Hide from children to “catch” the sun

On Sunday morning, February 27, I posted on Facebook three blurry pictures of my husband and I “grasping” the sun, with the caption: “Two children go to Phan Thiet, the elderly couple can’t sleep, wake up at 4 a.m. Can Gio catches the sun”. In a short time, my little friend and interaction received more than 100 likes and comments. Many people expressed their interest when my husband and I dared to “escape” the big family, especially our two daughters, to go out.

Before the epidemic, my family often traveled, on average once a month. We travel from near to far, from domestic to overseas. During those trips, my wife and I always “breath smoke” because we are busy taking care of our twin daughters (born in 2012) who are picky eaters but playful like boys. Last weekend, my children and aunt and uncle went to Mui Ne (Binh Thuan), my wife and I were busy with work, so we couldn’t go. On Saturday night, the newlyweds and their grandchildren came to visit. Seeing the house… lonely, my wife and I asked: “Or tomorrow, Sunday morning, I’ll go to Can Gio to play”. I reflexively: “You two aren’t at home, why are you going out?”. The grandchild persuaded: “Once in a while, the two become husband and wife, and when the two children go out, the youngest couple must take advantage of the odd fight. Decide that, tomorrow morning I will go down to Can Gio to watch the sunrise.” My wife and I did not make an appointment but burst out laughing: “That’s crazy!”.

For me and my wife, this idea is so far away because many times we have traveled to the sea, my husband and I can’t even get up to watch the sunrise, let alone get up at 3:30 am and go from Saigon, across the distance. more than 60km road just to watch the sunrise. However, after a while of convincing me, my wife and I also fell, well… let’s try to experience the sun once, especially now that we are having a day… free.

3:45, Sunday 27/2, we set off. The luggage is just a pot of ready-made tea, brewed in a thermos and a few leftover Tet melon seeds. As soon as I stepped out the door, the cool breeze blew on me, waking me up. My husband reminded: “You put on more coats, it’s cold” sounds like when… in love. The street is empty, the space is quiet. I looked up to take a deep breath, intending to enjoy the rare fresh, chilly air of Saigon that a sleeper like me could never feel. My eyes met the stars and the new moon hanging above my head, I unintentionally blurted out: “Why is it so poetic?”. My husband said: “It’s so beautiful, if we don’t go, we won’t be able to witness this special moment.” I looked over at my grandchild’s car, saw the scene where the wife put her arms around her husband, her head rested on her husband’s shoulder, the car sped away gently in the laughter of the young couple. Another gust of wind came, and my arms tightened. I suddenly realized that we were as affectionate as husband and wife. It’s been a long time since my husband and I have gone alone, especially on a long journey by motorbike, in this cool and beautiful scene of the moon.

Arriving at Binh Khanh ferry, we went on deck to enjoy the breeze, drink tea and bite melon seeds, then stick our heads out the window for 10 seconds to see who can count more stars. We boarded the ferry at almost 5am. The road is wide and empty. Dawn has just dawned, the new moon is still on top of the head, creating a quite magical scene. With each passing wind, the cold seemed to cut into every fiber. I asked: “Saigon is also cold like this, why didn’t I know now?”. My husband did not answer, but read a few “meaning” poems: “If you don’t go, you won’t know Can Gio / You will know that you are cold when you go”. The cold made me move closer to my husband, I could hear the familiar smell of sweat. He suddenly grabbed my hand. A gust of wind ran down my spine that wasn’t due to the cold. It’s been a long time since we’ve lost the habit of our first love: he was driving and knitting my hand. I suddenly felt like I was going on a date with my lover and felt nervous and excited about the upcoming journey.

We arrived at Can Gio beach at 5:45. Four people sitting together on the deserted beach, watching the rising sun with its first rays of bright, warm sunshine.

I asked my husband to take a picture of the scene “catching” the sun. He asked me to stand ready for him to take the picture and give the phone to his grandchild. My wife and I freely performed the scenes of “capturing, grabbing, catching” the sun. After each phase of shooting, we all ran back to look at the pictures and then laughed excitedly. In turn, the couple “acts” all kinds of emotions: holding, kissing on the beach. Then, they invited my wife and I to “act” with them. So my husband carried me around on the sand, carried me up the rocks…

My wife and I acted out the scene of “capturing, grabbing, catching” the sun (photo taken by the author and his wife in Can Gio on February 27)

He “screamed”: “Come on, let’s stop taking pictures! When we acted out the scene, the youngest aunt forced my uncle to act it, I’m tired!”. Saying that, but when he saw his wife and niece taking pictures, he asked me again: “Let’s take this picture, baby”. Then he held my hand and carried me. He reminds me of the early days of love and the first beach date: full of “emotional combos” like this. I also suddenly realized that our footsteps were faster, our minds were more relaxed, our laughter was more. Simply because I used to go out to play or go to the beach, I glanced at the sea with one eye and the other eye had to keep an eye on my children. Even for a walk, we had to chase them by our ears. When it’s time to eat, the wife has a cup, and the husband has a cup to chase the two children and run in two directions. So, every time I go out with my wife and I is like a “march” and at the end of the day, we always fall asleep.

After taking pictures, we pulled into Gio Long cafe right on the beach to have breakfast and drink coffee. I broke the no-starch rule with a plate of broken rice, an omelet, and an iced milkshake. We sat barefoot on the sand, leisurely sipping each drop of fragrant coffee with a bitter taste at the tip of our lips in the cool breezes and the murmuring waves of the sea. I made a video call to my two daughters. Two bragging children are having breakfast by the pool. I also bragged: “Mom and dad are having breakfast” and scanned my phone around the sea. The two daughters said in unison with surprise and regret: “Oh my god, where are you, parents?”. Seeing that the situation was not good, I turned to another matter and said goodbye to my two children to enjoy the special morning. My grandson said: “Sitting here eating Can Gio rice, drinking Can Gio coffee and watching Can Gio sea, I still can’t believe that I left the bustling city to relax with the sea.”

Sitting until nearly noon, we ran to Hang Duong market to eat seafood. The market is filled with fresh and prepared seafood. The mood was high and it took me a long time to get lost in the “seafood paradise”, I “let go” of the crabs, shrimps, squids, snails … and pulled together again to Hang Duong beach. After eating, we slept soundly. When I woke up startled, the clock was only 17 o’clock, the sunset was rolling the red carpet on the sea. We went to the beach to watch the sun go down (this was not planned) and then left when we heard our two daughters shouting over the phone, “Are you home yet? Parents, let’s hide and play.”

Tomorrow is the weekend, why don’t you pack your bags and go with your husband? (Illustration)

Hiding our children to go out is something we never thought about because since the birth of our children, our joy has always been implicitly attached to the presence of two children.

All of our outings are always with two children. However, this accidental experience really brought me and my wife many exciting, new emotions and positive energy.

Tomorrow is the weekend, why don’t you try to pack your backpack and hide from your kids?

Khanh Phuong

According to www.phunuonline.com.vn