Chapter 26 — Seeds After the Rain

Part VI — Seeds After the Rain

Tuesday morning, the day of the school board meeting to decide the garden's fate, there was a rare clear blue sky after many days of light rain at the end of the year. Gia Huy woke up very early, even though the meeting only started at two o'clock in the afternoon, his heart was filled with excitement mixed with a determination that he had never felt so clearly before.

He arrived at school earlier than usual, stopped by the garden before going to class, and saw Quynh Nhu already present, standing quietly next to the mango tree, gently touching the young leaves that had just sprouted. She wore a neat white shirt, different from the dirty work clothes that Gia Huy often saw - today, she was the official representative of the club standing in front of the school board.

"Are you Okay?" Gia Huy asked, coming to stand next to her, gently holding her hand.

"Very nervous," Quynh Nhu replied, gently squeezing his hand to calm herself. "I keep thinking about how, if today doesn't work, everything we've tried for the past two years, and especially these past few weeks, will be meaningless."

"Nothing is meaningless," Gia Huy said, his voice firm. "No matter the outcome, what we have learned and gone through together will never disappear. But I believe, with everything we have prepared, the chance of success this time is huge."

Quynh Nhu nodded, took a deep breath, trying to regain her composure. The two stood there for a while, looking at the garden in the early morning sunlight, the green vegetable beds, the climbing trellis blooming with late-season flowers, the mango tree growing much higher than the day Gia Huy first arrived here.

At noon, the whole club group gathered in the living room for the final rehearsal before the meeting began. Teacher Binh, wearing a rarely seen neat suit, appeared with an expression both serious and full of hope.

"I have contacted the ward representative who attended the Open Garden Festival the other day," he announced. "He agreed to attend today's meeting to share his views, although he did not hide that last time he was somewhat disappointed due to technical problems. I hope this time, everything will go more smoothly."

That news made the whole group both happy and worried. The presence of the ward representative is an opportunity to prove, but also a significant pressure, especially after the incomplete impression from the previous meeting.

"This time there won't be any incidents," Gia Huy said, his voice determined, his eyes looking around the group. "I have thoroughly checked all the audio equipment and prepared backup plans for every possible situation. We will do well this time."

Dang Khoi, who was also present that day at Gia Huy's invitation to provide logistical support, nodded in agreement. "I mobilized a few more friends to help keep order and make sure the meeting room was not overloaded with attendees," he said. "Also, I asked a few people in the school's media department to record the entire meeting, in case I need to use it as evidence later."

Dang Khoi's presence and enthusiastic contribution made Quynh Nhu look at him with sympathetic eyes. "Thank you for your help," she said, smiling at Dang Khoi.

"Nothing," Dang Khoi replied, a bit embarrassed by that sincere thanks. "Gia Huy has told me a lot about this garden. I think, this is the time I should contribute a little, instead of just standing outside and teasing."

The whole group laughed together, the tense atmosphere eased somewhat thanks to such small warm moments. At one thirty in the afternoon, the group moved to the school's large hall, where the council meeting would take place. The meeting room was quite crowded with attendees - not only school board members, but also representatives of the parent association, several teachers of other subjects, and most surprisingly, a large number of students lined up outside the hall, wanting to watch the meeting even though there were no official seats.

"Why are there so many people?" Quynh Nhu asked, unable to hide her surprise when seeing that scene.

"Maybe thanks to the livestream and campaign posts on social networks," Anh Duong replied, her eyes shining with hope. "Many people want to see with their own eyes the results of the campaign they came together to support."

Gia Huy looked around the crowd and saw many familiar faces - classmates, members of other clubs, even a few teachers he never thought would care about this issue. Feeling supported by so many people, not because of who he was, but because they truly believed in the value of what the group was trying to protect, gave him a deeper sense of pride than anything he had ever experienced before.

When the principal stepped up to the podium and announced the opening of the meeting, the whole hall gradually quieted down in an anxious silence. Gia Huy held Quynh Nhu's hand one last time before she stepped forward to prepare for the most important presentation during the garden's two-year journey.

"Good luck," he whispered, his eyes filled with confidence.

"Thank you," Quynh Nhu replied, gently squeezing his hand one last time before letting go, taking steady steps toward the podium, carrying not only her own hope, but also that of the entire community that has been fighting together for many weeks to protect a small piece of land that holds so much meaning.

Gia Huy sat down in the club row, right next to Anh Duong and Thao, his heart pounding in his chest. He looked around the hall and saw Thao's mother and six other parents who had pledged to speak in support sitting in the front row, holding notes in hand. He also saw the ward representative sitting in the row of honor, his face stern but not revealing any bias towards any side.

"Do you think it'll be okay this time?" Anh Duong asked softly, leaning close to Gia Huy's ear so as not to disturb the solemn atmosphere of the hall.

"I believe it's okay," Gia Huy replied, also whispering. "We are much more prepared than last time, and most importantly, more ready than ever."

Thao, sitting on the other side, clutched her hand nervously. "I just hope there aren't any more technical problems," she whispered, her eyes glancing at the sound system that Gia Huy had thoroughly checked since early morning.

"Don't worry," Gia Huy reassured, "I've checked three times already, and I've also prepared a spare set of speakers to put behind the stage."

The principal, after the opening session, briefly introduced the content of the meeting - reviewing the decision to change the use of the land behind the gymnasium, based on the plans and evidence that the Environmental Club has submitted in recent weeks. "Before making a final decision, we want to fully listen to opinions from relevant parties," the teacher said, his voice solemn. "First, please invite the representative of the Environmental Club to present."

The whole hall applauded politely when Quynh Nhu stepped onto the podium, stood up straight, and took a deep breath before starting. Gia Huy looked at her from the audience, clearly feeling the excitement and pride welling up in his heart. He recalled the image of the timid, somewhat awkward girl he first met a few months ago, and compared it to the girl standing firmly in front of a crowded hall today - an amazing maturity that he was proud to witness, and perhaps, partly contributed to cultivating.

"Dear teachers, delegates, and students present today," Quynh Nhu began, her voice still shaking slightly but much steadier than in previous presentations, "I would like to represent the Environmental Club of Nguyen Hue School, to present about the two-year journey of the small garden behind the gymnasium, and why we believe this place deserves to continue to exist."

The whole hall listened attentively, the atmosphere was solemn but not tense, as if everyone was waiting to be convinced by the story she was about to tell.

Gia Huy looked at Dang Khoi, standing at the end of the hall with a few friends in charge of filming, signaling a silent nod of thanks. Dang Khoi responded with a confident smile, giving him a thumbs up to signal that everything was going smoothly. That scene, the two worlds that he once thought could not be reconciled, were now working side by side for a common goal, making Gia Huy feel an indescribable warmth, a living proof that sometimes, the things we are afraid of losing can become stronger when we dare to face them honestly.