28

Date …

A tribe of “the Stone Farming House” was divided into “three small groups” with their different destinations based on their different demands and purposes after a half-month staying in Western, Texas.

Nguyen Viet Thanh, the son of Viet Thieu and Hai Yen, picked up his mother and his grandfather Vu Hung in Lu’s house and sent them to Silicon Valley. He invited everybody home but received their refusal since they had to depart for Washington and New York.

Viet Thanh was living and working in “the legendary informatics land” which locates between San Francisco and San Jose cities. Thanh’s daddy Viet Thieu set him up as an informatics engineer in Stanford Private University which is located in the centre of Silicon Valley in America. His school fee was 30.000 USD a year. Thanh had become a youth who satisfied modern standards: He mastered the most advance technique and was working for Google Company as a software writer after 10 years had elapsed.

Being big and tall and bearing some resemblance to his mom and his grandpa, Thanh’s face expressed the self-confident and unaffected features of a person who was living a capitalist country whose specific characteristics were democracy, freedom and human right. The people there were nervous of no one but the law. However, it seemed that there was a mass of cloud which brought a distress to him at times by accident and made his young face darken. The shame at his executed father due the corrupt crime beside the shame at using such corrupt money itself so as to cover his most costly school fee and living conditions still remained in his memory as a “spot”.

A Lexus ran hill slope and entered a land of rolling grandiose buildings where tens of thousands internet companies whose annual turnover was up to a thousand billion dollars each.

-       “Silicon Valley” or “Thung lung Silicon” in Vietnamese language sounds “the reek of machinery” – The grandfather Hung remarked – Why isn’t “Rose-Valley” or “Dream-Valley” like Vietnamese names?

-       It’s a “particular characteristics” – Thanh explained – It was called Silicon Valley because right here, the central processing unit made of Silicon material was created. Besides, the first individual computer named Apple was manufactured and internet was established as a commercial system. Now, this is the first-class site in the world in the aspect of eventfulness. We can say that it is a “capital” of informatics industry. Tens of new enterprises are formed every week and a hundred of new dollar-millionaires appear everyday. Money was poured into this place in order to make investment and “the creative ideas” of transcendental informatics brains coming from everywhere in the world were solicitously welcomed. Here, people like working and creating and all sorts of frivolous and luxurious entertainments become strange to them.

-       Is there a place like that in America? – Hai yen asked.

-       This tradition has been formed here without understanding the reason why. Therefore, it’s not necessary for you to worry about me in the aspect of “leading a life of debauchery, ganging up with bad companies or being a spendthrift”, mom!

-       This ground is quite a good place for the youth all over the world to come and follow the examples of experts here – The grandpa Hung commented.

-       Actually, it’s accounted rather humdrum for the young millionaires here to lead “an extreme” life like that. The youth looks for simple girls who do the professional works everyday and are hard, economical, equilibrated and serious … but don’t dream of the beautiful ones who are sour, scornful and extravagant and busy themselves with smartening, dancing and indulging in dissipation. Here, they will be engrossed in investing in the new scientific ideas but don’t throw their money in “satisfying their vice wants” although they can earn a mountain of money …

-       They are quite the youth! – Vu Hung gave his judgment – you should take them as your model.

Hung had gazed at Thanh for a while. Then, he nodded repeatedly out of satisfaction:

-       I have made my way in the world when I was at your age. I knew nothing but the technique how to produce soy-beam jam or the way how to catch the fish from the pond, dry them and manufacture fish sauce … Meanwhile, you can write software. I feel that the computer looks like a sorcerer. Everything can appear with an order only. How strange! Nobody can tell all the strange which have happened to the computer. It’s as different as chalk and cheese when we make a comparison between us.

-       Contrariwise, I didn’t know how to guide the mass demonstration to the district and seize power, how to become the famous Grey Tiger commander like you …

Vu Hung smiled

Hai Yen took a look at her son. She appeared to have a strange feeling. She wondered whether he was a result of the love between her and Thieu. Thanks to the money for which his father had to exchange his “blood” and “life”, Thanh can be “an inhabitant or a member” living in that scientific valley. What a pyrrhic glory! His glory was his daddy’s most terrible pain. Well! That did it! She shouldn’t think like that. Thieu misappropriated a million dollars from the ODA source of capital which the foreign countries invested in traffic industry in Vietnam. That came of Thieu’s “love for corruption” but not his son’s purpose of covering the child’s most costly school fee and living conditions when Thanh was going on a study tour. The money used for his son’s studying abroad was nothing in comparison with the total amount he had embezzled, or rather a fingernail. But then, his son had to “fall into disrepute” as a purpose of Thieu’s ground for corruption. Thanh was given a complex and suffered torment. Such way of thinking should be “removed” from Thanh’s spirit so that he could have a confidence when he made his way in the world.

Hai Yen prided of herself when she felt that her son had the same manner to her and her father Vu Hung. Her son was born in Moscow in the snowy season. He, a tiny yellow kid was sent to day-care center where the Western big tall pinkish white children were taken care of. He babbled a few Russian words with his Russian baby-sister. Yen started in surprise when seeing her son just like an accentor among a flock of resplendent orioles. It was impossible to prevent him from the feeling of being alone in a strange land no matter how much Russian milk he drank. He was put out of countenance, awkward and frightened in the Russian nursery school. Therefore, Yen insisted on sending him to his grandma in Vietnam. Her mom Hue had kept him in her house on the outskirts of Thanh Do province. He swam in the limpid pond growing floating moss, caught the nest of pigeons on the areca tree, flied kites in the early summer and had attended “provincial school teaching good pupils” since he was receiving primary education.

