Reading List

Heaven's Sister
Those clumsy childhood days passed quickly, with the same war horse that I carried throughout my childhood and the last days of my student life at the district school. But now, I no longer tried to drive him quickly to scare him. Instead, I drove him straight to school, like an older brother taking his younger sister. Yes, she's my younger sister, and it's the first time in my life that I have one. She's so obedient and gentle. I realized that there was no reason for me to bully her all the time, though I realized this late.But it wasn't too late. I noticed that she saw my change in behavior. I no longer scolded her like before or threatened to beat her whenever she did something foolish. She didn't say anything, but she looked at me strangely, no longer scared like before. It seemed like her eyes sparkled. If she were a puppy, I'm sure her tiny tail would wag.One day, at the end of 9th grade, I was sitting in class when she ran in from somewhere, tears streaming down her face: "Dad got hit by a car, Mr. Bi. They took him to the hospital."I drove as fast as I could to the hospital. This morning, someone had come to take my father to the commune to vaccinate the cattle, promising he would return in the afternoon.As soon as I got there and helped my sister out of the car, I rushed into the emergency room. I knew where he was because my grandmother had been here twice before. My aunts, uncles, and relatives were crowded outside the emergency room. My father was gentle and kind, so he was loved by all of them. When my aunt saw me coming, she ran to hug me and cried. I panicked, my face turned pale, and I stammered: "Dad... how is he... what happened?" She didn't answer, but put her hand over her mouth and sobbed even harder. I was terrified. I ran back and grabbed my brother, uncle, and other relatives, screaming: "What's wrong with dad? What happened?" Nobody had the courage to say it to me, a guy who had lost his mother when he was 3 years old. They were afraid to tell me outright: "Baby, your dad passed away."Since my father's passing, I've become a completely different person. I no longer want to cause trouble in the village or play around and run about. I feel like I'm almost a soulless corpse. My friends look at me differently now, with pity in their eyes. My classmates even organized a visit to my house to "share and console" me, but I knew about it, so I ran away to my grandmother's house. I don't need anyone's pity. I don't need anyone at all. I just need my dad... Dad...My younger sister has also become quieter since then. Every day, I still drive her to school because I only have a few short months left before finishing middle school. As my grandmother said, I have to try my best in my studies so that my parents in the afterlife can feel at ease.My aunt went to talk to my stepmother about letting me stay at her house. She would raise and take care of me. I was in the room, listening to my stepmother speak slowly and gently, with a rather strong Hue accent. She said she loved me like her own child. Since my father had passed away, she felt responsible for raising me to be a good person. She promised not to let me suffer.From then on, my stepmother raised me and my younger sister by selling goods at the hot and rainy market. She woke up early in the morning to make fried and stir-fried packages. I overheard the whispers of mothers and children, trying to avoid making noise. They would say, "Let Mr. Bi sleep." I heard children talking about going to school and discussing great and beautiful things. The American lamp hanging in the kitchen cast the silhouettes of those two little women on the wall. Even in my dreams, I could smell the fragrance of fried onions. Since then, my little sister had to wake up early in the morning to help my mother. I was sleep-deprived. One time, when I drove her to school, I turned around and saw her hand still tightly gripping the seat, but her eyes were already closed, with long and curled eyelashes.Many times, I felt so guilty and tried to get up to help make cakes, but my stepmother refused to let me. She insisted that I go to sleep. She said there were only a few months left until the high school entrance exam, and I needed to pass it to get into the specialized school in the province. She assured me that as long as I studied well, I would bear as much suffering as I could handle. Luyen, my younger sister, hadn't reached that stage yet, so she could help.I finally got accepted into a specialized school in town, and my younger sister was the first to know. She grabbed the newspaper and rushed out to the fishing ditch to find me, looking even more excited than I was. She handed me the paper, her eyes wide and bright. "Look, Mr. Bi," she exclaimed.I held the newspaper in my hand, feeling a mixture of happiness and longing for my dad. If he were still alive, he would throw away his crutches and run to find me. "I have to take the B block exam," I said to myself. "I'll become a real doctor, not just a veterinarian like you."
