Mallorca, a famous Spanish tourist island, is located in the Balearic Islands. Before I came here, as it was an island, I thought there were only forests and seas and a few villages or small districts, but I was surprised that the plane landed on the large Palma airport, in modern architecture building, more luxurious than many other international airport I had ever been. Palma is the magnificent capital of Mallorca, located on a chain of high hills overlooking the blue sea. Especially the Cathedral area is located next to the Musulman church, with its original architectures, famous for its Mediterranean Gothic style since the 13th century.
The tourist company bus took us through several port cities, luxurious and busy, located along the coast, to Alcudia, the resort in northeast of Palma; the distance was about three hours driving. We chose this place, with its beautiful seaside, a small bay, hidden behind the Victorian mountains, so there are no waves and it is quite safe for children. The five, six years old kids can wade out 50-60 meters from the shore.
In fact, my wife and I owed this summer vacation to our granddaughter. Two years ago I promised I would reward her a two-week summer holiday in Mallorca if she can read and write Vietnamese. We stayed in a hotel, from where we can walk to the sea just in a few minutes. Most of hotels in this region are like apartments. Besides the bedrooms, there are also a living room and a kitchen with lots of cooking equipment in each room. In Northern Europe the cold weather usually lasts till seven, eight months; so there are not that much occasions for swimming, that’s why she adored to be in the sea here. Every morning, just waking up, she urged her grandparents to go to the sea, and stayed there until late afternoon, almost twilight to be back. It’s still not enough for her, back at the hotel, she asked to continue splashing around in the hotel’s swimming pool until it’s completely dark to be back in the room. While my wife was cooking, I had to sit on the border of the pool watching over her.
Here, most of the tourists are from Europe, mostly Northerners and Germans. During the first week, I did not meet any Asians, except the Chinese family, a buffet restaurant ‘s owner, who lived here a long time ago. One day, while lying on a sun loundge at the swimming pool, gazing at the sky, suddenly I heard my granddaughter talking in Vietnamese with someone. Looking at the pooI I recognized a black-haired girl splashing around there and playing with her. Seeing me , the unknown girl waved her hand, and smiled at me. In a foreign place , compatriots make acquaintance with each other easily .
The next afternoon, while my wife and I were under a large umbrella for shade at the beach, our granddaughter came with the girl to greet us. Her Vietnamese was not fluent, she told her name is Lam Khê, and about 19, 20 years old, a quite pretty face with big eyes, talked with great spontaneity, really friendly. But her name Lam Khê drew my attention, as it coincided with a place that is still present in my memory, regarless of how many names I have to remember during all my life of vicissitudes and adventures .
In the afternoon, when my granddaughter and us we were having dinner in a Chinese buffet restaurant, suddenly we saw Lam Khê coming in with a Vietnamese lady and a foreign man. Maybe Lam Khê already told them about us, then both of them came to greet us. When I shaked the mom’s hand, I was startled to realize that this woman was the one I was thinking about when I met Lam Khê this morning. Being surprised and as I was thinking about unexpected lucky encounters in my life, she smiled and introduced the foreigner:
– Here is my husband. He’s from Germany, and we live in Hamburg.
I shaked her hand, and greeted him with a nod, and asked her:
– Excuse me, is your name Hà Giang?
– How do you know my name? The woman stared at us, really surprising.
– I didn’t expect to see you here – I pulled the chairs and invited them to sit – It ‘s true that we’ve met each other before. Tonight, may we invite both of you and Lam Khê for this dinner please.
She sat next to my wife, her face still revealing surprise. To calm down the tense atmosphere, I explained:
– I knew you when I was in a prison at the North. This morning when I made acquaintance with Lam Khê, I thougth immediately to you. With this name, me and my cellmates and me we won’t never forget it. I didn’t expect to see you here now. It’s true that the earth is round. Thank you for your attention and kindness when we landed in a predicament period.
