A young girl was standing beside the busy road in the market. She was looking left and right, but she wasn’t crossing the street. After a few minutes, the person she was waiting for finally came.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Van Quynh. My dad was trying to arrange another marriage for me,” Minh Tuyet said.
“Let me guess. You rejected him even though he had a nice name and is extremely good looking, because you think he's after the money, not you,” Van Quynh replied with a smile.
“You know me so well,” said Minh Tuyet.
They were walking down the dirty road, passing carriages and little stands where people were selling food or accessories. They stopped by a little river and sat down on the ground, with their feet hanging into the water.
“Why are you wearing clothes like that? Weren’t you supposed to meet a gentleman today?” Van Quynh asked.
“Yeah, but I knew I wasn’t gonna like him so I just wanted to wear something simple; no need to impress him. Besides, I was gonna meet you anyways,” Minh Tuyet replied.
“Well, even if you dressed beautifully, people would never suspect you as the daughter of Lord Tuan Ngoc. Every villager knows that Lord Tuan Ngoc’s daughter doesn’t like to be in the public. They don’t even know your name, Tuyet! They’ll just probably think you’re a rich girl visiting.”
“Yeah, but you never know. Me dressing like this would just make people think I’m a maid, which is a good thing, I guess.”
“You know how many girls wanna take your place if you don’t want it?”
“Yeah, well…I wanna be just a regular girl. Like you.”
“Well, I wanna be in your place. Too bad we weren’t long lost twins,” Van Quynh said, making Minh Tuyet giggle. They stood up and walked to their favorite little shop beside the alley; the owner always thinks that Minh Tuyet and Van Quynh can’t afford things there because of the way they dressed. On the way there, Minh Tuyet and Van Quynh saw a bunch of kites soaring in the sky. Minh Tuyet was amazed by it; she never flew a kite before… Suddenly, she bumped into something, or something bumped into her. It didn’t take Minh Tuyet long to realize that it was a ‘someone’.
“Hey! Watch where you’re go-” Minh Tuyet stopped when she saw a man. He was very good looking.
“I’m sorry, ma’am! I was just looking at the kites, and I didn’t see you walking,” the man said.
“Oh, it’s alright. I was watching it, too,” Minh Tuyet replied sweetly with a smile.
They looked at each other for a little while; after a few minutes Van Quynh turned to Minh Tuyet and said,
“Uh… I’ll just go to the shop first.”
“Huh? Oh, okay… you go ahead,” Minh Tuyet replied with her eyes still on the man.
“Hi, my name is Bang Kieu,” he said and held out a hand.
“I’m…” Minh Tuyet thought for a while if she should give out her real name; she remembered about Van Quynh saying that the villagers not knowing her name, so she replied,
“I’m Minh Tuyet.”
“What a beautiful name.”
“Thank you. You have a nice name yourself.”
Bang Kieu smiled as a way of saying ‘thanks’. They stood around looking at the sky, then the ground, then each other for a while. Minh Tuyet suddenly remembered about Van Quynh waiting for her at the shop.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go!” Minh Tuyet yelled as she ran towards the direction of the shop. Bang Kieu suddenly grabbed onto her arm, making her stop abruptly, almost falling.
“How about I wait for you tomorrow at around noon? By the river?” he said.
“Uh… I’m not sure. I…guess. Okay,” Minh Tuyet replied hastily and ran off. Today turned out great after all, Minh Tuyet thought.
“I’m sorry I’m late, Van Quynh. My dad was trying to arrange another marriage for me,” Minh Tuyet said.
“Let me guess. You rejected him even though he had a nice name and is extremely good looking, because you think he's after the money, not you,” Van Quynh replied with a smile.
“You know me so well,” said Minh Tuyet.
They were walking down the dirty road, passing carriages and little stands where people were selling food or accessories. They stopped by a little river and sat down on the ground, with their feet hanging into the water.
“Why are you wearing clothes like that? Weren’t you supposed to meet a gentleman today?” Van Quynh asked.
“Yeah, but I knew I wasn’t gonna like him so I just wanted to wear something simple; no need to impress him. Besides, I was gonna meet you anyways,” Minh Tuyet replied.
“Well, even if you dressed beautifully, people would never suspect you as the daughter of Lord Tuan Ngoc. Every villager knows that Lord Tuan Ngoc’s daughter doesn’t like to be in the public. They don’t even know your name, Tuyet! They’ll just probably think you’re a rich girl visiting.”
“Yeah, but you never know. Me dressing like this would just make people think I’m a maid, which is a good thing, I guess.”
“You know how many girls wanna take your place if you don’t want it?”
“Yeah, well…I wanna be just a regular girl. Like you.”
“Well, I wanna be in your place. Too bad we weren’t long lost twins,” Van Quynh said, making Minh Tuyet giggle. They stood up and walked to their favorite little shop beside the alley; the owner always thinks that Minh Tuyet and Van Quynh can’t afford things there because of the way they dressed. On the way there, Minh Tuyet and Van Quynh saw a bunch of kites soaring in the sky. Minh Tuyet was amazed by it; she never flew a kite before… Suddenly, she bumped into something, or something bumped into her. It didn’t take Minh Tuyet long to realize that it was a ‘someone’.
“Hey! Watch where you’re go-” Minh Tuyet stopped when she saw a man. He was very good looking.
“I’m sorry, ma’am! I was just looking at the kites, and I didn’t see you walking,” the man said.
“Oh, it’s alright. I was watching it, too,” Minh Tuyet replied sweetly with a smile.
They looked at each other for a little while; after a few minutes Van Quynh turned to Minh Tuyet and said,
“Uh… I’ll just go to the shop first.”
“Huh? Oh, okay… you go ahead,” Minh Tuyet replied with her eyes still on the man.
“Hi, my name is Bang Kieu,” he said and held out a hand.
“I’m…” Minh Tuyet thought for a while if she should give out her real name; she remembered about Van Quynh saying that the villagers not knowing her name, so she replied,
“I’m Minh Tuyet.”
“What a beautiful name.”
“Thank you. You have a nice name yourself.”
Bang Kieu smiled as a way of saying ‘thanks’. They stood around looking at the sky, then the ground, then each other for a while. Minh Tuyet suddenly remembered about Van Quynh waiting for her at the shop.
“I’m sorry, but I have to go!” Minh Tuyet yelled as she ran towards the direction of the shop. Bang Kieu suddenly grabbed onto her arm, making her stop abruptly, almost falling.
“How about I wait for you tomorrow at around noon? By the river?” he said.
“Uh… I’m not sure. I…guess. Okay,” Minh Tuyet replied hastily and ran off. Today turned out great after all, Minh Tuyet thought.
No comments:
Post a Comment