The sparrow among a herd of phoenixes in Moscow then became a phoenix among the children living in the provincial suburb. He could have a comfortable life thanks to his parents’ money coming from Soviet Union. He won gigantic achievements in his studies compared to his friends of the same generation. Although form 10 was his class, the Natural Scientific University selected him as a member of their “special” class where a “particular” syllabus was used to train his class so that “pedigreed fighting-cocks” could be discovered and attended international mathematics contest. Unfortunately, he had neither won the gold medal nor scholarship in order to study abroad. Never mind! His father had enough money to let him studied in America …

-       Help our country with your talent! – Vu Hung suggested.

Viet Thanh was fed up with that “bureaucratic chief officer” tongue. There, he had an environment to boss the show. Meanwhile, was there any space for a bird like him to fly in Vietnam? There, he was a successful man but what he would be if he was in Vietnam. With a curriculum vitae stating that his father was executed, his life would be accounted over. How he could get better off. With an American lifestyle, his circumstance became more serious. He became too strange to harmonize with Vietnamese cultural tradition, Vietnamese habits and customs or clearly perform national color. How extremely extraordinary the way a person who could win any “successfulness” in Vietnam! It seemed to go beyond the common law. A lot of talent people couldn’t be successful but the successful ones weren’t sure to be talent. That thing was proved by reality.

In spite of the fact that everything was changed under the “reformed time”, the person of talent informatics ability like Thanh was always respected. However, he could only promote his quality in the stage of a developing social structure in which many insufficiencies were still existent. On the contrary, how very terrible the stage of “pre-capital” was! It was a terror-stricken tragedy which the human had to stand.

-       We must make sacrifice! We must have an ideal for great cause but not for your individual – Grandpa Hung advised his nephew.

-       Firstly, I’ve tried my best to work for the sake of me, myself. However, the result itself coming from my “individual benefit” manufactures the products which serve the whole society. And the whole society can enjoy the fruits of my labor.

-       Well! That’s what I say only! Theory is the moral standards and a large framework that human should orient and adjust in order to create the balance between individual and community. You would have to work for Vietnamese country without choice if you received the scholarship from our government. But here, you used your father’s “blood money” to study abroad. Your matter turns out to be different. It’s up to you. I just contribute my ideas in general. That’s all!

 Three of them spent the atmosphere of a warm family in Silicon Valley. Thanh’s apartment was “an intelligent house” which was very convenience due to its automatic electronics system. Thanh had been staying there for years. Frankly speaking, he couldn’t help feeling lonesome, strange and desolate at times. Thanh dreamed of hearing the sound of the rain dropping on the banana tree leaves at many nights. He missed the perfume of areca flowers pervading the air, the odor of decayed straws or early green rice flakes, the croak … croak … voices of frogs when the rain was over, the noisy crows at noon under the sunshine at the beginning of March and the autumn wind as well. His grandfather and his mom would make up for Thanh’s above mentioned thirsts during those days …

Date …

The second group including Duc Vinh and Duc Ham chose Washington D.C as their destination. They looked like two “politicians” who were imposing in costly grey suits and purple necktie with distinguished and imperturbable faces. Their stories belonged to social political category. They always wondered how long the happiness and virtue of the Nguyen Duc clan would last. During the last half a century in trouble, it was a very precious thing when the descendants of the Nguyen Duc line could be “reunited in almost full numbers” like that. Lu remained undamaged thought he had been a pilot in wartime for more than 10 years. Meanwhile, hundreds of American pilots who were the rich fellows in the civilized society with an abundance of properties had to be killed in action or were put into Furnace prison which was scorching in Hanoi. And Trung, a Liberation soldier who seemed to bath himself in the storms of bullets in the violent battlefields still remained undamaged as well.

What was the inheritance of property from Duc Nguyen? In the old days, the Stone Farming House was the desolate hills region to which the people in his family could help themselves as occupiers before the construction was carried out without having any deal by mean of “gold”. The green flagstones was ready on the mountain nearby so that it wasn’t necessary for them to spend money in buying but hire stone-cutters to take them home and thus their yards and lanes were tiled and their bridges in the precinct of their house were built. The three-floor villa on the Quan Thanh Street was still very cheap in comparison with the district chief’s salary at that time. Therefore, the above mentioned patrimony wasn’t accounted great. Meanwhile, the two old men’s posterity including Duc Trung who was having millions of dollars (according to the forecast) due to the securities and Lu who had a house in Yellow Pine Garden in America …

In Nguyen times, the chances of having the meat of chicken and pig to eat without inhibition were rare unless it was the days of wandering souls, mid autumn festivals, the third days of the third lunar month, the fifth days of the fifth lunar month and Tet holidays. A bowl of liquid desert made with sugar and lotus seeds, a dish of moon cakes, a gram of United Random tea Marinade, xu xe rice cakes, a kilogram of litchis and a bottle of wine with delicious chrysanthemum odor were accounted really valuable. But then, everything turned out to be in plenty which was too much to have even a try anymore. Formerly, the more we ate the higher food value we had. But then, the more we ate the more deceases we got. We turned out to be afraid of sweet, fatty substance, starch and everything. A bottle of boiled and filtered water became popular. A blade of clean vegetable appeared to be a favorite food.

