Lost Bird

Possessing outstanding beauty, Han became the center of attention. From the age of 15, Han had to get used to the passionate and longing looks every time she went to the market or passed the village gate. The young men in Ngu hamlet did not hesitate to joke and tease. Gradually, those words became more casual, the eyes became more brazen. Every time she passed by the group of young men gathered at the tea shop at the beginning of the village, Han heard whistles and meaningful calls. Sometimes, they even pretended to bump into her, then laughed at her confused expression. At those times, Han just bowed her head and walked quickly, tightening her shirt. One day, the news that Han had passed the flight attendant exam made the whole Ngu hamlet burst into tears.

Illustration: China.

A girl from the mountainous region, growing up on red dirt paths, accustomed to morning dew and mud, was now about to put on an elegant uniform and stride through the splendid airports. Han's mother was both happy and sad, flipping through the letter of acceptance as if she was afraid it was just a dream. Neighbors came over, some congratulating her, others wide-eyed with surprise. The boys who used to tease Han suddenly fell silent, some smiled awkwardly, some looked regretful. Han didn't care. She just looked ahead, a new horizon was calling, where the deep blue sky was waiting for her with many unfinished dreams.

Since she was little, Han had dreamed of flying in the sky every day. Every time she looked up at the planes soaring across the deep blue sky, she would cheer excitedly, her eyes shining as if she had seen a miracle. In this mountainous region, things like trains, skyscrapers, or airports were all strange things. In Han's young heart, that dream had been kindled for a long time. Every afternoon, following her mother to the fields, Han would quietly look at the horizon, where the red sunset blended with the soaring birds. Once, she softly asked her mother:

- Mom, the plane is flying so high, can you see our village?

Mother smiled gently, patting her daughter's head:

- When you grow up, try flying yourself and see!

Since then, Han has always nurtured determination. While her friends were still struggling to choose a stable path, she diligently studied English, took care of her appearance and trained the demeanor of a future flight attendant. No one believed that a country girl could reach that dream. On the first day she went to the capital to work, her mother was busy preparing one thing after another, afraid that her daughter would lack everything when she went far away. She packed some dried fish, some wild bamboo shoots, a jar of familiar sesame salt, and even a few new clothes bought in a hurry from the district market, reminding her over and over again:

- It's not like back home, everything is expensive, take it away and eat it gradually. Also, remember to take care of your health!

Han smiled and hugged her mother, saying that there was nothing lacking in the city, but she still stuffed a bottle of essential oil into her bag, as if she was afraid that her little daughter would be lost in a strange world with no one to care for her. Dad went to the ancestral altar, lit an incense stick, and whispered a prayer. When Han got to the bus, he stood at the bus stop watching, his eyes shining with pride and worry.

At first, flights were still rare, her work schedule was not too tight, she still kept the habit of carrying her backpack on a long-distance bus, eagerly returning to visit her parents. Every time she returned, her mother asked about everything, from work, eating, to sleeping. Her father added more firewood to the stove, personally picking out the best piece of fish for her. Han knew how much he missed her. But then, work became busier. New relationships gradually appeared. She began to get used to the fast pace of life, with late nights in the sky and long days wandering in foreign lands. The trips home became longer and longer, until she suddenly realized that she had not been home for months.

People in Ngu hamlet whisper to each other that Han is now very different from before, no longer the country girl she used to be. On social networks, Han has more than 300 thousand followers. Each photo posted attracts thousands of likes and countless compliments. There, people see a completely different Han, a proud girl in designer dresses, stepping out of luxurious hotels, or appearing radiantly at sparkling parties, surrounded by famous faces in the fashion and entertainment world.

- My life has really changed. Who would recognize Mr. Lam's daughter anymore?

- It was beautiful before, but who would have thought it would be so classy now.

- Being a flight attendant must be great, meeting all the rich people.

With money, Han renovated her parents' old house, replaced the dilapidated tiled roof with new bright red tiles, re-tiled the floor to make it flat, and built an additional kitchen so her mother would no longer have to cook in the dark corner of the house like before. The day the house was completed, her mother kept walking back and forth, touching each newly painted door, exclaiming in admiration. Her father was still the same, quiet as always. He leaned back on an old wooden chair, lit a cigarette, and slowly exhaled a cloud of smoke. Although he didn't say a word, Han knew he was very happy inside. Not only did Han renovate the house, she also provided for her younger brother to study abroad. The day she saw him off at the airport, her mother had tears in her eyes, both happy and worried, holding Han's hand and whispering:

- Thanks to you, Hai has this opportunity. Our family is poor, in the past, my parents did not dare to dream of sending their children far away to study...

