Picture taken on Le Thanh Ton street inside Hue Citadel on November 16 – Photo: Nhat Linh
Memories of floods fill every person of the central region. If it rains for a long time in October, it means that the water is about to rise and prepare to flood. I remember one flood season when the water rose up to the verandah. My grandmother was alive at that time and was old and weak, so she was first moved to a higher place to escape the flood.
My mother and I stayed at home, set up tables and chairs, supported the house, and piled rice on top to avoid flooding. “Do we have teeth or cheeks?” I asked. The mother looked at the dirty water in front of the courtyard and became worried: “I can’t wait for the water to rise, but I don’t know what to do. Our family is very tight…”.
Luckily, that year my mother and I were rowing a boat to escape the flood waters. They overturned in the middle of a field but managed to get up and escape death. Water entered the house but did not wash away the house or the rice, which is the household’s biggest asset.
My house is anchored. Almost 30 years later, the situation is still the same. And every season, the flood waters rise and cover the road surface, and my son, who lives far away, has difficulty sleeping. One day I stayed up till 1:00 am to update the news. When I heard that I was in the middle of a storm, rising waters and landslides, I got up again and texted my mom to ask about the situation.
“Mom, remember to charge your phone so it doesn’t get flooded. If it rains or is windy, the power goes out. I don’t know how to communicate.” I told this to my mother, but I was also worried, because floods are always unexpected and unusual.
This year, it was thought that people in the central region were at peace. Who feared that the flood waters would also rise, the inner city of the ancient capital and the ancient city of Hoi An were completely flooded. It makes me sad to see dirty water.
If water enters the house, you will notice the foundation being filled with young soil. In the past, when the ground was flooded, our house was no different from a muddy market.
In my hometown, the area is low-lying, surrounded by mountains, and located above the Thu Bon River, so flood waters rise and fall frequently. Every year when the water is high, when the floods subside, dry bamboo branches are hung on high voltage wires. “Did flood water reach high voltage wires?” Once, my friend from Saigon came to visit my hometown and was so surprised.
Floods and storms damage homes, sometimes causing deaths. If a home or property is lost, it can still be recovered, but it is difficult for the lost person to recover it. That is why whenever the water rises, people who are away from home or whose hometowns are flooded become worried about the situation. I am happy to hear that the storm has passed and the floods have subsided and my house is still peaceful.
After the flood comes the sowing season. Floods bring back silt and humus for good rice, but they also bring many worries.
I just hope that every storm and flood season brings peace to everyone. Even if cold weather does come, it won’t be too harsh or harmful, making it even more difficult for rural people in the north.
Likewise, these messages of comfort and encouragement to each other during this difficult and worrying season also make love stronger. Some people felt hot when friends asked and reminded them: “Remember to tell your mother to wear warm clothes so that she won’t get cold. Mom is old and has all kinds of diseases.”
Love the countryside – storm and flood season
