My maternal grandma's old house. She last lived here in 1975, and I was last in this house in 1973.
My maternal grandfather was killed by the Communists in the early 50's, so my grandma raised five children by herself.
I spent a lot of time in this house, and even attended first grade in the neighborhood. Today, I happened to walk by the old Cambodian Embassy, which I recognized after all these years, so I knew I was near my grandma's house. I remember the name of the nearby market, Banana Orchard, so found it, then was able to locate my grandma's alley after one false try. I saw my old school, Rạng Đông [Dawn].
In 1972, I was sitting on a bed with my grandma and aunt, watching TV, when a man came by to announce that my uncle Bảo had been killed. He was a medic in the South Vietnamese Marines. I remember uncle Bảo's funeral.
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5 comments:
poignant memories
Hi Rudy,
I should add the killed uncle was on my father's side, so it wasn't my grandma's son who was killed.
She went to the United States and is buried in Virginia, where my mother still lives. Once, I was convinced she was in the same Virginia room with me, while I was in bed, and I was actually terrified, so I pleaded with her to not show up.
Yesterday, though, as I was trying to find her house, I thought that she would help me.
Interestingly, the old Cambodian Embassy that I mentioned is at the intersection where the monk Thich Quang Duc immolated himself. There's a little memorial there.
Linh
Hi Rudy,
The last time I saw my grandma was in Guam in 1975, when we were there as refugees together. Some Americans were inside the refugee camp as food vendors, so there was a man selling hot dogs. My grandma bought me one, but as she was about to pay, she asked, "How many?" instead of "How much?" As a 11-year-old smart ass, I thought to myself, Grandma is wrong!
She only lived for about three years in the US.
Linh
You're relating memories of loss. I know exactly how that feels.
...and I remember Thich Quang Duc. All I could think of was levels of despair that I could not comprehend.
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