We Belong Together

Chapter 12

- It means if you don't come back here and believe what I just said, I'll punch you in the face.

- Okay, okay, but she...?

- I know.

- So you...?

- I accept it all.

- Mad.

- Yeah, maybe...

- f**k you.

- f**k me.

- You drive me crazy.

- I drove you crazy.

- You stop, damn it - Phan grabbed Viet's collar. - Come on, I'll take you to a psychiatrist.

- Phan.

- God damn it.

Phan removed the collar of Viet's shirt, the bottle of wine, and grabbed it down his throat.

- How long?

- What did you say?

- How long have you been mad?

- Since she left, I realized how much I love her?

- Wait, what do you mean she left? Did she quit her job? Why?

- YES! She left, without a message. Why? Because Thuy found out she had AIDS and my dad made a fuss at the hospital.

- Damn, how did she know?

- Hoang Viet. He gave Hanh a bunch of money for treatment and an apology letter for everything, I can't imagine why there is such a stupid kid like him. I thought he told Thuy, but he just gave the package to Thuy to ask to give it to Hanh, and... - Viet raised his glass of wine again - I found out about that bastard when I went to find that bastard, and beat him up, he thought that doing so Hanh could forgive him.

- She's unlucky. - Phan sobbed - But you don't need to pity her because of that, you can't love someone just because you pity them.

- I don't love them, I love her, maybe you don't understand. At first I just tried to treat her like a completely normal person. Haven't you always said to get along with sick people? I just wanted to help her not feel guilty about herself, and then fought I came to admire her talent and love her personality.

And then... - Viet paused for a moment, his eyes hesitantly watching for Phan's reaction, but Phan was still listening attentively, he didn't show any attitude. Viet sobbed...

- I love her from the way she takes care of the children, to the way she works hard, to the way she copes with the terrible misfortune she was accidentally brought down. When I realized how much I love her. I scolded myself, tried not to think about her. I try to think it's just me, I just pity her. But I quickly realized I was wrong, I love her, very much! I often watch her when she cooks with Thao, she is the only one who helps me see what I need, what I have always been looking for. I need a family, a wife, not some red-eyed blue-eyed girl who is just good at playing. She will be a good wife. She deserves to be happy, doesn't she?

- This, I agree with you, but what about love, and marriage? Neither of you will have a future, do you understand?

- I don't need to understand.

- You must understand, i***t. She can't live with him, love is one thing, but family life demands more. And her exposure treatment is unlikely to be successful? Maybe she doesn't have much longer to live, do you understand?

- I don't need to understand.

Viet poured another drink down his throat, and Phan punched the air.

- Listen, I'm talking to you as a friend, not as a psychiatrist. Understand? If I were a doctor consultant, I would say things, sorry, things that are not very sincere. The things that I still talk about with others, about sociability, about helping sick people integrate into the community.

Phan paused for a moment, but Viet did not stop the process like a line in a factory. Pour wine into a glass, pour it straight down the throat, then pour again, back into the throat again. He didn't seem to care about Phan's words, as if besides Viet and the bottle of wine, no one else was present in this house. But Phan was not offended, he also allowed himself to drink another cup and continued:

- Damn it, I'm good at giving advice to others, but I'm going against what I always say, things against my professional conscience. The right things. But because I'm your friend, the friend of this stupid jerk. So I have to tell the truth. He couldn't let that kind of pity affect his future. Understood, you bastard?

- I don't pity her, I remind you again, I love her, don't you understand? - Viet grabbed Phan by the collar, shook him vigorously, then let go, sighing - I know people who are sick, they still love, and still come together.

- People are different, you are different.

- It's no different, you and I are the same, people love, and I love too. When people know how to love, they are all the same.

- f**k you, stupid philosophy.

- I love her.

- God damn it.

- Come on, Phan, I know you're just saying that, but you're always on my side.

- I need to think. You go back, go away.

- Phan.

- Go out, go back now. - Phan grabbed Viet, pushed him out the door, uncompromised. - Go home.

- Okay, okay, it's my fault, because I'm your best friend.

Viet went out and walked out the door, just put his hand on the doorknob, he turned his head.

- Am I allowed to bring a bottle to fight the cold?

- Take the whole barrel, go and die with that spicy water of yours.

Viet opened the door, stepped outside, the wind blew against his face, making him cringe, muttering something inaudible, probably scolding Phan. Inside the house, the cursed person sat down on the rapids, not bothering to clean up the messy field that was strewn on the floor. He held his head, looking far ahead, no one knew what Phan was thinking? His pensive face could make anyone who saw it worry a lot, there was only one person who didn't care about it. It was the man sticking his head through the gap in the door.

