A little yellow sunlight danced on the old woman over sixty years old, wrinkles and crow's feet under the sunlight appeared clearly. She sat in a wheelchair, relaxingly enjoying the bustling melody of the song of a bright summer day.
She used to dream of a white gravel road, green grass on both sides, a little sunshine through the trees in the morning making them shine like golden silk. In the dream, she is not an old, weak old woman, but turns back to a girl in her twenties, vivacious, cheerful walking on a sunny, golden road of a distant summer day.
…
Tiny pink flowers of the gentleman fell on the side of the iron fence, in the morning dew huddled up waiting for the morning to come quickly so that he could hold them in his warm arms. The girl pushed open the black, rusty gate and then startled briefly when touching the cold, rough surface.
She hesitated not daring to step through because the road ahead was so murky and hazy. The foot that was already on the threshold stepped back hesitantly. The mist ahead seemed to disperse as something was moving towards her. The girl frowned slightly in anticipation, she retreated further behind the door, the figure of the thing slowly appearing. The thick fog seemed to have been dissipated by the warmth of "it" in the distance. They sulked because their space was broken, so they refused to back down, but kept hanging around behind, inadvertently forming a fanciful, fragile halo covering "it's" body. The sound of footsteps stomping on the gravel got closer and closer and a large hand reached out towards her.
- Don't be afraid! Follow him!
Phong's warm, affectionate voice and familiar face appeared, just a thin fog away from her. In the middle of reality, Van was scared and closed the door to prevent herself from what is unknown. Now, seeing Phong through the bars, is still the thirty-something handsome man she loves. He was smiling nonstop and reaching out his hand towards her. Van hesitated for a few seconds and swallowed the air, hoping the cold would stop the rising emotions.
- Are you dead?!
- You don't want to see me? - Phong's eyes were a little sad, gently asked her back.
Van felt like her throat was blocked by something invisible. She wanted to speak but couldn't make any sound, only when she regained consciousness did she realize that her hand had fallen into his warm palm.
Phong took her back to the way he had walked before. The fog once again had the opportunity to eagerly envelop both of their bodies, they danced continuously on Van's face, nose, lips, and any exposed skin. She felt a little cold, her body shivered involuntarily, only the place where he was wrapped was extremely warm.
Van followed him through the forest, the trees on both sides were tall and luxuriant and were tinged with dew into a green close to black. It seemed that sunlight could not penetrate through the dense foliage to help her see her surroundings better. The road ahead of the fog was getting darker and darker, Van couldn't see where they were going, and was going in the right direction, but she completely believed in the man in front, alive or dead, he would still be there. never abandoned her.
The long cobblestone road finally disappeared, replaced by smooth and slippery grass. When she stepped out of the gravel, Van didn't have time to adapt and fell, he stopped, turned around and smiled, quickly pulled her up, but the movement was quite strong, causing Van to fall back into Phong's lap. The peaceful scent of lavender wafted around her nose. Suddenly Van seemed to see the image of decades ago, the feeling of being protected, being held by him in his familiar chest made her heart ache, a little choking turned into tears and rolled down her longing face. hers. Van just let him hug like that and buried her face in his lap and sobbed. When her nose was stinging and her eyes burned, the emotion slowly subsided, and she looked up at Phong.
He smiled again and pointed to the distance. There was a field of purple lavender flowers gently swaying in the wind. The bright sunlight hangs on the roof of a small house covered with green vines at the end of the field, a little floral scent follows bees and butterflies fluttering everywhere.
The two crossed the line of light and dark and headed to the fairy world. Van recognized the scent of June lavender flowers, so intense and pure. She tilted her head thinking "Is it June already?". Van asked the person next to her, Phong gently lifted his hand to brush the stray hairs in front of her forehead and said:
- Do you remember that summer, when we first met?
- I remember. That summer day is my best memory. – Van's face is slightly happy when remembering the past time.
