Spring Fever
(Baonghean) - Every woman wants to look beautiful, especially as spring approaches, the weather warms up, trees sprout new leaves, and flowers bloom everywhere, from potted plants to streets and parks.
My three wives are no exception. My two daughters, roughly the same age, are eagerly searching for their other half, and my wife is going through a second youth.
Much like the football season, beauty pageants are held continuously from the grassroots level to the district, provincial, regional, and ultimately national finals. On television, every night features training sessions for the 18 girls preparing for Miss World.
And so my little family also went into a frenzy because of the fashion craze. The two kids threw all their winter clothes into the closet, constantly taking off and putting on the pile of clothes they'd bought from the supermarket, arguing and changing outfits frequently, choosing dresses and tops with open backs, chests, and buttocks, so that the spring weather could seep into their skin.
The wife, in her fifties, also went crazy, spending all her savings on the most fashionable, modern, and revealing outfits. She declared: "The hardships of war are long over. It's time for me to make up for all the suffering and sacrifices. What kind of woman is she if she doesn't know how to dress and look good? No one will want to look at her."
Some of you might be wondering what changes I've undergone since the fashion storm hit my family. I was horrified and almost fainted when I saw my two daughters; I thought they were superstars from Hollywood visiting to strengthen the strategic friendship between Vietnam and the United States.
But when I stood before my wife, who looked twenty years younger thanks to her fashion sense, I was startled to realize that with my old, worn-out traditional clothes, I didn't look like a modern husband at all; at best, I'd only be considered a servant to my wife and children.
"How can our family budget possibly afford to make everyone in the family look beautiful?" I sighed and told my wife.
- My dear, the kids are at an age where they need to eat and dress well, so there's nothing to worry about. We're getting older, and one beautiful woman is enough. As for me, let's wait a few more years.
As Tet (Vietnamese New Year) approached, my mother from the countryside brought chicken and sticky rice to visit her children and grandchildren. Unexpectedly, the fashion craze wasn't just happening in the city, but had spread to every corner of the countryside. She also wore makeup, dyed her hair jet black, wore perfume, and walked around as if dancing in her Korean-style dress.
Seeing my wide-eyed stare, she explained:
- I'm a Goat this year, already getting old, not much time left. My clothes are so old-fashioned, not only do I look bad, but you guys get a bad reputation for neglecting your mother. Tuan, who works abroad in South Korea, sent me some money. He'll be sending me some kind of mini dress soon, it's cool and easy to walk in. And you too, dressing so sloppily might cost you your wife.
I blushed and became flustered:
- I'll listen to Mom, this time I'm definitely going to buy a mini shorts set to wear for Tet.
Quynh Tho
