Chapter 19 — Late Table Lady

The reluctant parent meeting started with An's mother sitting on the wrong seat of Huy's parents. Huy looked at her, looked at the nametag, then said: "You're in the right seat. My mother often gets lost in meetings."

An's mother smiled and moved to the next chair. She did not wear luxurious clothes, only wore a light blue ao dai and carried a cloth bag containing cakes. An felt relieved. She didn't want her mother to walk into class like someone from another world.

Father An arrived late because of the council meeting. He stood at the door, looked at the last table, then looked at An who was handing out documents. Mr. Hoang introduced parents about the project, resources and maintenance plan. Some parents asked if An's family would sponsor it.

Her mother answered first: "My family can support, but the group has agreed not to use outside support without making it public. I respect that principle."

Another parent asked: “If the business is involved in the land, is there a conflict of interest?”

Father An finally spoke up. "There is a possibility. Therefore, the company will not participate in the school's internal decisions. We will only provide transportation plans and costs for the parties to consider."

An looked at his father. This was the first time he clearly stated his limits in front of many people.

Khang stood behind, listening. His grandmother couldn't come because of knee pain, but sent a box of potato cakes. Huy took a bite and realized he needed to keep his distance from the box.

Teacher Hoang let the students present. Khang talks about design, Nhu talks about rules, Mai talks about user stories, An talks about budget. When An finished, a parent asked: “Do you find it difficult when people judge you?”

An thought. "Yes. But I also understand that others need time to believe. I don't want to ask them to ignore the fact that I have an advantage. I just want them to evaluate how responsible I am as well."

One parent looked over at her father. “She speaks maturely.”

Father replied: “He learns from being put into unprepared situations.”

An glanced at him. “Dad, don't take credit.”

Huy laughed loudly. The atmosphere in the classroom is less tense.

After the meeting, An's mother pulled her into the hallway. “You get thinner.”

“I still eat enough.”

“Your dad said you're cooking for yourself.”

“I can cook eggs.”

“Eggs are also the beginning.”

Mom gave her a small box. “Green bean cake. Share with friends.”

An looked at the box. “Mom, didn't you ask me if I wanted to go home?”

“I know you don't want it yet.”

“How do you know?”

"Because when you want to hide, you always talk a lot. Today I just asked you about the duty schedule."

An leaned her head on her mother's shoulder. “I'm afraid I'll make everyone tired.”

"You make them think. It's not always tiring."

In the backyard, An's father was talking to Khang. An walked over and heard his father ask about the car repair shop. Khang's answer was brief, not mentioning that it was more difficult than necessary. Father asked the company to support a bicycle maintenance contract for hotel staff, but Khang did not immediately accept.

“I need to see the conditions,” he said.

Father nodded. "Yes. Don't accept it if it's not beneficial for the shop."

An was surprised. Her father did not use coercive power. Khang also does not consider every suggestion as a trap.

Huy pulled An aside. “Your father just talked to Khang like two adults.”

“Khang is an adult.”

“I'm big too.”

Mai looked at Huy. “You still accidentally eat potato cakes.”

“Growing up doesn't mean skipping the cake.”

The backyard model is supported by parents with small contributions: one person lends a projector, another One person donated the tree, another person asked for his old chair back. No one gave money directly to An. Make a table clearly stating the name and condition of each item.

A parent asked if his child could use the yard for an evening study group. Teacher Hoang said he needed a supervisor and now closed the gate. The group added regulations, not because they wanted to expand but forgot about safety.

The meeting ended when it got dark. An and Khang set up chairs. He asked her father if he had agreed to keep the yard.

“No. But he listened.”

“That's the first step.”

“You sound like Mr. Hoang.”

“I should get royalties.”

An laughed, then asked: "Does the bicycle maintenance contract make you uncomfortable?"

"Don't know yet. I'll read the conditions."

“If I don't accept it, my father won't be displeased.”

"I know. But I didn't accept it just because he was your father, nor did I refuse it just because I was afraid of being indebted."

An nodded. She liked the way Khang kept her right to choose.