She stared in amazement and gave me an inquisitive look . During the meal, we brought back in our memory the happy days in those distant mountains. In that relaxed and joyful ambiance, I get the impression that she was worried about something with her anxious eyes and unnatural smile.
Lam Khê, that beautiful name is a mountain of Thanh Hóa forest, bleaky and desolate, located close to the Lào-Việt border, where the reeducated prisoners like us were brought here to clear forests and plant trees, realizing a construction site for forestry, right in the middle of the sunny summer with arid and dry burning wind from Laos
On our first day there, in an isolated distant forest, we saw only two palm leaf huts, with only a few inhabitants. They were introduced as “guards and forestry officers”. The presence of a young lady made us really surprised and delighted, she looked like a student, but was the “chief officer” of the entire forestry site. I remember a cellmate’s comparison : “A flower unsuitable in a forest of swords”!
Our prison team of over sixty people had to sit on the grass at the edge of the forest, to “hear the female comrade forestry manager giving lessons.” Wearing a blue worker’s suit, too loose for her, not using any make-up, but she was quite pretty with big and sad eyes. She greeted us with a smile, gentle and modest speaking, introduced herself as Hà Giang, before presenting about thestructure of the terrain, forest characteristics, slashing wild plants to clear and safe methods. She called us uncles and called herself little sister. A never-seen event during all our imprisoned years. Finally she asked the leader to design five persons with whom she will guide them for measurement, sticking pickets, stretching cords. I was lucky to be among the five selected.
It seems since we were there, her eyes looked less sad. Sometimes she told jokes with a very friendly attitude. Every day five of us followed her into the woods for measurements. At those times she often poured her heart out. She told us about her life and often asked each of us about the situation of our parents, wives and children in our homeland. Hearing about our family’s miserably hard circumstances and how we long fondly to see them, hopelessly, she wiped away tears. Seeing one of my friend wearing his wife’s photo inserted in a small ebony frame, she would like to see it and said “All of you are really faithfull”
Hà Giang was a good student, sent to East Germany to study forestry. After graduating she was back to Vietnam, just at the very time time when the Communist Party provoqued the “intellectual must practice” movement, she had to go to Lao Cai, guiding ethnic people to plant and protect forests. Arriving in Lao Cai for a few months, not accustomed yet to the severe weather and local habits, and now the Chinese ” “colonial expansion” invaded the border ” to teach their brothers a lesson”. Luckilly, she was back to Hà Nội for a class in politics at the time, so she have had a lucky escape and was sent to Thanh Hoa by the Ministry to establish a new forestry. That’s the forestry where we are working. In fact, this is just a desolate mountainous area, with a board consisting of five people, and she is the manager, with just two palm huts for establishment, 60 of us, penal servitude prisoners as workers, and the tools are just forest knives and a few pickaxes!
One day, as we saw a stranger coming , we asked her. She hesitated for a while then confide sadly. The guy, who is an examplar tractor worker on a plantation – more than thirty kilometers away from here, having many years of activity in the Communist party, arranged by the party to marry her, as an example for the “intellectuals living with workers” plan, newly proposed by the party . The purpose is to make the workers with lack of literacy will be enthusiastic by this favor, and do their best to serve and be loyal to the party. This is also a “reward” for her to be designed as a director at this new forestry site!
Our eyes were wide-opend of surprise, because this examplar worker looked older than her, pockmarks face, black, lumpish. None of this is suitable with this intellectual and nice young lady. She also said that in her heart, there wasn’t any place for him, but she did not dare to do anything dissatisfied to the party, if so she would be expelled for being indisciplined, will face to harmful problems for many other reasons, then she had to accept it, but tried to find all reasons to delay the wedding the later the better. She said she was in a period of “holding her breath to cross the river”!
Although we thouht she is so likeable and felt pity for her, we were always “on the alert” and do not dare to say anything. We had experience, there are always many traps around us, and the ” feminine cunning use to achieve aims” is not new. One day, during a break, she gave us sweet potatoes from a bag, and asked:
– I heard the police mistreated all of you violently in the camps, right?
