Chapter 12 — Seeds After the Rain

The emergency meeting of the Environmental Club took place the next day, in the multi-purpose room because it was raining and one could not go to the garden. All club members, more than ten people including children who rarely participated fully, were present, a sign that the news about the risk of the garden being wiped out had spread quickly and made everyone really worried.

"We have six weeks," Quynh Nhu began, standing in front of the group with a whiteboard behind her, her voice regaining the familiar calm and decisiveness after yesterday's shock. "Six weeks to convince the school board that this garden is worth keeping. I've been thinking all night, and I think we need a multi-pronged strategy, we can't rely on just one approach."

She wrote on the board three big items: Collect signatures of support, Prepare a formal presentation, and Find an alternative.

"First, I think we need a petition, collecting signatures from students, teachers, even parents, to prove that the garden receives widespread support from the school community, not just our club," Quynh Nhu explained. "Specific numbers will be much more convincing evidence than just a few dozen club members speaking up."

"I can be in charge of this part," Gia Huy raised his hand, an idea already forming in his mind since last night. "I know a lot of friends in different classes, which can help spread the petition faster."

Quynh Nhu nodded, took notes, her eyes flashed with hope. "Second, we need to prepare a truly convincing presentation that not only talks about the emotional value but also has specific data — how many students participated in activities at the garden, how many classes used this space, the environmental impact of the garden compared to a concrete parking lot."

"I will help compile the data. Mr. Binh probably still keeps records of activities from the beginning of the project," Anh Duong said, taking quick notes in his notebook.

"What about the alternative?" Thao asked. "I mean, if we can't use the garden for parking, where else would we suggest?"

The group was silent for a moment, this was clearly the most difficult part. Teacher Binh, sitting at the back of the room listening from the beginning, spoke up. "The teacher has briefly studied the campus map. There is another vacant lot, near the side gate on Le Duan Street, currently abandoned because there were plans to build more classrooms, but that plan was canceled two years ago. That area of land is larger than the current garden, and technically, it is completely possible to convert it into a parking lot without touching the garden."

"So why didn't the school board choose that land from the beginning?" Gia Huy asked, unable to hide his confusion.

"Perhaps because that land is farther from the area where students and teachers usually travel, the cost of leveling is also higher because the terrain is not flat," Mr. Binh explained. "But this is still an option worth proposing, at least to show the board of directors that our club is not just protesting but has thought about a practical solution."

The meeting lasted nearly two hours, with many ideas presented and specific tasks assigned to each member. Gia Huy took on the task of not only collecting signatures but also being in charge of communications, creating a separate social network account for the "Keep Nguyen Hue Garden" campaign, posting photos, videos, and touching stories about the garden to spread more widely.

That afternoon, Gia Huy got to work immediately. He designed a simple but impressive flyer, with an image of a lush garden contrasted with an illustration of a gray concrete parking lot, with the large text: "A garden, two years of effort, countless lessons — please don't let it disappear in one day." He printed out hundreds of copies, divided them among club members to post on bulletin boards in the school, and personally brought the petition list to each classroom, explaining the situation and soliciting signatures.

At first, he was somewhat worried about whether the school's students really cared about this issue or not, because in the past, the garden was often considered an activity of "a small group of nature lovers", receiving little attention from many students. But beyond his expectations, the response he received was surprisingly positive. Many students, even though they had never visited the garden, were still willing to sign in support when they heard the story about the mango tree, about the club's two years of effort, and about the article published last week.

"Hey Gia Huy, is this a petition about the garden issue?" A classmate in class 12A5 asked when he stopped by the classroom during recess. "I read the article online, it's very good. Sign it now."

Just like that, in just the first three days, Gia Huy and the club members collected more than five hundred signatures from students throughout the school, a number far exceeding the group's initial expectations. When Gia Huy reported this number at the next club meeting, Quynh Nhu could not hide her emotions.

"I didn't expect so many people to support me," she said, her voice shaking with emotion. "Thank you very much, Gia Huy. If it weren't for your advocacy, we probably wouldn't have been able to collect it so quickly."

"It's because your story really touched me," Gia Huy replied, although inside he also felt a silent pride at what he had contributed. "I'm just a transmitter."

Anh Duong, sitting nearby listening, couldn't help but butt in. "To be honest, before I was very skeptical of you, but now I have to admit, not everyone is willing to put in the effort to go class by class to collect signatures like that. Many people just post a few lines on social networks to create a movement."

"I just think, if I do it, I have to do it right," Gia Huy replied, a bit embarrassed by the unexpected compliment from the person who was most wary of him. He looked around the group, saw the eyes of trust and gratitude from everyone, and in his heart arose an even stronger determination than before — determination to not only complete the assigned task, but also to find a way to save this garden, at any cost within his ability.

Of course, the fact that he publicly posted flyers around the school and stood in front of each class to collect signatures also inevitably caught the eye of his close friends. During lunch, when Gia Huy just sat down at his usual table, Tuan already had a flyer in his hand, waving it in front of him.

"Did you do this yourself?" Tuan asked, his voice mixed with surprise and teasing. "'Please don't let it disappear in one day' — sounds dramatic."

"Yes, I did," Gia Huy replied frankly, no longer avoiding it like before. "The garden is about to be demolished to make a parking lot, I'm helping the club collect protest signatures."

"Seriously?" Dang Khoi asked, putting down his chopsticks, looking at him more attentively than usual, seemingly trying to evaluate whether this was a joke or not. "Are you really planning on making a big deal out of this? Fighting with the school board too?"

"I'm just helping collect signatures, nothing too big," Gia Huy replied, trying to keep his voice light even though he felt an uncomfortable scrutiny from his friend.

"Be careful," Dang Khoi said, half joking and half serious. "Things like this can easily get noticed by the school board and blacklisted. You also have to ask for a letter of recommendation from the school for your study abroad application, don't offend anyone who doesn't deserve it."

That sentence made Gia Huy pause a bit. He had never thought about that aspect — that publicly taking a stand against a school board decision could affect other things in his future. But soon, he put that thought aside, telling himself that this was not a causeless rebellion, but a legitimate effort to protect something of real value.

"Probably not that bad," he replied, smiling slightly to lighten the mood. "Anyway, I think this is something worth doing."

Tuan shrugged his shoulders and said nothing more, but his eyes still showed skepticism. Dang Khoi was also silent for a moment, then changed to another topic, but Gia Huy could feel a small distance that had just formed, vague but real, between him and the close group of friends who had accompanied him for nearly a school year.

But although the initial results were positive, the whole group understood that the road ahead was still very long and full of thorns. The number of supporting signatures, although impressive, is still not enough to ensure that the school board will change its decision, especially when the counterbalance is a practical need and supported by many parents and teachers such as parking. The real battle, the whole group implicitly understood, was still ahead, and would require much more effort from everyone, especially from Gia Huy himself, who was now at a crossroads between continuing to be the "popular Gia Huy" in the old safe way, or becoming a new Gia Huy, daring to speak up, daring to fight for what he truly believed in.