So, what was happening? The blessing was decreasing or increasing. The only thing made the two elderly sad was that both Trung and Lu hadn’t got any child yet while they weren’t young anymore, or rather advance in years.

It was possible for Nguyen Duc clan to be issueless in their sons’ generation or their family would be ended. One son had an American wife and another had a Russian better half (while the poor fathers didn’t know whether such women were the real spouses or virtual ones). They didn’t want to have a baby according to the “modern trend”.

Then, what should they do?

… From the hotel, both elderly went to the first sightseeing site by taxi. It was the White House, the famous building which had been the salient symbol in the modern world history since the time the America had a wonderful advance and became the biggest political and economic centre in the world although it didn’t have any architectural beauty at all. Why could the America become like that?

Uncommon events had taken place in the world history. In Greece, Alexander had bossed the show all over the world. Almost the whole Europe and the surrounding territories had been put under the rule of Romania for hundreds of years. Mongolia occupied the whole strip of land from Asia to Europe except for Vietnam. Napoleon bossed the show as well. The fascist Germany laid down the law …

Where was that violence? Or they were reduced to nothingness!

The East and the West had been different since the end of Middle age. The West became rich thanks to the appearance of cities and citizens and the factors such as industry, commerce, capital and freedom … The East accidentally overslept. However, the East later on waked up and was soon going to keep pace with the West …

-       Duc Ham said – The permanent peace on earth is a fantastic dream only once American military industry still affects the American developing process. Who will buy lethal weapons? One lady who used to be an American Minister for Foreign Affairs provoked the top-notch politicians: You always boast about your most modern weapons but who knows how it is without a try. As a result of this, Balkans became a victim of terrible rains of bombs in 1999 …

Don’t be a stupid teaser by annoying America who has an extremely everlasting hatred. Let’s say its shameful defeat in Pearl Harbor where Japan was a winner. It avenged an insult with atomic bombs dropping on Hiroshima and Nagasaki right after the opportunity appeared.

-       For all that, America itself was the loser in its war in Vietnam like Mongolia in olden times – Duc Vinh raised his different points of view – It had to let the South of Vietnam alone to fall into the hand of Liberation troops. I had to bitterly admit such the truth despite I was a member of American side. American history had to record its painful defeat without excusing. America had to withdraw in the historical confrontation between two sides and I had to suffer a “wrongfully death” in “this case”: 8 years in the prison. How bitter I am! How sarcastic it is! I assumed to have nothing to worry once joining in the strongest side in the world. But …

-       America becomes the world commander-in-chief after Soviet Union and Eastern Europe were collapsed – Ham judged – It can do anything it wants including the action of bringing the criterions of democracy, freedom and human right to the whole world and considering such action as its mission. American is the leading country in the developing process of mankind civilization. That is the truth which nobody can deny. However, America had confused. The America should let other countries survive once it is living. The particular characteristics of the societies in other countries haven’t stably developed beside the economy was underdeveloped and lots of difficulties such as domestic enemy and the danger of aggressors were still existent. America keeps putting a spoke in their wheels by stirring their societies and thus they have to offer resistance. By way of consequences, it’s rich, it has civilization and it has a lot of enemies as well. Some day, it will have to pay through the nose for all its actions.

There are many things which are good and beautiful in America. However, the event that people were fired fast and thickly often happened as well. How can it be like that? One student had carried a gun to school and given random shots at tens of teachers and pupils in no where but America. It proves that there is some problem taking place in American society. The violent thoughts are being “fed” in the youth’s mind. The late generations were freely perceived the attractive “violent culture” full of thrilling scenes. The action movies were showed on television round the clock. Nothing but an image of a person who unsheathes a gun and discharges bullets to tear the sky can be accounted “majestic”. The kids easily acquire and imitate to become a perfect model of their “heroes”. The violence will be inch by inch impregnated with their marrowbones from generations to generations. Then, what will happen in future? It’s impossible that everybody doesn’t know the danger of violent films. However, who can stop its expansion? Like a river full of strong waves, the profits swept straight away so much moral standards. Gains can help people with their most sufficient living conditions in material aspect. On the contrary, it looks like an exterminatory abyss in which the human is going to drop by accident. A culture full of violent films in America is bringing the danger of little by little plunging the world. And what is the meaning of property once the world is perfectly immerged?

By the same token, there is a big problem which is developing under an implicit type in an internal society of America: guns and ammunition are produced for the sake of profits and thus the war is exploded. Violent culture is formed to satisfy profits demands. Gains are the last purpose. Nobody knows how our world will be once above mentioned trend remains unchanged.

Duc Vinh nodded repeatedly out of satisfaction when hearing what his younger brother had just said. Taking a look at the simple round-shaped hall where American Presidents often stood in front of many microphones whenever they wanted to announce important issues, he perceived a strange feeling … There, many words related to the world destiny were resounded in the historical space.