Watching her younger brother's figure disappear through the security check, Han suddenly felt relieved. At least, she felt that the hardships and pressures she endured in the city were not in vain. She clearly remembered her first flight, the feeling of excitement when she put on the flight attendant uniform, the smile on her lips even though her palms were still damp with sweat. After a short time, she realized that this job was not as easy as she had imagined when she was young. Before officially flying, Han had to undergo a rigorous training course. No more romantic dreams of flying, instead, there were months of studying flight safety, first aid skills, how to handle emergency situations, and even learning how to put out fires, escape, and rescue passengers in the air.

There were training sessions that left her exhausted. One time, during a simulated accident practice, Han had to learn how to open an emergency exit in less than 90 seconds, and climb down a pontoon bridge under simulated emergency conditions. Speed, composure, and precise skills were prerequisites to pass. Those who were slow or panicked were eliminated immediately.

The most memorable moment was the training in an oxygen-deprived environment. With only the minimum amount of oxygen left, her mind was dizzy and her vision blurred, but she struggled to remember the procedure for putting on a mask and instructing passengers. Only when she finished the test did she collapse into her seat, her heart pounding. It was then that she understood: Being a flight attendant is not just a job of serving in the air, but also protecting the safety of hundreds of passengers on each flight.

Han returned to Ngu hamlet on a sunny day, when the sunlight poured golden light on each treetop, seeping through the mossy tiled roof, making the whole countryside seem to be covered in a layer of peaceful light. Late afternoon, Ngu hamlet gradually sank into the brilliant sunset. The red sunlight cast long shadows on the cotton tree at the village entrance. On the porch, Han's mother sat quietly. The old newspaper lay still on the table.

She looked towards the dirt road that stretched out into the distant fields. That road, years ago, Han had left with so many dreams, and would that same road one day bring her daughter back? As soon as she saw her daughter's figure, Han's mother spoke eagerly: "You're back?". Her mother's affectionate gaze swept over Han, from her long, slightly messy hair to her simple jeans and plain shirt.

Also during the blooming season of the cotton trees three years ago, Han's mother and some neighbors were sitting on the porch, chatting excitedly about the stories of the village, when they were interrupted when Tinh, the neighbor boy, rushed in, his breath ragged, his hands trembling as he held out a new newspaper: "Dismantling the underground world of the Madam Flying in the Clouds". The whole group focused their eyes on the article, then fell silent. In that blurry photo, that handsome face, though partially obscured, was still unmistakable. Although the character's name was abbreviated as TTH, no one in the Ngu neighborhood did not understand.

That was Tran Tu Han - the girl who used to sit under the cotton tree at the village entrance, smiling as clearly as the autumn sunlight. They could not believe that Han - the flight attendant who was once the pride of the whole village - was the one behind a 4.0 "underground world" of prostitution, where young girls were lured and manipulated like chess pieces in the hands of the controller. When arrested, Han was managing more than 30 prostitutes, including famous flight attendants and photo models with sky-high prices.

Not stopping there, Han also thought of a way to turn the girls in his network into "uniform goddesses" - forcing them to wear flight attendant uniforms of different airlines, taking pictures and sending them to customers to increase their attraction and raise the price when making transactions. The newspaper trembled in her hand. Han's mother was silent, the betel nut on her lips had already faded, falling to the ground without her knowing... Xom Ngu was once again bustling with hot news. The madam who had been flying in the clouds had made an emergency landing in the law.

Now, the Ngu hamlet is still the same, peaceful as ever, only her heart is different. After months of mistakes, she returned not only to find herself but also to start over. The next morning, Han followed her mother to the market. Under the old market roof, some people looked at her with pity, some nodded, some quietly turned away. Han understood that trust is not something that can be regained overnight.

Gradually, people got used to the image of Han busily helping her mother sell goods at the market, or quietly sitting under the kapok tree, diligently writing a diary, writing about the past, about the lessons that life taught her through the most painful falls. One afternoon, when Han was washing small pots of plants in front of the house, Tinh ran over, holding out a new newspaper with the headline: "When a lost bird finds its way back to its nest". Once again, she appeared in the newspaper, but this time not because her sins were exposed, but in an article about change, about the will to rise after mistakes.

Han smiled slightly, looking up at the high sky. The wind still blew, the sun was still yellow. The past could hold her back for a while, but it could not stop her from moving forward. Ahead, a new journey awaited, with sunny days and sudden rains, but this time, she would not lose her way.

Short story by Linh Chau

Source: https://baobacgiang.vn/canh-chim-lac-loi-postid414415.bbg