Short story
Published: 08:20 PM, 16 April 2022
In the middle of the field
- NieThanh Mai
Dinh opened the barn in the early morning. The goats pushed each other to get to the barn door. Two nanny goats came into estrus in the herd. Last night, they were intensely furious as they kept hitting the barn wall. Hearing too much of the unstoppable urge, Dinh had to wake up to turn the lights on, takeacradlefull of acacia leaves for them, at least when being full they can forget the unstoppable urge running in their blood. Then he added some water to the water trough, leaving the small candelabra light bulb gleaming then came back to his house. Soon, the barn was quiet. Dinh slept till morning.
Dinh was coming to the gate when his mother returned home. She was soaking wet, water on her dress dripped on the ground. Dinh did not know when his mother left the house. Seeing her hemline being full of chrysopogonaciculatus, he was angry.
“Where did you go that made you so wet? Come inside and change your clothes, if you are ill, tell someone else to take care of you.” Dinh spoke to empty benches.
Mother did not answer. Her reddened eyes tried to avoid looking him straight in the eye. When the goats were running to the street, Dinh followed them, and strolled on the hill slope, as he whipped the trees on the roadside while walking.
Dinh’s mother was beautiful. Maybe she had already been beautiful since she reached adolescence. Her skin was brown and smooth. Her hair was bouffant, curly, and as light as a feather. WhenDinh was small, every time he was held in his mother’s arms, he liked running his finger through her hair with peals of laughter.
The whole Ping village complimented Y Dinh’s parents on being a lovely couple. The father was young and well-built. He was a handspan shorter than Dinh’s mother. That curly man, with a strong shoulder, bulging biceps used to make the girls in Ping village hide behind each other’s back to peep with admiration. Father said due to working in the kaingin, all the Ede men were as strong as Dam San. When the boys experienced voice change, they would be the same. We would choose the girl we liked the most to receive the bronze bracelet, and live in their house as their son-in-law. Like how your mother’s uncle asked me to be his son-in-law.
Father did not get to see the day Dinh became a man with muscular biceps like him, when one day it rained and thundered, lightning had been thrown by the god, and thunders struck the village. The thunder roared so loudly that the goats locked in the barn panicked and rushed out the door of the barn. They ran everywhere. Father put on a raincoat to look for stray goats. The rain was clearing the sky and earth. Y Dinh was too young at that time, and when he heard thunder, he cried loudly. While holding the baby, Dinh’s mother moved at the front door of the house, from time to time, she hurriedly put Dinh on the floor, ran down the yard, dragged the goat around the house to stay under the floor, tied a few ropes for fear of the fact that if they heard more thunder, they would run away.
The rain was so heavy, that the spring water rose in the blink of an eye. Dinh’s mother was cold and shivering because of the rain, but she still did not see his father and the goats return. At dusk, the father and the goat did not return. Mother asked the villagers to find them. The rain had not stopped, but young men and men lit torches and went up the hill. All that night, mother hugged Dinh sleepily in front of the door waiting for news.
Dinh’s father returned home the next morning. On the stretcher. They brought father back. He chased the goat up the hill. It was so far. Heavy rain fell and a large patch of hills collapsed. When people came to the place, Dinh’s father had been buried in the soil for too long, his soul left his body. Dinh’s goat was still standing nearby. People carried the father to the house and led the goats to the stables, yet mother just sat there dumbfounded. She did not cry. Just passed out.
Dinh grew up with his mother in their house. Just the two of them. Mother was only 36 years old. Still beautiful, with clear skin, and no lip wrinkles. Her eyes were always filled with unfathomable sadness.
Dinh met Yen when he was roaming on the desolate hill. Yen was carrying a guitar on his back and riding a Minsk that emitted fumes. It was possible to smell that burnt smell from afar, even in a place with such fresh air. Yen saw Dinh lying on the grass, humming to himself, so he stopped the motorbike to talk to Dinh. After that, the two young men became friends.
Yen lived with his father on the riverbank five kilometers from Dinh’s village. They practiced fish cage farming, the temporary wooden house was adrift on the river. Yen’s father stood by the raft, Yen brought him food, rice, and salt for him twice a day, as well as grass and fish food. For the rest of his time ashore, Yen could freely go anywhere.
On the first day coming to Dinh’s house, Yen was stunned seeing his mother, and he glanced at Dinh.
“Hello, sis.”
“That is not “sis”. That is my mother.”
Dinh burst out laughing.
