Coincidentally, in the past few days, as my home bravely fought and recovered from the fierce flood, I stumbled upon Helios' writing competition with the theme of Faith!
Phu Yen, the land of golden flowers on green grass, where I stand, is where the Ba River pauses. Now, the sun has quickly set over the trees. The sky is dull grey. On the small path, rice fields are surrounded by water, with many footprints in the mud after the destructive flood. The people who came here, lived here, and now "pause" here too. In this late afternoon and dying day, I want to light a fire. But everything is soaked, and there isn't a single match left. I want to go home.
Home?
Do I have a home, or is it just a last refuge that the Ba River has claimed, stolen? When my heart is full, when all dreams have died out, even more quickly than a tropical rain. I walk against the flow of the river, letting the last rays of sunlight blind my eyes. Suddenly, I thought again: "What do I exist for?" The river gives, and the river takes away, a law of balance in all things.
Human figures blur into the water, into the sky, like a surreal painting. Many times I still think life is a giant surreal painting. Like trees not growing from the earth but pasted onto the sky, like dreams that don't wake up but where there are strong kisses. The lover of the poor farmer is sun and rain, while my lover is fragments of hope.
…
My grandparents and parents entrusted their entire Faith to this land, so I must be the heir. Then, I will pass on this Faith to the next generation – like a spiritual relay race, like the extension of the Ba River.
Thank you for the reminder from Helios: “Strong – Steadfast – Rise Up”, hold onto your Faith, and one day everything will be fresh again.
