Chi. Th. ddang o+? tru+o+'c ma(.t to^i\. Gu+o+ng ma(.t
va^~n to?a ra ne't di.u da`ng, va` ddo^i ma('t va^~n mang theo mo^.t no^~i
buo^`n cu?a nga`y na`o\. Chi? co' ma'i to'c cu?a chi., la` kho^ng co`n
nu+~a\. Ma` la`m sao co`n nu+~a, khi ba mu+o+i ma^'y na(m tro^i qua\. Khi
chu'ng to^i mo^~i ngu+o+`i dda~ co' mo^.t ddi.nh me^.nh rie^ng, mo^.t ddo+`i
so^'ng rie^ng. Cha(?ng tha` kho^ng bie^'t tho+`i tho^i\. Bie^'t ro^`i\...Va^ng,
cha(?ng tha` Ta^n kho^ng ddu+o+.c bie^'t chi.... To^i dda~ da^'u co~i lo`ng
xu'c ddo^.ng, co^' ti`m mo^.t lo+`i, mo^.t lo+`i tho^i dde^? pha' tan no^~i
ye^'u me^`m. Nhu+ng to^i cu+' dda`nh ca^m ni'n. Chi. Th. thi` va^~n ro^.n
ra`ng vo+'i bao nhie^u ca^u chuye^.n. Ve^` Hue^'. Ve^` Phu? Cam, Be^'n
Ngu+., Nam Giao\. Ve^` Quo^'c Ho.c, DDo^`ng Kha'nh. Ky? nie^.m na`y dde^'n
ky? nie^.m kha'c. Ky? nie^.m ba`ng hoa`ng, nga^?n ngo+, nhu+ so'ng cuo^`n
cuo^.n, nhu+ ma^y ba~o cha^.p chu`ng. To^i nhi`n chi.. Ma'i to'c cu?a chi.
dda^u ro^`i\. Ma'i to'c ma` nga`y xu+a, tu+` ba`n du+o+'i cu?a mo^.t lo+'p
ho.c be^n ca.nh gio`ng so^ng, to^i me^ man chi`m dda('m. To^i dda~ uo^'ng
tu+` ma`u na('ng va`ng chie^'u qua khung cu+?a lo+'p va` ddo.ng tre^n gio`ng
suo^'i mu+o+.t o'ng tu+.a mun, tu+` nhu+~ng ngo'n tay thon me^`m cu?a chi.,
khi chi. la`m duye^n, vuo^'t hoa`i ma'i to'c. Chi. Th., nga`y a^'y chi.
kho^ng bie^'t dda^u\. Khi chi. tu+` do^'c xuo^'ng ca^`u, khi chi. giu+~
ta` a'o ddu+`ng bay, khi chi. cu+' che nghie^ng va`nh no'n la', co' mo^.t
te^n si chi. dde^'n to^.i ti`nh. Ma` co' gi` dda'ng to^.i khi mo^.t te^n
ho.c tro` ye^u ma'i to'c kia dda^u\. Bo+?i ma'i to'c cu?a chi. phu? ca?
bo+` vai, mo^~i nga`y cu+' o'ng the^m, mun the^m, cho+'m the^m mo^.t chu't.
Chi. kho^ng bie^'t, ma^'y chu.c ddu+'a ho.c tro`, va` ca? o^ng tha^`y tre?
cu~ng me^ me^.t vi` ma'i to'c cu?a chi. ma`. Co' pha?i va^.y kho^ng, ho+?
chi.?
To^i dda~ ro't dda^`y co^'c ru+o+.u ma.nh. Chai ru+o+.u tro+ vo+ giu+~a ba`n tie^.c, kho^ng ai ma`ng dde^'n. Nhu+ng chi? co' mo^.t mi`nh to^i\. To^i no^'c va`o\. Cho say mo^.t chu't. Cho a^'m ddo+`i the^m mo^.t chu't. Cho tuo^?i tre? lai la'ng the^m mo^.t chu't. Cho to^i can dda?m the^m mo^.t chu't. Tre^n bu.c go^~, ban nha.c ddang cho+i nhu+~ng ba?n nha.c vui\. Pha?i, ho^m nay la` nga`y dda'm cu+o+'i, la`m sao ma` kho^ng vui ddu+o+.c. Nhu+ng to^i the`m nghe la.i mo^.t du+ a^m na`o\. Kho^ng co' tra(ng sao thi` to^i se~ tu+o+?ng tu+o+.ng mo^.t ba^`u tro+`i tra(ng sao, dde^? to^i co`n nho+' ve^` mo^.t dde^m na`o o+? Hue^'. Ve^` nhu+~ng vi` sao in lung linh tre^n ta`u du+`a, va` be^n trong khung cu+?a nha` ai, to^i co`n tha^'y la.i da'ng mo^.t ngu+o+`i con ga'i, ngo^`i tru+o+'c chie^'c dda`n du+o+ng ca^`m. Ma'i to'c cu?a chi. cha?y xuo^'ng, no^?i ba^.t giu+~a vu`ng ddie^.n sa'ng loa'ng. Tre^n bu.c dda`n la` cha^.u hoa\. DDe^m na`o cu~ng va^.y, ddu+'a ho.c tro` ha`ng xo'm cu?a chi. cu~ng ddu+'ng ni'n tho+?, va` nhi`n sang be^n kia\. Nhi`n dde^? la`m gi`. Ho.c tro` nghe`o mang a'o va', la`m gi` ma` ddu+o+.c quye^`n mo+ u+o+'c mo^.t na`ng co^ng chu'a\. Pha?i kho^ng chi. Th. ?
