The power of love

(Baonghean) - “My mother told me that I was born healthy and sound like any other child. However, at 6 months old, after a high fever, my legs became completely paralyzed. My childhood memories are filled with days of struggling with pain, hospitals reeking of antibiotics, and painful injections...”

Illustration: Hong Toai

Overcoming fate

I was born in Nam Cuong commune (Nam Dan district), a land prone to drought even before the sun shines and flooding even before the rain falls. Both my parents worked in the city. I grew up in the care of my paternal grandparents. When it rained and the water rose, the villagers waded through the water, and my grandfather carried me to safety. My grandfather was also my first teacher. He taught me to write, spell, and do math...

Unable to walk, I always longed to go to school. And then, that longing came true. My parents brought me to the city and enrolled me in school. On my first day, I was so nervous and excited. But instead of smiles, I was met with sadness, bitterness, and a feeling of self-pity. None of my classmates played with me. Instead of smiles, they gave me curious, pitying looks. I wished… if only I could run, I would run home, slam the door shut, and hug my mother tightly, crying and screaming. But the reality was, I could only travel from home to school and back on my mother's thin back. On many rainy days, we were both soaked to the bone.

My mother single-handedly managed the household and her work, yet she never let me miss a single day of school, no matter the weather. Then one day, my father bought me a rocking bike. I was overjoyed because I could go to school by myself. My classmates, seeing the strange rocking bike, clung to it, some pulling from the front, others from the back, teasing me. As a result, both me and the bike fell into a pond, covered in mud. I cried loudly. If only I had Sơn, who shared a room with me, at that moment, Sơn would have carried me to class, prepared my meals, and helped me with all my daily needs. I am grateful to Sơn, but I also often annoyed and angered him. And there were times when Sơn felt discouraged and said he wouldn't stay with me anymore, but he never abandoned me, not even to this day...

Happiness blossoms

In my fourth year of university, my father went to Hanoi to ask the school to allow me to defer my studies so I could return home for leg surgery. The doctors had to remove all the bones from my leg and then splint it to straighten it. I fainted from the excruciating pain. I don't know how many chopsticks I bit and broke, how many bed frames I snapped. I smashed anything I could get my hands on, and hit anyone who came near me. The pain turned me into a wild beast. For the first few days, my whole family stayed by my side. When I was out of danger, my parents were busy working, so only Thao – the maid – was left to care for me. Every time the pain tormented me, Thao became my victim. I threw all the dishes and beat Thao whenever she came near. When the pain subsided, seeing Thao's bruised face and swollen limbs, I understood what had happened and felt guilty. Yet Thao never uttered a word of complaint.

She remained quietly by my side, taking care of me, from meals to sleep. My parents cherished Thao, loving her like their own daughter because she was honest and hardworking. The day I was discharged from the hospital, my parents went to Thao's house to propose marriage. With the encouragement of both families, Thao and I agreed to get married. To be honest, at that time, Thao and I didn't love each other at all, perhaps only felt compassion. I felt sorry for her because she was so gentle, because she took such good care of me. And perhaps, Thao also felt sorry for me because she had witnessed my painful days. A warm wedding took place, both Thao and I were shy and awkward. I never expected to get married so quickly, and even less did I expect that the person walking beside me at the wedding ceremony would be Thao – the maid of my family whom I had rarely paid attention to before.

After getting married, I went to Hanoi to continue my final year of studies, then returned to Vinh and struggled to find work. The recent surgery straightened my legs, allowing me to sit without needing to support myself with my hands. I can now move around more easily in a wheelchair and later with a homemade tricycle. I threw myself into work like a moth to a flame. Thao single-handedly managed the family. Our two children were born one after the other, and Thao also found a stable job. Nothing could be happier than seeing our two children grow up healthy and well-behaved. They are the bond that connects my wife and me. Thao and I share more with each other, understand each other better, and love each other more.

Many hardships arose when my father passed away after a serious illness, my mother grew old and frail, and the family's finances collapsed. I threw myself into earning money, while my wife continued to care for my mother and children alone. Our family life has weathered many storms, but she remains the same: diligent, quiet, and devoted. Her world is confined to her workplace, our children's school, and our small house with its pots and pans. I know and understand her sacrifices, but I've often vented my frustrations from the outside world on her. Yet, she never complains or blames me. I have a feeling she was born to bear my worries and pains in my place...?

I truly feel fortunate to have married a wife like Thao. Although she's not particularly sharp-witted, skillful, or eloquent, being with her always brings me peace. Even though life ahead holds many challenges, and my life's journey will be full of ups and downs, I believe it will eventually reach the shores of happiness. Because I know I have friends like Son by my side, and Thao and my children behind me. I used to resent life for being unfair to me, but now I have to thank it. My parents, my friends, Thao, and my children are the "guardian angels" who saved my life, helping me realize its meaning and become more connected to it!

Nguyen Le(take note)