Dear all, I have decided to do a Special Edition once a month to share some of the most unforgettable stories on my endless adventures working as a freelance tourguide 😊
As I mentioned on my Introduction post, what I did is something I could not find the guiding, the instruction or advices from anywhere. It was a combination of my own knowledge and skills at school (my major was tourguide - but nobody would teach me these things that I had to figure out myself - and what I'm gonna share with you right now!)... and the other thing I carried with me along the way to make miracle happen: A GENUINE HEART!
This Special Edition, I call it: 50 Years Of A Sleepless Heart
Stick with me if:
- You love adventures which you have probably not heard from anywhere else or from anyone else
- You love reunions and believe in true love and real connection which can last for half a century!
- See how a military map looks like and how to locate something from that map
- Discover a bit of Hue today - Central part of Viet Nam - The old capital of the last Vietnamese feudal system (To go deeper into this topic, I'll have another post).
And definately this story could probably bring you some heart-melting feelings which takes you to the most fulfilling and the happiest ending ever! 💖
[The names of the characters were changed and just a few photos are shared so I can keep the rest for my dear special friends]
In 2017, in Hue, when Tim - in his 75 (my very close veteran friend - also my first veteran client) and I were going on another trip with Niall - Niall is the son of another veteran who passed away years ago; one time when it was just me and Tim, Tim pulled out an old photo on his phone and told me:
Hey! Do you think we can find this lady in the photo? I know we are going on Niall's trip, but we are actually in the area where this girl used to be. And Dave - who stationed here in 1967 was a close friend of this local Vietnamese girl. He just sent me this photo yesterday! We are very near Truoi River now and this girl's family used to live by the Truoi bridge.
On my mind, I was just so much into the mission with Niall, but the new story kinda interested me a bit. During that midnoon, under the heat of Hue summer (April), Tim and I were walking around the river and the bridge showing everyone (old people) that photo of Na. And you know, after over 50 years, EVERYTHING CHANGED! We did not even know the old name of that village where Dave stationed and where Na (the little girl) was. Tim just told me to look around that bridge and so we did.
Alright, now what you see:
- A little beautiful Vietnamese teenage girl with a big bright smile on her face putting ice into the glass selling coke to her customers. Photo taken in 1967.
- And.. a military map! Old, blurry, you can only see a big river going across the highway
I was like: Tim! I don't even know what we can expect from this but somehow this is SO EXCITING!
After 2 hours, the only person we found was a lady , yes, in her late 60's - same name: Na. She sold coke by the bridge in 1967, and now she is still living by the bridge! And yes, she knew many soldiers back then. And when I asked her: Do you recognize yourself in the photo?
She said: Well! Nobody can recognize themselves and how they looked like after over 50 years! But it's me!
Alright! Me and Tim took a few photos with them, but somehow we could not carry on with the conversation, and everything felt not right!
We said thank to them, them left. On the way back to the hotel, Tim and I looked at each other: We tried our best!
Myself was not very satisfied with that. My intuition is always very strong. I was thinking if Tim showed me the incorrect area. But later, we had to put it aside cause we had to keep going with Niall's trip.
And so... one year later, I still thought this is where I need to look for Na, you can compare it with the military map above
How? COMPARE THE SHAPE OF THE HIGHWAY AND THE RIVER on Google Map with the military map!
After 50 years, the names of the villages and districts changed, but the shape of the river and mountain, and big highways will not change much!
In fact if it's a small road, then don't expect it's still there haha.
Then, one year after Niall's trip, in 2018, I officially went on a trip with Dave, his daughter and granddaughter. Dave was in a bad health condition for years and he did not think he could make that trip back here. The flight from the US to Viet Nam is always a long journey for elder people.
And Dave, he came to Viet Nam with this story:
51 years ago, he was a Marine stationed by a river on highway 1, there was a market by the bridge and there was always a little Vietnamese girl there, who had a big bright smile, always happy singing her songs selling coke to people, she was about 14,15 years old. Everyone loved her and wanted to protect her. She had many customers thank to her sense of humor and positive energy during the harsh war.
