uncle Hieu's house, what about the feelings? - We're just neighbors, we grew up together, so we're close.

- Don't deny it, the two of you look very good together, with both families, "reporting for each other" again. By the way, Mr. Vu is a "hot boy", "the ideal model of the girls in this town". - The girl pressed each word, then suddenly stopped, raised her head, slowly frozen for a moment, then burst into giggles. - Referring to Cao Cao, see Cao Cao coming. How sacred is Mr. Vu?

- The more sacred the living, the stronger the ghost, if you often tease me, take care of the spirit. Vu happily replied.

- Hey! Scared huh? - The girl did not joke around, got up and gave up her chair to Vu and then returned to the desk. - Well, I make room for the two brothers and sisters to confide.

Vu was not polite, he thanked her and then pulled a chair to sit next to Thao, his hands crossed, he often has such a habit when talking. Vu looked straight into her eyes, his eyes beautiful, but his smile was very bright:

- The work is not too hard, is it?

- I have to ask, is your job too idle, have you gotten bored? So that's right in my case.

- Then, let's go to the isle, this is the best when it comes to the isle.

- But are you in working hours?

- It's more than 4:30, the bosses have all pulled together to the Badminton court. You've been practicing here for three weeks and you don't know the schedule?

I just focus on work.

- What job? Rub! Do you have enough work to be called busy?

- But, as far as I know, the regulation is 5 o'clock to end working hours?

- Yes, but you can throw that rule in the trash. I'm an intern, who will judge the time? Come on, everyone's gone.

- Go back, sister, I'm here too - The girl in the room said to support Vu's words - What else is there?

- Let's go to the island.

- Or - Thao hesitated - for another meal, I have some work today. Alright man?

- Of course - Vu smiled generously, but his smile could not hide his regret - For another time, I still have of time.

The aimless finally brought Thao to the riverbank. Strangely, she refused to go with Vu, but then came here unconsciously like a sleepwalker. Thao stood on the sand, looking at each cloud of mist covered, floating, floating on the water. On both sides of the river, bamboo bushes poured into the riverbed with strange and mysterious shapes in the gloomy light of the late afternoon. Perhaps there is no place like Thao's hometown, when the fog can cover everything in the late afternoon like now. In the distance, behind the shore of Cu Lao, which is hidden in the mist like a garden of the fairy world, is a suspension bridge spanning the river, connecting the two sides of the river. All those scenes create a gloomy and sad afternoon picture. Maybe that gloomy picture still has some bright colors with a little yellow afternoon sun on the top of the island. Thao untied the boat, she wanted to go to Cu Lao, alone.

The sun has almost completely turned off, only a little bit of it is left jumping up the high cliff reaching out to the river bed to form pale yellow patches. Thao tied the boat to the pier, rushed up the cliff, the sunlight shining on the rock surface. Her shadow slanted slantingly over the top of the Whip tree that grew below the edge of the rock swaying in the wind. Thao leaned back against the old Guava tree, how old is she? Because since she was a child, when she went out with Phan and Vu to play, she saw it standing there like a silent lighthouse. Lighthouse of the fishing village on the river, when they tied to the tree top a lamp in the dark to prevent the boat from hitting the cliff. The Lighthouse also belongs to the three of them, because every time one of them needs to see a friend, they just need to tie a string of their own color to the top of the tree so that the other two can see it from afar and come right away.

However, right now, when she wanted to see Phan the most, she couldn't meet her, even though she covered the treetops full of her brand names. She looked around, right where she was sitting, at the old Guava tree, where Phan climbed up to pick guava for her, then fell and sprained when the guava branch broke. There, on the far side of the bamboo bush, is where Phan was pulled roots by Vu tore his shirt as the two joked and fought over grilled cassava. The other place is where Vu lost the Boiled Chicken that he recklessly stole from his mother to give to Phan. But when she saw Thao's shadow coming, for fear of Thao telling her mother, Vu hid it behind the chestnut tree and was stolen by the Fox. There is another place, that place is where Phan meticulously braided each Thach Thao Flower Crown for her. There, is the place where Phan, despite being very afraid of leeches, still manages to act bravely to catch the leech clutching at her thigh as she cries out in fear. There, there, there too, everywhere made her miss Phan so dearly.

But what are you doing now?