“Your mother is so young that I cannot address her differently.”
“Why not? Well, suit yourself. You can address anything.”
Yen smiled with Dinh’s mother.
“How old are you? You look so young, even younger than me.”
Dinh’s mother smiled. She was a bit blushed.
Well, Dinh was seventeen, and Yen was five years older than Dinh. Due to striving laboriously, he looked very seasoned. His chest was muscular.
His beard was bushy across the temple. His eyes kept watching Dinh’s mother when he came into the house till when he sat down to eat. Dinh was observant, so he elbowed Yen.
“Why do you keep looking at my mother? You feel strange?”
“Yes, I have not seen women for a long time. Ever since my father took me away from the city, I have only seen old women.”
“You are joking.”
Dinh giggled.
“If you don’t believe then fine. But your mother is really beautiful.”
Yen nodded.
“Everyone says my mother is gorgeous. But it is a pity that she has stayed single all these years. Since the day my father died.”
Dinh only said that, and his friend did not ask anymore. Dinh’s mother brought a dish of ripped smoking-shelf buffalo, with a pinch of yellow ant salt. Mother asked Yen to try the dish. Yen smiled with his eyes. Thank you, Dinh’s mother. Leave that to me, sister. Dinh’s mother frowned, as she seemed confused.
From that day, Yen went to Dinh's house all the time. Sometimes he slept over. The motorcycle was parked under the floor, locked with a few iron chains. Two young men slept in the living room, each lying on one side of the fire. Mi brought out an extra blanket and gave it to Dinh.
“Take it and use it, it is cold in the middle of the night.”
Yen took the brocade blanket and hesitated.
“Is this blanket made by your mother herself?”
Dinh nodded.
“My mother weaves very well. Blankets, bags. If we had an older daughter in this family, the blankets brought to a man's family and relative would be in excess.”
Yen fiddled with the blanket in his hand.
“Can Dinh’s mother weave a blanket for me one day? There is no blanket as beautiful as this in my house.”
Dinh’s mother nodded. Just like that, Yen was overjoyed, his eyes were sparkling with laughter.
That night, when Dinh snored steadily, Yen moved all the time. He did not know if because of being in a strange house or because of Dinh's mother’s gentle smile that evening, hovering forever in the young man's head. This woman, even her gait was gentle, and her smile and voice were so clear and warm.
Since there was a weaver in the house, there was always be a happy rattling sound. As the wooden shuttle soared through the thin threads, the brocade stretched on the loom was gradually formed. Dinh’s mother was skillful, weaving patterns at first glance looked like drawings. Turn the fabric left over, there were no tight joints. Skillful weavers with threads were also very clever to hide them so as not to reveal too much on the reverse side. Women in this village and that village, especially Ping village, always complimented Dinh's mother for being the best at weaving brocade. Dinh’s house was always full of women, including teenage girls, who came to learn to weave. Whispering, giggling laughter. Since the day Yen often came to the house, for some reason, the guests were more crowded, and all of them were girls in the village.
Among them, there was H’Ly. Her skin was as white as snow, her hair was a bit blonde. She liked Yen a lot even when she only met him a few times. When Yen asked if her house was nearby since she often came here.
H’Ly was as old as Dinh. Dinh liked her. He liked her a long time ago, but he could only gaze at her secretly from afar. Dinh was scared that H’Ly and the girls wouldn’t come to his house if he confessed. Dinh had been thinking a lot about how to send a signal. But H’Ly took Dinh to the back of the house, her finger intertwisted as she mumbled.
“Dinh, I like Yen. Can you ask him for me?”
Dinh was startled, confused.
“Ask like what?”
“Like ask if he liked me or not.”
“How can I ask him?”
Dinh shook his head, made a stop gesture then got downstairs and went straight to the goat barn. H’Ly chased him.
“Just ask him tentatively for me.”
Dinh shook his head.
“I can’t. I can’t help when it comes to love.”
To end the conversation with H’Ly, Dinh carried the acacia leaves and threw them into the stable for the goats. He drew the water and poured it into the trough. He shooed the big goat to yield the leaves for the small one, pretending to be busy. H’Ly stood there for a while before returning to the house with his mother. Beng left alone, Dinh stood in a stupor, with fervid sadness.
Dinh told Yen about what happened. Yen played it cool.
“Just tell her I have someone else.”
Dinh suddenly sat up.
“Who? Who is the girl that I don’t even know?”
Yen dismissed it and smiled.
