Afternoon Reflection
I stood in front of the picturesque lake, watching the slanting afternoon sun, feeling the gentle spring breeze passing by. She asked me: “Do you see your teeth?”. I remained silent. I don’t know what words could describe my complex feelings at that moment.
I am here, right in Phu Ninh, on the last day of January. The sky has cleared up after the gloomy days, but there is still a lingering chill of winter.
The mid-season weather makes people's hearts more poignant. Just like my heart, interwoven with many emotions of mid-life, not quite young, not quite old.
I left my hometown at 18, carrying with me many hopes. At the end of 2023, a sad economic year came to an end. Holding in my hand the decision to quit my job early when everyone was excitedly preparing for Tet, I took an early train home. I don’t know what I felt at that moment.
Only when I visited Phu Ninh again, watching the sunset on the calm lake, did all the unnamed emotions that were suppressed in my heart surge up like waves.
My hometown is still here, the lake is still blue, the wind is still rustling. Thank you for the old scenery, thank you for Phu Ninh remaining wild and standing outside the wave of economicization and massive urbanization out there, to keep its full identity.
Still the same quiet and peaceful as ever. Thanks to that, I was lucky enough to see the poetic scene in my memory again. And the boy from back then seemed to be welcomed home with open arms, waiting for his return, after many days of wandering.
The smell of home
I wonder where the image of my homeland has been for the past 15 years? Is it in my heart or hidden behind the chaos? Or will I have to wait until I stumble on the journey to earn a living far away, then my heart will yearn to think about the place that raised me.
There I was, with nothing in my hands, but it felt like I had everything. Friends by my side, nature embracing me, love of the countryside spread everywhere, in every ripple on the water surface, in every school of small fish wagging their tails, in the pungent smell of wild grass, in every gently rustling forest.
I calmly dropped down on the chair, tilted my head back to look at the sky. Every time I looked down, I saw a different sky. Some things changed in the blink of an eye, and some things remained the same after all these years. I smiled softly, contemplating the constancy in impermanence, the constant rotation in moments of stillness.
That night, we set up camp by the lake, sleeping soundly in the middle of nature. When I turned over in my drunken stupor, I found myself lying under a sky full of sparkling stars, as if the universe was whispering in my ear: “It’s okay, as long as there is home, there is everything…”.
The resentment of the city suddenly disappeared. I suddenly thought that if it weren't for the recent events, I would have forgotten how beautiful my hometown is.
Thank life for arranging such strange fates and encounters. Let me know that, when gained - when lost, it is just a normal thing.
Thanks to all the twists and turns, I have time to realize the gifts that were already right beside me. Like the boy in the fairy tale who traveled all over the world looking for treasure, only to finally realize the real treasure was where he started.
In my sleep, I thought I heard a familiar song from my childhood: “...The lake surface is immense, the sky and clouds are shimmering. Returning to Phu Ninh is like returning to a lover…”.
Yes, a lover who is quiet, rarely wears makeup, is not very lively, and does not blame me when I left him more than ten years ago. A "lover" who is tolerant, opens the door to welcome me, and patiently takes care of me after life's ups and downs.
Phu Ninh, the day of return.
Phu Ninh Lake is known as the “green pearl” of Quang Nam, with a complex of 30 large and small islands, such as Monkey Island, Turtle Island, Su Island… On the islands there is a rich ecosystem of flora and fauna, many of which are home to species listed in the Red Book.
Tourists coming here can visit the island complex by many different means. In particular, in recent years, along with staying in resort bungalows, camping tourism has been chosen by many young people and has become a tourism trend in Phu Ninh.
A warm evening gathering around a campfire, in a peaceful space, watching the sunrise on the calm water surface... is what attracts people to come. ( LQ )
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