Chapter 28 — The Alley Is No Longer On The Map

Twenty months after the plan was officially approved, Dong An New Urban Area completed phase one as committed. Modern high-rise buildings had sprung up where there had once been close-fitting corrugated iron roofs, but in the middle, just as in the old drawings, a small square still existed, with a carefully restored stone well, and an ancient tamarind tree with green leaves that shaded a corner of the newly paved brick yard.

Early in the morning of the square's inauguration, when the fog had not yet dissipated, Khanh was present very early. His car repair shop was now located in a small kiosk right next to the square, in accordance with the agreement to give priority to long-time businesses in the old area. The wooden sign "Car Repair — Hai Moc" was old, with some words peeling off. He brought it over from the old shop and hung it in the same position as an unbroken continuation, even though the four surrounding walls were now completely different.

The inauguration ceremony had no fanfare, no grand slogan banners or lengthy speeches. The project management board simply organized a small ceremony: cutting the ribbon to inaugurate the square, and inviting resident representatives to join in placing the stone stele next to the well - the stele whose final content was discussed and agreed upon by the whole neighborhood over many long evenings.

The meetings to discuss the content of that stele, which took place for nearly two months, were not as simple as many people thought. Some people wanted to engrave their own family story, while others wanted to keep the content short and concise. In the end, it was Mrs. Nam Xoi who made a proposal that was agreed upon by the majority: only record the most common things, belonging to the whole community, and for individual stories, each family could tell it to their children and grandchildren, without having to engrave it all on stone.

Uncle Bay Thoai, even though he had moved to a resettlement area three kilometers away, this morning still rode his bike in the early morning sun to attend, not missing this important moment. "I'm old, and I can still get around, but my name on this stele will help future descendants know where their grandfather used to live and what he did," he said, his voice a bit choked, rarely seen in a man who was always pragmatic and tough.

Vy read aloud the inscription on the stele in front of everyone, her voice rang out clearly in the quiet morning. "This place used to be Common Well Alley, where forty-seven families shared every bucket of water, every meal, every difficulty of more than fifty years of living. This well was restored by Mr. Dang Van Lanh in the past, and is now preserved to remind those who come later: no matter how life changes, the origin is always worth respecting."

Below the main text, is a list of forty-seven households that once lived here, engraved in alphabetical order, regardless of rich or poor, regardless of who stayed or who moved to another place.

Khanh and Vy together placed the tin box - now polished again, containing the new letter they wrote together a few weeks ago - into a small cavity at the foot of the stone stele, according to the prepared design, and then covered it with a thin layer of cement, completing the final stage of a promise that had gone through two burials, two digs, and now, an eternal rest in the heart of the community.

*

The morning gradually passed, and the people who came to attend the inauguration ceremony gradually dispersed, each going about his own business. Mrs. Nam Xoi moved her sticky rice basket right at the corner of the square, in the same familiar location where she had sold it for decades, the only difference is that now the old dirt floor has been replaced with smooth tiles. Little Lam, now much older than the ten-year-old girl before, is helping Khanh rearrange tools in the new car repair kiosk, her hands are much more skilled than the first days of just standing and watching.

"Uncle Khanh, I want to seriously study car repair, is that okay?" The girl asked, her voice full of teenage determination.

"Yes, you have a talent." Khanh replied, patting her head, his eyes sparkling with joy similar to what his father had given him years ago.

He looked at the sign "Car Repair - Hai Moc" hanging on top of the kiosk, and suddenly remembered what his father had told him in the past, when he was sitting on an old rattan chair in front of the shop, watching his son work with eyes that were both proud and sad. If he were still alive today, he would certainly be happy to see that the profession he had been involved with all his life was still continuing, even though the surrounding space had completely changed. Khanh thought to herself, perhaps this was the best way to remember a deceased person — not by formal ceremonies, but by continuing to live, continuing to do the things that person once cherished.

Vy, standing next to the well, had a similar moment of silence as she looked at the name "Trinh Thi Nhien" engraved on the stele, interspersed among forty-six other names of families who once lived here. She gently touched the inscription of her mother's name, a quiet but emotional gesture, like a belated apology and also a thank you to the deceased, who always believed and was proud of her despite the years of neglect and separation.

Near noon, a man driving a delivery vehicle stopped in front of the urban area gate, holding his phone in his hand, looking around seemingly confused. He asked a guard standing nearby. "Dear, can you tell me where Gieng Chung alley is? The phone's navigation shows this place right away, but I don't see the name of the alley written anywhere, I only see a sign saying Dong An New Urban Area."

The guard, a young man new to the job, scratched his head in confusion. "I don't know, maybe the old name is no longer on the map anymore."

At that moment, Khanh walked by, heard the story, stopped, pointed towards the square with the stone well and the newly placed stele. "You just go straight in there, to the square with the well, it's Gieng Chung alley. The official name on paper is now Dong An New Urban Area, but we here are still used to calling it Gieng Chung, we'll probably still call it that for a long time."

The delivery person nodded his thanks and drove inside according to the instructions. Khanh stood and watched, a light smile on his lips. He thinks that there are names that, once deeply imprinted in people's hearts, no matter what the official map says, they cannot be completely erased.

Vy walked over and stood next to him, her hand gently touching his hand. They both looked towards the square where little Lam was laughing and playing with other children around the edge of the well, where Mrs. Nam Xoi was hawking her goods with a familiar voice that had echoed for many years, where the sign "Car Repair - Hai Moc" still hung there, old but steadfast, as an affirmation that no matter how fast the world around them changed, there were still things that were allowed to stay the same.

"Do you think, tomorrow, when someone asks for directions here, what name will they use to show the way?" Vy asked, her voice was gentle like an idle question.

"It will probably take a long time for people to get used to calling Dong An New Urban Area." Khanh replied, gently squeezing her hand. "For me, for the people here, this place will always be Gieng Chung alley, whether it's on the map or not."

The sound of a water bucket hitting the wall of the well echoed somewhere behind. Some child had just tried to pull water up to play. The sound of water pouring onto the new brick floor created a clear, crisp sound, echoing throughout the yard, like a familiar rhythm that had never changed for more than half a century, and perhaps, would continue to echo like that for many more years to come.

Mr. Binh, who stopped by to attend the inauguration as a company representative, stood looking at the scene from afar, nodded slightly with satisfaction before turning to Diem Quynh who was standing next to him. "This is truly a successful project, not only measured by profits, but also by what we leave behind for the people who used to live here." Quynh nodded in agreement, not forgetting to jot down a few notes in a small notebook, perhaps to serve as reference material for future projects she will undertake, bringing with her the valuable lesson she learned from the colleague she admired.

Little Lam ran back and pulled Khanh's hand, her voice excited. "Uncle Khanh, teach me to draw water from the well. I want to try."

Khanh led the girl closer to the edge of the well, instructing each movement of releasing the bucket and pulling the rope, exactly the same way Uncle Hai Moc taught him many years ago. Vy stood looking at that scene, a warm smile on her lips, clearly feeling a cycle of life, of memories, continuing to be passed down naturally, without any formal rituals to affirm its value.