A deserted spot on the sidewalk

(Baonghean) - In the morning, the cold wind peels off each layer of clothing, seeping into each pore. 5:30, every day at this time I run around the neighborhood. I've gotten used to seeing faces, I greet everyone I see or sometimes just nod. The cyclo driver, the early morning fish seller, the sticky rice seller, the crazy old lady selling flowers and bananas... But today, why can't I see this crazy old lady?

That sidewalk, the old woman has been sitting every morning for many years now. A pair of shoulder poles, a red plastic pot with a few roses or chrysanthemums, a small tarp with a few bunches of bananas and a bunch of vegetables. Every morning is the same.

They called her “crazy” and “crazy” because she often laughed and talked to herself. Sometimes, some people who had too much time or too many trivial matters stopped to talk to her. There was also a time when I became that kind of person, bought her a rose and asked her random questions, then went for a jog, and then I quietly put that flower in a window that was just opened on the sidewalk of someone’s house, when the light outside was not enough to get into the house.

Photo for illustration purposes only

The old woman had been occupying the sidewalk at the beginning of this alley for a long time, ignoring what anyone said. Several times, the security guard of a nearby bank chased her away because she was scattering leaves, vines, and newspaper scraps all over the place. She would leave for a few days and then return. The police occasionally came to clear the market, sometimes she would run away to grab her fruit basket, other times she wouldn't even bother running, just stood there grinning, her black and yellow teeth full of holes.

The old lady told her whole family to sell flowers on the street, waking up in the morning and each person carrying a basket on a street “to drift”. Her flowers were few, ugly and expensive, whoever bought them was fine, whoever didn’t buy or bargained for them, she would curse, curse them all, curse them all, curse them profanely and sourly as if possessed. One day, a woman from Hue was cursed by her and could only stand still and cry…

Yet she patiently carried on her poor stall until late at night. When there were no customers, the old woman would talk to herself. No one paid any attention to what she was saying. At noon, when she had not eaten anything, the sticky rice vendor would bring her a cold package of sticky rice with peanuts and tell her to eat it. She would not take any money, but the old woman would insist on paying her, no matter how little. Some days, she had not sold a single coin, so she paid with a few bananas. Late at night, when the flowers were still there, wilted, she would push a bunch of mixed-colored flowers into the sticky rice vendor's hands and tell her to take them home for her daughter.

There were days when I came home late from work and saw her sitting in the rain while walking down the street. When I greeted her and she didn't say anything, I knew for sure that her business was slow that day. I teased her and she got angry and cursed like a spirit. There were also days when I teased her and she didn't say anything, just sat there leaning against the electric pole like a dry banana leaf.

This morning, I saw that the sidewalk at the end of the alley was deserted. Maybe she was chased away by the security guard yesterday, or maybe she was sick, or something happened at home?

Maybe tomorrow she will come back to sell her goods, but why do I feel so restless? This crazy old lady, without her the sidewalk suddenly becomes so empty! In the middle of a cold winter morning like this, if only she were sitting there with a few bouquets of flowers as bright as fire...

Thai Quynh