THU THUY

THU THỦY

It was rarely to see a high school boy to ride a Honda SS 67 to school and so was it to witness an ugly- looking guy like me to have a school girl- Tran Thi Thu Thuy- a six grader at Doan Thi Diem Can Tho- smile at while I was riding pass or in front of her.
My sister had insited to get that second- hand scuter from Uncle Thuc- an old family friend. After a few months riding, getting bored of the unsuitable stuff, she covered it with a blanket 2 months before I became a six grader at Phan Thanh Gian High school.
Fortunately, I practiced riding by myself and never did I fall down or make any dents. One night, I rode it to pick my Mom- working night shift. Having a ride behind me, my Mom witnessed the way I rode it and she believed what she was seeing. The very next morning I got another chance to take her to work. After two- time riding it safe and sound, I was given a license by non-verbally. Ow, I had another good luck as my sister never got envious or offended. I wondered somehow if it was her way to get rid of the responsibility to pick Mom from work. Anyway, it was a way to help me win my Thu Thuy’s heart.
Among 47 classmates of my 6- A1 class, I was rather special, slim, riding Honda SS 67. Van Thanh Thong, medium-build, a son of a big fabric store, rode a Honda SS 66. Tran Huu Tri, toothless, a son of a military father, rode a Sash. Three of us were as famous as “The three Imperial guards”. Our group of three had three different riding ways, three personalities but we had the same entertaining way- riding around before school and after school time. Tri performed it like a circus rider. Thong did it gently skillfully. I, while feeling so excited, made the front wheel lift up high or made a 180-degree-turn round. We, three- sixth graders, riding scuters to school, made others watch, commend, envy, or even scold. Among them I recognized only a neighboring school girl having some interesting things in common. My heart beat was roared up while I saw her smiling at me. At that moment, I wished I were King. I wished my scuter were a great horse having two swings to ride her up to the blue sky. I wished I had her hold me the way Quang was holding Thong. I wished our two schools had opened earlier so I would ride more rounds and she would stand there longer smiling at me more. I wished suddenly the other two had disappeared leaving me alone on my own way. But I still wanted to have them beside me to escore us while she got on my back seat making her other beautiful schoolmates desire.
“Hey, Thanh, she is smiling at you?”
The toothless Tri, pulling past me, excitingly cried out to my ears.
I smiled feeling proud,
“Who else?”
“You’re really cool. Hey, off we go.”
(to be continued)