Love in Xop Nam

(Baonghean) - The day we arrived at Tam Hop Secondary School (Tuong Duong) was when it was still foggy, drizzling, and cold. Although it is located 34 km from town, it took us more than two hours to climb uphill and cross winding, slippery roads to get there. The school is located in a valley next to the administrative center of the commune's People's Committee in Xop Nam village. From afar, we could hear the singing and dancing of teachers and students during break time. Although we were all tired, everyone was happy to see the teachers and students. Here, everyone told us about the love story of teacher Nguyen Thi Hoa and Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Chi Cong (political commissar of Company 8, Battalion 5, Regiment 335, Division 324, Military Region 4), a love story as beautiful as a fairy tale.

Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Chi Cong and his wife, teacher Nguyen Thi Hoa.

Love came to Senior Lieutenant Nguyen Chi Cong nearly two years ago, when he returned from leave on a bus from Vinh City to his unit, and sat next to Nguyen Thi Hoa - a teacher at Tam Hop Secondary School, who had just returned from training.

On the way that day, through conversation, Cong learned that Hoa was a literature teacher. That day, Cong asked his unit for permission to return home a few hours late to take Hoa to school and then come back. Even though it was late and dark, teacher Hoa did not forget to ask for the soldier's address to write a thank you letter.

After returning to the unit for nearly a month, Cong received a letter with a very beautiful, soft handwriting. Cong guessed that this was a letter from his daughter, he opened it and saw that it was a letter from teacher Hoa who had been on the same bus when he returned from leave the previous time. That night, he read it over and over again, memorizing every sentence, every word. After writing lesson plans, Cong could not sleep, he decided to write a letter to Hoa, feeling nervous and excited, he folded the letter to send it at the unit's alarm clock.

There were no conditions to meet each other often, instead there were letters back and forth and short "reverse" times on the weekends when the two had a chance to meet. The lives of soldiers became more and more clear in Hoa's mind and were recreated in lesson plans and in class hours. Every time she visited the unit, Hoa liked to go with Cong to see the training ground, to understand more about the duties of Uncle Ho's soldiers. The feelings from acquaintance gradually became close, loving without realizing it.

The day Hoa graduated from school and received a job in the western part of Nghe An, bordering Vietnam and Laos, her parents strongly objected. With a good degree, many schools in Anh Son district were ready to accept her, but Hoa was determined to volunteer to go to remote areas to bring knowledge to ethnic minorities. At first, she was a single woman who traveled all the way to the border to work. Although she was very determined and confident in her future, Hoa often wavered. However, she felt sorry for the children who could not go to school every day, and Xop Nam school was lacking teachers, so Hoa was determined to stay.

Mrs. Phan Thi Ngu, Hoa's mother, was so worried about her child that she couldn't sleep many nights. But as time passed, Hoa completed all her tasks at school well, many of her students were obedient and good at studying, and her parents were finally at ease.

Cong's father was a volunteer soldier in Cambodia who heroically sacrificed his life in a fight against the Pol Pot army. At that time, Cong was only 2 years old and did not remember his father's face clearly. His mother worked hard to raise 5 children by herself. Now that his brothers and sisters have started their own families and moved out, she wanted Cong to marry a wife from the countryside so that she would have someone close to her in her old age. Therefore, the day Cong brought Hoa home to introduce her, his mother was initially very sad because it was not as she expected. She was afraid that Cong would get married and would have little time to visit his mother. However, since the day they fell in love with Hoa, every time they had a leave, they both took the opportunity to visit and encourage her, making her gradually forget her initial thoughts.

And the wedding of Cong and teacher Hoa was held at the unit, all the work from decoration, food trays... were taken care of by officers and soldiers in the unit. Although simple, it was warm with the love between the army and the people.

Article and photos: Le Tuong Hieu - Hong Sang (HT: 5NK 3129 - Anh Son)