Dave found her as a little sister, had a special connection with her and tried to teach her English and she would teach him Vietnamese. She always laughed at Dave nonstop whenever she heard his accent speaking Vietnamese.
During harsh time, people grew special connection with each other from little sweet stories and moments they shared.
In 1968, Dave had to leave Viet Nam to go home, before he left, he was so worried about Na's safety, then he came to his friend who were staying and asked him to do a mission: "Please take care of Na for me, pleaseee!"
And during those 50 years, from 1968-2018, Dave never had a good sleep whenever he thought of Na wondering if she was still alive or whatever happened to her after he left. No contact, no information, and Dave's health was going bad.
"I woke up suddenly at mid night and my tears started to fall as I thought of Na, I just want to know if she is still alive!"
Trying to comfort him, I said: Alright, let's go around Hue city for a bit tonight to relax before we ride out to the village to look for Na tomorrow morning, I have the map that Tim gave me, is it near Truoi river?
Dave: What? Truoi? No! I was in Loc Bon village, that was the name and that was all that I remember! I don't remember the name of that bridge though!
Oh my! At that moment I was like: Loc Bon?
I immediately pulled out the military map looking for the words "Loc Bon", and I did see it!
It is a large area which is 2 miles 1000 yards up North from Truoi river. Then I pulled out Google Map, compared the shape of the highway 1 and river again. A ray of light flashed in my head!
I turned to Dave: Dave! I know where she is now! I know that place! I have a feeling she is still alive and having a happy life!
Dave looked at me in tears: Yes! I hope so!
The next day was the most special day to all of us, as we expected.
We drove out from Hue, down to the South, before we got to Truoi River (number 1), we got to a small bridge and a small stream - not exactly a river (number 2), I asked Dave" You feel anything familiar Dave?"
He laughed: No! I never saw these buildings, trees, traffic like this before.
We laughed out loud cause: yeah! 50 years!
What do you expect to find again after 50 years? Who do you think still alive and around? What reaction do you expect when people see you again?
We started looking for Na in this area. I told the driver to stop cause of 2 reasons:
- That's the estimated area I could find out on the map
- I had a feeling that Na's family was around me
I know right? It sounds kinda... weird? Mysterious? But I trusted my intuition!
Starting by the first question I always asked any random local people: Do you know any old people living around here from 50 years ago?
Another weird question that made people doubt me haha
Because: Only old people who have been living in the same area can probably recognize people in the old photos!
But it was my job and I learned to not mind.
And you know what? The first local person I asked was a young guy, and he told me: Do you see that hair salon? There is a lady in her 60's and her family has been here for years before I was born!
As I walked in the door, I saw a woman in short hair with a sweet smile asking if I wanted a hair cut. Following her were some family members. As I showed her the photo, she eyes sparkled then she started laughing: THIS IS ME! THE LITTLE GIRL BEHIND NA'S BACK! I AM VI - NA'S YOUNGER SISTER!
And so... look at this photo again, you see that little cute girl behind Na? That's Vi! 😆
Vi continued: Back then Na always had a talent in cutting hair for local people and also the soldiers. That's why my family continued that work. Now I have a hair salon here, my daughter has a hair salon in Da Nang, and another one has a hair salon in... Laos!
And that place where Vi is living now is where their family has been living for over 50 years, during the war and now. Across their house is the old compound where Dave stationed.
You see that dried tree! There was a compound there! And there was nothing surrounding it back then!
As I was so much into the story Vi told me while Dave, his daughter and granddaughter were so moved in that moment, I suddenly recalled the most important question:
WHERE IS NA?
She is 67 years old now! Living in... Hue! She is very healthy and happy, her son lives in the US now! - Vi continued
Oh I wish you could see Dave's reaction when he heard my translation. That's the moment I will never forget in my life. His tears started to fall and he cried out loud.
