Nghe An: Blind man repairs bicycles and weaves brooms for a living

(Baonghean.vn)- He was surrounded and imprisoned by darkness for most of his life, but he always tried to overcome it so that his soul and will could shine. At every stage of his life, he left a mark on everyone around him, and his heart was always turned towards life and his beloved homeland.

"A violent childhood"

In Binh Son commune (Anh Son - Nghe An), there is a small kiosk nestled among solid houses. The owner is Mr. Nguyen Sy Hong (nearly 70 years old), who is blind and makes a living by weaving brooms. "Without eyes and a sense, I have to train my hands, feet and head to compensate, to recognize the surroundings" - Mr. Hong shared.

At the age of 5, little Hong felt pain in his eyes, then a big flood came, he had to evacuate to the roof for a whole week. The flood receded, leaving behind mud and decomposed animal carcasses, making his eyes hurt even more. One eye exploded, the eyeball fell out. The other eye could only see dimly, the family took him to the doctor but it was too late, a short time later, the other eye also lost the ability to perceive light.

Mr. Nguyen Sy Hong weaves brooms to earn money to support his life.

At a young age, Nguyen Sy Hong was aware of the pain and misery of a person who no longer had the light of his eyes. He cried a lot, but time helped him gradually overcome his sadness and began to accept and adapt to the situation.

Journey to make a living

In 1963, the family moved from Nam Dan to Binh Son (Anh Son) to reclaim land under the policy of building a new economic zone. At that time, this place was still deserted, people started to make the first hoes with the determination to turn "stones into rice". The cooperative launched a campaign to contribute thatch to roof the constructions and support the army units.

Hong practiced weaving, learned very quickly and soon became proficient. The paintings he wove were even and strong, no different from those of people with normal eyesight. From weaving paintings, he moved on to weaving other items such as baskets, trays, trays, tripods... and gradually it became a profession to earn a living.

To help his family, the blind young man also learned the craft of building millstones. This was not an easy task, even for sighted people, let alone those who were blind. However, after a few days of being guided by a craftsman from the North, Hong was able to build a complete millstone. From then on, he had another job to earn a living.

Although he cannot see, Mr. Hong has skillful hands and a strong will to succeed. He not only earns a living by weaving and making millstones, but also learns carpentry. First, he makes farming tools such as plows and harrows; then household items such as tables, chairs, and cabinets. And more importantly, he once built a house out of wood with his own hands, from pillars, rafters to other components, all of which were planed, chiseled, chiseled, and hewn by his own hands.

In his spare time, Mr. Nguyen Sy Hong often plays the mandolin.

But this is a very strenuous job, not suitable for the physical strength of a disabled person, so Mr. Hong did not pursue it regularly. When bicycles were a popular means of transport, he learned to repair bicycles himself. From pumping, patching, chain tensioning, and rim tightening, he did everything with confidence, and the wages were much cheaper than others.

Then, when motorbikes became popular, bicycles gradually disappeared, and old age came, Mr. Hong had to think of another job to make a living. He decided to make brooms, a job suitable for his current health, and with skillful hands and relatively available materials, the job was not too difficult.

The brooms he weaved were sold out as soon as they were made. People in the village, commune and region came to his house to order them, sometimes he couldn’t keep up with the production. Because customers had long known his skillful hands, the brooms he made were highly appreciated by the people for their durability and convenience, sweeping until the broom was “blunt” and still not broken.

Artist's soul

Mr. Hong got married nearly 40 years ago, his wife was a woman who had been through a failed marriage. The two came together with sympathy for each other's misfortune and stayed together through the difficult and arduous days. He and his wife had 2 children (1 boy, 1 girl) and 5 grandchildren.

Quite passionate and talented in the arts, Mr. Hong always had musical instruments (guitar, violin, mandolin and flute) as his companions in his house. In his spare time, he would express his feelings through each melody. On quiet late nights, when his nostalgia for his homeland arose, the sounds of guitars and flutes would resound.

Mr. Hong shared: “Looking back on my life, I see that I have made every effort in my journey to find the “light source”. On that journey, I always kept my faith to overcome adversity.”

Cong Kien