-       Nobody can have enough ability to control America within 200 years to come – Duc Vinh made a foretelling – the current regulation makes the human very swaggering and free and constituents in particular. They consider themselves as the most important persons whom everybody has to respect and meet their requests otherwise they won’t make any aye. Human is a “very young” creature, or rather a “newborn” one with 3 millions of evolution through the following stages: “Skillful people” (Home habilis), “People with straight backs” (Home eretus) and “Wise people” (Home sapiens). Therefore, their nature is “obstinate” and stubborn. They aren’t good-natured and mild like other everlasting creatures. The law and religion are two instruments used to “rule” mankind. Unlike other countries, the religion can’t perform its strength in America where are accounted civilized and there are many intellectuals. So, the law has come into prominence and played the decisive role. As a result, an American society becomes a “lawsuit society”. “The rule by law” is optimal civilization. Nevertheless, the dangerous corollaries will be bared once the intemperate status appears without having any harmonious support from other factors. The lawyers are also human but not geniuses. They can make people guilty or clean-handed as long as they get well paid for it.

The law takes a “golden ruler” to measure everything in society where lawsuits are in plenty. All the courts are crowded. Counsels always have good preparations for their arguments in the hearing to protect their clients and try to win the cases. I clearly understand it because I used to be district chief who had to spend the whole day in order to judge a case in court during the period of half colonialist and half feudality. With even a very small conflict, they still dragged each other through the courts. Two lines, two families or two individuals would “stage the situation” so as to attend the court and listen to the mandarin’s judgment whenever they were at cross-purposes. The mandarin couldn’t correctly judge a case in court at any time. A guilty guy could be a winner and vice versa, an innocent person could be put into prison. With false or counterfeit evidences, the mandarin couldn’t know no matter how good he was. In the old days, the people extremely hated “proof-readers and solicitors” that instigated legal proceedings in order to fish in troubled waters and the inhabitants were very fearful and were accounted evil-starred if they had to “be brought to court”.

An institution which encourages people to drag each other through the courts to sue each other for even a small thing isn’t accounted nice at all because it will show its dark side. In a society, an annihilable phenomenon will appear once our human race gradually loses their age-old and classical morals. The human’s nature is to fight over their interests. The personal interest is placed above everything. It can be considered as a terrible tragedy once the people are no longer afraid of any one or there isn’t any principle of proper behavior which is existent and binds the human and thus the people always have good preparations for their arguments in the hearing to protect themselves and try to win the cases.

-       You have mentioned to the rather basic matter – Duc Ham didn’t hide his philosophical inspiration as well – The life on earth itself performs absurdities and antagonistic contradictions that we have to accept them in order to existent as a human. Nothing is absolutely indefectible. However, it’s necessary to reconsider an institution whose corollaries are violence, exchanges of shots and a structure of carrying wars to everywhere in order to become richer.

The two “retired politicians” or the two “Annamite” amorously contributed their tactic to “America”. “America” replied: We have understood what you mean. Thank you! But you see! The Heaven keeps helping himself to his program and a society like that of ours is formed. What we can do now. Since 1791, American constitution had stipulated the human right in which stated that people have the right to carry weapons beside the other rights such as freedom of the press, verbalization freedom and Juror Team’s justice trial. We know only too well that we allow you to pick holes in our America at your will and pleasure despite you are standing on American ground. Inversely, you can have problems if you slap a roadside kid’s face despite you can swear at even the President. Meanwhile, the policemen in other countries can lightly laugh at you even when you are relieving yourselves on the street but there, they have “reading machines” which can read your “opponent”, “criticized” and “dissent” thoughts and thus they will arrest you. Hey! You! My dear “politicians” (who used to be Vice Provincial chief and Provincial Party Committee Secretary)! Your ideas aren’t accounted not nice and you aren’t considered as not intelligent persons. But why don’t you help your country but us with “your suggestions”? By the way, we, American country would like to confirm that: Freedom is the origin of all mankind’s developments …

… The two brothers were deliberately strolling on the streets in Washington. Several dead leaves dropped under the autumn sun. Ham caught one of them. Which leaf was it? He wondered whether it was maple or oak one. He wasn’t sure at all. It was exactly the same to the ones on the streets in Moscow and Peiking … However, it was different as well. It belonged to Washington – an address which was influencing on the whole globe.

America was the first country where the flag of democracy and human right was raised although it also threw bombs on other countries without hesitation. Is it one of pawns whose player is the Creator? Or which role is it acting?

The war is an attribution of this world.

The wars in the 20^th century become much more violent than the ones in the 18^th and 19^th centuries. Why?

The people become richer. The scientific advances look like a rain-storm. On the contrary, “homicide” has happened more than before as well.

10 millions people were killed during the I World War (1914 – 1918). Almost 60 millions people died in the battle during the II World War (1939 – 1945). Later on, tens of big and small conflicts continuously took place. The total quantity of war victims in the 20^th century were about 180 millions people.

Why? Does that come of the conflicts among religions, ideology or ethnic group? The people have been fighting over for economic interests and political power decade after decade and the mankind fell into the painfully violent circle accordingly. As a result of that, the human beings have to shoulder many sorrows.

