Sleep in the Card Slot

The old men looked back and forth and nodded and discussed. Of course, it had been fifty years. Half a century had passed with many changes. That time was like a distant past, anchored in the hearts of the old men.

Memories lie in the mind, each season flows passionately. Only this time, the old men are determined to return one last time, no one knows that at this age of approaching seventy, they can sleep at night and travel to the white clouds in the morning.

The cold wind has reached the end of the earthly road, if we don't hurry, we might not make it. On Tet holiday, the old men called each other, then arranged to meet on the days of March.

Someone was determined to sleep there tonight. To relive the exact moment when the bombs fell, to lie close to the ground, to hear the earth breathing, the earth protecting him from the fury of bullets and fire.

The loud voices on the bus made the young man, the tour guide of the trip back to the old land, nod repeatedly, he had already asked the district, you guys are veterans, people who used to stick to this land and fight resounding battles.

The district agreed, surely tonight you guys will sleep in the forest. Hearing that, the old men got excited again. Who knows if tonight their comrades from that day will come back to sleep with the old men?

Back then, the forest was green and vast, the Khe The stream was crystal clear. It was the spring days of 1972. The night was thick, all around was quiet, suddenly a series of B52s dropped on Thach Bich, Da Ngang, then Ty, Se, and Dui Chieng.

About a hundred helicopters hovered, descended to low altitude, hovered close to the mountain tops and began to drop troops to block the corridors our troops used to go up and down, back and forth. The advance team immediately reported to the commander to move to area B Dai Loc.

The enemy dropped troops on the top of Hon Quap. At the foot of the steep cliff was the Quang Da Special Zone Party Committee Office and the Propaganda Department. The young scout from Duy Loc, after a while of scouting the situation, reported that it was definitely not the 5th Marine Regiment or the 196th Brigade but the 51st Regiment.

The enemy was dropping probing ropes. Our troops were ordered to hold their ground, stay in place and not move. Immediately after the rustling sound of dry sand falling on the leaves, a rain of bombs fell on the Mat Rang area.

Everyone held their breath waiting for the helicopters to disappear in the cold night. It was a dry spring. The cold of the night gradually penetrated the young soldiers' skin. Late at night, when the moon was shining and they had a premonition that the enemy had passed the siege, under the protection of the vanguard, everyone quietly retreated to the border of Xuyen Hiep, to cross Duy Loc pass, and go up Duong Thong hill.

Just like that, silently in the dark of night, using forest leaves to cover themselves, clinging to the ground, following the hillside to return to the My Son sanctuary. Exhausted. Numb. When it seemed like we were completely in a safe area, the whole group took refuge in Khe The stream to rest.

The sound of the babbling brook, the blooming flowers of the oleanders permeated the Khe The night with a fragrant aroma. The Special Zone Committee's security team consisted of several young soldiers who passed around dry rations, drank stream water, and then dozed off in the restless sleep of a spring night. But it didn't last two days, on the third day, the night was still warm with spring wind, the young scout discovered that the enemy had dropped troops on Hon Chau peak by plane, and they were digging their way down through the forest.

Less than ten minutes later, a series of bullets rang out very close by. The advance team retreated with the bad news that a comrade had been shot and would remain forever in this land. The Special Zone Party Committee's security team decided that the only way left was to sneak up behind the enemy and attack secretly. If they moved far from the enemy base, they would definitely be hit by mines. Mines were planted everywhere.

A comrade in the Postal Department, a native of Xuyen Phu, who knew the terrain of this area well, led the group. Well, we won't celebrate Tet on the mountain anymore. We'll return to the village to celebrate Tet. The young soldier's voice, with a strong Quang Nam accent, sounded like a blessing before entering the battle. Defend first. As long as we can return to the village, everything will be fine.

The group of people followed each other. The moon rose very high. It was exactly two o'clock in the morning. The young soldier leading the way near Phu Duc village signaled for everyone to sit down to scout the situation. As if the judgment was good, they continued.

But, a deafening explosion rang out and the young soldier spun around and fell onto the field, his AK on his shoulder and his heavy backpack still on his back. Then came a series of loud gunshots. The sound of submachine guns exploded like firecrackers. Bullets flew overhead. Fortunately, the battle that night had the support of guerrillas from Xuyen Hoa and the whole group retreated safely to My Luoc village. However, the Special Zone Party Committee's security team lost seven people, and more than half of the advance team left this land.

Now in the flickering firelight of the night, the forest leaves still shelter the veterans of the past, Khe The stream is still green, My Son sanctuary is still silent after half a century of that war. Spring is peaceful. A dozen veterans sit here. Now it is exactly two o'clock, this dry food, this aromatic medicine and the names are called out in the middle of the dark forest. The veterans sing again. Sing loudly in the middle of the forest.

This land is sacred! The souls of thousands of years old still reside here to protect us. Were the words of the young soldier on the front line that day true? The veterans sat in the flickering firelight waiting for their comrades. The moon was high. The wind on the dry spring leaves rustled like the footsteps of someone on the march…

Source: https://baoquangnam.vn/ngu-o-khe-the-3152223.html