– We are the losers, then imprisonment and torture are just normal- A cellmate answered briefly.
She was meditative for a ew seconds, then said:
– For my opinion, in that war, all of us, the North and the South, nobody won. Only unfortunate people with the authorities in power who are dull-witted, will have imprisonment and torture each other. Its really unbelievable, a bunch of ignorant people are entrusted with the task of “educating and reforming” intellectuals, then after demanding for good progress! That’s funny!
After, she often said that she was really disgusted by the Communist Party, but if you want to be against it or get out, you have pay with your own life, sometimes the whole family will be in utterly miserable situation. We just kept silence. We were quite happy because we can work comfortably, we didn’t need to reach any production target, and she often feeded us with potatoes, sometimes noodles. The ones who have civilian clothes or towels, she will exchange them for rice, sugar or some other foods. Whoever wanted to send private letters to their family, she will try to send them.
The forestry site had just started for more than three weeks, the prison camp had staff organization. I was transferred to a new camp, regretting the working days relatively comfortable, and really rare during my years in prison.
The next afternoon, when I took my granddaughter to the swimming pool in the hotel, I met Hà Giang and her daughter Lam Khê unexpectedly . They were lying on sun loungers, and reading. Hà Giang get up when I came, invited me to sit in the chair next to her and told Lam Khê to go to the pool, play with my granddaughter and watch over her, and she would like to visit my wife at our room.
We invited her to have lunch with us, but she refused, asking for tea only. When the tea just ran out, she suggested we just call her little sister or you, and suddenly asked me:
– Do you remember Mr. Đôn?
As I was frowning, she added , to confirm:
– Trần Chánh Đôn!
I asked again:
– Đôn pilot, who was in the same measurement team as me when we were working with you at the forestry site?
Hà Giang nodded, can’t speak. Then I saw her wiping away tears with a handkerchief. And then my wife and I listened to her confidence:
– Mr. Đôn is dead! It’s all my fault. I was the one who provided Đôn with food, medicine, a map and a compass, which I took from the forestry, and showed me him how to escape the forestry with two other cellmates. With my map, my compass and my thoroughly guidance and informations, I was quite sure they had easily escaped the border. Unexpectedly, after more than three weeks, when I was in high spirits, feeling a secret joy, I was informed that they were arrested in Laos. I almost collapsed, lack of sleeping, but tried to keep calm, asking some prison police officers for news. . They said all three of them were shot by police on their way from Laos to the camp, because they fighted against them, trying to escape. Although believing in their firm behavior and trustworthy attitude, even being tormented harsly, they will not give evidence of my support, I was still afraid being involved, if they found out the map and compass belonging to the forestry, the consequences will be unpredictable. I rushed back to the Ministry, implored and gave them all my savings for the Deputy Minister to let me go back to East Germany for two weeks, submit to my ancient university some research that I had just finished writing, after more than a year of graduation and went to the field. . Luckily I got his agreement, and contacted the German embassy for an early visa. It’s only been almost a week that I took the trip. Of course that’s just a motive. After coming to Germany, I went into hidding at a friend ‘s house; I knew the couple when I was studying there. Last night you met my husband in the restaurant; he is my friend’s brother. He took care of me and protected me heartedly.
Leaving Vietnam, in addition to my motherland and family, I also took Mr. Đôn’s image with me. Don’t be surprised, I love him! In addition to his knowledges, handsomeness, and a softhearted smile, I felt his fidelity and self-confidence, as well as some romantism. When we worked together, in those mountains of Lam Khe, I learned a lot from him, and heard he sang love songs, read romantic poems, it was wonderful! For the first time, I was affected emotionally. But unluckily, I loved Dun in a critical situation. The only thing I can do for my lover was helping him to escape, setting free from the harsh and barbare mistreatment, for all his excellent qualities. All those reasons made me emotional, and helped me to know what is love; if I didn’t meet him, maybe all my life I never have such feelings. For me, it’s the most effective weapon giving me courage and energy against destiny; in the past, I thought one day I would have to give in, abandoning everything, becoming incapable.
