Guilt
(Baonghean.vn) - That woman was once the vice principal of a kindergarten on the outskirts of the city; she was once a loving mother and devoted wife in a family with two obedient sons, whose husband was a civil servant who wholeheartedly loved and cared for his wife and children... Yet now, that woman is serving a prison sentence at Prison No. 6 - Ministry of Public Security, located in Hanh Lam commune, Thanh Chuong district.
Lieutenant Colonel Ho Than Ky, Deputy Head of the Education Management Team at Prison No. 6, pointed to a prisoner wearing a red armband and said, "This woman used to be the deputy principal of a kindergarten. Thanks to her good behavior and sense of discipline, the prison management assigned her to be the cell leader." The woman's beautiful but melancholic eyes caught our attention...
It took the persuasion of the supervisors before Nguyen Thi V agreed to talk. Understandably so, for someone who had once been a leader, opening up, especially about matters involving the law, was no easy task. Looking back at the indictment from the Provincial People's Procuracy two years ago, it was surprising: This vice principal, who taught others but failed to discipline herself, had the audacity to "appoint" herself to the title of "minister's niece" and promise to secure jobs for many people. Holding 30 job application files and nearly 1 billion VND in "bribes," V spent all the money on shopping, while the victims' files were "deposited" at a pawn shop. Unable to secure jobs and facing relentless debt collection, V continued to deceive subsequent victims to repay the previous ones, even resorting to high-interest loans to settle debts. However, the more she borrowed, the more debt she accumulated, reaching a total of 3 billion VND. Unable to repay the victims, in early 2009, V was sentenced to 15 years in prison by the Provincial People's Court and transferred to this prison to serve his sentence.
V was quite open and tearful as she recounted her life story: "I was born and raised in a well-educated family; both my father and mother were teachers."
In 1993, I got married and had two sons, the eldest born in 1995 and the youngest in 2000. My husband is an ordinary civil servant; our combined salaries weren't too difficult to support our two children's education, because at the time of my arrest, my salary was already over 3 million VND. Many people would probably envy my family, but for me, that wasn't enough.
"Seeing other women's husbands driving nice cars and their children wearing beautiful clothes, I was always envious. So when someone suggested I find someone to help me get a job, I jumped at the chance. By the time it all came to light, it was too late to save it. My whole life, my family's happiness, were ruined."
With debts totaling over 3 billion VND, both sides of the family had to sell their houses, land, and assets to help V pay off the debt, but they could only manage to pay off 1 billion VND. Knowing she couldn't escape the law, V's mother advised her to turn herself in. "Just thinking about having to sit in prison for decades, about the family's honor, about my two growing children, how they would look at their friends when their mother went to prison, there were times I wanted to end my life. It's so selfish, isn't it? But then my mother encouraged me, and my husband also encouraged me to turn myself in so that I would have a chance to return later to atone for my mistakes and make amends to my children." Mentioning her family and her two children made V cry, but she quickly wiped away her tears with her sleeve and forced a smile.
What V regrets most about being here isn't the scams, but her two sons. "My eldest is 16 this year, a difficult age to navigate without a mother's guidance, which is worrying. But he's a good student and very affectionate; he visits and encourages me almost every month." V's only possessions in prison are the letters and souvenirs her two sons sent her. "My son wrote this letter to me, and reading it made me so sad and hurt, sister. His dream was to join the police force, to become a soldier protecting the peace and happiness of the people, but because you're in here, his dream will never come true. Reading his letter, I cried and regretted it so much, because my greed had stolen my son's dream. The other day, the two children sent me a swan made from many folded pieces of paper. He said he folded a paper crane to count the days until you return, but when will you be able to come home, sister? I don't have money to pay off my debts, so I won't be considered for a reduced sentence. However, I'm still determined to reform myself well, so that when I return, my son won't feel ashamed or guilty because his mother is in prison."
During her time in prison, V's inseparable companion was her diary, in which she wrote for her child every day. She loved her child as much as she loved her husband. Almost every month during V's time in prison, he visited her and encouraged her to reform, but then, inevitably, things took a turn for the worse. At the end of 2010, V received her husband's divorce papers. Perhaps fearing she would suffer, he didn't deliver them himself but asked the prison guards to do it for him.
Upon receiving her husband's divorce papers, V felt as if the world had collapsed around her, but upon reflection, she realized it was unavoidable. She signed the papers, and in January 2011, she received the court's approval. Although she knew the price she would pay for her fraudulent actions, V still felt deeply disappointed. "He still loves me very much, sister. Even after the divorce, he still visits occasionally. I heard he's living with another woman as if they were married, but he doesn't agree to marry her. I don't blame him; men need a woman's care, and I couldn't do anything for him."
Another new year is approaching, and thinking about Tet (Vietnamese New Year), V cries again: "Luckily, the children are now living with their paternal grandparents. During Tet, they have their grandparents and aunts and uncles to take care of them, which eases my guilt in here. I only feel sorry for my children not having their mother by their side. On Tet, everyone's family reunites, but my children..." Being entrusted by the officers with the important responsibility of cell leader, managing 84 other female inmates, is V's greatest pride since entering the prison. V promises herself: "The officers trust me, my family encourages me, and my children give me strength. Even though I don't have a chance to get my sentence reduced, I must do my job well. I must live well, for my children and for myself."
Ha Linh
