Chapter 25 — Forest Keeper

Two weeks after the arrest of Ta Quoc Bao, the expanded investigation obtained results far beyond Khue's initial expectations. Not only was Vi Dinh Thuan prosecuted for accepting bribes and abetting illegal forest product exploitation activities, but the investigation agency also tracked down two other officials at the provincial forest ranger district who had received money to turn a blind eye to Kim Phat Company's illegal timber shipments for many years.

But what Khue looks forward to most, what has motivated her for the past eight years, is the official meeting with the investigation team held at Ngan May station, where they announced the results of the re-investigation into her father's death.

That afternoon, Khue sat in the station's meeting room with her mother, Mrs. Ly Thi Hoa, who was picked up by Khue from Sai village, along with her younger brother Nong Van Kien, who had rushed to catch a bus from the city as soon as he heard the news. Mr. Hoang Van Chinh and Ma Van Loc were also present, both of whom provided full testimony to the investigation agency in recent days.

The provincial police commander, who was present at Bao's arrest, read the conclusion of the additional investigation aloud, his voice solemn and clear. "Based on the newly collected evidence, including testimonies of witnesses, analysis of the scene, and especially the testimony of subject Ta Quoc Bao during the interrogation process, there is enough evidence to determine: on the night of June 12, eight years ago, Mr. Nong Van Thai, while patrolling alone in the area near the top of Pu Cai, discovered a group of people transporting illegal wood under the direction of Ta Quoc Bao. The group of subjects, in order to cover up the clues, controlled them. and pushed Mr. Thai into the rock crevice, then staged a fake scene so that the investigation agency could conclude it was an accident."

The room was filled with a heavy silence, except for the soft sobbing of Mrs. Hoa, who had waited eight years to hear these words. Khue held her mother's hand tightly, clearly feeling her whole body trembling as her pent-up emotions were finally released.

"Subject Ta Quoc Bao admitted this behavior during interrogation, along with the participation of two other subjects who have now been arrested," the commander continued. "The investigation agency will conduct official exoneration procedures, confirming that Mr. Nong Van Thai died while on duty, not due to an accident, but due to being murdered while fighting against the destruction of forest resources. The family will be considered for regimes and policies according to regulations for cases of death while on duty."

Hearing that, Khue could no longer hold back, tears flowed endlessly, not tears of suffering like the past eight years, but tears of liberation, a recognition that she had yearned for all her youth. She turned to hug her mother tightly, both women crying in each other's arms, the cries carrying both old pain and new comfort.

"Dad," Khue whispered through tears, "finally, everyone knows the truth. You didn't die because of carelessness. You died because you bravely protected this forest until your last breath."

Kien, standing next to him, could not hide his emotions, wrapping his arms around both his mother and sister, the three of them forming an embracing circle, sharing pain and comfort at the same time. Mr. Chinh sat in the corner of the room, quietly wiping his tears, his face was both relieved and full of regret for being silent for so long.

The provincial police commander, before leaving the station, also provided additional information that made Khue somewhat relieved about another question that had been hanging over the past few days. "Regarding the case of the park ranger named Tung, we have verified that he is indeed the person who received money to provide information about the girls' schedule to Sin over the past two months. He was arrested this morning at a motel in town, trying to escape."

That news made the whole meeting room stir, although no one was really surprised after the suspicions that had been raised before. Loc sighed, his face mixed with disappointment and a little relief because there was finally a clear answer to the doubt that had haunted the station for many days.

"At least now I know for sure, I no longer have to unjustly suspect anyone else in the station," Loc said, his voice thoughtful. "It was also a relief, even if the way it came was not pleasant."

After the announcement, when everyone gradually returned to a calmer state, Khue found Mr. Chinh and sat down next to him. "Thank you, uncle, for finally daring to tell the truth, even if it was late."

"I'm sorry for letting you and Ms. Hoa endure this pain for so long," Mr. Chinh said, his voice still choked. "If you had been braver from the beginning, maybe things would have been different."

"No one can change the past, uncle," Khue replied, her voice much gentler than the first angry days. "The important thing is that in the end, you and Mr. Loc chose to stand with the truth. I appreciate that."

Loc, standing nearby, also approached and bowed his head to Mrs. Hoa with deep respect and repentance. "Ms. Hoa, I apologize to you and your family, for the past eight years I have been silent. I know an apology cannot make up for what you and your children have gone through, but I hope you can somewhat forgive me for my cowardice."

Mrs. Hoa looked at him, her eyes still red but shining with a tolerance that only people who have experienced enough suffering can have. "I understand, Mr. Loc. You also have a family and your own fears. The important thing is that the truth is finally revealed. I don't blame you."

That evening, after the investigation team had left, Khue's entire family and the closest people - Nguyen, May, Mr. Chinh, Loc - gathered together in the station yard, under the rising moonlight on top of Thousand Clouds. Mrs. Hoa brought a simple tray of rice, lit a small incense stick and placed it on the wooden table in the middle of the yard, facing the distant peak of Pu Cai.

"I invite you to come have dinner with the family," Khue whispered, her eyes looking towards the incense smoke rising into the quiet air of the mountain evening. "Dad can rest in peace now. I promise to continue to protect this forest, just like you did, until my last breath."

Nguyen stood next to her, gently holding her hand, saying nothing, just letting that warm presence accompany her in this sacred moment. In the distance, the sound of gibbons howling echoed from the deep forests, like a response from the very forest that had silently witnessed it all - the pain, the waiting, and finally, the liberation that Khue's family had been searching for eight long years.

Mrs. Hoa, after burning incense, sat down at the tray of rice, looking around at the dear faces gathered around her - her daughter, her son, and even those who have become an indispensable part of her family's life over the past few months. She smiled, a rare smile of relief that Khue had never seen on her mother's face since the day her father passed away.

"I thank you, thank you everyone," she said, her voice trembling but warm. "For the past eight years, I thought I would have to carry this pain for the rest of my life, never having an answer. Now I can light a stick of incense for your father without my heart being so heavy anymore."

Kien, sitting next to his mother, held her hand, his voice choked. "I'm sorry for not being able to help my sister and mother much over the years, just worrying about studying and work in the city."

"It's okay," Khue replied, patting his brother's head like when he was a child. "Each person has a way to continue living, to not give up. You study well and have a stable job, that's also how you make your father proud."

May, sitting at the corner of the tray, quietly wiped away her tears. Even though she was not a family member, she had accompanied Khue through the most difficult journeys. "I'm happy for you, happy for the whole family," she said, her voice choked up. “In the end, what was right won.”

That night, when everyone had left or gone to rest, only Khue and Nguyen sat on the steps, looking up at the starry sky. Brown, much older than the first day he was rescued, slept soundly in a nearby cage, occasionally making lovely soft snores.

"How does it feel, to finally get the answer?" Nguyen asked softly, wrapping his arms around her shoulders.

Khue was silent for a moment, thinking carefully before answering. "Relieved, but also a little empty. I've lived with that question for so long that it's almost become a part of who I am. Now that I have the answer, I feel like I have to relearn how to live without carrying that burden around anymore."

"You'll find a way, I believe," Nguyen said, squeezing her shoulder. "And you don't have to re-study alone."

Khue leaned her head on his shoulder, looking up at the star-studded night sky of Thousand Clouds, feeling a new peace, different from the forced peace she had tried to create for herself over the past eight years. This is true peace, built on the foundation of the truth revealed, of justice served, and of a new love growing in her heart, bringing with it hope for a future where she can, at last, confidently move forward without having to look back at the past with unanswered questions.