Multi-colored sheets of paper

Hue has been in the habit of writing letters to Lich since the time the two fell in love. The letters were written on beautiful multicolored papers, each piece of paper printed on the left corner of a certain kind of flower such as orchid, rose, chrysanthemum, carnation …
With Lich, the letters Hue wrote to him when he fell in love with each other are valuable assets. He put those pretty letters in a corner of his closet, read it from time to time. The multicolored papers, printed together with a flower, are the customer opinion booklet of the Advertising Company, which is in charge of the survey by Hue. Hue studies economics, but in the middle of the time there are thousands of students graduating each year, finding a job like Hue is also difficult, so Hue sometimes has to go to remote provinces for many days.

Illustration: Dinh Huong Hue told Lich: “When I have a little capital, I will open a company, I will not work as hired labor, so I will see you every day.” Love is like that, people who always need to meet people every day like waking up every morning to see the sun throw brilliant golden rays of sunlight on the ground. But Hue’s work often takes long trips. When she arrived at home without Lich, Hue stuck multicolored sheets of paper on the door of his house. These words are like replacing Hue rabbits with Lich: “God, I have to go to work again today. So I can’t have lunch with you this Saturday. Kiss you”. “You’re spoiled. The other day I told you to go wherever you go, bring a raincoat to keep in the trunk of the car, but you don’t obey. Rain, when you are sick, whoever goes out to go to the market with me. I bought you a raincoat, I kept it in a place where … only the two of us know “. “In a place where only the two of us know” was an empty slot of the house’s two walls, covered with an old, green moss-colored concrete block. “Brother, I miss you so much today.” Sometimes the words on the paper are just that. But is it not necessary to write long enough to spread all your thoughts with your loved one? Sometimes just one word implies a heart leaning toward one heart. Or sometimes, on the other piece of paper just a mere word: “Angry”. The word angry is sometimes very pitiful because he has to endure the monsoons blowing on the street, when Lich has not read, the paper on the door has to turn up and down like hangover be removed, put into the anniversary box. *** Love each other for a month and 12 days, then they get married. All love after walking through the streets of the city, visiting all the sidewalk eateries, even sitting tired in cafes large and small – often end with two people together. about living in the same roof. Calendar laughed with Hue: “Let’s save some money together”. Hue laughed: “That means someone cleaning the house, cleaning the house, rubbing the cigarette butts you smoke, washing the clothes for you to wear, putting the curtains for you to sleep … right?” Calendar shakes his head: “I don’t mean that. I mean when I invite you to breakfast, I have you by my side. No need to call to ask if I have free time? ” Hue pouted: “Get married to have someone go to breakfast and coffee, but do you love me?”. Without answering his wife’s words, Lich just whispered: “Probably no one has stuck the red and green papers in front of my door from now on” … Then Hue opened a real company. Many things learned from the old company, when being assigned to the position of assistant director, helped Hue to have many business partners. Hue is an experienced person in communication, capturing the thoughts of guests. On the day of the company’s opening ceremony Hue, flowers congratulate a lot. In the afternoon of his wife, Lich also sent his wife a huge flower basket with 100 roses. Calendar said: “I should only send 99 roses as in some piece of music. But now you and I are husband and wife, so you have to even count ”. Hue put on her lips with a gloss of lip gloss, sprinkled some pretty glitter, kissed her husband’s cheek: “Thank you. Thank you, General Manager ”. The calendar looked in the mirror, saw that his wife’s lipstick was on her cheeks, and was also happy: “Come on, make me the general manager so that tomorrow I will make you surrender, right?” Hue laughed loudly: “That’s right”. *** The multicolored sheets of paper with a corner of a flower no longer appeared on the door, now hastily written words on the letter pad left at the table in the living room. Hue’s work increasingly attracted Hue away from her role as a wife. In the past, when two people fell in love, Lich once said: “I really crave family meals. Just sitting with you to eat, even if you just eat water spinach dipped in fish sauce, I will feel delicious ”. Hue laughed very happily: “What can I do to let me eat water spinach dipped in fish sauce? I will let you eat stir-fried morning glory with garlic and chili sauce “. The days when two people meet each other are rare, meals together are rarer. Every time I go home in the afternoon, Lich often sees the words Hue written. “Bro, I have stocked meat, I also keep raw vegetables in the fridge. You can just eat rice by yourself. Today I have to receive guests. Have a good meal.” “Today is Grandpa’s death, isn’t it. I kept the money in the envelope. You brought it over to your house, saying I’m sorry for so much work.” “I have to go on an unexpected business trip for a few days. Don’t be sad, honey “. Sometimes, if he wanted to say something to his wife, Lich also had to write quickly on a piece of paper: “Are you not afraid that you forgot me, your wife? You stay at home alone, eating alone like a man. he is single, boring “. “What, I call you for an hour. You keep writing on the desk like in the old days?”. “Next week, my agency organized to go to Da Lat. Try to arrange it. It has been a long time since we went out together.” Then very when angry, he wrote in large letters: “I LOOK SO MUCH. I LIKES YOU”. Hue answered her husband with the words: “I also miss you very much. Lately I’m a little busy, I sympathize with you”. Just like that, the handwritten papers of Hue and Lich have become thicker than ever without Hue’s knowledge. Until one afternoon, after a week of market research. Hue came home. Hue plans to spend a week with Lich, the couple will have an outing such as Ha Long Bay. Hue figured how happy Lich would be. He would embrace Hue and shout: “Yes, it has been a long time since I went out”. But the door to the house is closed even after work is over. Hue was surprised and did not understand that Lich was going to hang out at the inn with friends? Because Calendar almost does not have that habit. Suddenly Hue was startled when she entered the house. On the wall of the living room are pictures of Hue written for Lich. There are many colored sheets of paper from the time the two fell in love and also sheets of paper when the two were married. The calendar writes a large line of letters with a black brush: “I’m so sad. I’m going to drink.” The sheets were removed by Hue and put back in the box. Hue quickly dressed, drove the car into the dark. Hue went to find Calendar. Hue did not want everything to become too late, if she let Lich not return with her today. In the house with husband and wife. Short story by Phan Thi Tan