Yesterday, people were still wearing puffer jackets; today, the stylish girls on the street were already in short skirts. Summer arrived so suddenly this year.
The scorching sun made my head spin.
Watching the well-dressed young men and women coming and going from the skyscrapers, I suddenly felt a sense of displacement, even more so than when I was in the office, having all my efforts flatly denied by the department head.
Suddenly, I felt exhausted, both physically and mentally.
I was twenty-six years old, with looks that others complimented as handsome, a graduate of an ordinary university, working for an equally ordinary company. I was all too familiar with colleagues who were pleasant on the surface but constantly fighting behind the scenes. I had always worked diligently, but in the end, I was forced to resign for a baseless reason.
After returning the keys to my rented apartment and packing my few belongings, I lay in the sleeper car of the train, the feeling of frustration in my heart finally gone.
My hometown is a small, mountainous village, very far from the city. It takes an overnight train ride and several more hours by bus to get there.
A few years ago, my village opened a tourist area, and I heard that incomes had increased quite a bit. The villagers have been farmers for generations, supplementing their income with some handicrafts. Blessed by heaven, the land is fertile and the harvests are bountiful. They don't have much money, but they never have to worry about lacking food or clothing.
I estimated the train would arrive in the evening, and my grandfather would come to the town to pick me up, which would make things much more convenient.
As the tall buildings outside the window grew sparser, my mood lightened along with them. My weary body began to relax, and a wave of sleepiness washed over me.
After the overnight journey, my whole body felt a bit stiff. Despite being in good health, I couldn't escape the fatigue.
I splashed a handful of cold water on my face and immediately felt more awake. The crowd in the train car began to move, noisy and bustling.
There weren't many people waiting at the exit gate. In recent years, a lot of young people have left the town; those who remain are mostly women, the elderly, and children.
The sky was dimming, and the night was still strangely muggy.
I easily spotted my grandfather standing in the distance, and an unexpected bitterness welled up in my heart. His once-straight back had gradually begun to stoop.
I forced a smile:
"Grandpa, have you been well lately?"
My grandfather took my arm, nodded silently, and then pulled me toward home.
My grandfather used to be a man of letters in the town. He didn't speak much but was very reliable, which made him well-liked by everyone. Ever since his only daughter married my father, my grandmother's health began to decline. Later, despite their trying every possible means, she passed away at the age of sixty.
From then on, my grandfather aged visibly. He also stopped helping people with calligraphy and dedicated himself to taking care of me.
Thinking back, my grandfather must have been in despair at that time. If it weren't for the thought of taking care of me in my mother's place, he probably would have followed my grandmother. My mother probably thought of this too, which is why she sent me back to be raised by my grandfather.
A few years later, my grandfather locked up the house in town and moved to my father's hometown, Hoa Village, the place where I was born and raised. After the incident with my family, once I left for university, my grandfather moved back to the town for convenience and has lived there ever since.
My grandfather and I are both quiet people, neither of us good at expressing care through words. After a quiet dinner, we both retired to our own rooms to rest.
I had been thinking a lot, ever since I was on the train. I've managed to save a little money over the years. It's not enough to buy a house in the city, but it's enough for me to live a comfortable life in my hometown.
The next morning, after I finished packing my things, my grandfather saw me off at the bus station.
He looked at me in silence, handing me a large bag of food and drinks:
"You're a boy with his own mind. If you've thought it through, then just stay and live well."
I nodded, placing my luggage in the storage compartment of the bus:
"Grandpa, once I'm settled, I'll come get you to live with me."
My grandfather nodded, waved his hand, and then, with his back stooped, slowly walked away.
Thanks to the development of tourism in recent years, the winding dirt roads from the town into the mountains have all been paved with concrete, making travel much easier. The air conditioning on the bus seemed to have no effect; it was sweltering hot inside, the smell of sweat mixed with a host of other pungent odors.
I pulled back the curtain, looking out the window at the harsh sunlight. A sense of unease crept into my heart; the weather this year was truly abnormal.
By the time I reached the village, only a few scattered houses still had their lights on. The air in the countryside was a little more pleasant, not so muggy.
My house is on the eastern edge of the village. By now, my family's house might be the only one left there. Fortunately, my grandfather often came over to clean up in his spare time, so the house was still very tidy.
Years ago, my parents had built the house in the style of a two-story "tube house" with a front and back yard. There was also a waterproofed basement, which was perfect for storage.
After a quick clean-up, I lay down on the bamboo chair in the living room. The moonlight shone into the house through the window, gradually calming my soul, which had long been restless and anxious.
I had a good night's sleep.
Ever since my parents passed away, I have avoided interacting with the people in the village. It wasn't that I didn't want to; I just didn't want people to look at me and then whisper behind my back:
[That son of Mr. Huy, his fate is truly hard. Not only did he jinx his grandmother to death, but he also jinxed his own parents. What terrible luck...]
I heard such words too many times, and after a while, I stopped playing with the other children in the village.