This place is your paradise. Everything here was born according to my will, but only you, even if I wanted to... I still couldn't bring you here.
Phong hesitated for a moment, then pulled her hand into the beautiful flower field. The wind gently blew, bringing the lavender flowers to gently touch their clothes, a bit of the scent of the countryside followed by the opportunity to wrap tangerines around her nose. Phong was very fond of lavender when she was alive, so for her, this scent is no longer strange, but the real feeling of standing in the middle of the field gives her a strange pleasure. When they both fell into the sea of flowers, Phong whispered in Van's ear:
- Do you hear anything in the wind?
"Only the sound of the wind," she replied quickly.
- Wrong! It's his voice - Phong holds his other hand and turns Van to face him.
- Do you like living here?
Van glimpsed into the distance, she liked this place, she loved him. Her lifelong dream is to be with him, to spend every day with him a joyful and happy life. But he left before her, leaving Van with an empty sky and never-ending nostalgia. Every night, she still dreams of Phong, but it's just a recurring image of previous moments, the memory of that summer day has always been a comfort and helps Van walk alone until now.
- If you agree then... you can't wake up anymore, right? Van asked hesitantly.
Phong didn't answer but nodded slightly. The wind still caressed beside them, the sun still shined bright like any summer day. A few strands of his soft hair fluttered in the wind. Van had a feeling that if she reached out and touched it, he would immediately disappear like many dreams she had met.
For the past ten years, you are alone here, are you sad? Van asked again.
- I'm not sad because I know you'll always think of me.
Tears fell again, Van wanted to be with him, wanted to live with him in this beautiful place. The small shoulders have carried a heavy life and constantly receive more hardships when he is gone. Now, it's time for it to be comforted and relied on to leave behind the noisy, chaotic and uncertain world.
- What about our children? Van inquired.
- He has become a strong man, what are you worried about?
- I haven't seen him get married and give birth to a grandchild for us, so I can't go. – She sulked.
Phong gently patted Van's head like in the old days when she coddled. He will love and satisfy everything but this time, he wants to be selfish for once to keep her with him.
- Then it will. You can stay here and watch with me.
- But I want to hold you! Van is still stubborn.
-...
- Okay... I give up on you! Phong smiled lovingly at her, as always, no matter how determined she was, she had a reason to force him to follow her.
Van's time is also short, and the day will come when she will come back to him. He reached out his hand to make a movement like opening a door, immediately in the middle of the space full of purple flowers, a corner of the blue sky opened. He hugged her tightly and gently pushed her forward.
- Let's hug our grandchild instead!
Van walked through the door, all images of him and the flower field also disappeared behind. She wistfully moved forward, where there were rows of flowers of a gentleman's history to welcome the brilliant summer sun.
That year, the old woman saw her beloved son getting married. Sitting in a wheelchair, her heart seemed to want to dance to the joyful music of her wedding day. The joy on the child's face used to be the joy of Grandma and Phong in the past.
Nine months later, she held the small, sleeping creature in her arms. Sometimes, it smiles as if it feels the love of its grandmother. The young soft hand touched the old woman's wrinkled, dry skin from time to time, and then the small eyebrows suddenly tightened on the plump face because of the strange feeling they encountered for the first time.
…
One cool summer night, the old woman dreamed that she was walking on a gravel road. The military history by the iron gate blooms again. Van returned with her youth and strong legs, she walked on the familiar path, but this time she was no longer afraid to step through the gate separating the two worlds.
The door creaked open, Van passed through the silent black iron gate, the fog spread around her and hesitated behind. The big, warm hand reached out again and took hers. Van smiled and walked forward, walking faster and faster after him. Everything in the background is now just an illusion, full of fog. The two crossed the wet forest, chased each other to the place with the passionate scent of lavender, the sun overhead seemed to embrace their bodies, the laughter and the sound of the wind flew away. Another season has returned and Van no longer has to wait and look forward to it because now, the whole sky of nostalgia has turned into a brilliant lavender field on that summer day.
