Short story: Gentle September

1.

Her father-in-law was a war hero. He died just six months into his wife's pregnancy. Her husband, Sy, often repeats the same phrase: "I wasn't even born when my father passed away." Every time he says it, she sees him sigh. And each time, he says it as if she's hearing it for the first time.

For over a year, she hasn't been home. She decided to separate after a heated argument with her husband. He's texted her apologizing a few times, but she hasn't accepted his apology. The root cause has always been the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law conflict. His mother loves him, but sometimes she imposes outdated and obsolete views on him. Sỹ indulges his mother. He says he knows she's being a bit excessive, but she's old and has had a hard life, so he wants to pamper her and give her enough warmth in her final years.

"That's not 'warmth'!" she exclaimed. "That's being bossy, it's outrageous, it's domineering, it's tormenting others!"

- Who did she say was "tormenting" her?

Then he used the word "torment" to criticize her all day long. Finally, she couldn't take it anymore. She took her 5-year-old son and rented a house in the city. Life changed drastically from that day on. For the first time, she had to take on the role of a homemaker, handling everything from her work to childcare. "Actually, my mother-in-law helped me a lot," she blurted out, remembering the afternoons her mother-in-law went to the market and cooked when she came home late from work. She even frequently picked up little Minh from preschool.

On July 27th, she decided to go to the martyrs' cemetery to light incense for her father-in-law, as she did every year. The only difference was that she was afraid of encountering Sy there, so she waited until almost evening. She and her daughter bought incense and a bouquet of flowers, parked their motorbike, and walked into the cemetery. Just as she lit incense at her father-in-law's grave and those of his comrades, she heard a familiar voice from behind her:

Minh! Come here!

The little boy ran and hugged his father. She awkwardly avoided his gaze. After lighting the incense, Sy invited the mother and son to a nearby cafe for a drink, but she declined. He hesitated, looking at his son, then said:

- Why don't you let Minh go home for a few days? His grandmother misses him terribly; she's been crying constantly.

She said nothing, turning to look at the thin wisp of smoke rising from the tombstones.

"Just one day is fine," Sy pleaded.

Finally, she decided to arrange for Minh to visit his paternal grandparents for a few days.

"My child will be starting first grade this September, so I'll let her come home for a few days before she starts school," she said firmly.

That night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep. For some reason, her husband's words, "Grandma misses him terribly, she cries all the time," kept echoing in her head. Grandma misses him? Didn't she scold her in front of her grandson on some days? And on the very day she demanded a separation, packing up both her and her son's belongings to leave the house, Grandma had said, "You can't even take care of yourself, let's see if you can take care of the boy."

2.

Her current life is quite difficult. Spoiled since childhood, she's certainly not used to the hustle and bustle of managing everything in the house. She has to work overtime to cover living expenses for herself and her son, rent, and a little extra for Minh's upcoming first grade. But she feels completely comfortable and at ease with her choice. In this tiny rented room, she can make her own decisions without depending on anyone. The room is small but has everything she needs. There's even a small balcony where she can sit and relax, admiring the potted plants whenever she feels tired.

She had considered taking Minh to his paternal grandparents' house several times, as she had promised Sy, but her overwhelming work kept putting it off. Then, she received a text message from him late at night: "Aren't you going to bring the child home? Grandma's been waiting anxiously." She replied: "I'll only get time off on September 2nd."

She didn't receive any more messages from Sy, but early the next morning, when the alarm clock rang repeatedly, she picked up her phone to turn it off and read his message: "Looking forward to September 2nd."

What surprised her was that Minh was also incredibly excited for that day. Before this, he had never shown any signs of homesickness, never mentioned his grandmother or the cat named Mun who had been by his side for three years. He only occasionally asked about his father. But ever since he learned that his mother would be taking him home for the September 2nd holiday, he had been overjoyed and eagerly awaited that day.

"Do you prefer to stay home?" she asked.

- Anywhere is fine, as long as Mom is here.

She bent down and kissed her child's forehead. The child snuggled its head against her chest and whispered softly:

But I miss Grandma too. I liked going to the market with her…

3.

Finally, September arrived. The gentle autumn weather brought soft, pleasant sunlight. Stepping into the familiar alley, she found everything different this time. Flags and decorations adorned the streets. Even during the day, someone's garden still had its chandeliers lit. Sy greeted the mother and son at the door. He took Minh in his arms, hoisted him onto his shoulder, and carried him inside the house.

"Where's Grandma, Dad?" asked Minh.

- She's decorating your room, come in and take a look.

Cu Minh ran into his room and shouted with joy. He immediately went to tell his mother:

- Mom, Grandma decorated my room so beautifully! It's full of balloons and twinkling lights. Come in, Mom!

Her son dragged her into the room. Indeed, his small room had been neatly tidied up and decorated with countless balloons and twinkling string lights. Her mother-in-law was sitting there tying the last balloons onto the string lights.

"Mom!" she whispered.

Her mother-in-law looked up and nodded slightly. She hugged little Minh tightly and said, her voice trembling with tears:

- Isn't the room nice, dear? Come and stay with Grandma. Grandma has also rearranged your parents' room; she's hung up your parents' wedding photos and a family photo of us all together. Come over and take a look.

"Why did you suddenly redecorate the room, Grandma?" asked Cu Minh.

The mother-in-law looked at her and smiled awkwardly:

- Well… because today is September 2nd - she replied.

Then she carried little Minh to the next room. She stood silently in her son's room, surrounded by dozens of lit lights and colorful balloons. The surroundings were quiet, only the faint sound of little Minh's laughter could be heard.