A man of Generations-My walking trip to final destination- Part 5

My walking trip to final destination

My family-in-laws and I crossed the Mekong River by a large boat rowed by an old man. We took the boat free of charge. I felt surprised if he did not charge the money for his work. I did not know yet about how new regime administers the country, especially the use of currency. We were nearing the bank of the river. The water in April, hot season was very low. We had to climb up the bank a little high, especially I had to care my wife to walk her up, to take a one-month baby. I went up and down many times to take the bags from the boat. We said thank you to the boat rower and left him.

This side of the river was silent, no traffic in the street, no people in the street like a month ago after 17 April 1975. We made further our trip along the dusty village road. We had lunch and dinner on the way. Some 3 people came to us with 3 bicycles, smiling and greeting. They share our burden and took them away with their bicycles. Now I was free from heavy bags in the cart, only my wife, a baby and another elder child.

At last we were here at a home where my father-in-law expected to stay. The house was too small to fit 8 of us together. Anyhow, we were satisfied. We had no rice, no food. Our lives depend on my in-laws, who were my grand-parents at the moment. They had large sacks of rice in the house. They were good neighbors. The villagers likes this family. We had mostly fish and rice, never had pork and beef. It is noticeable that the 3 people who took our belongings were former cook for my wedding in 1972. Now they were officials in the commune.

After sometimes, we were asked to live apart. They allowed me to possess a plot of land to build a house, and so did my father-in-law. We lived separately. My father-in-law and I went in the jungle to find wood bamboos and leaves to build 2 houses. Of course, we never did build the house in the past. We had knives, axes and strings. There were no nails. Finally, two houses were made with our own skills and energy, the roofs and walls from leaves and the floor from bamboos. At last it was a cottage. I took my wife and my two children to live in a new house, hahaha. We did not have lamp or electricity in the night. We slept early before dark after dinner. And more importantly I was instructed not to speak in the night.