Dave and I looked at each other and we said same thing: Last night when we were driving around Hue, I had a feeling Na was very close to us!
Me: Why didn't you tell me?
Dave: Why didn't you tell me either?
WE HAD SAME FEELING!
And Na already moved to live in Hue city center, just a mile from from our hotel in Hue!
The world is so big and also so small!
The heart is so small in the actual size but so big to carry all those feelings and love for half a century!
And so, EVERYONE in the family got in their car, we got in our car taking Vi and with us, we were a big team heading back to Hue where we left in the morning. And Na - in Hue - had no idea what was coming to her!
Dave cried all the way back to Hue and we started to exchange more stories. Inside that 70 years old man's heart, I knew there was a special feeling that almost exploded. We tried to calm him down from his excitement.
We all felt like spring had come and the sun was shining again!
As we got to Na's house, I told everyone to stay outside and I would come in with Vi first, so I saw the older version of Na before Dave did. The first moment I saw a beautiful woman with an adorable face, smile and eyes, I called her name out loud: Aunt Na!
She came to me: Yes, I'm Na!
I wish I could describe this by words!
"TIME, YOU CAN ADD WRINKLES ON OUR FACES, BUT YOU CAN NOT CHANGE OUR SMILE AND EYES"! - my new quote.
This is real Na without a question!
Can you tell who is Na and who is Vi? 😊
Meeting the right person, you can tell we could carry on the conversation for hours, until late afternoon. So much fun and also hilarious conversations when working as a translator for these lovely people as well. Na told us what happened after Dave left. She never expected him to come back and look for her.
As she knew how much he had gone through before he came here and we found her, more tears fell out from that lovely face with wrinkles: Tell him I can't say enough how special those days were to me and how much I appreciate him for his care, his love and his efforts to come back here. Memories made during the harshest days in life are the most beautiful and memorable ones!
Dave: I remember your mother always made a special food for us! I dreamed of having it again for years too!
Na: Come now! I'll take you out to have it right now!
Our feast for that day, and Dave was like: oh yeah I'm eating the food of my dream! 😆
After that day, we met the whole family again before we left Hue. So much stories to share, so much more memories we made, the entire family was so adorable. They are full of love and appreciation.
That night in Hue, Dave, his girls and I went out to the walking streets where our hotel was, we felt so complete, we felt so relieved, we were so happy, we were so excited, we carried us a special feeling that we couldn't explain.
Dave was like he was just reborned again, he was full of energy while telling me: Actually I couldn't sleep last whole night. I was crying all night with nightmare worrying about this morning. What if we go there and Na is... not there anymore?
We all smiled and said: Now you can rest, now your heart can sleep after 50 years holding on to that question!
After we left Hue, we came back to Da Nang, visited Hoi An before they flew out to go home to the US. From that day, Dave's family spent more special love for me and I just became a part of their family. Before going home, Dave said he wanted to put me in his suitcase so he could bring me home and become his oldest grand daughter 😆
The card his daughter gave me 💗
When we said goodbye at the airport, we all cried like we were saying goodbye to a real family members. We spent 2 weeks together and we felt like we had met for years.
Now, after over 3 years, we are still in touch and mention our trip often. Everyone is healthy and happy! 😊
Let's have a look at the map again:
1 - Where Tim thought Dave was and where we looked for Na 1 year before Dave's trip
2 - Where I found out the right village and we found the compound and their family
3 - Where Na is living now and also where our hotel was
WHAT AN ADVENTURE!
And now, Dave's heart is at ease, his heart is happy. 50 years of a sleepless heart, now coming to a happy ending with full of love and fulfillment! 😊
I'll close the story here and hope it leaves you a big smile!
I believe that each story closes, another will open!
Thank you for being here today and reading my story.
I do believe in miracle if we are willing to work for it with a genuine heart!
Little Beatle ♫