By the pond…

(Baonghean) - My house has a small pond next to a low pile of straw covered in a yellow cloak, next to it is a small garden where my mother grows all kinds of vegetables and fruits, on one side is a winding path leading to a bamboo gate.

On hot summer afternoons, the heat permeating every fiber of the air, my mother took me to sit by the edge of the pond under the shade of a coconut tree. The old coconut tree spread its green arms wide, gathering the harsh sunlight filtered through the green leaves, casting a deep shade. My mother took the opportunity to weave a basket while I absentmindedly watched the clouds and occasionally looked up to ask her random questions. The surface of the pond calmly released gentle streams of water vapor into the air, dispelling the hot, stuffy summer afternoon. Occasionally, a stray wind slid across the surface of the pond and landed on my chubby cheeks like the wind from a fan. The surface of the pond was as calm as a mirror, I dipped my short legs into the moss-green water and splashed around, the surface of the pond gently swayed, small waves lapped at the shore... The sun's shadow shattered, the water shimmered in the sunlight.

Illustration: Hong Toai

I often hang around the pond all day without getting bored. Sometimes I sit and watch the dancers dancing on the pond, dancing in a way that only they understand. Sometimes I sit and fish with a thin bamboo stick tied with a thread at the end and baited with some cold rice grains. When I get bored, I take out an old sketchbook from the cardboard box under the table, tear out a few pages, then fold and fold them quickly, and in a flash, the crumpled papers turn into all kinds of paper boats: sailboats, ships, boats, etc. I use a pencil to scribble on them a series of decorative shapes for the boats. I tiptoe to drop the paper boats onto the pond, gently and intently watching the boats drifting on the water, and vaguely in my mind I have a familiar dream of turning into a tiny person, climbing on that paper boat and going to explore new lands.

When the water hyacinths bloom, the entire pond is covered in a heart-wrenching purple. The water hyacinth flower is like a simple, rustic, and honest country girl. Six to eight flowers bloom together on a flower stand. The highest petals carry the peacock tail motif. The thin petals proudly stretch out in the bitter summer sun. We kids compete to pick a handful each and then use straw to tie them into bundles to play house. The purple water hyacinth bouquets and the crisp purple smiles.

When we were tired from playing, we would sit on a chair and watch the marlins in their colorful dresses dance, the snails clinging to the mossy walls and dozing, or the grasshoppers snapping their claws on the water hyacinth rafts. Staring at the rippling waves running hand in hand, our hearts as children arose with a desire to explore and adventure like the Cricket in To Hoai's story.

Studying away from home, every time I return to my hometown, I always take a moment to relax and wander by the pond. Yesterday, my mother called to tell me that we were going to fill the pond to plant fruit trees. I heard the rustling sound of broken childhood memories in my head. Now, whenever I think of that small pond, all that remains is waves of moss-colored memories...

Dao Manh Long

(Hai Phong City)