One afternoon in July 2000, Ms. Luisa Duarte-Silva entered the house in Phu Loi ward, Thu Dau Mot, Binh Duong and saw two boys who looked exactly alike sleeping.
"The twins were so beautiful, so adorable and indistinguishable. Their peaceful and gentle sleeping posture was like that of angels, I just wanted to look at them forever," 65-year-old Luisa Duarte-Silva recalled the first time she met Luke and Mark (whose names on their Vietnamese birth certificates are Loc and Minh).
When they woke up, the Princeton University professor (USA) was delighted to discover that these identical twins had completely different personalities. Minh was mischievous and mischievous, always holding out toys to snatch them back, while Loc just stared, only playing with them when they got to know each other, and when playing, he was also more obedient and serious.
Twins Loc and Minh in the arms of their adoptive grandparents in Binh Duong, July 2000. Photo: Luisa Duarte-Silva
The two boys were abandoned just days after being born at Binh Duong General Hospital in early November 1998. At birth, they weighed less than two kilograms. Holt International, an international organization for children in Vietnam, took care of them while they searched for suitable adoptive parents.
This is an adoption organization that has been operating in the US for over 70 years, today working with the goal of helping children live in a family environment. For abandoned children, Holt International will try to find biological parents and support them in raising the children. If this is not possible, the organization will prioritize Vietnamese adoptive parents. As a final step, they will choose adoptive parents in the US.
"The center went to the address listed in the hospital records to look for the parents but could not find them. There were Vietnamese families who adopted the child but they could only take one child. Seeing that the children could be separated, the center did not agree, so in the end the opportunity came to me," said Ms. Luisa, calling this a choice of fate.
The American woman had harbored the desire to adopt children in Asia or Africa since her marriage. After having two daughters, the professor decided to stop having children to open her family's doors to less fortunate children.
"I adopted not because I wanted to have more children, but because I wanted to give disadvantaged children a chance to have a family," Luisa said.
In September 1999, she learned about the case of twins Loc and Minh in Vietnam. It took the family another 10 months to complete the adoption procedures. Once the procedures were completed, she and her two daughters flew to Vietnam.
Knowing that it is not easy to leave the nearly two-year-old children away from their caregivers, Luisa took them on a month-long tour of Vietnam to get them acquainted.
"The first two weeks, the children missed their grandparents, but once they got used to being held by me and playing with their sisters on the beach, we became a family and from then on were inseparable," the American mother said.
Twins Luke and Mark with their two sisters Ana and Meghan, at their home in Mendham, New Jersey, in 2001. Photo: Character provided
To welcome the two Vietnamese boys to America, many of Luisa's close friends gathered at the house in Mendham, New Jersey. They cooked rice, chicken and pho for the two boys to make them feel at home. On their second birthday on October 31 of that year, the family held a party inviting all relatives and friends. Everyone was very excited about the two chubby boys, but everyone exclaimed "can't tell them apart".
The day after his birthday, Luisa came up with the idea of displaying 6 shirts in 6 different colors. Luke went to choose blue, Mark chose red. From then on, all of Luke's clothes, school bags, and toys were blue, Mark's were red to make it easier to distinguish.
When they grew up, the twins knew that people could not tell them apart, so they often played pranks. They often secretly changed clothes, exchanged prizes, and pretended to be each other to tease people. At school, the two boys often changed clothes, all their friends knew but their teachers did not know. "On their high school graduation day, they switched ties so that one could receive the other's diploma without the school board knowing," the mother said.
During her 20 years at Princeton University, Luisa taught Spanish for eight years and was director of international internships for more than 12 years. Now retired, she volunteers for an organization that helps Asian and African students gain access to scholarships at American universities. As a mother, she raised her two sons in the same way she raised her daughters, in a loving, natural way.
In kindergarten, Luke and Mark attended a school close to nature. From the age of three, the two brothers learned gardening and carpentry, learned how to make bread and brought home homemade bread for their parents. As well-adjusted and happy children, many friends came to stir up the atmosphere of their home every day.
Both Mark and Luke are very attached to their mother. When they were little, every night they would take a storybook and put it on the bed for their mother to read to them before going to sleep. Luisa also admits that she is "addicted" to teaching, going to the park, and cooking with her children, so she takes advantage of every moment with them.
Evenings are always the happiest time for the family. Mother and children watch their favorite TV shows together, with Luke and Mark always lying on either side of Luisa. "Raising twins is easy, partly because there are always two daughters to help and play with," the American mother said.
Mrs. Luisa (in blue) with her husband and children on Christmas, when Luke and Mark were 9 years old. Since childhood, Luke wore blue and Mark wore red to make it easier to distinguish. Photo: Family provided
From elementary school to high school, Luke and Mark were always at the top of their class. The two brothers were a perfect match, shining on the lacrosse court - a popular team sport in American high schools. In particular, they were both good at math and design and engineering, so they followed that path when they went to college. Mark is currently an engineer working at Langan Engineering Company - a company with a history of more than 50 years, while Luke is studying for a master's degree in architecture at the University of Colorado Denver.
When asked about their best childhood memories, both brothers talked about summers surfing, winter skiing with family. On the beach, they also met many friends, even working together as beach lifeguards.
"Our parents often told us about our origins, so we were curious and aware that our biological parents might be somewhere in Vietnam. It would be great to find our biological parents , but we are also very grateful for our current life," Mark said.
The American mother is proud of her two grown and healthy children today. But she is also grateful, because not only did she change her children's lives, but the twins also gave her a full life.
"The first day I met my children was the best day of my life," said the 65-year-old professor.
Phan Duong
Vnexpress.net
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