Chapter 22 — Sunlight on the Red Book

The peak of the high tide came at around three o'clock in the morning, when the river level rose to its highest level recorded in many years. The entire response force of Con Sen commune is mobilized to the fullest, on duty at each critical point to promptly handle all arising situations.

In the area near Mr. Sau Tam's house, where the terrain is lower than other areas, water began to overflow over the dike, causing local flooding in some low houses in the hamlet. Ha Vy, upon receiving the news, immediately arrived with the rescue team to help move people to a safe place.

"Everyone, stay calm and follow the instructions of the rescue team," Ha Vy shouted loudly through the sound of wind and rain, helping an elderly woman wade through the water that was rising nearly to her knees. "Everything will be fine, we will get everyone to safety."

The relocation work took place very urgently but still ensured order, thanks to the careful preparation in advance by the response team. Each household is instructed to move to a safe shelter that has been arranged at the school and commune's cultural house, where there are enough blankets, food, and reserved drinking water.

In the midst of that chaos, an urgent news made Ha Vy's heart stop beating - Mr. Sau Tam, despite being informed to relocate, still insisted on returning to the old house to retrieve a wooden chest containing precious family memorabilia, right when the water was at its highest.

Without hesitation, Ha Vy and Dang Khoa, who had just arrived to assist in the rescue work, immediately rushed towards Mr. Sau Tam's house, despite the fast-flowing water and strong winds that had not stopped. When they arrived, they found him trying to drag a heavy wooden chest out of the house, which was flooded up to his waist.

"Grandpa, we have to go now, there's no time left!" Ha Vy shouted loudly, waded into the house, and grabbed the old man's shaking arm.

"I can't leave it behind," Mr. Sau Tam replied, his voice choking between the howling wind and rain. "These are the last mementos of my wife, of my entire life attached to this land."

Dang Khoa, without hesitating for another moment, lifted the wooden chest onto his shoulder, while Ha Vy and a member of the rescue team helped Mr. Sau Tam wade back out of the house, towards the waiting rescue boat. The fast-flowing water made the group's steps much more difficult, but with determination and smooth coordination, they still managed to escape to safety in time.

When they got on the lifeboat, all three people were panting and soaked from head toe, but everyone couldn't hide their extreme relief. Mr. Sau Tam, holding the wooden chest tightly in his arms, could not hold back his emotional tears. “Thank you, children, thank you for risking your lives for me,” he said, his voice trembling and choking.

"Don't think about that anymore," Ha Vy said, her voice could not hide the trembling after the dangerous moment she had just experienced, hugging tightly the old man's thin shoulders, who were trembling from cold and fear. "The most important thing right now is that you're safe."

The rescue boat quickly brought all three people to a safe shelter, where medical forces were ready to care for the newly relocated people. Dang Khoa, after ensuring that Mr. Sau Tam was well taken care of, turned to look at Ha Vy with eyes full of both worry and admiration.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his trembling hand gently stroking her wet hair. "I was so scared that I couldn't breathe when I saw you rushing into the water like that."

"I'm fine," Ha Vy replied, smiling slightly even though her body was still shaking from the cold and the afterglow of the fear she had just experienced. "It's just that I can't stand by and watch Mr. Sau Tam in danger without doing anything."

Dang Khoa hugged her tightly, his voice choked. "I know. But please, next time think about your own safety first. I can't imagine if anything happens to you."

Throughout the rest of the night, the rain continued to fall, although the intensity began to decrease from its initial peak. At the shelter, the atmosphere was tense but still filled with the spirit of solidarity and mutual support of the people of Con Sen. Families with more means share blankets and food with those in need, while young volunteers constantly move back and forth, helping to care for the elderly and children.

By morning, when the rain had completely stopped, information compiled from patrol teams showed that, although some areas were locally flooded, causing property damage, fortunately, no one in the commune was seriously injured. "This is a happy result, thanks to the careful preparation work and the quick and timely response spirit of all people," Mr. Tran Quoc Hung announced during a quick briefing meeting at the shelter, his voice filled with relief mixed with pride.

Ha Vy, although exhausted after a long and stressful night, still took the time to visit each family staying temporarily, taking preliminary notes on the extent of damage so that she could have a timely support plan after the water receded. "Miss, my house is flooded with almost all the furniture in the house," a middle-aged woman told her, her voice filled with worry about the coming days.

"Don't worry too much, everything will be fine," Ha Vy replied, her voice kind. "The commune government will have a plan to support all affected households in overcoming the consequences. We will overcome this difficult period together, no one will be left behind."

The next morning, when the sun rarely appeared after many days of dense clouds, Con Sen people began to return home to assess the damage and clean up after the high tide. The Lam family's garden, thanks to timely reinforcement work, only suffered minor damage in a few low-lying areas, most of the plants were still preserved intact.

"We were much luckier than we could have been," Dang Khoa said as he and Ha Vy re-examined the entire garden in the early morning sunlight. "Without careful preparation and the solidarity of the whole community, perhaps the consequences would have been much more serious than what we had feared."

"That's right," Ha Vy replied, her eyes looking around the garden that was gradually regaining its green look after the heavy rain. "After spending last night, I became more aware of the power of solidarity and mutual support. That is the most valuable thing a community can have."

That afternoon, Mr. Sau Tam, although still tired after the long and eventful night, personally came to thank Ha Vy and Dang Khoa once again. "If it weren't for you two, I probably wouldn't have had the chance to say thank you," he said, his voice still shaking as he remembered last night's dangerous moment. He opened the wooden chest that had been rescued, inside were old photos, some simple jewelry, and a set of handwritten letters that had yellowed over the years.

"These are mementos of my wife, who passed away many years ago," he explained, his voice filled with appreciation as he flipped through old photos. "She always said, no matter how difficult life is, as long as we keep beautiful memories, people can still find the strength to move on."

Ha Vy, moved by that simple but meaningful story, couldn't help but feel more appreciative of the value of what she was doing. “I understand why you are so determined to save this chest,” she said, her voice sincere. "There are values that cannot be measured with money or any other material in the world."

"That's right, son," Mr. Sau Tam nodded, his eyes looking distantly at the river that was gradually regaining its original gentleness after the fierce tide. "And I believe, it is those values that truly connect people to each other, and to the land on which we live."

Dang Khoa, standing quietly listening to the entire story, gently squeezed Ha Vy's hand, his eyes filled with deep sympathy. All three people sat together for a long time, under the shade of the coconut trees that had just gone through a fierce storm, quietly enjoying a rare moment of peace after a long and challenging night, feeling more clearly than ever the invisible but strong bond between people who had overcome adversity together, a strong bond that no high tide could wash away.