“The banyan tree fork” and the sad story at the end of the year

On the 15th day of the 12th lunar month (January 31, 2018), Mr. Dau Van Nam, father of Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong, passed away after a tragic traffic accident. Two days later, their grandmother also passed away.

Nearly 6 years ago, the children's mother, Nguyen Thi Nhung, had been gone forever and never returned, leaving only a message that she was going to work far away.

Following the Faithgroup volunteer group, we went to a small house facing the river near Cau Duoc in group 3, block 12, Cua Nam ward (Vinh city). It was a sad sight to see that instead of the incense tree that evokes a warm, sacred and cozy atmosphere like every house when Tet comes, this house was filled with the smoke of unjust and painful incense on the altar of the unfortunate person who left this world 12 days ago due to a traffic accident. Next to it, was the altar of the grandmother who had just passed away because she could not bear the pain of losing her son, the pillar of the family.

Sisters Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong are still in shock when recalling the moment their father had a traffic accident at the "Cay Da Chao Long Junction". Photo: Mr. Phuc Nam Dan.

Early in the evening of a day in early December, when a cold spell was covering the entire Central and Northern regions, somewhere on TV there was a news report of snowfall. The house of two girls, Dau Thi Mai Anh (born in 2003) and Dau Thi Hoai Thuong (born in 2006), became even colder when gusts of wind from the bend of Cau Duoc River blew straight into the house facing the windy riverbank.

While sitting at the dinner table waiting for their father to come home, the two sisters were shocked to receive the bad news that their father had a traffic accident just 500m from home. The accident happened at the "Three-way intersection of the Banyan tree and porridge", a point on Highway 46 with a turn to block 12, Cua Nam ward. The father, Dau Van Nam, was driving his motorbike on the way home. When he turned into the "Three-way intersection of the Banyan tree and porridge", he collided with a motorbike and a person from hamlet 4, Hung Dao commune, Hung Nguyen.

Dau Thi Mai Anh (born in 2003, right photo) and Dau Thi Hoai Thuong (born in 2006) lost their father this Tet. Photo: PV.

Then, after 12 days of surgery for a traumatic brain injury, after 12 days of the children and their relatives worrying to the point of knots, although there were times when they were also nervous and thought there were signs of improvement, on the full moon day of the twelfth lunar month (January 31, 2018), the father breathed his last in the extreme despair of the whole family and relatives.

Altar for people who died in traffic accidents. Photo: PV.

Two days later, on December 17, the children's grandmother, Nguyen Thi Nam, also passed away at the age of 82.

Mother has gone away and never returned, father and grandmother have just passed away, Mai Anh is in grade 9, Hoai Thuong is in grade 5, both at Cua Nam Secondary School, suddenly became orphans, helpless. Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong's bewildered, bewildered eyes are still in shock and disbelief that only about 500 meters from their house, their father, due to a traffic accident, will never be able to return to his siblings, saying goodbye to this world at the age of 52.

Joining the Faithgroup volunteer group to visit and present 10 million VND to support the children to celebrate Tet, Ms. Nguyen Thi Trang Hoa - Secretary of the Party Committee of Cua Nam Ward - representing the local leaders confided that in recent days, organizations, unions, teachers, and students of Cua Nam Secondary School (Vinh City) have been continuously present to comfort, encourage, and set up savings accounts to support the children to share the loss, provide financial and material support to ensure their lives and studies. But nothing can compensate for the loss of their loved ones - Ms. Nguyen Thi Trang Hoa was moved.

A representative of the Faithgroup volunteer group donated 10 million VND from the group's fund to support Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong to celebrate the Lunar New Year 2018, sharing with them some of the difficulties in life. Photo: Mr. Phuc Nam Dan.

It was a long time after we arrived that Dau Thi Mai Anh was able to softly say a few words in a choked voice. Don’t let anyone suffer like you, don’t let anyone have to leave their children and their lives because of a traffic accident like my father. I’m very scared, I don’t want anyone to mention “The Three-Way Banyan Tree and Porridge”.

“The banyan tree and porridge intersection” – a familiar name for local people in the area about a traffic point in Cua Nam ward (Vinh city), the road Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong used to travel on every day, is now the address of the greatest pain and loss.

Life goes on, people still flow through the “three-way intersection of the banyan tree and porridge”. And tomorrow, the day after, for the long road ahead, Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong still have to go back and forth through the “three-way intersection of the banyan tree and porridge” every morning and afternoon. Going back and forth through the place where their father left behind his two beloved children in a traffic accident, going through the place where, if by some miracle, the two motorbikes did not collide, they would not be orphans.

Some pictures of the family situation of Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong in Group 3, Block 12, Cua Nam Ward, Vinh City:

The road to Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong's house is close to Cau Duoc River. The house faces the riverbank. Photo: PV.

Cold kitchen corner. Photo: PV

Mr. Dau Van Nam's daily fishing nets have remained in the small kitchen since his passing. Photo: PV.

The small house has deteriorated, many walls are cracked. Photo: PV

In recent days, some volunteer groups have visited and shared difficulties with the families of Mai Anh and Hoai Thuong. In the photo is the Faithgroup volunteer group visiting and encouraging the children on December 27, Dinh Dau year (February 12, 2018). Photo: Nguyen Phuc Nam Dan.