Spring Gathering

(Baonghean) - Wow! So many anniversaries this year. They're all once every 30, 40, or 50 years. January has plenty of time to attend them all.

My wife takes care of the household chores. I shouldn't step in and leave her unemployed. My boss handles the office matters; at the beginning of the year, he's busy tying his tie and wearing a suit to attend countless important anniversaries, both within and outside the industry, with superiors and subordinates—even more than a low-ranking official like myself.

First, there's the hometown reunion. Home is like a cluster of sweet starfruit; not going there would mean losing your roots. After the provincial reunion, there's the district reunion. No sooner had they greeted each other warmly at the village reunion than they all moved on to the neighborhood reunion. In keeping with the spirit of gender equality, men and women alike, hometown reunions extend to include daughters-in-law, sons-in-law, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and so on…

When we meet, we always contribute a little to make things more enjoyable for each other.

Seeing the boisterous reunions among fellow alumni, their classmates also felt the urge to join in. Immediately, numerous reunions—class reunions, unit reunions—took place incessantly. From kindergartens to universities, research institutes, and short- and long-term training schools, organizing committees were established, and announcements were made on radio and in newspapers inviting people to meet to commemorate 60th, 30th, or sometimes even just six months into their traditional anniversary.

As for my comrades, those who once shared life and death together, "digging tunnels in the mountains, sleeping in rain-soaked bunkers, and eating meager rations" or "marching across the Truong Son Mountains to save the country," thanks to this commemorative movement, we were able to meet again, overwhelmed with mixed emotions of joy and sadness. During the war against America, I served in the Youth Volunteer Force, transferring through dozens of units; now, being able to attend all of them is not easy.

But when we meet up, we have to go to a bar and party hard to make up for all the hard times; money is nothing compared to the blood and sweat we shed.

To be honest with you, with all those meetings and parties, how can you be productive at work? The smell of beer and liquor still lingers in the room, and the invitations are so insistent, you can't refuse them.

I was trying to figure out how to schedule my time when the phone rang:

- Hello! Are you Mr. Phuong? - a completely unfamiliar female voice asked.

- Yes, how did you know? I'm Minh Phuong, what can I do for you?

- That's great. So you have the same name as me. I'm Tuyet Phuong, from Nghe An, and we'll sign up for the "Council of Honor," buy jersey number 44 to wear, and show our support for me. What do you think?

Before I could even think, my daughter, all neatly dressed, walked in.

- Where are you going, Dad? You're on duty at home this morning, so I'm going to the meeting with my colleagues.

- Meetings? I have so many other meetings, I'm swamped.

Dad, have you forgotten? We're having a get-together with our friends born in the Year of the Goat to celebrate the Year of the Goat!

Quynh Tho