An old friend visited very briefly this week, too short a visit but we caught up on lots of family stuff. Maria was very close to my late sister Nancy and she misses her very much as does anyone who knew her.
Maria fell over in Danang airport and wrecked her laptop so we spent much time riding around from shop to shop but although I got lost a couple of times a feat which I thought impossible in Hoi an, Maria got to see some corners of the town she wouldn't see normally. The riding was interspersed with many stops for beer and coffee of course, and at one cafe which cares for homeless cats she made a large donation which lit up the lady cat persons face. We also called in to see Hien my friend who is also a singer, did I mention that Maria was a singer? I told people here she is a famous singer and she is, in her niche of Irish songs.
She and Hien got on well and before long they were humming along together, its a pity the cafe was crowded with card players so both of them were inhibited from singing loudly.
We also went to see Tram the woman with the sick baby and after Trams father had cut down a coconut to make juice for us we talked for a while and Tram told us how her father had died by electrocution while swimming in the river after work. More of that later. Maria was effected by Trams plight and decided to give her a gift of one million for the baby so I kicked in another million for which Tram was very grateful. We left but the next day Tram messaged me and told me that a trusted friend had called in after we left and stolen the money.
I was very sad for her but after thinking about it I suddenly remembered the first time I met her and she told me the story about how her father had died. This time it was in a motorbike accident when he was hit by a drunk driver who went to jail. How can you reconcile these stories except to think Tram is a liar which put her stolen money story in a new light..
When Na returned from An Khe I asked her more about her grandfather, she told me he was a bo doi, a soldier, but in which war I'm not sure. Probably all of them. French Japanese and American. His main job she said was carrying rice to feed the soldiers. He married at age 22 and had 10 children, two if which were killed by a "bombee" when they were teenagers, so probably the American war. He died at age 90 not 97 as I thought and when I asked about his wife Na just said she "lay down". Questioned further it seems that the wife is suffering dementia and stays in bed all the time. "She doesnt know he is dead" Na told me.
The grandfathers name was Doang and he lived about 30kms outside An Khe all his life in the same village.
I have thrown in many irrelevant photos and I have just realised with my new phone that the best way to take pics is with the phone in a horizontal mode, I will be more careful in future.
Jay
2019-04-21
Amazing Les, the girl has ripped you off again. How sad they are so desperate! Glad you caught up with your friend.
Sister
2019-04-21
Tram's father is amazing....killed twice and still serving you coconut milk....
Atticus
2019-04-27
Hard to believe that they have cafes for homeless cats.. I wonder if the cats know that they are homeless.. Or are they taking advantage of the humans..