-Ta^n o+i, mi`nh no'i cho Ta^n nghe\...
Chi. Th. ca^`m tay to^i, tha^n ma^.t. Gio.ng no'i cu~ng nhu+ nga`y xu+a,
di.u da`ng va` tha^n thie^'t nhu+ the^? tu+` mo^.t kie^'p na`o\. To^i ddo+.i
chi. dda^y, chi. Th. To^i ddo+.i chi. sau ma^'y mu+o+i na(m tra^`m lua^n,
la(.n hu.p. Chie^'n tranh, tu` to^.i, vu+o+.t bie^?n. To^i ddo+.i chi.,
nhu+ ddo+.i mo^.t ddie^`u gi` ma` to^i kho^ng the^? ti`m no^~i o+? co~i
the^' gian na`y\. Mi`nh no'i cho Ta^n nghe\. Pha?i ro^`i, chu'ng ta va^~n
nhu+ nga`y na`o, go.i nhau ba(`ng mi`nh, ba(`ng Ta^n, ba(`ng bao nhie^u
a^n ca^`n cu?a tuo^?i ho.c tro`. Chi. Th. to^i dda~ cho+` ddo+.i mo^.t
nga`y nhu+ the^' na`y\.
- Mi`nh nghe anh Trinh ke^? la` Ta^n o+? tu`, sau ddo' ddi ba'n ca` rem,
co' pha?i va^.y kho^ng?
- Thu+a chi. pha?i\. Ba'n ca` rem, bu+?a cu?i mu+o+'n, khie^ng ga.ch thue^,
cho+? ga.o la^.u\...
- Mi`nh tha^.t co' lo^~i vo+'i Ta^n...
- Ta.i sao chi. la.i no'i the^'?
Chi. Th. ca^`m la^'y tay to^i, ra^'t tu+. nhie^n. Pha?i chi nga`y xu+a
to^i cu~ng ddu+o+.c chi. ca^`m tay nhu+ the^'. Kho^ng, nga`y xu+a ne^'u
Th. cu~ng ca^`m tay Ta^n nhu+ the^', thi` mo.i su+. co' the^? thay ddo^?i\.
He^'t tu+o+ng tu+\. He^'t nho+' nhung. He^'t cha^.p chu`ng kho^? lu.y\.
Cho+.t nhi`n va`o ddo^i ma('t. Da^'u xu+a\. Th. o+i, nga`y xu+a Th. o+?
be^n kia ha`ng da^.u, sa^n cuo^.i tra('ng lo't ca? lo^'i ddi\. Ca^y nha?n
tru+o+'c nha`, ha`ng bo^ng thie^n ly' va`ng ro^. du+o+'i na('ng va`ng.
Va` con ddu+o+`ng na`o da^~n tu+` ngo^i nha` tho+` xuo^'ng chie^'c ca^`u
dda', dde^? mo^~i nga`y Ta^n ddu+'ng cho+` ddo+.i tre^n ca^`u\. Co' bao
vo`ng so'ng dda~ lan da^`n tre^n gio`ng so^ng An Cu+.u\. Co' bao ho^`i
chuo^ng le^? lu+o+'t thu+o+'t, dde^? Th. pha?i nha('m ma('t la.i, la`m
da^'u\. Ro^`i con ddu+o+`ng cha.y theo bo+` so^ng, ha`ng ba`ng, nga^u,
sung, mu` u, ddoa't. Gio`ng so^ng An Cu+.u na('ng ddu.c mu+a trong, cu~ng
cha?y len qua ta^'m lo`ng ddu+'a ho.c tro` mo+'i lo+'n. DDo^i khi, con
ngu+o+`i chi? so^'ng cho mo^.t tho+`i, va` cu~ng che^'t cho mo^.t tho+`i\.
Ai bie^'t, nhu+~ng trang gia^'y cu+' to^ hoa`i cho mo^.t gio`ng suo^'i
to'c. Ai bie^'t, go't cha^n ngu+o+`i na`o, dda^~m tre^n lo^'i cuo^.i, ta`
a'o va.t tru+o+'c va.t sau, ma('t nhi`n tha(?ng, ta^'m tha^n ye^?u ddie^.u
thon me^`m thu.c nu+~, dde^? mi`nh va` Ta^n, Ta^n va` mi`nh. Ai bie^'t
con ddu+o+`ng dda~ tha^'y bao nhie^u la' va`ng, la' ru.ng cuo^'ng qui't,
la' dda^.u la.i du+o+'i go't cha^n ngu+o+`i\. Th., Ta^n ddang bo^`i ho^`i
qua' ddo^?i\. Co+n mo+ hay la` thu+.c dda^y\.
- Nga`y co`n ddi ho.c, mi`nh tha^'y ddo^i la^`n Ta^n ddu+'ng ye^n, ma`
qua' buo^`n ddi, mi`nh va` H. kho^ng da'm an u?i\. Mi`nh hie^?u ro~ hoa`n
ca?nh cu?a Ta^n, nhu+ng Ta^n va^~n bie^'t mi`nh la` con ga'i\...