Hà Giang stopped, wiping away tears on her cheeks. I poured more tea for her.
– Do you have any photos of Mr. Đôn? My wife asked.
Unfortunately, Mr. Đôn didn’t have any photos. He did give me his parents’address in Nha Trang, but all my letters were returned, reason: adressee is no longer there. I heard that before 75 his parents were teachers, and we didn’t have any information if they have to move to new economic zone or not ?
I didn’t let her continue, and asked:
– Do you remember that address? We have some friends in Nha Trang, then we can ask for news about them. And we’d like to offer his parents some money too, because he was also my cellmate.
Hà Giang was frowning:
– It’s been a long time and I forgot, but maybe I keep it at home. Can I have your e-mail address, if I can find it, I’ll send to you. I would love to see Đôn’s parents, if they’re still alive.
Actually, it didn’t surprise me if Hà Giang loved Đôn. It’s true like she said: Đôn was a young pilot. Being all these years in the destitution, he was still handsome, still kept his artist character and behavior. All the inmates liked him. News about Đôn and two other cellmates escaping from prison, while I was transferred to another camp more than four months already, and I just heard it from my friends later, when we were abroad, but each recount it in their own way.
After a quite enjoyable summer vacation, especially the unexpected meeting with Hà Giang, and remembering uncreasingly the old time of imprisonment with my poor friends, about a week later, I received Hà Giang’s email with Mr. and Mrs. Trần Chánh Nghị, ‘s parents in Vietnam’s address. I wrote to my close friend in Phan Rang, and asked him to find Đôn ‘s family address we just had from Hà Giang . I also told him that they had moved out, but with that information may be we can have any clue.
Almost two months later, I received his answer. In the letter there was a passage that surprised me, but lit up some hope:
It’s like you told me, this family has been moving out for a long time. But a neighbour said the owners had passed away for more than twenty years. The parents had an unique son who was disabled, and went to a certain temple to be monk. I searched everywhere according to the the neighbor’s vague informations, but didn’t meet him yet…
I read again and again the words “The parents had an unique son”, and then went to the bank to send some money to my friend, with a message: Please try your best to find the son, and ask if his name is Trần Chánh Đôn. If you have any news, go to the post and give me a call. I was really excited, can’t wait for the news…, and one day, in the middle of the night, the phone rang. Picking it up, I was happy and quite emotional when I heard my friend from Vietnam:
” I found him. It’s well and truly Trần Chánh Đôn. Now he is venerable Thích Thiện Hòa. He became monk at a small pagoda, located on the slope of a mountain, above the Ngoạn Mục Pass, Bellevue Pass, in Đơn Dương District, nearly forty kilometers from Đà Lạt. The pagoda was built by his uncle who was deceased, now monk Thiện Hòa stood in for him as abbot. Poor monk Thiện Hòa, one of his eyes was blinded, and as both legs were crippled, he had to lean on two crutches to walk, but he was still handsome and kind-hearted. I think never left the temple, because from the bottom of the mountain to the location, I counted over fifty steps.”
I sent an email to Hà Giang, informing her about this unexpected news. I was uncertain, but then decided to tell the truth. Remembering she wiped away tears continuously when talking about Đôn in Mallorca, I think it will be heartbreaking for her when she receive this news. The next morning I received an e-mail from her:
“Dear friends,
When I received those news, I wept and can’t hold my tears. I was sleepless all night. Today I had to ask for a day off, and now I am really distraught. I can’t believe my Đôn was still alive. I’m happy but heartbroken when I find out he had one eye blind and both legs disabled.