“You will know when she accepts me.”
“But do I know that person?”, Dinh insisted.
Yen smiled as he got on the motorcycle and revved his engine. In a moment, the motorcycle only left a wisp of smoke, drifting on the track with jagged rocks.
Mother said she wanted to sell the goats to people in the nearby village.
“For what?”
While Dinh was hammering the sennasiamea wood, he had to stop in surprise when hearing what his mother said.
“You need vocational training. You are a grown man, you cannot keep following the goats like this.”
“I’m used to this.”
“Your father lost his life because of finding the goats before. I only have you, Dinh.”
Mother had always wanted to sell the goats because she saw Dinh roaming every day, drudgingly. Mother was worried that no girl in the Ping village would care about the young man with fluttering clothes and shabby hat, who followed the goat all year round. Even though they chirped by the loom in the living room with her every day.
Dinh told Yen about what happened. Yen smiled.
“I am going to stay in the raft to replace my father, come with me and see if you like it.”
“Let’s go.”
Dinh told his mother about that, but he did not agree to sell the goats. He was used to them anyway.
“
Just ask the villagers to take care of your goat together with their goats. We will deal with it later.”
So the two young men went to the raft to substitute for Yen's father so he could return to the mainland. Once every three days, food and supplies are provided. Dinh’s mother also packaged everything and sent it to Dinh. In the first few days, she was not used to being away from her child, so every time she went to the riverside, her eyes were filled with tears. Yen told Dinh to let him go to the shore to receive the things Dinh’s mother sent. Dinh nodded immediately because the wooden canoe was too small and swayed. Dinh was not used to canoeing too and could not swim.
It turned out that living in the middle of a river felt different. Always bobbing. There was no feeling of stability like lying on the green grass on the hill.
Lying at night listening to the sound of waves, the fish squawked under the back. Yen was familiar with it, so every time he put your back down, he snores. But Dinh was tossing and turning, but on the first day, when he closed his eyes, he felt worried about his mother. She was home alone. And the house is long, he didn't know if she could sleep alone. Having thought about it for a while, after just taking a short nap, he already saw the bright sunlight in the morning.
Yen forced Dinh to practice swimming.
“Men must know everything, to protect their women.”
Dinh shook his head.
“I'm scared.”
Yen brushed it off.
“I’m here, you have nothing to fear.”
Then he jumped into the river, momentarily raised his head to the surface
“Jump down here, I will teach you to swim.”
“No.”
“You should just pretend like your little H'Ly is down here, jump.”
Dinh was confused. Then he jumped down with all his might. Yen smiles. This guy, when talking about the girl, you forget everything.
Yen asks about Dinh’s mother every day. It's so sad that Dinh’s father passed away so long, but his mother kept going in and out by herself.
Dinh hums.
“I also hope to find a man for my mother to lean on.”
When Yen heard that, he jumped up like a spring.
“Do you think I can be a strong pillar for your mother to lean on?”
“No.”
Dinh was shocked.
“You’re too young. How can you be compatible with her? It's like a white lid on a black pot. And your father will never agree. I won’t either.”
Yen was silent, he seemed upset because of Dinh's statement. He took the pillow and slept somewhere else. It was outside, where it was cold at night, how could he sleep? But he refused to go inside anymore.
Did mother know that Yen like her? Dinh didn’t know. But these days, he often went missing mysteriously. Sometimes he would sail ashore all day, when he returned, he would not tell anything. If he was asked anything, he would just answer it meagerly. I had some business, you were just a child, why did you ask so much. Then he went back to cut the grass and mix bran for the fish even though it wasn't time to feed. He didn’t ask questions about Dinh’s mother anymore. Moreover, if he didn't laugh and smile alone, he would play the guitar and sing all the time. His eyes sparkled like someone being in love.
H'Ly went to the riverbank to find Dinh. Standing on the raft, Dinh was overjoyed when he saw the arm of the girl he liked waving. Dinh changed his clothes and rowed to the shore in the blink of an eye. Buoyant. But H'Ly did not come to visit Dinh. H'Ly came just to tell Dinh about his family.
“Dinh doesn't know anything?”
“Know what?”
“The story of Dinh’s mother and Yen being in a relationship. How can a cougar date a cub?”
“I didn't hear anything.”
Dinh was confused, H'Ly's eyes were filled with tears.
“Go home and keep your mother. People in this whole village cover their faces and laugh every time your mother passes by.”
