The girl who sang the ballad to me in the past...

On the night of the performance, you shone brightly in my eyes and I think you also shone brightly in the eyes of the audience. At night, I wrote poems again, naive and clumsy verses... - Photo: Freepik

At that time, I had to study hard to prepare for the high school graduation exam but still had to take care of participating in the district's cultural night to celebrate the 26-3 birthday of the Youth Union.

As an excellent student of the school, with a certificate of merit from the Department of Education for my first semester academic performance, I had to simultaneously worry about graduating with high scores and getting into university, while also worrying about the performance in my final year of high school as a member of the School Youth Union Executive Committee.

I took on that pressure myself in the middle of 11th grade. Almost all the union members, both male and female, volunteered to join the army and go to the southwestern border battlefield during the Red Army campaign in 1978. I was the one who stayed behind, so I had to do something worthy.

After running around, I finally finished two performances. I sang solo with a song with very romantic lyrics: "The bridge is our rendezvous/ On a bright moonlit night, you sit and wash your clothes/ On a bright moonlit night, I sit and play the flute/ I joined the army, built a suspension bridge across the stream/ I built a pontoon bridge across the deep river/ I connected my memories with bridge spans...". I remember it was the song "Bridges connecting happy shores".

The new group performance was intense. Mobilizing and motivating the students, who were 1-2 years behind us in school, was a feat. For "Marching under the flag", we had to go to the district military command to borrow some costumes, contact the shock art troupe of the cultural information department to borrow some wooden guns and flags, then practice with the choreographer.

She was two years behind me, which meant she had just entered 10th grade a few months ago. She was still shy, so she said, " If anything happens, please come to my house and ask my parents for permission ." I was bold enough to ask, and it went smoothly, on the condition that after practice, sooner or later, I would have to go home with my classmate from the same neighborhood.

On the night of the performance, she was radiant in my eyes and I think she was also radiant in the eyes of the audience. I was so engrossed in watching her that I forgot to ask a male singer in the class to sing the song "The Bridge Connecting the Shores of Joy" for me because I had a cold and my voice was hoarse for a few days. Fatefully, that hoarseness made a difference when I tried to perform the song.

After the show, the group treated themselves to some smoothies and some sweet soup from Miss Ba at the district market. In the evening, I wrote poetry again, naive and clumsy verses…

Then I went to university. Two years later, she also went to university at another school, because she and I were in different exam groups.

That was the first turning point in my life with her. But fate brought us together again at the last performance of my third year at Ngo Gia Tu dormitory. She was in her medical student uniform, more mature and attractive than when she was in high school.

That day, I sang the song "Still Fragrance", "Why didn't you say anything when you broke up/But the silent fragrance followed you forever...".

My friend who almost acted as my stand-in in the previous music night also went on stage with the songs "Footprints in the Front", "When We Were Still Dust, You Boarded the Train Far Away...".

After the show, the two of them walked home, and there was someone standing there watching. With that baggage, I decided to join the army after graduating from college.

One time by chance, I found out her phone number. "You…" and then we didn't say anything more.

During the holidays, I feel nostalgic thinking about the old years, thinking about you...

August 2024

Source: https://tuoitre.vn/co-gai-hat-khuc-trang-ca-voi-toi-ngay-xua-20240929193538786.htm