The ironic scene of a woman's house being struck by lightning in the middle of a rice field

The funeral procession passed through Loi Cay field where there were bundles of straw drying in the middle of the field that had not been collected from Ha when the accident happened. The procession moved in the harsh afternoon sun, amidst the sounds of crying and sobbing. Mr. Giap walked beside his wife's hearse, his head wrapped in a white scarf, his heart aching with pain.

The funeral procession sent the unfortunate woman to her final resting place. Photo: Huy Thu

Present in the funeral procession, Ms. Vo Thi Lien (61 years old), a local resident, said: At around 4 pm on May 17, Ms. Ha and her husband went to collect straw to dry in Loi Cay field, about 500m from their house. While they were collecting straw in the middle of the field, it started to rain and thunder. At that time, her husband, Mr. Tran Vo Giap (born in 1974), was carrying straw home. Local people who were working in the field all ran into nearby houses to take shelter from the rain, but Ms. Ha took her bicycle home.

While Ms. Ha was walking in the middle of the field, there was a deafening thunderclap and a loud clap of thunder. After the thunderclap, people looked out into the field and saw her lying on the edge of the field, in the pouring rain. “Everyone in my neighborhood, upon hearing that Ms. Ha was struck by lightning, felt sorry for her. Ms. Ha was a good-natured person, but...” – Ms. Lien said.

Relatives cried silently at Ha's funeral. Photo: Huy Thu

At Tran Vo Giap's house, while everyone was going to Ha's funeral, Mrs. Nguyen Thi Tam (Mr. Giap's mother) was sitting and comforting her 2-year-old grandchild who had lost his mother. Mrs. Tam said that Mr. Giap was disabled. He had been married before but had no children.

Ms. Ha is the second wife. The couple got married in 2008, but still had no children. Nearly 2 years ago, the couple adopted a child, hoping to support them in their old age. The child's name is Tran Vo Hong Phuc. Having a child, Mr. Giap and his wife devoted all their love to their son.

Mr. Giap sadly walked beside the hearse to see his wife off. Photo: Huy Thu

Mr. Giap and his wife farmed 5 sao of rice fields, raised 1 cow, and were diligent, hard-working, and frugal all year round. However, because both husband and wife were in poor health, especially Ms. Ha, who had been hospitalized twice for mental instability, the family's situation was difficult. Fortunately, the house was next to the grandparents' family, so the grandparents were able to help a little.

Mrs. Tam said: "Around 5 pm yesterday, it was raining heavily. I heard people in the fields running to shout, "My wife Ha was struck by lightning in the fields." I felt my legs go weak.

Mrs. Tam, Ha's mother-in-law, continued: When Mr. Giap drove the cart out to get straw, he saw his wife lying face down, her face dark and purple... Mr. Giap and the neighbors brought Ha's body home in the middle of the storm, their hearts aching.

"Ha is a gentle and hard-working daughter-in-law, but God did not let her live, and Phuc is still young, I feel so sorry for him..." - Mrs. Tam said with tears in her eyes.

Ha's young child has not yet felt the pain of losing his mother. Photo: Huy Thu

A storm in the middle of the harvest season and a deafening thunderclap took away the poor wife and mother, leaving behind her husband and poor child. Not yet 2 years old, Phuc could not speak clearly, only knew how to ask for milk when hungry, and could not feel the pain of losing his mother.

Being at Mr. Giap's house, looking at his child with innocent eyes and a white mourning band around his head sitting in his grandmother's arms, my heart ached. Out there, in the village fields in the middle of harvest season, the mourning drums sending off the poor, unfortunate mother were still beating anxiously.