- Hey, if it's too cold, can I use my key? I'll open the door gently, and I won't wake you up.

- Go away.

- Okay, - Viet scrutinized - they said I'm your best friend.

Phan walks back and forth in the room, whenever there is something awkward or thinking, his steps seem to be unstoppable. After that, he strode to the door step by step, he opened the door, Viet was sitting with his back to the street, as quiet as a statue, only his arm sometimes moved to bring the bottle to his mouth, proving that told Phan that he had not been frozen by the cold.

- Crazy, why don't you get in the car and sit, it's cold.

- If you are crazy, then yes, the boy's alley is like a needle, where will I park when I go to the car? This time, I thought I would sleep at your house, so I took a motorbike. - Viet emphasized the word "sleeping your house", almost growingling. - Who knew... - Come in.

- Has your conscience sobered up? Savage stuff.

- You go out. - Phan pretends to close the door.

- Come on, come on, who did I just say that's barbaric? I must have scolded myself. It's all my fault, who said to hang out with you? Worth my life!

Viet Lap Tip ran straight into the bedroom and covered his body with a blanket, sticking only his head out. Picking up the cup of warm water Phan had just given him, he drained it in a single breath.

- I ask for another cup, you are so cruel.

- You are too stupid, but brave stupidity.

- What do you mean?

Phan did not answer, he was busy going to the thermos to get warm water for Viet.

The night train to the Central region is about to turn around. Phan absentmindedly looked out the window, outside, the stream of people was still pouring into the carriages. Here and there, whispering advice, parting sounds. Phan has not come home for a long time, work is too busy, and family problems, clans, and clans have made him not come home for nearly five years. It is not because the way back takes a train ride, and then changes a train, that makes the desire to return and swim in the river next to the house persisted forever.

He kept looking out the window even though the train was vibrating to signal the change of gear. Outside the carriage, rows of houses and trees began to run backwards. The train swayed and lurched forward, incessantly snarling with the dull, shrill noises of iron wheels grinding on the tracks. Sometimes when running across a certain bridge, it roars with deafening rumblings. "That's why Viet hates taking the train," Phan thought, then suddenly remembered that he had an appointment to go fishing with Viet tomorrow, but now he's sitting on the train to go back to his hometown. Phan pulled out his mobile phone from his pocket, dialed Viet's number, the automatic answering machine was very pleased to let him know that the subscriber he had just called was currently unreachable. "He must be at a disco, with a certain "long-legged, blond" girl, for example? Or lying dead at home. The shock about Hanh's story with him was so great, I should have being with him right now, he needs me", Phan sobbed again, the regret of not being able to help his best friend made him feel uneasy. "But what can I do, - Phan fiddles with his mobile phone - Vu's phone call makes me unable to sit still, does he ever know how to joke?".

Phan sent you a text message explaining why and apologizing for breaking his promise, "I hope he understand," Phan told himself.

Phan was born in the Central region, a small, poor mountain town located on both sides of the Hieu River, nestled between four rocky mountains. The poetic Hieu River divides the town into two halves, and also divides the townspeople into three factions. The Tran faction is on this side of the river, and the Nguyen faction is on the other side of the river. Standing in the middle is the middle faction, only worried about doing business, not interested in the enmity of the two largest families in the district.

The town of Tan Lac that exists in Phan is probably just vague memories of the poetic river flowing behind the house. It is an island with green grass, white color of whip flowers and immense Thach Thao flowers. Or maybe, it's love with the girl across the river, the girl with a very beautiful name, Thach Thao. The name that perhaps ten girls were born here, five or six were given that name. Because of one simple thing, the childhood and love of their parents are already attached to that island full of Thach Thao flowers.

Isle that as Phan still calls, isle of love!

Phan got out of the car, he went in the opposite direction to the road the car had just passed. Qin hesitated to look at the new Allied bridge, built over two small hills just above the old Allied bridge. Below the valley, a small stream flows under the terraced fields towards the mouth of the river. Every time Phan comes back, the town turns around, changing quickly and strangely. last, day by day, month by month, year by year, the town seemed to cease to be Phan's town. Phan looked around, where in the past was an ancient Mango tree standing next to a large football field, now it was cut down mercilessly. The old tree stump now sprouts a modern market, green, red, and the color of goods, red, noisy, noisy bargaining, cursing.

