Επιμέλεια: Εύα Πετροπούλου Λιανού
Translated to English by Khanh Phuong
His brief biography:
Date of birth: July 15, 1950
Homeland: Quynh Luu, Nghe An province
Published 6 collections of short stories and 2 novels.
Literary Award:
– 4th prize for short stories of Van Nghe newspaper in 2003
– Second prize (no first prize) short story about education in 2010
– Second prize (not first prize) novel about transport in 2013
– First prize for novel of Ho Xuan Huong Literature Prize for the period 2015-2020
– Second prize of the National Committee of the Vietnam Union of Culture and Arts Associations
And some other local prizes
The night in La river
Author: Nguyen Ngoc Loi
The last light of a day was faded and disappeared. The sky was clear with twinkling stars as if available from above far.
The two soldiers stood on the cool embankment with the eastern wind blowing freely. The river water overflows like endless youth vitality.
The sound of voices and innocent laughter of girls bathing at night mixed with the splash water. The sandbank by the river sparkled bare calves and giggles on the fictional wharf…
After a moment of hesitation, people lined up slowly to the boat. The night boat was only for soldiers. Crossing the river with them were a few backpack “aunts” hunched over their shoulders with quick glances flickering under the brim of their hats. A tall soldier was about to say something to get acquainted, but hesitated he turned to the vast river surface with the breeze.
The bamboo on the other side of the river was dark, a long streak rustling. In the distance to the west, the mountain was dark black with a long undulating streak. At that time, the “aunts” dropped their backpacks under their feet and tried hurrily to find for seats to make the boatman chuckled. Not lack places… just like children. A short soldier kept his eyes on the riverbank, where the voices and laughter of girls bustling.
After a while, he leaned to the ear of the tall soldier…
- Phuong is taking a bath…
- Who is Phuong?
The tall man asked
- whom do you say? Why do you know?…
- Ah…ah… I haven’t told you yet, have I…
The boatman from the end of the boat spoke up
- “it is so cool, Owners”.
- Yes, it’s very cool tonight, and there are no airplanes…
The short man spoke in a cheerful voice, his eyes still directed to the south bank.
The boat came out to the middle of the river, more wind. The night sky was high and peaceful. Some “aunts” leaned over to use their hands watering on the side, breathing in delight. They were back to being countryside girls. The tall soldier realized it and smiled in the darkness. Moments later, the boat docked, the bottom crunched the sand.
– Come on, please ladies and gentlemen come up..
Waited for the ‘aunts’ to come up, the two of them put on their backpacks and slowly walked up. On the embankment, was busy and noisy…
- Quan, come in…
The short man said. The two seemed to be lost in the middle of the long troop, with heavy backpacks, guns in front of their chests and camouflage leaves. That new group of female soldiers had also disappeared from the front.
The clusters of leaves behind the backpacks fluttered by each step. The troop headed to the dike without stopping. …
- Going to the battlefield was so much fun…
The tall soldier seemed to talk to himself.
- Walk in one side
The short soldier said harshly.
The two people walked in the opposite direction…
– Why did the “compatriots” come out…B turned?
The face was not clear, only heard the voice of the north, the central… The commands sounded softly, somewhat harshly, decisively… The troop hurriedly walked, the clusters of leaves shivered, the breaths were panting, weapons clashed with each other…
From the front echoing the responding sentences…
– Who is Thanh Hoa?
– Thanh Hoa but in which area? Why asking like that
– Is there Quynh Luu?
– Is there any Thach Thanh…
– My dear, remember to keep “that” intact at home. …Concretize on it… Remember to keep that “place” ….
– Urgent, urgent…No kidding…If there are flares, remember to stand still and not move… Urgent, Hurry up…
An evening filled with youth. As if attracted into the atmosphere of the troop, the tall soldier’s footsteps became elegantly. The night sky was clear and blue. The fragrance of the field was light, the quiet space, one can hear the sound of water flowing through the leaks and crickets chirping, the sound of rice leaves rustling.
– What name did you just say?
The tall man asked…Ah…
– Her name is Phuong…
– Do you know…
– Yes, I do. Is there anything special?
– Don’t know…
They walked slowly, the short one in front and the tall one behind… He was black but charming… The tall soldier thought to himself.
– It’s only eight o’clock. Walking slowly, midnight will also arrive. The short man with northern voice, looked at his watch and said. …
– Are you interested to come back to anti-aircraft area? I’d rather go to the battlefield, have big cannons, can shoot…
– Idiot, a battalion soldier better than a company officer…
– What is that?