-       I and you are two leaves in that historical circle – Ham informed Vinh – And then, we are “outsiders”. We have entered “Zen world”. Just like viewers, we are watching the chess-players. Let’s look for or create the untroubled time so that our hoary age can be peaceful …

The lights were blazing in Washington at night. The weather was cool and comfortable. The siblings Duc Vinh dropped into a bar where songs and dances were showed. They used the King’s English which they had studied since they were “juniors bachelors and bachelors in their country” to have conversations. The funny atmosphere there made them completely forgot all their social political opinions. Behind the old people’s glasses, their eyes expressed the concentration when the dancer did a striptease on the stage. The dancing-girls’ pinkish white complexions were outstandingly performed and the feelings of special buoyancy and happiness were aroused in their hearts. How the two persons who were “weak”, “wrinkled” and “lack of vitality” could have any emotion of eagerness and life enjoyment. But then, such feelings appeared in their mind. One taxi-dancer who almost had nothing on her body approached their table. She stretched her arm and held their necks before placing on their cheeks a kiss each. Imitating everybody there, each of them took out a 5-dollar note and thrust it in her brassiere. In turn, she kept stopping at each table from table to table while her breasts and her rears were plump and tall and repeatedly touched the customers in order to collect the small dollar changes …

Date …

Four of us went to New York. Taking a business trip, Lu had to enter upon a negotiation with a foreign company whose office was located in the Twin Towers Building in the precinct of International Trade Centre.

We booked two rooms in Marco Hotel, a small hotel but it was convenient for us to take underground. The subway in New York had been installed for a long time and thus it couldn’t compare to the one in Moscow at all. Some stations of metro in Moscow were decorated as luxurious as Tsar’s palaces. Contrary to the ones in New York, many stations looked like the nether world whenever getting out of the underground.

Like other tourists, we couldn’t help having sightseeing at the area where the Statue of Liberty was placed, the Times Square, the Building of the United Nations, Wall Street … Those were the spots which often appeared on television as our recognition of our present there.

As a matter of fact, it was a very boring trip. What I loved was to wander on the pavements, meet my acquaintances, visit their houses and observe the life there … Well! “The touring atmosphere” gave me a warm emotion anyway. A strong attachment among us became closer. We could have highly enthusiastic minutes and we could take a loving care of each other during our dinners in the restaurants. Vera sang Russian songs while I sang them Love Duets folk-songs. The light of candles on the table was glistening. We attracted the curious eyes from surrounding tables observing “the two Asian guys” and “the Russian and American girls”.

-       Vera and Li Da! – Said I – The two brothers of us would like a boy each so that he can “maintain the continuity of our family line and perform his duty in the temple in our house” according to our Asian tradition. We are no longer young and we don’t want to be issueless. How about you?

-       They won’t be thoroughbred children – Li Da informed.

-       That isn’t a matter! We, the whole world are the one! All nations are the same! The combination between us will create a “dominant mongrels” in biological aspect.

-       What will happen if we can’t have sons?

-       Never mind! “Daughters” are also “OK”!

-       To be honest, we are afraid of being delivered of a child. That makes our beauty devastated. But later on, we little by little think that we are no longer young as well. The time will slip away and the beauty will fade accordingly. It is accounted good if we have a child in our old days. We also think that it’s time for us to attend “common respectable life” – Admitted Vera.

-       The population in Russia is terribly going down – I remarked.

-       The more “civilized” the mankind is the less the childbearing proportion becomes – Li Da drew a conclusion and smiled – Our mankind will be extinct if nobody wants to have a baby.

-       Vera added - The fact of the matter is that a kid is esteemed as happiness, reason for living in the poor countries. They instinctively perform their sex life and they are prolific. The civilized history will lag behind if the world is controlled by our future generations who are miserable, foolish and ignorant. How will our mankind become once the advance and quintessential classes will be getting old and have gone to the next world without leaving any descendants. It’s quite irrational. The demographers discovered that problem and wondered whether the historical steps will horribly fall behind like what they are imagining. By way of consequences, I agree to have a baby with Trung. This is my sacrifice which Trung should give me a compensation for.

-       Of course! – I confirmed.

-       How about you? Li Da! – Asked Lu – My Vietnamese researcher! What a “synchrony” once we have a Vietnamese cross-bred lad!

-       Frankly speaking, it’s a ripe time for me to think of this matter. I’m not young anymore and it’s time for me to have a baby as well. I am going to become a Vietnam’s daughter-in-law and I will visit Vietnam once a year.

We clank glasses together. What we said that day didn’t mean either an engagement or “an idle talk”.

The following nights, it seemed that four of us had tried our best to carry out the above mentioned “resolution” and it seemed that my money earning from playing securities was “flashing” its power. I was sure that Vera wouldn’t give me a passionate love like that if I was poor and had a low-paid salary as a civil service employee. What an “irony” of fate! …

It was the fourth day of our New York trip. We arrived in Manhattan area where there was a Financial Center named Wall Street.

-       Let’s put our feet on “the Holy Land” where is being considered as the kingdom of dollars to see how our feeling is – I said – It’s reported that here is a new proverb in America: “Come Manhattan and you can earn a lot of money”

-       According to the average figure, the amount the public servants working in financial field can make is 10.000 dollars a week at least – Lu informed – That mainly comes of the year-end premiums and commissions which they receive in the first quarter of the year.

