by Nguyen Huong

I want to begin this story with a familiar phrase: "Once upon a time... "

Once upon a time there was a very rich man whose great fortune came from a golden opportunity. Growing up in dire poverty, his only dream was a decent meal, but as luck would have it, he was taken in, raised and educated by a kind-hearted elderly man. When he had grown up this lucky man would recount this little-known story to his children and grandchildren, who would giggle and say that it was just an allegory told to teach ethical lessons.

***

Although this wealthy, old and kind-hearted man was very busy, he would spare one evening per week to take a stroll in plain clothes and look for someone badly in need of help. He did not dare refuse to lend a hand to even a thief on the grounds that maybe the dishonest man would turn over a new leaf in the future.

One winter evening, as usual, he ambled through the outskirts of his city. At the park, he stopped when he found a young man who looked upset. In addition to his ragged clothes, his sad countenance spoke of his despair.

"Good evening! What’s the matter, son?" he asked the young man.

His soft voice seemed to bring the trembling young man a step closer to opening up. The rich man was prepared to offer the young man a great deal: he had more than enough money and would gladly employ a needy person at one of his factories.

"Why won’t you say anything to me?" he asked the youth once again.

"Sir, I’m in love," the youth began, his eyes full of tears.

The rich man immediately assumed that the girl’s parents had denied the couple’s marriage by demanding an extravagant wedding. He smiled.

"OK, I’ll give you what your fiancee’s clan requires," he told the youth.

"No, sir. Nobody can," he answered despondently.

"Surely, I can."

"Even God couldn’t help me, sir. This evening, my fiancee and I will meet here for the last time. Her parents have asked me for just one thing: to bring my parents to their home."

"What a ridiculous requirement! I suppose in my case, if my son had been demanded to do the same after his mother had died, what could he have done?"

"The fact is that I was born to an unmarried mother. How could they allow their daughter to marry a vagabond like me?"

The rich man put his hands on the youth’s shoulders, aware of the burden lying heavily on them. Suddenly, he heard light footsteps behind them, and a girl in her late teens appeared. Although she was wearing a thick woolen cardigan with a hood, he recognised that her pretty face was anguished. In the dim light of dusk, he saw her surprise at seeing him and smiled.

"Good evening!" he broke the silence. "If you would accept an old man like me, I’ll be your father."

***

The wedding had a merry atmosphere. The bride’s parents liked their son-in-law all the more because his father was not only elegant but also knowledgeable about manual labour, as if he had been doing such work his whole life.

After the wedding ceremony, when everybody had gone home, the "father" of the bridegroom stayed behind for a few more days to visit the relatives of the bride and his son’s new home in a bustling fishing village.

For a week, he did not return to his office. Afterwards, the newly-married couple saw him off at the station, where he departed for his home in town.

"Goodbye, Dad."

"Goodbye, children," he replied before departing.

Upon returning home, the rich man realised that his absence had left his company distraught. Some employees guessed that he had been in an accident while others thought that he had been kidnapped. There were many whispered comments that the rich man’s children were going in search of his will.

***

Once a week as usual, the rich man went out to see if he could find someone in unfortunate circumstances he could help. He gave a poor woman a thick cotton blanket; a beggar, a gold ring.

One year had elapsed and another winter was drawing near. One evening, when he passed by the park, someone greeted him.

"Evening, Dad!"

At once he recognised the youth he had helped the year before. Although the rich man was unable to remember all the faces of those he had assisted, his involvement with this youth was a special memory: nobody had ever asked him for such a request.

"Good evening, my son," he replied.

"For the past few days, I’ve come to this place in the hopes of meeting you."

"What for, my dear?"

"My better half has just given birth to a baby boy. My parents-in-law wish to invite you to their home to celebrate." The young man’s voice was both hopeful and hesitant; he wondered if his request was excessive. "If I hadn’t met you, I’d have told my parents-in-law that you had taken ill," he confessed.

"Well, nobody wants to be ill, my son," he said to the youth. "What kind of present can I offer my grandson?" he wondered to himself.

***

The youth’s parents-in-law were in high spirits when the rich man arrived. Their small fishing village rarely welcomed visitors from the city, so the bride’s relatives were excited to see her father-in-law. Family after family invited him to share a meal with them for the honour of his company, not in the hopes of favours from him later. They cooked special fish or shrimp, a rarity for the winter, to congratulate him on the good health of his grandson and daughter-in-law and on his son’s successful fishing career. He took pride in the admiration he saw in their eyes when they looked at his able-bodied son.

"When you’ve got free time, don’t forget to come back here to see your little grandson," the host told his guest when they said goodbye to each other.

Their sincerity moved him deeply. All of a sudden, he felt at fault for hiding the truth about his "son".

But the couple was leading a happy life — what could he do? Back in his luxurious villa on the first night after his homecoming, he realised that he had neglected his physician’s advice that he avoid salty foods. As a result, his diabetes began torturing him.

***

Not until the day when little Bi put his arms around the neck of his grandfather and babbled, "Grampa", did the man realise that he returned to the fishing village because of his own desire, not simply because of responsibility to his adopted son. Each time the child kissed his cheeks, he found emotion surging up inside as his heart filled with joy.

He wanted to give his little boy the same things that he gave his other grandsons. However, he did not dare to bring with him anything but a few packets of biscuits, a woollen shawl and some tins of milk, or other humble presents.

What was he afraid of? A lot of things. If his wealth was discovered, what would happen to him and his adopted son? Worst of all, his own sons and daughters-in-law might change their attitudes toward him, for he knew the transforming effect that the prospect of money and power could have on people.

In order to maintain the peaceful nature of his visits to this happy little family in the fishing village, he had to remain known as the simple granddad. But while watching the child play with random items like pebbles, shells and milk cans, he decided that when the boy reached school age, he would reveal the truth and send him to the finest kindergarten.

***

Unfortunately, he fell ill before he could follow through with his decision. His illness was so serious that every day the local newspapers contained headlines about the future of the assets he had built up through his hard work.

Surrounding him were guards, colleagues, physicians, lawyers and journalists, as well as his heirs and heiresses and relatives, close and distant. In his dwindling moments of consciousness, he calmly said his final words and made bequests to those most important to him. He regretted that he would end his life without saying goodbye to the little clan in the faraway fishing village. Just then, to his surprise, they all turned up at the threshold of his bed. They had been inside his house and beside him for a long time.

"How did you find my address?" he asked them in a weak voice.

"At our wedding, there was someone who recognised you. You’re so famous and so special, Uncle," replied the formerly parentless youth.

"Keep on calling me father as usual." The rich man felt both happiness and regret.

"I’m sorry that I haven’t done anything for you and little Bi," he whispered, trembling. "But I have a gift for you all."

"But you’ve given us so much already!"

"Far from it!" he said, repentant.

"You’ve given me a virtuous wife and a fishing village as my home, and you’ve given my little son fine memories of his beloved granddad. You gave me an entire life," the young man sobbed.

Suddenly, the expression of the dying man brightened slightly. He wanted to express something but was unable. The youth pressed his tearful face against the hand of the man who had completely changed his life on that winter evening. Behind him, little Bi in his mother’s arms opened his round eyes wide as if to record the memory of his grandfather, whose lips were curved into a contented smile.

Translated by Van Minh
VNS