By Quang2 years ago in BookClub
Heaven's Sister
After running away from home for five days, I finally returned because I heard that my grandmother was searching for me with a cane. My eyes couldn't see the road, my ears were deaf, and I screamed my name throughout the village as I walked. Just hearing my friend talk about it, I didn't have the courage to stay in his duck hut for another day. I was a little afraid, but I loved my grandmother a lot. She had raised me since I was young, and she loved me the most.It was the first time in my life that I left home for a reason unlike anyone else. My father had married another woman after more than 10 years of raising me. She was a woman from Hue who sold Banh Beo Loc Nam at the district market. She had met my father when he came to administer medicine for her pigs (my father is a veterinarian, so it's not cool to call him a "pig doctor"). If you have any qualifications, people will always call you a "pig doctor."After that, she often came to my house because it was near the market. She would stop by when she went to sell things, and sometimes she bought me gifts. At first, I liked it very much, and I accepted whatever she gave me. But when I found out that my father was going to marry her, I rejected everything. I even left the house and didn't bother to say hello to her like before. One day, just before the wedding, I decided to leave. Everyone was so busy that no one seemed to pay attention to me, which ruined their plans. Their wedding fell apart.After the wedding, people started looking for me. When I got home, no one dared to say anything. They said I had run away and that now I was very powerful, and everyone was afraid of me because I dared to run away from home. Thinking like that, I didn't even bother to greet anyone. I went down to the kitchen to get some rice and then brought it to the garden to sit on a fallen tree and eat. I became more sulky, sometimes not answering when she called me. I never once called her "mom." I deliberately opposed her and felt annoyed with my stepmother, even though she hadn't done anything to me. One time, I overheard her telling my father that she loved me like her own child, and slowly she would win my sympathy. But don't dream of fooling me, "For generations, stepmothers have loved their husband's children as their own." I had memorized this sentence for a long time, and I dared her to try it! Just like that, five months passed, and she still slowly approached and pleased me, but I became even more stubborn. Sometimes I even said mean things to her. My father was originally as gentle as a piece of wood. He had a missing leg, and he never hit me. So I was able to take advantage even more. Then one day, she brought a girl home. She was dark-skinned, with fiery red hair, and her clothes were simple. She was definitely a country girl because only country girls have braids on both sides and puffy sleeves, as the girls in my class said. She bowed to me, looking scared because I was glaring at her. My father said she was my "mother's" stepchild, and she had been living in the countryside with her grandmother. Since she hadn't finished the semester yet, she could now move in with us. He told me to take care of her studies from now on. I didn't bother saying anything; I stopped playing football. I had no siblings of my own, and it was clear that I was in trouble.Since she came, I became even more upset. She would wander around, bumping into things and looking at everything. "What?" I asked, picking something up and shaking it as if I were seeing it for the first time. When I asked her to iron her clothes, she was so clueless that she burned her school shirt because she didn't know how to adjust the temperature. When I asked her to copy my homework, she would copy it all over the margins of her notebook (later I found out that every notebook was the same, with notes overflowing onto the margins). Even when it came to turning on the TV, she didn't know how to do it, even though it was a piece of cake. I angrily cursed at her, "Have you never watched TV before?" She blushed and said her grandmother also had a TV, but it only had sound, no images. At first, I thought her hair was dyed, but when I asked her, she said it was from being in the countryside, tending to cows and wading in the fields a lot, which caused it to get sunburned. Hearing that, I burst out laughing.She was two grades behind me in school. I was in 8th grade, and she was in 6th grade.I continued to observe her closely, mocking her whenever I had the chance. But as days turned into weeks, something began to change within me. I started noticing her determination and resilience despite her lack of knowledge and skills. She never gave up, even when faced with my constant criticisms and taunts. Instead, she would try her best to learn and improve.One day, I caught her studying late into the night, struggling with a math problem. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy. I approached her and reluctantly offered my help, thinking I could easily solve it and prove my superiority. However, as I sat down and examined the problem, I realized it was more challenging than I had anticipated. We ended up working on it together, exchanging ideas and attempting various approaches. Surprisingly, her unique perspective and unconventional thinking helped us solve the problem in the end.From that moment on, we started studying together regularly. I began to see her not as a burden, but as someone who had the potential to be a good friend and study partner. We would discuss different subjects, share knowledge, and support each other in our academic pursuits.As time went on, I discovered that she had a genuine love for nature and a deep understanding of traditional agricultural practices. She would often share stories about her life in the countryside, teaching me about the importance of sustainable farming and the harmony between humans and the environment. Her passion and knowledge fascinated me, opening my eyes to a world beyond textbooks and exams.Gradually, my animosity towards her transformed into admiration and respect. I realized that she possessed qualities I had never seen in anyone else – humility, resilience, and an unwavering spirit. She didn't let my initial hostility deter her from pursuing her education and integrating into our family.As the years passed, we grew closer, forming a bond that transcended our initial differences. I learned to appreciate her unique perspective and the wisdom she gained from her rural upbringing. Together, we navigated the challenges of school, supported each other during difficult times, and celebrated our achievements as a team.Looking back, I'm grateful for the presence of my stepmother's stepchild in my life. She taught me valuable lessons about empathy, acceptance, and the power of genuine connections. Our journey together not only improved my academic performance but also transformed me into a more compassionate and understanding person.Sometimes, it takes unexpected encounters and unlikely friendships to help us grow and change for the better. I'm glad I had the opportunity to experience such a transformation, all because of a girl with fiery red hair and a determined spirit.
By Quang2 years ago in BookClub
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