It’s quite a round sum in comparison with the average income which is 3.000 dollars a week per one citizen who is living and working in Manhattan area. Therefore, it takes the first position among other places in America. People often “potter” about statistical data. For example, the Fair Fin district of Connecticut state, the average income is 2.000 dollars a week per capita. Its position is behind Manhattan. 1.600 dollars is a figure represented several districts in Boston and San Francisco is 1.600 dollars as well. Three districts in Silicon high-technological area are counted as three of ten districts in which the inhabitants have the highest income in America.

-       It’s quite huge earnings – Vera remarked – Meanwhile, the average income in many places in the world is 1.000 dollars a year only.

It was sometimes counted inexhaustible topic when talking about money. It could be accounted few no matter how much we had and if we considered it was enough for us, it would be accounted enough. Manhattan with its Financial Centre called Wall Street also had houses, properties, boulevards and the sky like other places. However, jewels seemed to be gushed out whenever the people there stepped. With 60 millions dollars, I was still nothing – I thought.

On the fifth day of the tour, Lu and Li Da took us to the Building of the United Nations for sightseeing.

-       The construction area of this building was 45 hectares large – Lu did the voice-over – The ground which cost 8.5 millions dollars at that period is the petroleum billionaire John Rocker Feller’s present. The construction expense was 65 millions dollars in the years from 1949 to 1950. The outstanding work was the matchbox shaped-building which was 39 floors high and was built in 1961. It has two sides fitted with glasses and another two sides stuck over with marble stones.

Everyday, there are tens of thousand people coming here in order to have meetings, tours or do researches on the world matters …

I stood still and started counting. There were more than 190 flags represented membership countries. They were fluttering in the wind. A happy emotion really appeared in my heart when I saw a yellow star on the red background of our national flag nearby the main gate of the building.

We ate pretzel and talked about the true “funny” stories in America while we were having dinner in Macro hotel.

-       An absolutely factual thing which is hard to believe is that according to the statistical data, 25% of population in intellectual America which is the “capital” of advance techniques and cultural has never read books. It meant one out of 4 persons has never read books and 11 millions American people can’t read in average.

-       Seen from outside, America looks quite rich, swanky and shining. However, it is full of tragedies inside – Li Da gave supplementary ideas – There is a big gap between the wealthy and the poor people. The recent statistical data shows that 1% of the richest people’s properties cover 21% of gross income of the whole United States of America. You see! What a terrible figure! Based on that point, we can find out the truth that the sort of people like I and Lu can be esteemed as “poor landless peasant” in this society.

-       It’s OK with the “poor landless peasant” like you – I made a conclusion and unexpectedly related what she had just analyzed to my case. I had 60 millions dollars. Which class I was if I lived there …

Date …

 That was the sixth day we went on the journey. Our destination was the Twin Towers Building – the symbol of American Trading economy. Lu had to fulfill his business in the Building as an employee of NASA organization while we were having a stroll outside it. We kept going on traveling and just ignored him with his work. Our appointment was in Marco hotel in the afternoon.

It was on 11 September. The sky was quite clear with white clouds. New York was peaceful, boisterous and great. New York was a symbol of economic development. Actually, it wasn’t accounted happy at all if I can live in New York. I didn’t like it. I’m afraid of the skyscraper buildings collapsing and bearing heavily upon me. I couldn’t see the sky unless I was tired for looking up a long time because the “huge buildings” blocked my view. The human would look like the tiny ants on earth once we were weighed down by concrete. In the eventful life in New York made the human looked like a leaf which was swept away in the tornado. I would like to live in a more peaceful place with the sky above my head and a strip of verdant grass under my feet. The three-floor house under the canopy of leaves would be my warm hearth. The nature would welcome me whenever I went out of my house …

I was satisfied with my future house which I was going to buy thanks to Lu’s support in Weston town, the outskirts of Houston. As a matter of fact, I could purchase a beautiful apartment in that world financial centre where the famous stock negotiation center in the world located based on my current budget. But I didn’t choose such decision. With 60 millions dollars of security value, I still seemed to be “the devil looked after its own” for I was neither talent nor preternatural. I didn’t know which business I should trade. I didn’t feel happy at all if had to settle in America. I would look like a sparrow among a flock of phoenixes. On the contrary, I would be just like a phoenix among a herd of sparrows if I stayed in Vietnam.

-       I see that the style of this building isn’t nice at all. It looks like two square columns. That’s all! – Vera pointed at the Twin Towers Building and made comments – There are more beautiful tower-shaped buildings such as Lomonoxop University or Ukraine hotel in Moscow. The higher the floors of the tower are the smaller the dimensions of it are and the top floor has the very sharp-pointed roof which make our souls soaring. But you see! The American Twin Towers Building is well-proportioned, even and flat. It has a perfectly square shape and looks “lumpish”. How good-for-nothing the modern architecture industry is!