– Then you will know…
There were many things that the tall young soldier was still dummy. His village was near the train station, when he was at home every time the airplane came to bomb the station, he would lift up by the tunnel door to watch the fireworks. The series of lurking explosions and bullets enveloping the airplane had attracted him until now…He loved to be being on the cannon…
– You are really… In the battalion, you already have the word “long life” attached to your father’s name, but also…
– Write a letter to your parents reporting…
– What’s the point of reporting…The story of life and death…I don’t think about it…Then they move on to family matters. door, parents, brothers and…
A certain girl named Phuong was mentioned by him with a wistful voice from time to time.
– The life of soldiers like us, on every journey we pass, in each village having the opportunity to rest, the image of the girls is so vivid…
-You speak like you are reading poetry…
– I also write poetry. Then I’ll read it to you…
The incoming troop continued as if it were endless, one group after another.
– Quang Tri is having a big fight. The battlefield requests many people…
He spoke by northern accent fluently.
They were soldiers of the anti-aircraft battalion guarding the ferry near the river junction, where the poetic name was, Tam Soa ferry. At that time, the short man boasted that he had just finished writing the poem “La river night” about that dear ferry…He read it softly…
- Gathering water from the cool source. Let Tam Soa flow in the sky. La River, cool long hair stream. In my pure soul …
Tam Soa ferry, the name just heard but was full of felling tears. A few days ago, in the afternoon, on the way back to a new unit, the tall soldier stood on the hill looking at the river junction shining the afternoon light, his heart was ecstatic. The landscape was so beautiful, if at that time there was no group of airplanes to bomb at the ferry, he would have forgotten about returning to the unit. It turned out to be Tam Soa ferry…
The fight against the enemy airplane that he was an outsider at that time took place like a game. Jets plunged down like moths and countless streams of hot red bullets poured from the surrounding hills into the sky.
The tall soldier was now the battalion’s information soldier. The short soldier was the gunner in the field. … That day, the two of them were temporarily away from the battlefield to attend a singing class on the north bank of Lam River. In the afternoon the two met at the ferry and togethered here.
– That day, my battery fired five rounds of ammunition, then they were gone…
The gunner said excitedly.
– Our unit protecting two targets, Linh Cam ferry and Tho Tuong bridge… Here they often fight back in the afternoon, taking advantage of the sunset attacking from direction 2 and 32…
The gunner was lively…
– These days, they often use lasers… What are lasers? One guy turns around with a laser beam for another guy drops a bomb after… Then you’ll know. Is it accurated?… Exactly…it’s like putting a bomb where you want to hit. It’s going to hurt… The cannon has to shoot hard for the staggered laser man, even the bomber staggered… Wow …
The story went on all the way. Their backpacks were only a few light clothes. The wind was so cool. In the sky of Vinh area, it was red with clusters of fire and zigzags of smoke, drawing strange shapes on the sky background. The sound of the airplane rumbled like a thunderstorm somewhere far away… They hit Vinh area again…
– Is that side Vinh area? What the big mountain on the side?
The information soldier pointed to the east.
– Ah, Hong Linh mountain, direction 14. On the other side… to the west… That’s Thien Nhan mountain, direction 32. Blurred and shuttered above is the Dan Man range… People liken Dan Man range like to a herd of war horses hooving to the south… Wow, that’s great, it looks like a real.…
– That’s good, this strip of land has many good things. The girls of La River are good… The girls of La River have white skin and long hair and often swimming in the river at night. The girls of La River are naughty and… I recognized Phuong from her voice and smiling mouth, just now… Phuong had a crooked tooth at the left corner of her mouth, very charming…
– You are so in love with Phuong…
The soldier had a little bit of hesitation.
When they arrived the specified place, it was past midnight and the moon had already risen. The thin moon quietly shined between the sky and the asleeping village. The sky in Vinh was also silent. A young soldier greeted them and led them to a house in the middle of a palm garden. After washing their hands and feet with cool well water, they set nets for sleeping.
