Sympathy for the grandmother who alone worked hard to raise her orphaned grandchildren

In a house hidden behind a bamboo grove in hamlet 21, Nghi Phong commune (Nghi Loc), Mrs. Nguyen Thi Chau (born in 1951) quietly sits incubating rice seeds, preparing to plant seedlings for the upcoming crop. Only a few days before turning 68, Mrs. Chau's steps are slow and difficult, her back is too heavy with the burden of making a living and the misfortunes of life.

“In my life, from the time I got married until now, and perhaps until the time I die, I have not had many happy days. Because when I was young, I waited for my husband to go to the battlefield in the South for more than 8 years. When he returned, he was tormented by illness, and I almost single-handedly took care of my two children. Then my son suddenly passed away, and not long after, my husband passed away, so I have been taking care of my grandchildren alone,” Ms. Chau confided.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Chau prepares to incubate seedlings for the upcoming crop. Photo: Cong Khang

Ms. Chau's husband, Mr. Nguyen Huu Tai, was a soldier who fought in the South and was discharged in 1977. For more than 8 years, her husband was away, and Ms. Chau waited at home until she was exhausted, at times it seemed hopeless. When her husband returned, it took her 2 years to get pregnant and give birth to her first son, named Nguyen Duy Kim (born 1979). Then 3 years later, she gave birth to her youngest daughter, Nguyen Thi Lien (born 1982).

About 10 years ago, Mr. Nguyen Duy Kim - Mrs. Chau's son often brought rattan and bamboo products to Hanoi, had the opportunity to meet Ms. D and fell in love. The two got married in 2008, two years later gave birth to a baby girl, Nguyen Khanh Th. When Th. was just 1 year old, Mr. Kim had just returned from plowing the field when a sudden heart attack occurred, causing him to collapse and pass away at the age of 30.

Losing their son, Mrs. Chau and her husband were in extreme pain, at times they thought they would never recover. A short time later, due to weakness and unable to bear the shock of losing their son, Mr. Tai also passed away, leaving behind 3 women in the family (wife, daughter-in-law and granddaughter).

Mrs. Nguyen Thi Chau accompanies her granddaughter in all activities. Photo: Cong Khang

The mother and her children, grandmother and grandchild took care of, supported and worked hard to make a living. After a while, seeing that her daughter-in-law was still too young and had a long life ahead, Mrs. Chau encouraged Ms. D. to return to her mother's hometown and remarry. At first, Ms. D. was not satisfied because she loved her daughter who was still too young, but before the mother-in-law's determination, she had to comply. And a few years ago, she remarried, but life must have been difficult, so she rarely visited her children or sent money back to support her grandmother in raising her grandchildren.

The grandmother and grandchild live in an empty house, the doors have rotted for many years and there is no money to replace them. Th. is 8 years old this year, in grade 3, the house is 3 km from school, does not have a bicycle so every day has to walk to and from school. Although Mrs. Chau loves her little orphaned grandchild very much, she has no way to buy him a bicycle, because her only source of income is 2 sao of rice fields and a few chickens in the coop.

Ms. Nguyen Thi Chau raises chickens to earn extra income to support her grandchildren's education. Photo: Cong Khang

Then, on rainy and stormy nights, water splashed into the house, wetting everything, little Khanh Th. was scared and hugged her grandmother. The two of them could only hug each other and cry, when the child fell asleep, the grandmother's sad tears still fell. A few years ago, every time the child came home from school, she would ask: "Grandma! Where is my mother?". Mrs. Chau tried to hold back her emotions to answer her grandchild: "Mom is working far away, she will be back with you in a while."

In the afternoon, the wind turned, the cold air rushed in, bringing drizzle and cold, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Chau hurriedly went to the field to cover the rice seedlings. The unfortunate woman shared: "As long as I have the strength, I will continue to work to raise my grandchild to study so that his life will be less miserable in the future. I just hope that God will give me many more years to live so that Khanh Th. will not have to live alone and helpless and can see him finish his studies."