-       The trend of modern industry in the aspect of beauty is more and more unobtrusive. All the sophisticatedly curved features of classical field which used to be much in vogue are eliminated. However, like what you have just said, I also “hated” the model of modern architecture which is flat, upright and simple … I like castles which are classical, luxurious and magnificent …

That day was 11 September … Nobody knew how many points was the Dow Jones index listed on the electronic board in American Stock Exchange up or down? On that day and at that moment, where was the American President? and what was he doing? What were “the world leaders” thinking about the chessboard of international politics? Which theoretical points of current trend did the ideologists confirm? On that day, nobody expected to witness an event happening in the world history as a turning-point which made a strong impact on the world opinion. The new treatises on politics, war and the new front lines in the world were formed from that day on. A new “influence” had entered the political stage and would make the whole world alarmed since that day.

… It was long thought that the America alone carried and waged war on other countries out of its national frontiers such as Europe, Asia, Korea or Vietnam …

The America had the peaceful breezes which always gently blew without bringing any smell of war-smoke although it was a “progenitor” of bomb manufacture. The birds there didn’t have to hear the roar of lethal weapon. The plants there were verdant as much as they could. Meanwhile, the American architects could perform their talent at their will and indulgence by great buildings which were silhouetted against the blue sky.

The space, mountains and rivers in other countries but not America had long since caught mountains of bombs and ammunition produced and thrown by America …

… But then, it was at 10: 15 am according to Greenwich Mean Time. The American people had to experience how the war was right in the “heart” of their country.

I, Vera and Li Da – Three sightseers and hundreds of other “idle” people were strolling around the Twin Tower Building and were tired for looking up a long time in order to contemplate its “rough-hewn” shape when a plane appeared and straight rushed into the first tower. It was the normal plane like any other ones. However, it flied as if it was showing a scene in the familiar action movies which were products of American film industry instead of soaring to the high sky or circling apart from the tower. An American movie magic was performed in the true life.

What was happening? Nobody had ever imagined such event in the history of mankind since the creation of the world but it took place in reality. It was in the true life but not Hollywood film studio. The whole space resounded with a terrible roar and the whole New York was shaken violently. The plane was swallowed up by the tower as though the tower had a mouth which was wide open and snugly gulped it down.

Why the pilot’s skill could be so bad that he let his plane rushed into the building. Oh, no! He was the best pilot in the world and he had been the second to none as a pilot since the first words in the first chapter of aviation history was written. His action came of his suicide decision. He smashed into the stomach of the “monster” named building which was explored right after that and quickly collapsed like a violent game. The bumptious super-building whose structure was full of iron, steel and concrete was assumed to be as firm as a mountain but then it was little by little dropping and disappeared in the curtain of somber dust-smoke as though it was made of cartridge- paper and bamboo splints. The second plane appeared and speechlessly rushed into the second tower while the first event had just happened so fast that everybody hadn’t had enough time to be stunned and astonished, to understand the problem and perceived the philosophy of “present and absent” that one existent thing would disappear in the twinkling of an eye. The same sight had taken place. It meant the second tower swallowed the second plane before it burst into flames, collapsed and vanished.

It could be considered as a refrain, a reiteration or a repeat … Yes! It wouldn’t make an impression unless it happened “two times” because it would be easy to forget if it took place one time only. With two-time appearance, the event wouldn’t sink into oblivion.

Where was the Twin Towers Building, the symbol of New York, the symbol of America? It was deduced to a pile of brickbat smoking with dense dust. Three thousands people who were working in the economic and commercial offices and were influencing the world market had disappeared. They were from existence to non-existence. Multitudinous data concerning the world economy which was being saved in myriads of computers was deleted by “a terror virus”.

… I, Vera and Li Da fled out of the scene of accident in confusion. We were struck with consternation. We had a buzzing in our ears. We ran as fast as our legs could carry us as though we were dreaming. But it wasn’t a dream at all. We had just escaped death in fact. In that tour, we could witness the incomparable sight which had never happened before and would never happen in future in the history of tourist industry. What a great trip which nobody could pay for such tourist tickets no matter how much money or even a myriad million dollars were spent! Nothing or even when sitting on the spaceship so as to see the Mars and the Moon could compare to that tour in which we could view the collapse of those Twin Towers.

We could have many opportunities to look the Mars and the Moon at admire. Meanwhile, there was only one time in the history of mankind during the last period of several thousands years to witness the collapse of the Twin Towers Building.

We ran for our lives in order to arrive in our hotel. The whole New York was getting into a state of panic just like a shot in the film The stars war in which the people from other planet were landing on the Earth.

Everybody in the hotel was in a pandemonium as if the market dispersed. The receptionist disappeared. Chambermaids seemed to vanish in the air. The hotel looked like an ant’s nest which was broken. We rushed into our rooms and hurriedly packed up our suitcases.

-       Will the New York be bombed?

-       What is the source of all this?

-       Where to go so that we can be safe?

The American policemen were running up and down to put everybody’s minds at ease.

The sight in which the Twin Towers Building was collapsing was started broadcasting on television and everybody still kept thinking that it came of movie magic.

Lu was still in the Twin Towers Building when the plane smashed into it. Nobody knew whether he still survived or had already passed away. How he could be alive. How the human’s body could prop up the mountain of iron, steel and concrete. How his life could meet with such a terrible misfortune. Meanwhile, Lu hadn’t got any relationship with the confrontation among the influences. He was like an ant only. And a giant trampled down that ant by accident when he was passing by.