On the board, an 11th grade student wrote: "The backyard is open until five o'clock. After five o'clock, go home or tell an adult." Huy added: "Don't stay just because you haven't finished reading the story."

Mai edits: "You can continue reading tomorrow."

Khang looked at the text and said: "Yes. Not everything has to be completed overnight."

An remembers the days when she thought she had to solve everything quickly to prove she was worthy. Now she understands that a project, a family and a new love all take time. The last table has no magic, only those who stay after the drums have sounded.

Father An called her home. An turned to greet Khang, but he gave her an old car light.

“You forgot.”

“I put it in the drawer.”

“So the drawer misses you more than me.”

An burst out laughing. She held the lamp and walked towards her father. Behind, Huy asked who had finished the potato cakes, Mai scolded and Khang pulled the shelf door. One day many adults talked, but what An remembered most was still a simple sentence: don't stay just because you haven't finished reading.

After the meeting, An's father asked her if she wanted him to come to class regularly. An said there was no need, because his presence could make people feel unnatural. Father asked if he could come as a normal parent.

“Dad has to sit at the end, not speak first.”

“I will try.”

The next week, he arrived on time, sat in the wind chair and read a book. Huy saw it and was about to greet "president", but An stepped on his foot. Her father read a chapter, then returned the book to its proper place. A 10th grade student asked him if he liked the story.

“Yes. But I read slowly.”

Students say that if you read slowly, you will remember it longer. Father nodded, as if he had just received valuable advice.

Khang gave An the maintenance schedule. He said the shop's new contract had a good first week, but the price of supplies increased. An asked him if he needed adjustments. Khang said he was negotiating and didn't need her to participate.

An did not try to ask more. She just said if you need someone to read the contract, call. Khang nodded, and trust lay in not asking again.

In the yard, a friend put a message on the board: "Thank you for not asking why I'm sitting here." An realized that sentence was not a compliment for just anyone. It is confirmation that a space can make people less defensive.

Teacher Hoang suggested that the group write a guide for the following classes to take over. An wanted to write long, but Nhu divided it into parts: start small, ask users, record resources, test, fix errors, hand over. Khang added "don't let one person do everything".

Huy added, "Don't let Huy hold scissors when you're hungry." Chief The group kept it because it was right.

Prepare the final version, then give it to the class to read first. Some people point out a sentence that is too formal, a sentence that lacks an example, a line that uses difficult words. She fixed everything. The writer is not the sole owner of the document; Users also have the right to make it easier to understand.

That night, An sent the completed version to his father. He replied: “I will use this handover in another project.” An asked if it was necessary to cite the source. Father said yes, and would enroll in class 11A4.

The day Father An came to class for the second time, he brought a set of raincoats for the yard. An asked if it was a sponsorship or a loan. He said it was sponsored, but wanted the group to refuse if it was not needed. As a quality check, Khang looked at the size, Mai asked if the color was easy to see. They received two sets, returned the rest.

Father An was not offended. He also asked why students did not like the logo color on other sets. Mai's answer is too bright, easily making the yard look like an advertisement. He took notes and said he would pass the feedback on to the design department.

An looked at his father and saw that he was starting to see students as real users, not objects that needed convincing.

During the radio hour, Huy told the story of the anonymous chair. He didn't remind anyone to sit, just said a chair could save an afternoon. The radio broadcast received many messages, some people asked for more chairs, some people asked to keep a corner where no one took photos.

As updated instructions. Khang measures position. An asked about the budget. This time they did not buy immediately; They ask for used chairs from the neighborhood and check the sturdiness first. A chair with misaligned legs was returned because it wasn't beautiful enough.

At the end of the month, reports are submitted on time. Father An said that was the first time he saw a student project with an obvious "don't do" part. An said that sometimes giving up an idea is a way to make room for a better idea.

An saves the email in a public folder, so others can read it later. She didn't keep her compliments to herself. In the yard, Khang builds cabinets, Nhu checks the calendar, Mai cleans the board and Huy counts cakes. A long day ends with little things done right.

An looked at the chairs that had been used for a long time and saw that they no longer looked like new ones but were much more sturdy.