Outside the balcony, the Pomegranate tree - a month ago, it was bare with bare branches, I had to use my fingernails to lightly scratch the trunk to know that the tree was still alive, is now covered in a soft green color of green buds and sprouts. The gentle Spring music from the neighbor's house echoed "What does Spring tell you, why are your eyes so happy..." at a volume just enough not to affect the sleep of my beloved daughter who was still sleeping soundly in the warm blanket, and before waking up, her father gently tucked into her arms a pink Kitty cat with a candy-shaped bow. This year's Tet was very comfortable and happy for both father and daughter, making me tease Bamby that during the whole Tet, our father and daughter held sleeping competitions several times and every time she won the championship, whether the competition took place in the morning, noon, afternoon or evening.
- Dad, why didn't you let me go to Da Lat sooner?
Purple Royal Poinciana at Da Lat Station
I know for sure that Bamby will love Da Lat and I tell myself that one day his father will take him here, to the city of thousands of flowers with rustling pine trees, with blue sky, white clouds and golden sunshine like pouring honey.
And finally, I was able to hold the hand of the person I love the most and walk through the city - where I was not born, had no lingering love, had no home, no relationship... but in short: Da Lat is the city I love the most.
Finally, the father and I were able to hold hands and walk among the cherry blossom trees blooming brilliantly in the spring, creating a magical pink sky of Da Lat. Many times, the father and I stood still, tilting our heads back to look up at the cherry blossom trees without a single leaf, only flowers, millions of tiny flowers glowing with the color of spring, of Tet, of the splendid, bright, joyful singing lying on the palette of the deep blue sky of Lam Vien Plateau with clusters of white clouds shimmering like giant cotton candy strips, creating a beautiful picture that made both pen and voice seem powerless.
Cherry blossoms in the campus of Dalat Pedagogical College
Bamby is a quiet little girl, young but knows how to control her emotions. Quiet as she is, when her father takes her to the City Flower Garden or to the Golden Valley, she is absorbed and engrossed in the carpets of flowers of all colors, white, yellow, green, red, purple, pink, constantly clicking the camera, constantly admiring and calling out "Dad, Dad"... Eagerly climbing the slope to watch the small waterfall winding and murmuring between the winding hillsides, excitedly running out into the middle of the green grass, shouting happily, spinning around and then suddenly rushing back to hug her father, kissing his cheeks endlessly.
Finally, the two of us had a complete Tet together, peaceful and quiet, doing whatever we wanted, calling a car to go wherever we wanted, eating whatever we wanted, sleeping whenever we wanted. When the two of us stood by Xuan Huong Lake taking pictures as the sunset was fading, I called out: Dad, let's go, the steam is making me a little cold. When the two of us held hands and walked through the spacious, cool and peaceful corridors of the Dalat Pedagogical College, Bamby kept asking his dad: Dad, why do you always like to walk here? Because this school is so beautiful, so peaceful and quiet that I always wish to be a student or a teacher here.
While father and son were sitting drinking hot cocoa and hot artichoke tea in a downtown cafe, Bamby raised his hand and pointed to the TV tower shining brightly in the Tet night sky: Dad, does that look like the Eiffel Tower? If we're in Da Lat, why do we need to go to Paris?
When Dad showed Bamby the purple Royal Poinciana flowers at Da Lat station. After taking the photo, the child turned around happily: So now we don't need to go to Australia to see the Blue Jacarandas anymore, Dad?
So Dalat has Tet, dad, flowers, blue sky, white clouds, yellow sunshine and all the famous places in the world through my innocent, childish mind.
Dalat, the dreamy city
And why do I keep writing “finally…”? Because finally I have done the things, whether big or simple, that I have secretly hoped for, thought about, and cherished for so long. But in the end, the fourth time returning to Da Lat, whether the journey was short or lasted the entire Tet season, my father and I only felt joy. I did not take my son to the places that were associated with sad memories: Tung cafe, Mai Anh hill, Tuyen Lam lake or Pink Grass cafe… Maybe, the two of us will come to Da Lat together many more times, but for the first time, the first Tet season here, we only had joy.
- Dad, the days in Da Lat passed so quickly. For the New Year, I promise you three things, one is…, two is…, three is… to be good and make you happy, then next time you will take me to Da Lat again, okay?
Like the last working day before leaving for Tet holiday, I always spend the busy time at the end of the year to greet, thank and wish a happy Tet to my colleagues who have accompanied me throughout the long year. Whether we argue, scold and hate each other or care and cherish each other, coming together and sitting together for a period of life is a fate. At the end of the journey of father and son, I hugged Bamby tightly and thanked him for accompanying me on this special trip, because he was very happy, very good, loved me very much and above all, thanked him for coming to me in this life.
Cherry blossoms bloom brilliantly in spring
Happiness is not a path, nor a destination, happiness is the present, the now, this very moment. Why do we have to keep trying to search, build, endure, grope, and capture... something so far away, when each moment that appears is an encounter, a moment of completeness and fulfillment.
A Tet season has passed, a Spring is still ripe and we are all happy.
Why not?
