Chapter 12 — The Path of Remembrance

On the day of the sports festival, I realized how solemnly this school organizes such activities. Banners were hung on the gymnasium field, each class had uniform class shirts, and there was also a cheerleading team. Our class cheerleading team was led by Trieu Giai Giai, Luc Uyen Dinh was in charge of shouting slogans. They wore white T-shirts with class numbers printed on them, standing neatly on the side of the track. I wore uniform sweatpants and stood on the starting line. Both sides were athletes from other classes, some of them were a head taller than me. Exam eight hundred meters ahead. As soon as the command gun rang out, I rushed away. As I ran, I thought about Gray Gray. When Gray Gray ran, his four legs took turns as fast as lightning, his hooves made a clacking sound on the dirt road, his tail swung like a whip. I can't run with Gray Gray's speed, but I can run with his spirit. At the turn, I went from third position to first. When the sprint was on the straight line, I was more than half a lap behind the person behind. I rushed across the finish line. The gym teacher clicked the clock. “Two minutes and fifty-six seconds.” Everyone in the stands stood up. A sixth grade boy shouted. “This girl can run faster than me!” I bent my back and took two breaths. My class cheerleaders in the stands were clapping. Trieu Giai Giai patted very slowly, as if unwilling. Luc Uyen Dinh smiled and clapped his hands, his mouth was moving, maybe shouting for strength. But I didn't hear her. Four hundred meter test in the afternoon. This time, I ran one minute and nine seconds. Top of the entire block. The gym teacher came looking for me, his expression as serious as ever. "To Niem Niem, your qualifications to join the district-level youth athletics team are outstanding. Have you considered following the sports path?" “I was thinking.” “Thinking for how long?” "Two seconds. I still want to draw more." The gym teacher's face fell. But the teacher did not force it. During recess after the sports festival, several boys who had not talked to me before gathered around. “To Niem Niem, you are so fierce, two first prizes!” “In the countryside, do you run in the mountains every day?” “I don't run every day, sometimes I ride a donkey.” “Riding a donkey?” “Yes, I have a donkey.” Their expressions were like looking at aliens. But this time it wasn't the "you're so strange" look. It's "you're so cool". After school, Luc Uyen Dinh stood waiting for the bus with me. She was silent for a moment before speaking. “Nien Niem, you ran really fast today.” “I'm used to running in the mountains.” “Did your physical education teacher say you could join the district-level track and field team?” “I won't go.” "Why?" “Because next week I have to paint.” She didn't speak anymore. The car arrived, we got in the car together. Luc's father in the car already knew about the sports festival. "Nien Niem, two first prizes? Why didn't you say anything to dad?" “I forgot.” “This child, the news is so exciting that he can't forget it.” He was very happy and said he would take me out to eat delicious food on the weekend. Luc Uyen Dinh sat next to her, quietly looking out the window. Her shadow was reflected in the car windshield, her expression vague and unclear. But I noticed her hand kept rubbing the hem of her uniform. Round after round. After news of the city-level children's art exhibition spread throughout the school, on the surface my life became a little more comfortable. Ms. Phuong no longer just looks at my scores. During class activities, she started mentioning "diverse development" and "giftedness is also a type of advantage". But Trieu Giai Giai's petty tricks never stopped. It's just that she became more discreet. One day, I returned from the bathroom and discovered that the English book on the table had turned to a blank page. All the small pieces of paper with vocabulary written in the book disappeared. Those are pieces of paper that I arrange myself, each with a word and its meaning, which is the most effective way to remember for me. I asked around, no one saw. Again there is no evidence. I went and copied it once. After copying, I clipped the pieces of paper into my exercise book and stuffed them to the bottom of my bag. Lam Tieu Ha thought of a way to help me. "In the future, put all important items in your bag and zip it up. When you hang your bag on a chair, turn the zipper to the back of the chair, making it difficult for others to search." “How do you know?

t these things?” “Bloody experience.” She pushed her glasses. “In third grade, my pencil bag was taken away three times.” I looked at her. “Is it also Trieu Giai Giai?” “The one under her hand. She didn't do it herself, but the idea was hers." “What about Uyen Dinh?” Lam Tieu Ha thought. “Uyen Dinh has never taken action, nor given ideas, but she knows those things. Every time something happened, she stood up to be a good person and said a few fair words to help. Then everyone felt she was honest.” “She knew but didn't stop her?” “If she stops her, what will she do to be a good person?” This sentence made me silent for a long time. On Thursday afternoon, the preliminary results of the art exhibition were announced. Before school ended, Ms. Ton came looking for me. Her expression was calm, but the speed of her walk betrayed her. She walked too fast, as if she had good news that she couldn't hold back. “Nien Niem, your painting has been selected.” “Really?”