On both sides of the road, rows of shrubs were cut down, replaced by large houses with modern architecture. In the middle, the rough stone road known today as the street, was paved straight, running through the heart of the town. Everything has changed, making Phan feel like he is in a foreign land. After all, time goes by, and waits for no one or anything. Maybe, besides Phan, only the island in the middle of the river is still the same, still green with the color of grass, white with the color of whip flowers, and thousands of Thach Thao flowers.

Phan put his backpack on the porch, his sister was away. He looked around, the three-room house made of Lim wood from the time when his parents were still alive had not changed much. Although it's been a long time since he came back, since his sister got married. Phan left his belongings on the porch, followed the Man Hao fence, went around the back of the house, where there was a path down to the riverbank.

Hieu river is still the same, still as he imagine, green and gentle. Phan put his hand over the water, secretly having a rather humorous thought that if Hanoi had such a clean and poetic river flowing in the middle of the city, he would have to give up his medical profession and go write poetry. Then he laughed, blaming himself for being a fool, if this river of his changed its flow through Hanoi, maybe it would quickly turn into a second To Lich?

Phan untied the boat and put out his hand to row, the wind was blowing, but it was not very cold. When he set foot on the smooth sandy shore of the island, Phan just stood there forever, letting the sand particles creep into each toe, and the cold water around his feet.

Phan walked up to the top of the hill, where there was a big rock reaching out to the river bed, where in the past he, Thao and Vu used to escape to take a nap and come here to play. The three children shared each red raspberry fruit, wild, sweet, acrid fruits or those bought after eating, making everyone's lips purple. And usually the game is to see who makes the most beautiful Thach Thao flower crown to put on the girl's head, also named after that flower. Phan lay down on the grass, letting the memories keep coming back and encroaching on his heart. This season, Thach Thao flowers are not many, even though they bloom in four seasons, it is still enough for him to braid a Thach Thao crown, only a pity that she is not here.

Lying on the grass and resting his head on his arm, he watched the red sun crawl lazily towards the distant hilltop. At the top of the hill when he was a child, he used to climb there to pick Sims, then return to share with Thao and Vu. Phan's house is on this side of the river, and Thao and Vu are on the other side of the river. Although Vu is his uncle's son, when they were young, the two only dared to escape here to play together to avoid being seen by the people in the town. Although adults may be hostile to each other, with children, nothing can stop them from sharing and being close to each other. Even though Vu was young at the time, he still knew that his poor cousin was orphaned by both parents, and that a cousin like him needed to know what to do.

Phan sat up, the memory of the enmity between the two families made him feel suffocated. The memory of the two families means the memory of his paternal and maternal sides. Your parents, just like Romeo and Juliet. One surnamed Nguyen, one surnamed Tran. Their love broke the vow not to go back and forth between the two sides of the river that had existed for many years. But without the intervention of friends in the district government at that time, perhaps his parents could not have ended their Romeo and Juliet story in the best way.

I thought that the birth of my sister, and me, would be like a bridge connecting the two banks of the Hieu River. But then, when the dream-seeking fever changed, riches quickly spread through the town like a plague. As people flocked to the redstone quarry about 15km from the town, the war was back, stronger and more intense than ever. Starting from the death of his parents in a frog dig tunnel, leaving two young children aged 8, 10. His maternal side said that, just because he married his father, only because of his father's greed. His mother had to give up teaching and go digging. His grandfather's side retorted that, without his mother's instigation, would his father quit his job to commit suicide?

The smoldering war lasted forever in Phan's incomplete childhood, and finally, the tears were over when Phan decided to go to Medical University. According to the teaching profession, he said that although he was brought up by them, he followed the instigation of his paternal side, who had a tradition in medicine. As a result, he became a sacrifice for the calculations in that inconclusive battle. The war never ends, the war that everyone wants to win him on their side. Depressed, when Phan graduated from university, he stayed in Hanoi, abandoned the town, and left the poetic river behind.

Perhaps Phan just sat there forever, but the feeling of letting sad memories invade his body was not pleasant at all. Phan stood up, went around to the other side of the big rock like a small hill, covered with Thach Thao flowers, and wild whip trees crowded on the cliff side, mixed with chestnut bushes with few flowers. pale yellow. On the other side of the rock is a rather large sandy beach, shielded by the solidity of the island that has carved out the river bed, like a romantic beach. Suddenly Phan stopped, on the sand, where people made a pier to tie the boat and wash, there was a girl sitting. She looked very young, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail, huge eyes, and a pretty face. She was her bare feet into the water, occasionally throwing pebbles into the river bed, absently looking into the distance. Phan stepped closer.

- Aren't you planning to drop gravel to fill up this river?

Thao turned her head, joy bursting on her face...