Chapter 18 — Voices Behind the Dark Room

Hearing the door open, she immediately ran over. "Mommy's home." I squatted down and hugged my child. "Mommy's home." She touched my face. "Did you win yet?" I froze. Then he laughed and cried at the same time. "It's not about winning." "It's about Duong Duong being safe." 21 That night, Duong Duong slept very deeply. The small hand placed on the rabbit's body, for the first time, the eyebrows were not furrowed. I sat by the bed and looked at my child for a long time. Outside the window there were car lights passing by, but inside the house was very quiet. This silence is no longer like the Luong family's living room, so oppressive that it makes people unable to breathe. It's very clean. It's the quiet when the door is open, the lights are on, and mom is right next to you. The processing that follows takes a very long time. Because he locked up children, threatened them, and even arbitrarily gave them drugs, Luong Duc Hai was taken for further investigation. Luu Ngoc Mai and Luong Nhuoc Tinh were also asked to coordinate testimony for concealment and assistance. In the end, they could no longer use a "family story" to gently cover up the suffering Duong Duong had endured. Luong Thua Trach pays treatment fees and alimony according to the verdict. He no longer comes to the door of the new house. From time to time, he asked the lawyer about Duong Duong's recovery. I only ask the lawyer to answer one question at a time. The child is stable, not suitable for being disturbed. Then he wrote a very long letter. When the envelope was sent to me, I did not open it. I put it at the bottom of the folder. That's not what Duong Duong should have to endure right now. If an apology is just to make an adult feel better, it is not worthy of being given in front of a child. Duong Duong's training continues. She still wakes up startled on nights when the thunder is too loud. Still hiding behind me when he saw the narrow cabinet. But she started to be more willing to talk. She knows how to say good morning to her mother. Know how to say it's morning. I know the rabbit is hungry. One day, she saw a little girl fall in front of the rehabilitation center. The little girl cried very loudly. Duong Duong stood in place, holding my hand and hesitated for a long time. Then she slowly walked over, took a tissue from her bag and gave it to you. Her voice was very small but very serious. "Don't cry." At that moment, Ms. Manh's eyes standing next to her turned red. My eyes are also red. It turns out that a child who has been deeply hurt by the world will still give tenderness to others. When autumn passed, I took Duong Duong back to the hospital once. Still the old doctor. He flipped through the new assessment report, with a slightly surprised look on his face. "The recovery of language ability is much better than expected." "The cognitive response is also more complete than the previous record." He raised his head to look at Duong Duong. "Duong Duong, how old are you this year?" Duong Duong sat next to my feet, raised his head and looked at me. I nodded slightly. She squeezed the rabbit's ears and slowly raised four fingers. "Four years old." The doctor smiled. "Great." When I left the hospital, I folded up the new assessment sheet and put it in my bag. Two years ago, the piece of paper was very thin but pressed in the palm of my hand felt as heavy as iron. Now it's still very thin. But I know it can't judge Duong Duong's life anymore. Before winter comes, the balcony of the new house is installed with heating lamps. Duong Duong likes to sit there and do puzzles. She built a small house. The house has no storage room. All doors are open. She placed the rabbit inside, then placed a small figure next to it. I asked my child: "Who is this?" The girl said: “Duong Duong.” I asked again: "What about this person?" She placed another figure at the door. “Mom.” I smiled and asked, “Why are you standing at the door?” She thought for a moment, raised her head and looked at me. "Wait for Duong Duong." Tears almost fell from my eyes. I held my child in my arms. "From now on, no matter where Duong Duong goes, I will wait for you." She leaned on my shoulder

me, my voice soft. "Mom, you're not late." I was stunned. She repeated again. "Mommy has come." I closed my eyes and hugged my child tightly. This time, I don't say sorry anymore. Because I know, in the life ahead, what is more important than regret is companionship. When spring came, Duong Duong finally entered the integration class in kindergarten. On the first day of school, she held my hand at the door and refused to let go. I squatted down and adjusted my child's small jacket. "If you're scared, you can tell the teacher." "It's okay if you don't want to talk." "Mom will be the first to pick you up this afternoon." She looked at me, her eyes red. "Is the door open?" I showed her. The classroom door is wide open, the windows are also bright. The teacher stood at the door, smiling and waving at the child. "Open." Duong Duong nodded. The girl hugged the rabbit and walked in step by step. When she reached the door, she suddenly turned around. The sunlight fell on my face, my eyes seemed to be lit again. She waved at me. "Mom, wait for me." I stood in place, smiling and replied. "Okay, mom, wait for me." That afternoon, the girl ran out of the kindergarten, holding a picture in her hand. There is no dark room in the painting. There are no locked doors. There are no such cold adults. There is only one tree, one sun and a small, bright house. In front of the house is me and the baby.