On the cot, the information soldier was half asleep, half awake, in the midst of what the gunner told him. He probably misses Ms. Phuong now. That Ms. Phuong must be beautiful… must be beautiful… The girl of La River has white skin and long hair…
Behind the bamboo curtain was a yard full of moonlight at the month end and a pair of gentle breezed. The information soldier was still flickering. Love, he fell in love…his poem…
For the information soldier, the love story was just like thunder rumbling somewhere on the horizon and the storm had not yet come in the sky of his love. A few glimpses of girlfriend’s faces, clear laughter in those days only evoked unclear memory. .. «Remember to send a letter…»
«Will her miss me »…The notebook had smooth notes flying…The information soldier woke up again with the scattered stories that other soldiers passionately told along the way… They fought throughout this land. Sot Gate, Cay Bridge, Phu Bridge… Soldiers in iron helmets, big guns were so majestic. Everywhere, the battlefield was in the middle of the field, surrounded by villages… Whenever having alarm sound, it would like… Villagers were nervous to follow their actions… The best part was that after each shooting, the airplanes were withdrawed, many mothers, sisters rushed to the battlefield… to give soldiers with bananas, eggs, teas…
– When did you know Ms. Phuong? Oh, does she also go to the battlefield?
– No… That day, when I was sent to ask for camouflage leaves, I turned to the neighborhood to ask for water. Just by chance, that house was next to a river, has a gabled jackfruit tree, a pile of straw at the end of the alley…
– is she pretty?
– Pretty… young… about seventeen or eighteen, tall, slim, long hair, crooked teeth and..naughty.. Then I will take you to visit…
There were many people in many units in the singing class. Opening in the morning, in the afternoon they got to know each other, chatted during the break, during the meal time… The Hanoi lieutenant had a warm voice, guitar accompaniment, and taught new songs « Let’s go to Saigon » ; « Vietnam on the way » ; « Our land is immense »... Having fun and learned many new songs, but somehow that Ms. Phuong still hovered in mind of the information soldier.
The program was in five days, two classes, in the evening the soldiers gathered to sing and play. Late at night, when the information soldier was laid down, the gunner turned on the lamp and worked hard to take notes, smiling while writing, his eyes sparkling. Turning out he wrote a diary, every page mentioned Ms. Phuong. The last night, until late at night, when the information soldier had slept, he was woken up…
- Wake up.. wake up, I will show you…
The writing pages were filled with the love with Ms. Phuong. … « Baby, this war will be long, it will be fierce…I can fight right in your hometown, that is a happy thing…Today is in this place, maybe tomorrow will go somewhere else…But even though No matter where I go and how far I go, I will always remember you. I will remember La River with its clear blue water, the cool bamboo by the river… »
The diary pages had stirred the soul. Phuong, Phuong…the name of the girl that the soldier had never met like a chorus that rang in the heart of the young soldier.
Five days have passed. In that morning they parted ways to return to their units. The two of them left while the sun was still hiding somewhere in the clouds. They returned to the old road through green villages. Out of the village to the street, they crossed the inter-provincial road, continued for a while, arrived Van Ru ferry, when a group of airplanes flew along Hong Linh mountain. In the early morning sunlight they sparkled like shards of glass. Moments later, the airplane circled to the north and disappeared across the Truong Son mountain range.
– Every day at this time they beat Vinh, today seems to be quiet…
The gunner said as they both got off the boat. The ferry was so empty, the boat only two people. This section of Lam River was quite wide. The village on the other side hidden behind the dyke. Then they left the boat and stepped onto the dyke, hid among the bamboo and jackfruit trees and stepped out into the field.
They went back to the road from which they had met the incoming troops. The closer to La river ferry, the gunner’s footsteps seemed to be faster. Returning to La River at noon, getting off the boat, the gunner said « it is at noon, we’d better turn here to visit for a while. After noon, there is still time… »
From the ferry, they walked a little further along the alleys. Beautiful hedges, green tea gardens and jackfruit trees, the sound of roosters, water splashing somewhere behind the fences and a couple of voices laughing at girls… The information soldier leisurely followed the gunner who was hurrying ahead with an impatient appearance.
– We come here
The jackfruit tree at the end of the alley… a pile of straw… Next to the pile of straw was a raised bunker. Its gate was right next to the yard. Phuong’s house… The information soldier told himself and suddenly felt nervous. Near midday, the sun’s shadow had reached half of the yard. The thatched cottage with three rooms and two wings. The bamboo curtain covered the door, it was quiet… The yellow dog laying under the hibiscus had stood up and wagged its tail.
– No one at home… The information soldier said.
– Let’s go in.
