Chapter 3 : A Week in Countryside
That's a sunny day of the Winter when I , Roark and Duyên just take many examination of First semester and prepare to Second semester . After that , my mom had phone with my grandma ( Lê-Thị-Ngạn ) and intent to visit my grandparents in Gia-Định province .
Next , in the Monday of the third week of December 1964 , I , Roark and Duyên was transport by my parents to the north of Saigon capital near the border between Saigon capital and Gia-Định province . My grandparents 's house is a house take the cultural of the Cochinchine Delta . It's simple and when we went that , the yard is enough large to eat dinner in Christmas .
"Where's this? Mom " Roark asked mom
"This's your grandparents's house I told to you in Mid-Autumn Festival which is near the border between Saigon Capital and Gia-Định province . Do you remember ?" My mom talk with Roark
"I know that !" Roark shriek
"You don't make to my parents's house noisy !"Mom advised to Roark .
"Who's that ? I see he have a white coat with hair and beard are white too !" Roark asked Mom again
"That's your grandfather . Roark ! His name is Rowan . He is professor now ."My mom respond to Roark .
" Hey , Grandson ! Come to me now ! " told to Roark
"Yes . Grandpa !" Roark answered to grandpa
With me , I also was transport by my Dad to the garden . It's very nice also many garden I visited .
"Hey ! Do you know who is here ?"Byron asked to me
"I don't know !" I respond with my Dad
"That's your grandmother ! She is Miss Ngạn . Now , she is a Literature Teacher !" Byron explain to me
"I know that now !" I talk with dad
" If you know that now then also too late !" Byron treated to me
" You don't treat to me ! I scared !" I talked truth to dad
"Okay ! I don't treat to you ! ….But ! Why do you so tired ?" Byron asked me very much
" I don't …"I want to talk but not now but after that , I swoon immediately
"Soohorang ! …. Let me see !" Byron felt Soohorang's forehead " I think you have a fever . Why don't you talk to me earlier ?" and Byron said "Mother !" he called
" What's wrong ? Son ?" Miss Ngạn asked Byron
" Mom , You should feel Soohorang's forehead now" Byron advised to grandma
"Let's see ! Oh ! I certainly you have fever !" and she said " Kaho ! Give to me a thermometer !" she called Kaho Mizuki
"Yes ! Aunt ! Here is !" Kaho gave the thermometer to grandma
" Oh ! The snow is start to falling . We must go inside to the house right now !" Grandma explained to Kaho and Byron
" Kaho! Talk with Roark , Rowan and my daughter to go inside !" she said and " Yes ! Aunt !" Kaho responded
While Roark was playing his Cranidos .Then Kaho talk to three and then , when they was seeing the snow was falling ! They also go inside to house immediately !
"What's up ? Soohorang " Roark asked me
" I'm now is very weak but don't worry at me !" I explain but Roark talk " If you seem alone , you can play with my Cranidos!"
"Thank you but can you turn on the television ! I see the weather forecast !" I request to Roark .
"Okay !" Roark started to turn on the television and in screen had a girl wear ao dai and said " This the weather forecast program broadcasting in Saigon . Follow the minister of weather predict . In the Demilitarized Zone had a strange big wind lead the climate and temperature in many regions of South Vietnam are change . In Eastern Cochinchine and the north form Da Nang City to DMZ will be have snow falling and temperature in those are under -10 degree Celsius. In the Central Highland will be very sunny and up to 43 degree Celsius . In the Mekong Delta will be rainy and between from 10 to 30 degree Celsius and in the Quang Nam to Binh Thuan province and islands in the Cochinchine will be cool as the Autumn and between from 4 to 16 degree Celcius . The Pokemon in many regions of South Vietnam are moving to the suitable region as the 1954 migrate. Thank you everybody saw the program ! Goodbye and see you in next program !"