H’Ly had barely finished talking when she stood up, wiped her dress then walked away nonstop. It was that moment when Yen’s father came. He gave Dinh food for three days and a bag of bran to bring to the raft. He dropped each hard words from his mouth:
“Watch out for your mother, Dinh. Yen is still young, still too harebrained. It is unacceptable that your mother, a matron, is with him.”
Yen’s father had been gone for a long time, but Dinh still sat there quietly. Motionless. To the point that the ants burned his calves, yet he still couldn't lift the bran bag on the canoe to row out to the raft. Dinh looked in Yen's wooden chest, flipped up a few clothes, and found a brand new brocade blanket stored at the bottom. This thread, that pattern was only woven by mother, it cannot be mistaken. At the edge of the blanket, Yen's name and the name of his mother are woven tiny, connected by a bright red thread.
Dinh packed his clothes to return home in haste. When Yen asked why, his face was red and furious.
“Don't come to my house anymore. And don't contact my mother anymore.” Yen was silent until Dinh's shadow disappeared on the rocky riverbank.
It seemed that the goats were very happy to be able to go up the hill again along the old road. They followed each other on the familiar bumpy road, bleating just like before. It was not sunny yet and the trees were still wet with dew. After walking a long distance from his house, Dinh still felt heavy-hearted.
Since the day Dinh came home, his mother hadn’t asked why he didn't work in the raft anymore. Seeing Dinh throw the bag in the corner of the house, with a gloomy face, he went out of the house to wash his face, his mother went out to the garden to pick sweet potatoes, and made a fire to cook rice. She ground bitter eggplantin the kitchen. During the meal, Dinh kept his face in the bowl, his face still rumpled and scowling. When he saw his mother holding vegetables to throw them into the goat stables, Dinh grabbed them. She asked softly.
“So you're going to continue herding goats?”
Dinh said without looking at his mother.
“Whatever. As long as I can be like the tree that receives the light. Don't let people laugh at us.”
She looked at Dinh. But Dinh avoided that sad look by scooping up water and pouring it into the troughs for the goats, then wore a hat to pick leaves. Having gone straight till the evening, but when coming home, he still felt weighed down.
Mother worked hard at weaving all day. Alone. There was no giggling from the girls of the same village as before. At night, mother weaved still. The rattle of the shuttles is monotonous but sad like the sound of someone counting. Dinh asked her if there was something unhappy. Mother shook her head. There wasn’t. I had nothing to be sad about. But the sound of the shuttlecocks was sparse and broken, and it was clear that mother was sitting at the loom and did not bother to weave.
The dress was soaked. Her lips were purple from the cold. Both eyes filled with tears in the morning made Dinh so upset. For many years, mother had closed both the front door and the back door very tight. There were nights, the stick poked from the window slit to get close to the bed, but mother was still completely silent. Mother said she had to raise the Dinh to become an adult man, then plan for herself later. Mother told Dinh that the blanket must be woven beautifully so that later when Dinh went to his wife's house, he could bring it as a gift to the adults in that house. In other people's families, girls gave gifts to the groom's family when they got married, while in our family, mother only weaved blankets and clothes so that Dinh would later give them to the girl's family. She told Dinh that what if people didn't know how to weave, if they had to buy they wouldn’t afford it. Thinking about Dinh, she still thought far and wide.
Dinh had not thought about the time when his mother was old, living alone in the house left by his father. And now she was younger than middle age, how could she wait until she was old so she wouldn’t need to lean on a firm man anymore. But Yen, he's too young. His father also didn't want
Dinh’s mother to be his daughter-in-law. She had worked hard all her life. Now, when it came to loving a man, it was still hard work, no wonder why she was heartbreaking.
Thinking of that, Dinh felt his heart sag and his legs sagged. Rather, when I saw Yen standing from afar, one foot was resting on Minsk’s saddle.
He spoke very loudly.
“If you don’t let me come to your house to meet your mother, I will also stop her on the road to meet her. You can't stop me from loving her. Remember, Dinh?”
The goats passed by where Yen stood. So was Dinh. Strolling away, the whip fluttered lightly on the branches by the roadside.
“I don’t care. If you can persuade your father to allow you to love her, then love her. I don't prohibit you.”
“Really?” Yen shouted. Then he jumped around like a child. Dinh had gone a long way, but when he turned back, he still saw Yen dancing like that.
-NieThanh Mai is a Vietnamese Author
Translated into English by Vu Hoang Linh Chi