Saying that, the gunner walked up the steps. The information soldier followed. Suddenly the gunner’s eyes lit up. The other looked in. At the table, the girl was studying. Black shirt, soft waist-length hair…Rose white cheeks… The information soldier in time realized the white skin of her cheeks and the white hand holding the pen. The startled girl turned around, her eyes lit up…
– You… the two of you came in without me knowing…
Surprised appeared in the surprised eyes…
– Why Phuong so attentive, we go in and you did not realize…
– Ah…
The girl smiled, her smile was bright…
– I couldn’t solve the math problem, I am still angry… You go home, why are still standing.
The eyes flashed quickly, confusing the information soldier. He walked in and put his backpack and sat down on the bamboo cot by the door, timidly speaking, the house was so cool…
– If it’s cool, you can stay and play for a long time…
The girl left the desk to pour water.
– Are you two on a business trip, is it now to go or…
– Back…We’re back…
The gunner’s face lit up. The girl tilted her head and pulled her hair back and smiled… – Oh returning, the two of you are here to have lunch…
Then she quickly looked at the person sitting on the cot.
- You come here to drink water…You are timid like a girl…
The information soldier timidly came to the table again, his eyes stared on the bowl of bright green and yellow tea…
– The tea looks so delicious…
– It’s delicious… drink it again…
Nnother quick glance, he walked around the table in the back of the house and then sat down, vaguely listening to the two people at the water table asking and answering…
- Where is your Mom going…
- Mom going to the district market, coming back soon…Dad…Dad is going to a meeting…
- And young brother…
- He followed friends out to play….
When heard that, the information soldier seemed to be glued to the outside. Phuong’s garden was green. Dark green leaves, green tea leaves, other trees full of young fruits. A few birds chirping on the branches. The village was very quiet in the summer afternoon. He suddenly remembered his home, his house also had a garden, also a clear and cool laterite well. In the summer afternoon, lying by the window, he also heard the sound of birds chirping like this…
– Don’t look at my book, my letters are bad…
Phuong has been standing behind since then. Her hair smelled of lemon leaves and grapefruit leaves and… Now the information soldier noticed the book in front of him. The girl was still standing behind. He felt suffocating the whole body. Phuong stood very close, hot breath gently blowing behind his ears …
The information soldier sat motionless..
– Just moments ago, Phuong said you couldn’t solve the maths? I know your name too… I just heard… Will you tell me?
– What did you say?
– I …know Phuong. Let me see the math
– You know me?
The girl stretched out her hand over his shoulder to take the textbook.
– Here, the math.. number three…
The information soldier looked at the title of the math, still didn’t look up…
- Your math here is the solved result…Here, here.. the number… Variable direction, okay
- Ah…
The girl’s eyes lit up…
– Oh, you’re really good.
Now, the girl who grabbed his shoulder and sat down next to him. The information guy felt faintly the whole body. The smell of hair, and what else… ecstatic…
All in the sense of smell and her eyes… The eyes were like lightning, like a signal, like a gift, like…who had said… a boy and a girl were close together… what happened. The girl was just full, everything was enough. causing a vague feeling of excitement… being very close… The information soldier felt a longing in his throat, for a moment he stood up…
– Sit here, show me some more maths.
Phuong hold his hands…
– Sit down, I won’t let you go… Can’t go
– For another time, Phuong.
He decided to step out onto the field. Outside, the gunner was scooping up water with a bucket and pouring it into the bucket. Then he looked up.
– Go wash it, the water is very cool. Yes…
He turned to his backpack, pulled out a towel and went to the yard, while walking, he felt a burning sensation on the back of his neck…
The girl also followed and took the bucket from the gunner. The water poured into the brass basin, clear and cool… The white neck was bent down, the ebony hair fell loosely. Soft undulating waist. The glittering eyes from the bottom of the basin bounced back… Like water well… Well in the hills, also green tea with jackfruit roots… On the day of joining to the troop, some high school girls also went to his house to boil potatoes, cut jackfruit and wash…
-You wash it…give me a towel…
When the sun was almost standing, Phuong’s mother returned. She happily said that the two soldiers had just come to visit…
– We turned over on a business trip. Yes, stay for dinner…
– The two brothers went down to the basement to rest for a while, I help my mother…
Phuong was strangely cheerful… Singing…When the leaves are leaving from the branches, the leaves are no longer green…
Phuong sang the right song he liked, the information soldier mumbled to sing along…but why were you away from me, my life was still green… What is it, my dear…
The gunner had been lying down for a while and crawled up again…
– Just let you and Phuong meet…
He just said that when suddenly heard an itch behind his ears. Opening his eyes, he caught a gaze and a smile… The crooked tooth brightened her pretty mouth and smelled of young rice… Like inadvertently Phuong reached out and brushed his cheek, told him to go to sleep.
