So it is…
- She now has an official trial date. Whatever the outcome may be, she and her family need a clear verdict, so they no longer have to live in limbo, suspended in worry. For days she has thought herself weary, fretted herself thin – sleepless, appetite lost, her cheeks sunken. Those vague uncertainties leave one torn between hope and despair. If only there could be a simple, decisive answer, just to let the heart rest.
- His wife agreed to the divorce, though resentment still burned inside her. Every word from her lips was sharp, cutting into his pride, his sense of self. How could he not long for escape? What was the point of keeping each other bound by a marriage certificate, when meals had lost their taste and nights no longer brought peace?
- The court sent another notice – revisions, adjustments. The damages reconsidered, the court fees lighter. Yet this was never just about money. It was about dignity – about the reputation of a company, and the honor of a human being. In every circumstance, such things deserve the shelter of the Constitution and the safeguard of justice.
- And then, suddenly, summer was near. Time slips so quickly – wasn’t it just New Year’s yesterday? Now half a year has gone.
- And you, preparing to graduate from one of the world’s most prestigious universities. For years, every time tuition fees were sent home, your parents staggered under the weight. Yet somehow, in every way possible, they carried you to the very end. Admirable – your relentless focus, your will since high school; admirable, too, their unyielding care, their sacrifices, their quiet heroism to lift your dream with all the love and resources they could summon. You did not let them down: you secured an internship at a renowned company, with a salary to match. What you earn now – still just a student – is perhaps more than a director’s wage back home. Living in the most expensive city on earth, where rent alone equals your father’s monthly pay as a manager. Numbers that, if spoken in your hometown, would leave people stunned.
- And us – no longer talking, no longer sharing. What comes too quickly often leaves just as fast. The other day I saw a line pasted on the back of a car: “If you want to go fast, take it slow.” Maybe it’s true.
- The day closed with clouds heavy, thunder rolling, but no rain fell.
- His news remained absent, the family still waiting.
- At the bar, watching staff sit in gloom over empty tables. A few drinks did nothing for his mood. Better to leave quietly, slip a tip to ease their night a little.
- Today she was absent from class. Was she sick? Or troubled? he found himself missing her gentle sway as she walked.
- The sun had set, traffic still roared. Saigon at night, moonlight and breeze – was there any place more alive, more worth living? Perhaps not. Peace, strange and sudden, filled him.
- Now I understand: the same service, yet every place a different price. What hope lies in idle phone calls, in playful chatter? They were only filling silence, teasing loneliness for a while. Love, real love, is walking hand in hand through the streets, carrying each other’s burdens.
- They moved their shop to Landmark – hoping for more customers. “A prophet is never honored in his own land.” True enough. They do not see that if they are good enough, even in the remotest mountains, people will still seek them out.
- So it is…He continued his prayers, yet the miracle had not come to pass.
Excerpt from “So it is” – Hà Kim