Phan gently beat the egg, making people feel like he was patting it. The egg remains unbroken, as if trying to prove to Phan that it was a tough chick from the get-go. Annoyed, Phan knocked harder with the knife, causing the egg to be cut in half, falling into the pan full of boiling cooking oil, and the egg yolk splattering. Xeo, xeo, Phan angrily stir his chopsticks like people were frying vegetables, causing his egg dish to become crumbly. "It's okay - Phan squeaks - if it doesn't turn into an omelet, it's also my own egg dish, maybe I have to register a copyright."

Phan stopped chopsticks, used a towel to carefully wipe Thao's picture, which was neatly placed on the shelf in front of him, a few drops of cooking oil had shot up there. He was engrossed in looking at the picture he had invented with an egg on it that was about to go one step further to become a burnt egg dish. I miss Thao so much.

The phone rang and pulled Phan back to his egg dish. He angrily dumped the new yellow thing that was now starting to turn black into the trash and ran upstairs to pick up the phone. Viet's voice sounded gloomy and heavy as if it had just been picked up from the bottom of the sea.

- How are you?

- Still alive.

- In what sense?

- Not dead yet, - sobbed Phan, he was at home alone and missed Thao very much - still sighing.

- Bad?

- Depends on your optimism. And you?

- Depends on your optimism.

- Then you didn't call just to check on me?

- I need you.

- Just buy more wine, I already have some squid.

- How much?

- Enough for your sadness.

- Can I get a box of Vodka, then? - Are you sure?

- Don't worry

- I'm not talking about alcohol, I'm talking about that guy. Are you in such a bad mood?

- I don't know, I don't have enough words to describe it, but in short, I'm sad.

- Well then, I'll wait for you with grilled squid. I will destroy all your sadness, it will be soon, believe me. Putting the empty bottle of wine in the corner of the table, Phan opened the second bottle. Now the two of them just sat and drank in silence, no one said a word to anyone. Phan looked at Viet, he had never seen Viet with such a strange attitude. He just drank, kept quiet, and drank. Viet drinks like a thirsty person drinks cold water, that is, just tilting his neck back, pouring wine into his throat, like water pouring into a Cricket cave. Phan didn't say anything either, he knew that if he needed to speak, Viet would know when to say it. Viet tilted his head again, poured another glass of wine into his throat, picked up the squid's beard, turned it around for a while and then dropped it again. For a long time, he let go:

- I'm in love!

Phan was so surprised that he spat out the wine he had just drunk in his mouth and coughed.

- Wait, he is, are you sure?

- ... !!!

Viet poured another glass into his mouth instead of answering. Phan lifted the bottle of Vodka to his face, gazing at it as if he were looking at an attractive woman.

- Did you hear? He's in love, and I love you too.

- Seriously, I'm not joking.

- I'm being serious too - Phan held up the bottle again - Right?

If only someone could see the Vietnamese face right now, how heartless and patient would it look?

- If you do that again, I'll punch you in the snout. Or I'll pour all the wine on your head, maybe it'll wake you up a bit.

- I'm listening - Phan reassessed the situation - Who is that unlucky girl? I mean the girl "falling in love" with you? Thuy huh?

- Just a colleague.

Phan reached out to pick up a beard of Squid, just looking at the deciding look of his arm, you could see how satisfied he was.

- YES! I completely agree with you. So, is an 8X girl with blue eyes, red beak, two-piece shirt, some curly hair?

- No!

- So a 9X girl "scammed" right? Um! A bit too young. Minor, 14 years in prison.

- Are you crazy? Get serious for a bit.

- Ah! So you're still afraid, so tell me about that unlucky girl... well, that lucky girl.

Phan emphasized the word "luck", while Viet pretended not to hear, responding to Phan only a silence as solid as a wall.

- ...

- This! - Phan patted his friend's shoulder - Can't you see that I'm pulling out most of my beard? I've just finished washing my face, cleaned my ears, brushed my teeth, and am going to bed. Did you just think that I've been waiting for your answer for a long time?

- I love ... - Viet downed a large glass of wine with a rare determination. - I know you're in love, but the point is, who? Your glass of wine - Phan grumpy - Or me?

- Hanh.

Phan had just spilled a bottle of wine, and Viet poured another glass into his mouth.

- Hanh?

- YES!

- Minh Hanh?

- YES!

Viet suddenly realized how patient he was, and Phan slapped himself in the face to make sure he wasn't drunk.

- You said Minh Hanh?

- Who was here again? - Vietnamese harsh.

Phan threw the wine cup he was holding on the ground, turned and went straight to the bedroom.

- I'm going to sleep, I think I'm drunk.

The beard of Vietnamese squid just picked up was crumpled and almost crushed, he was miserable:

- I'm being serious...

- Do you understand the meaning of the word "Serious"?