- After a while, got rice served, I will call…
Then Phuong turned around
There was the sound of the jet coming, hissing harshly…The gunner rushed down and said quickly…
– I must return, this way they will hit…you can rest here.
The sound of the airplane turned around, rumbling low, buzzing overhead…
– I have to.
The gunner entered the house with a backpack in a hurry, saying that he had to go back… Seeing that, the information soldier also rushed into the house to take his backpack.
– I have to go too… Phuong, I’m back…
– You haven’t eaten yet…
Phuong run after to pull his backpack and followed him to the alley.
– Phuong, come in, come in…
At that time, the gunner’s shadow had disappeared in the alley ahead. Phuong panicked…
He was so hurry. The sky was still rumbling with the roar of airplanes circling. Going to the end of the village, in front was the field and the information soldier can clearly see the gunner running to the hilly area. Beyond that was the battlefield, the cannons were rotating to follow the target. He followed the canal and ran across the field to the headquarter.
As he ran, he heard footsteps behind. Without looking back, he tried to run. The headquarters located on the dunes in the middle of the rice fields. The atmosphere of headquarters was dignified. The whole group of scouts, people with binoculars and glasses, TZKs, were attentively following each group of aircraft. The information tunnel resonated with the command.
Throwing the backpack into the base, he ducked into the cellar. Outside, the battalion commander could hear the sound shouting… Boom… The sharp hiss of the low-flying aircraft crashed in the basement vibrated… Sticking to the target …sticking to the target… Like there were drills digging deep into the eardrum…Boom, rumble…the ground trembled and wobbled.
-It’s already on the battlefield. The person wearing the cable turned to say…
– Called nine, it hit nine…
The battalion commander’s voice shouted down the tunnel…
- Hello, hello…report, the line was broken… Go fix it…
He quickly put on the communication machine, the news rushed out… At this point, he no longer paid attention to the airplane… The down line was scattered between the rice fields and along the high dunes.
His feet falling, his eyes looked up to the sky to watch the airplane while following the line with two black and brown twisted wires… The bomb broke the wire, that was for sure… There was the screeching sound of the airplane diving into the air. The explosive shells of the cannon shot up. The information soldier looked up, a jet bowing. Three naked bombs flew down in front of him… And rumbled…. He fell on and tried to rise up on his feet. In front of the fire smoke covered a wide area. He rushed into the fire and smoke area…
***
Will have to remember the feeling of that moment forever, Phuong has been following him ever since… Only when one end of the rope was discovered on the grass bank was also when Phuong stood beside him with a lost face. There was no time to ask questions
He wired it up. The girl gave him an extra wire…He connected the wire and continued to hide in the thick black smoke…The battle was in here. In the smoke that had not be cleared, the shadows of the helmet gunners undulated and the cannons were still rising and spitting fire. At their feet was a deep, full of bomb smoke.
On the other side of the fire, the 57 gun was tilted and its barrel was drooping and glimpses of the female soldier who had not known since when. They lifted a person from the bottom of the cannon and…blood. Never before had the information soldier had seen so much blood like that. From the soldier’s body was gushing a bright red blood that stunned him. Phuong was also trembling behind him. God…
The information soldier recognized it as the gunner…He rushed over. The gunner’s legs were severed from the knee… Brother… he hands was awkwardly lifting the gunner’s head… Dear… a wilted smile on his pale face… “I didn’t have time to practice a new song for you guys. gone… I haven’t copied the poem for you yet… It’s too late, my dear…” Oh, his voice… He was talking to me or to Phuong…
Brother, Phuong comes to you here…The information soldier holds Phuong’s hands and bringing her closer to the gunner… The gunner’s eyes light up a bit like the last rays of the day…
– No, Phuong…Phuong…loves… loves you …I…I know…
After saying that, the gunner’s head set to the side while the loud howl of the girl rushed to the side. Other people took the gunner’s body in the hands of two people to carry it away. The enemies of the sky were gone.
That night, La River lit up with fires, and there were dozen fires hanging at the river junction. Tam Soa ferry was red. The ferry was busy with a convoy of vehicles covered in camouflage leaves heading for the south shore… Going back and forth, the information soldier was shocked and couldn’t believe that the gunner was dead. He just read the poetry to him. He read that… To collect the water from cool sources. Let Tam Soa flow in the sky…/.
