Missing longan season forever

The longan tree was planted by Mrs. Nam in the corner of the yard next to my house for several decades. I remember in the late 90s of the last century, when my family moved here, we saw the longan tree with lush branches and leaves, a sturdy trunk, and a large shaded yard. In the free afternoons, I often took my children to Mrs. Nam's house to play. We sat and chatted on the porch, watching the children in the neighborhood play under the tree. The sound of laughter filled the air. The neighborhood's affection was built up on afternoons like that, bringing us closer together with more sympathy and sharing.

Around the end of February and the beginning of March, the longan tree quietly blooms. Each cluster of small, pale yellow flowers gently sways in the wind, exuding a gentle fragrance. Having gone through many seasons of flowers with that gentle fragrance, I have come to realize that, amidst the hustle and bustle of modern life, the gentle yet equally seductive fragrance of this familiar tree is like a spiritual medicine that makes my heart peaceful. Perhaps because, to fully enjoy the quintessence of the longan flower's scent, the mind must be truly at ease, whether in the early morning or late at night, when the flower's scent is most intense. In March, along with the strong grapefruit scent and the fragrant lemon scent, longan flowers have contributed to bringing a quiet charm to life.

Longan season usually occurs in July. Clusters of plump, brown or light yellow fruits hang from the branches. Just looking at them, you can see their juiciness, sweetness, and distinctive aroma.

When Mrs. Nam’s longan tree was in fruit season, almost every day, the children in my neighborhood gathered in front of the yard, their eyes looking up at the bunch of fruit. Just waiting for Mrs. Nam to nod, one of them quickly ran into the kitchen to get a long pole with a smart clip on one end and a big basket. And after ten minutes, the small yard was filled with happy laughter and the sound of exclamations of sweet and delicious longan.

Every time I see the children engrossed in picking bunches of sweet longan, I can’t help but remember my childhood days. At that time, my grandfather also planted 2 longan trees by the pond bridge. He said that those were longan trees, he took the trouble to buy seedlings from Hung Yen with big, round fruit, smooth skin, crispy flesh, clear as amber, sweet, cool and fragrant water. However, when planted in the barren soil of my hometown, the longan fruit no longer had the sweet and fragrant taste as he said, but it was enough to make me and my friends look forward to it.

July comes to my hometown with storms. After each storm, the small pond bridge is filled with fallen leaves and longan fruit. My grandfather rolls up his pants and shirt, bends down to look for the fallen longan fruit, puts them in a basket, washes them, and tells me to share them with my friends. The longan fruit soaked in water overnight has an unexpectedly sweet taste. The sweet and fragrant taste of that fruit has followed me to this day.

Sitting listening to the sound of longan fruit falling on the roof, I remembered the verses of the poet Tran Dang Khoa that I had memorized since childhood. It was the poem “Longan Fragrance” printed in the collection “Corner of the Yard and the Sky”: “Every year, when longan fruit ripens/My brothers and sisters come home to visit/You climb up quickly/With bunches of longan in your hands/This year, longan fruit season has come/You have not come home to visit/Our longan fruit has been bombed/Still blooming with golden flowers (...)/At night. The longan fragrance thickens/Fragrant in the yard and in the house/My mother lies awake/Missing you who are far away...”.

When I was little, every time I read poems in this collection such as "Huong longan", "Cay banyan", "Danh tam cuc", "Con buom vang"... I secretly dreamed that one day I would also know how to write poetry, and would also be able to express my thoughts and feelings through each page.

I suddenly smelled the scent of longan on the wind. I stood up, reached for my umbrella, and started walking to Mrs. Nam's house.

Source: https://baogialai.com.vn/thuong-hoai-mua-nhan-post562253.html