" Oh ! That's a strange work !" Kaho uttering to Roark
" Hey ! Everybody ! Look in the outside !" Duyên and talk with all man in bedroom
"Oh ! The snow falling to the half of the wall ! What should we do ?" Roark uttering
" First ! Everybody must come back to Saigon ! Gather up your gear and come back to there as early as good ! I can't come back there because …." Byron gave the solution but he saw to me with the nervous eyes.
"Dad ! What's wrong ?" Roark asked
" I think again done ! First , we must to take care of Soohorang ! This is the important mission !"Byron gave away the solution to people
"That's a good idea ! Dad ! ….Oh ! Dad ! You had a new call !" Roark saw the telephone in the table near grandma's bed .
" Hello ! I'm Byron !Who's there ?" Byron started to the phone
" Hello ! Byron ! I'm Thanh Mai from Thanh Nu tailor shop ! I have a information to you but not now !Please call as soon as you can ! Bye" Thanh Mai talk with Byron
After the call ,Soohorang surprise to see in his face " Mommy , Daddy , Why do I have these freckles on my arm , They weren't there in the morning ?"
"Uh oh ! Those aren't freckles , Soohorang , I think there are the chickenpox ! I , Miss Trang and her mom, Duyên and Roark have those and you are alright !" Byron explained to Soohorang
"I'm all ichty " I complained ." I know but you heart no scratching !" Byron advised to me
"But I want to " I said but Miss Trang had a solution " Don't do that ! Soohorang ! I just got the Trang Tien lotion ! It will help make the ichting stop !"
After that Miss Trang had take care of Tom and will go to her sister house - Miss Phương's house
"Mommy !" I said
"Don't worry ! Soohorang ! Your father will be here and he will take good care of you " She said and told Roark and Duyên came back to capital in order to prepare the second semester .
" See you if you have better !" Roark bye Soohorang and follow miss Trang come back Saigon
"Everything will be alright son!" Byron said
Once Miss Trang and her son and daughter left , Byron make sure Soohorang was comfortable on the bed
"Daddy!" Soohorang called.
Byron came running. "What is it son?' Byron asked.
"Can I have some juice?" Soohorang asked.
"Of course." Byron said. He got Soohorang a glass of his favorite juice.
Soohorang began to drink it
"I think Soohorang is not sleep tonight ! You can read the story in order to he sleep " Miss Ngạn advised to Byron
" But Mom! I'm not to work in my school a week ago . Become I'm not enough brave to tell he a story ! " Byron complained
" This's your problem . Let me solve your problem . I was taught Literature many years . So , I give to you the secret . You must put your question is in tonight , what do you do to tell a historic stories ? Tell about who ? You are the teacher speciality about History and the Best Historian of South Vietnam . You should tell a historic characters's stories to him . You must to insict on the big event what do the historic characters do in many instances . Try to he sleep well . Son ! " Miss Ngạn had a solution for Byron
" Thanks Mom!" Byron thanks to miss Ngạn
Byron did a lot of hurrying around the house that day. He made to Soohorang some soup and then gave to him and oatmeal bath.
In every night , before Soohorang sleep , Byron told to him a historic story about the heroes to fight the Chinese army , the good mandarin , the good emperor and very much likes : Lý Thái Tổ, Lê Lợi, Trần Hưng Đạo, Quang Trung, Nguyễn Tri Phương, Hoàng Diệu ,..., and so on
Soohorang was doing a lot a better.
But Soohorang was sad because he couldn't go play with his friends.
Three days later miss Trang came to her parents's home. "I'm glad your back." Byron said.
"Everything looks good." she said. She went up to Soohorang. "Hey how are you feeling?" she asked.
"A lot better." Soohorang said.
Two days later Soohorang was looking a lot better. He went to the doctor. "I see you spots are healing and I don't see any new ones. Now let's check your temperature." Dr. Lynde said.
The thermometer beeped. "No fever, tomorrow you will be able to have fun on with your family on family night." Dr. Lynde said.
"Yay!" Soohorang said.
The next Soohorang and his parents came back to Saigon after the fever passed . In the first night after came back, they had dinner and went to the movies names : The Tailor ( Miss Ba Saigon )