After serious thought about this, as you were Đôn’s friend and I consider you as a brother, an uncle, I had the courage to tell you :
Lam Khê, the girl you met in Mallorca, is Mr.Đôn’s daughter. Before the farewell day, he and me we had some brief happy days in the forest, I gave him all my life, as a promise, even we will be in any corner of the world, even we have to endure all the hardships in life , we will try all our best to be together again. But God didn’t spare me, as I kept assuming that he was dead. I was in mourning for him during six years, then I married this man in obligation to his love and support as I was alone in foreign country. Now that Đôn is alive, but he has become a venerable monk, I am really sorry about it and quite anxious, now I am wondering how to manage everything. I have to ask you fervently to give me some advice, so I know what I’m going to do. Now he probably doesn’t need any material help, but anyway Lam Khê she is his family. How will they recognize each other? Lam Khê thought that her father is dead too. From time to time she asked me about her father. She loves and is very proud of him…”. Now that Đôn is alive, but he has become a venerable monk, I am really sorry about it and quite anxious, now I am wondering how to manage everything. I have to ask you fervently to give me some advice, so I know what I’m going to do. Now he probably doesn’t need any material help, but anyway Lam Khê she is his family. How will they recognize each other? Lam Khê thought that her father is dead too. From time to time she asked me about her father. She loves and is very proud of him …”.
My wife and I looked over all angles of the problem but didn’t find any advice to help Hà Giang, other than asking if she wanted to see Đôn, then my wife could help her by going back to Vietnam with her, as my wife lived in Nha Trang for quite a long time, and my best friend was there, knowing the way to the mountains of Đơn Dương, Đà Lạt, where the pagoda is located.
Hà Giang took great pleasure to accept this offer, and asked my wife to return to Vietnam the following week to meet them at Tân Sơn Nhất Airport. The flight number and arrival time, she will let us know soon.
And here is my wife’s report of the meeting.
– They met and recognized each other. Hà Giang took Đôn in her arms and sobbed her heart out . She forgot he was a monk. How emotional the scene was when Hà Giang said Lam Khê was his own daughter! Both of them embraced each other for a long while , tears pouring down. He explained about both philosophy of life and religion to comfort, encourage and guide Lam Khê to get ahead in life with grief and contingencies. His words were really interesting and moving. This was a proof that monk Thích Thiện Hòa is still an emotional person, a courteous Trần Chánh Đôn as he was. Both of them helped him hobbling around on crutches to the back garden of the temple, then he sat on a rock with view to the pine forest.
He recounted his escape from prison, why he was arrested, how one of his eyes was hit and his foot were shoot horribly just because he was determined not declaring who helped and intelligently directed him and his two cellmates to escape the camp ; they suspected that person, even though he had hidden the map and compass under a rock before being arrested. They were not back to the old camp, but had to be moved to another one. Being in solitary harsh cell for years but he didn’t know why he was still alive. Hà Giang bursted out sobbing. When everybody became serene again,Hà Giang would like to offer some cash to the pagoda , but monk Thiện Hòa refused, telling that the pagoda did not need such a large amount of money. Hà Giang proposed him with great insistence to go to Germany for a prosthetic leg and replacement for his blind eye, he also refused, said he was used to those missing parts, moreover now he had a religious life, just being around the temple all day, it is not necessary for him to go anywhere. He opened a class for poor assiduous students in the area, but the classroom was a room with no walls right behind the temple.
On her last night in Vietnam, Hà Giang decided to change their fly tickets, and go back to Da Lat for another three weeks, so Lam Khê will have more time with her father there. She said that both of them will try to persuade Don, to buy him a wheelchair, to rebuild the temple, to replace the steps by a stone-paved road, especially behind the temple, from the Monk’s classroom overlooks, where is already a forest with some , she will remodel it into a beautiful garden, plant more flowers, make , and asked him to name it Lam Khê Park, because the word Lam (*) sounds also suitable for the view of the pagoda …
When I wrote these lines, I didn’t know if Hà Giang’s wishes would be accepted by monk Thích Thiện Hòa or not, and how the psychological development of Lam Khê would be after meeting his father finally, and will this beautiful but very tragic love stay forever in all of them ?
Phạm Tín An Ninh
(Translated to English bt Phan Nữ Lan)
Note:
(*) Lam : Grey color, like the Bouddhists color costumes.
