There were hardly any tracks anywhere, as again: my mother-in-law and father-in-law just found this spot the other day. There hardly any trails, period. And that is a vulnerable feeling. Marlboro Man and Tim had helped set up the campsite, including helping their cousins—all girls, by the way—haul in and set up their own tents. All the cousins—who share a great-grandfather—attended the funeral, and she decided they all needed to get together more frequently, just like they did when everyone was young.
Shortly after I got there, the first two kids went into the water. Something about it being degrees. Minutes later, almost all the kids were in the creek, wading and swimming and laughing and staying in a cohesive group in order to avoid a water moccasin attack like the one in Lonesome Dove, which all the kids watched while still in the womb, and which they all know by heart.
They had a set number of heads to count. And they just sat there and counted them. Evening finally turned to night, and degrees finally turned to 90 degrees. Marlboro Man, Tim, and the rest of the men left for home while all the female cousins stuck around and caught up and laughed and told stories. About their parents and grandparents. About Marlboro Man and Tim. I could listen to that stuff all day long. I just love it. If your first cousin has a child, that child is your first cousin once-removed.
If your second cousin has a child, that child is your second cousin once-removed. So what I determined is that the kids that were running around are my third cousins once removed by marriage. The kids were back and forth between tents all night.
Eventually, around midnight, the little girls called it quits. Initially, Missy and I had planned to leave late after everyone else had gone to bed, and go home to the comfort of our respective air conditioned bedrooms. As the night wore on, though, Missy had decided that we were both going to spend the night after all. She did not consult me about this.
She merely informed me that we were both staying. Tums had became the symbol for all I did not bring to the campout, which was everything. Because Tums had been in the ether all night, Missy and I laid on our cots and had a whispered conversation about the kinds of foods we eat that cause us to need Tums.
Not homemade pizza, but take-out pizza. Anything with an acidic tomato sauce. We went on and on like this for awhile, occasionally giggling while we continued to swap war stories about heartburn. Then, in unison, they all burst into laughter—deep belly laughter that rang through the night sky.
They hoped to plant them together. They all bow, wish, hope, and pray. They leave everything on the altar to remain for the day except for the portrait. Their Mother locks it away rite after she finishes her chant. She's too weak to look at her husband's eyes. Brother khoi is upset with his mother because of taking his eggs, the hen gives one egg per day they take turns eating them but brother khoi doesn't eat his instead he puts each under a lamp hoping for a chick mother says if the price of eggs were not the price of rice ,and the price of rice were not the price of gasoline, and the price of gasoline were not the price of gold, brother khoi then can keep hatching eggs, she feels sorry.
Every Friday in miss Xinh's class ha's teacher the class assignment is about current news but when they keep talking about how close the communists have gotten to Saigon much prices have gone up,and American soldiers left many distans of hard props high finally says no more Fridays will be for happy news no one has nothing to say.
This Year Ha has afternoon classes plus Saturday so every student can fit in her school, mornings are free her mother trusts her to go shop at the market, she would give her fifty dong vietnamese money to buy one hundred grams of pork, water, and spinach Ha told no one that she was buying all these things because that is her mother's instructions, she had extra money left so she bought some sweets, now so no one knows what she also bought she took less pork and she feels smart.
Ha sees her first two green papayas that will grow into orange-yellow sweet papayas between a mango and a pear and also so soft. Brother Quang comes dashing home on his bike then throws it down and runs to the TV and screams "Unbelievable" then turns on the TV, a spy for South Vietnam has succeeded bombing the presidential palace, the news says he works for the communists. The communists captured father so why would any pilot choose their side?
Even though Ha already had gained one year on Tet they still celebrate her real birthday by making her special meals and giving her candy, sometimes she asks her mother to tell her about her childhood which is really hard to do she learns a lot about her mother's past and how she didn't have any duties but to write poetry and look pretty, she was arranged for Ha's father when she was five and they got married at sixteen.
They went to the south away from communism but Ha's mother gave birth of Quang in a bad time. Ha always wishes for her mother's eyes but her mother say no her life will turn into sadness, Ha wants to hear more but her mother wouldn't open her mouth and say a word. In this poem Ha reveals her secrets and wishes like to play like boys, to stay calm when her brothers tease her, if her mother would let her grow her hair long, and if her father would show up and make her mother happy again.
Every year there is a ceremony to honor the wives of veterans, and there is also food handed out. Ha and her mother go to the ceremony and buy good food in town, but as soon as the speaker talks about how the nation appreciates the wives Ha and her mother leave.
Ha is disappointed that school is over a month earlier, because she is mad she pinches the girl next to her and wishes if she was her teacher's pet so that she could win the potato plant that her teacher is giving away. The papaya tree now has five fruits that are still green but Ha knows what they will be later.
Uncle Son visits the family. Ha and her family pretend there is a monsoon, in the distance the bombs sound like thunder slashes lightning the sky gunfire falls like rain rest the like thunder yet within ears not that far away after all.
The president says he cannot do his job anymore but he will never retreat over his country, Ha's mother is skeptical. Ha's mother tells her that their father is always watching them and that they have a plan if war seperates them, so their father will be able to find them. Her mother picks ten photos to take and burns the rest so there isn't evidence that could get them into trouble. The ship is very crowded so every family gets one mat but Ha's brathers claim two for the family , but it's really small they can barely lie down.
And the ship is so full that it could sink but no one wants to get off the ship, even men they are afraid to leave their families alone. Uncle Son hears a rumor about the next ship over being better, so they leave their ship to go check it out.
So many people went on the new ship, though, that they quickly rush back to their spot on two mats this time, finding that the ship is now emptier thanks to that rumor. A commander comes in and says what no one wanted to hear ''Saigon is gone''. Because of that a women and a man tried to kill themselves. Their ship moves along the river with no lights, bathrooms, or cooking. They are told to sip water only when really needed so they don't get thirsty, Ha's body doesn't listen, her mother is embarrassed but Ha thinks it's worth it sence they are allowed to use the commander's bathroom, because the bathroom is really clean.
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