Chapter 28 — The Bookmobile Through the Mountains

On the occasion of the sixteenth anniversary of the establishment of the "Anh Duong Mobile Library" program, which coincidentally fell right at the time when the program had just overcome the biggest crisis in its history, Nghi and Nam and the entire community of villages along the route decided to organize a special ceremony to mark this milestone, and officially honor the person who laid the first bricks for all that is continuing to develop today.

The chosen location was right at the school yard. Nam Cay School Site, the place Nghi's father once marked on the map but had not yet set foot on, has now become one of the most important stops on the route, and is also where the love between Nghi and Nam has blossomed and grown with each trip.

The ceremony took place on a late fall day, when the weather was much cooler than the hot summer months and recent stormy season. The schoolyard is decorated simply but cozy, with small colorful flags made by the students themselves, pots of wildflowers brought by people in the village, and in the most solemn position, the small reading corner that Nghi and Nam set up together many months ago, has now been expanded into a much larger bookcase, enough to hold nearly five hundred books.

On that bookcase, a new wooden sign is solemnly engraved with the words: "Khuong Vinh Trac Reading Corner — Where Letters Begin from the Heart". When the covering cloth was pulled down, revealing the inscription in front of a large crowd of relatives, students, teachers, and guests from the district and province attending, Nghi could not hold back his tears and stood silently for a long time in front of the sign bearing his father's name.

Mrs. Dung stood next to her daughter, her trembling hand holding Nghi's hand tightly, both mother and daughter looked up at the wooden sign, their hearts filled with an emotion that no words could fully describe. "Your father is definitely smiling somewhere, Nghi," Mrs. Dung whispered, her voice choked.

Mr. Luong Dac Uy, invited to attend as an honored guest, also gave a short speech, expressing his appreciation for the program's persistent contributions to the cause of highland education in Van Thac district over the past sixteen years. "This program is a living proof that sometimes, the simplest solutions, coming from the most sincere heart, bring the most lasting results," he said, his eyes looking respectfully at Nghi.

When it was her turn, Nghi stepped up to speak, her hand holding her father's first notebook, the notebook that has followed her throughout the journey from the first day of taking over the program until today. "Sixteen years ago, a young teacher, with a scrappy motorbike and a few dozen old books, started a journey that he had no idea how far it would go," she said, her voice ringing with emotion but steadfastness. "He did it not to gain fame, not to prove anything to anyone, but simply because he believed that every child, no matter where they were born, deserved the opportunity touch a book."

She told the story of Tuat, about the difficult early days, about her mother's silent sacrifices over the years, and about her own journey - from the first days of confusion, full of self-doubt, to the moment she realized she did not need to become a perfect version of her father, but just needed to be herself, carrying all the love and enthusiasm that her father had passed on.

“Today, we not only celebrate sixteen years of a program, but also the triumph of faith, of perseverance, and of an entire community that stood up together to protect the values we hold dear,” Nghi said, her voice now filled with pride. "I would like to thank everyone present here today, and I promise, this program will continue to go further, bringing literacy to more villages, so that no child in the Van Thac highland has to grow up without touching a book."

After the speech, Nghi invited all the families who have accompanied the program over the years to share a few words - Mr. Sung A Chinh representing Seo Lu, Ms. Ban Thi Nai representing Khuoi Tra, Mr. Truong Van Nhiem representing Dong Soi, and Mr. Nam representing Nam Cay. Each person tells a small story, a personal memory of the program, creating a colorful overall picture of what the program has brought to each family and each child along the route.

In particular, Lo Van Pao, who has now officially passed the entrance exam to the district boarding school for ethnic minorities with high scores, was also present at the ceremony, wearing the brand new uniform of the boarding school, standing up to share his dream. "If it weren't for this program, I probably would never have dared to dream of taking the entrance exam to boarding school. I promise to study very well, so that in the future I can return to help other children in my hometown, like Ms. Nghi and Mr. Nam did."

The boy's innocent but sincere promise made many people in the crowd quickly wipe away their emotional tears. Nghi stood and looked at that scene, feeling more deeply than ever the true meaning of what she was doing - not only bringing books to each village, but also sowing seeds of hope, letting them grow, flourish, and one day, those same seeds would continue to plant new seeds for the next generation.

Before the ceremony officially ended, Nghi also reserved a special part to open his father's first notebook in front of everyone, re-reading the paragraph he wrote on the first day of the program sixteen years ago - the words about Tuat, about his determination not to let that tragedy happen again. The whole schoolyard listened silently, many people could not hide their emotions, especially parents whose children had to drop out of school midway due to difficult circumstances, and were now standing there, witnessing their other children continue to go to school thanks to the program's relentless support.

After that, Nghi opened the second notebook, a new notebook that she herself started writing after taking over the program, re-reading a few lines she had written down during the past journey - notes about Dinh, about My, about Kia, about Pao, about Khoi, about the stormy night saving baby Senh. "This is no longer just my father's story," she said, her voice ringing with emotion, "but the story of all of us, of every family, every child who has contributed to writing the next pages in this notebook."

She announced her decision that this new handbook, from now on, would not be written by her alone, but would be passed on to teachers and village heads on the route, so that everyone could record their own stories and memorable moments, turning it into a living chronicle of the whole community, instead of just the personal notes of the person in charge of the program.

That idea received a warm response from everyone present. Mr. Nam was the first person invited to write a paragraph in the new notebook, right at the ceremony, in front of everyone. He held the pen, thought for a moment, then wrote: "Nam Cay, sixteenth anniversary. This place taught me that sometimes, the most meaningful things in life come from the most bumpy roads." After reading, he looked up at Nghi. Their eyes met, filled with a deep affection that the whole schoolyard seemed to feel.

At the end of the ceremony, when the sunset began to fall, dyeing the entire Nam Cay schoolyard in a warm yellow, Nghi stood quietly in front of the sign bearing her father's name, placed her hand on the cool wooden surface, and whispered the last words that only she and he could hear. "Dad, I've done it. Not only keeping what you left behind, but also helping it grow stronger and reach further. I hope, somewhere, you are proud of me, just like I am always proud of you."

Mrs. Dung walked over to stand next to her daughter. They both silently looked at the sign in the sunset, without needing to say another word. In the distance, the children's laughter still echoed throughout the schoolyard, and the sounds of adults chatting loudly over the small trays of food prepared by people to celebrate together, creating a warm, vibrant picture amidst the Van Thac mountains and forests. Nghi took a deep breath, fully feeling the atmosphere of this moment, knowing that this would be one of the most beautiful memories she would carry with her throughout her life, a moment that marked the complete end of an arduous journey, and at the same time the opening of a new, brighter, more steadfast chapter for the program that her father had worked so hard to build.