Our appointment was in Marco hotel at noon. The noon had flied. Lu hadn’t come back yet although it had already been late afternoon. We received no phone call from him as well. He wasn’t back. Was he buried in the Twin Towers Building in ruins?

The television was projecting the sight of first aid men working. A lot of corpses were carrying out of the building. There were three thousands employees working in the building exclusive of their unhappy customers of whom Lu was one.

I, Vera and Li Da were running around and were extremely anxious. Nothing but that event could be accounted unreasonable. Nothing could harm the young pilot Duc Lu during the past 20-year war in his home town but then he unexpectedly received a wrongful death while he was taking a trip in the centre of “a peaceful and prosperous capital”. How the life could be so awkward like that. Lu hadn’t got any relationship with the confrontation among the influences in the world at all. Lu’s only shortcoming was his swagger which came of the indulgence of a social institution full of democracy, freedom and human right.

The two above mentioned planes coming from the Al-Qaeda terrorist forces opened war against America. A new stage was started. A new landmark was recorded. However, it was the historical matter. How Lu’s destiny could involve in such event.

The eyes of Vera and Li Da were carroty. Those were Li Da’s tear-drops coming from the bottom of her heart. Perhaps, she hadn’t known she had given Lu a true love until that moment.

It was counted as the most terrible call uncle Duc Vinh received from me in his whole life. There were often phone calls bringing terror-stricken news.

I, Vera and Li Da kept rushing from hospital to hospital and all the gathering places of victim corpses which were taken out of the Twin Towers Building during the last days. What a frightening spectacle! The dead bodies were covered with blood. Some of them were seriously injured and still in a state of having one foot in the grave. We couldn’t find out Lu in spite of having looked for him everywhere. Lu was still weighted down with the fragments of the Twin Towers Building.

Then, I recalled the time when we depart from Houston and went straight to New York. It was 8 o’clock in the morning and we left Yellow Pine Garden. It was the unfortunate hour in the aspect of Lu’s animal designation. I wasn’t a sort of person who always believed in the good fortune and evil. However, people had to consider that respect whenever there was a disaster happened. The best explanation was the Heaven but not any excuse.

Lu – The unique son of the Doctor of Letters Nguyen’s eldest son – had such a fate. So, how to expound the blessing of Nguyen Duc clan? Should the “sow the wind and reap the whirlwind” issue be raised? What sort of unrighteous things had Duc Vinh and Duc Nguyen made? What sort of immoral conduct which caused the result his later generations whose representative was Lu had to suffer a death had the Great Oldest Uncle made?

A detail made me shivered: A beautiful girl was swimming in a dreamlike stream in the middle of a forest. Her virginity was taken away by the deflowering under the effect of violence and crazy passion. Was it possible that the “origin” of his later generations’ disaster was that “inhuman action” itself?

There was something called “strange omen” when we issued “a general resolution” which stated that we should have babies in order to maintain the continuity of our Duc Nguyen family line at Marco hotel several days ago. The babies were the combination between nations and beyond the scope of narrow territories. Li Da and Lu had “started” sowing their germ. The seeds were buried in the ground and Lu “had gone” after he had fulfilled his duty.

Alas! How fearful it was! There was something like the creator’s arrangement or the Heaven’s programmed phenomenon …

The date 11-09-2001 entered “the world history” and marked a period which America had had a serious wounds.

And Lu, my cousin was a casuist in that event …

I was there in the hotel. I felt insecure. I wished my “tour” could finish as soon as possible. I had to live in war condition in my country since I was a child. I enjoyed the Soviet Union great stronghold with its magnificence during the time I was staying there. But then, a large-scale “rebellion” was taken place. The tanks were noisily running in the streets. The armed forces deployed and surrounded the National Assembly Building. “The encounter” between President’s side and Parliament’s one happened. I had a narrow escape from death in America as well while I was strolling in the streets although it was a country whose military strength could intimidate the whole world. Meanwhile, Lu was no more. My dear Lu! You could survive a tornado in your hometown, planted yourself there, a “promised land” or an everlastingly “prosperous and peaceful” place. Your rest life assumed to be free from hardship. Nevertheless, the life turned out not to have any even time but was full of storm and the world hadn’t taken any relaxation but kept moving and causing tornadoes after many great wars in which people were beaten to a pulp. The antagonistic influences were continuously established in mankind society and then, they started proving their strength by mean of war. We became unwilling victims but not outsiders though we didn’t concern them at all. That was the reason why we shouldn’t look on with indifference, as far as the world developments were concerned. We hadn’t to be allowed to stand apart …

America suffered the most painful wound dated 11-9 as if a body was stabbed with a knife. For sure, it would take revenge, or rather, a serious vengeance and a half. Later on, I read “secret news” and I knew that a group name “The project for American new century” had presented its action “plan” dated 20-9, only 9 days after the Twin Tower Building collapsed: Carry the war into Afghanistan in December. That came of Afghanistan where the terrorist forces were lurking. Moreover, it occupied Iraq a year later. America could perform more than two wars at the same time.

America vented its spleen coming of the collapse of the Twin Tower Building upon two other countries which sustained heavy defeat in the two its attacks at lightening speed. America wasn’t a country to be trifled with. (In spite of the fact that America was a country which used to bitterly suffer heavy defeat in Vietnam …)

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