Chapter 22 — Where Old Elephants Rest

The next three days passed in persistent tension, though not as dramatic as the first night. Sao Mai gradually regained her strength, began to eat a little porridge mixed with medicine, and then gradually switched to pureed young grass, but the team's head doctor still maintained a cautious attitude, constantly monitoring vital indicators, concerned about the possibility of relapse, which is very common in old elephants after a serious bout of colic.

The whole camp almost switched to a special operating mode, all other work was temporarily put aside to focus resources on taking care of Sao Mai. Ha Lam almost never left the elephant field, sleeping in a temporary hammock under a nearby tree, ready to jump up at any sign of anything unusual. Tuan Khoi also stayed on duty throughout, closely coordinating with the emergency team, and took advantage of his rare free time to keep in touch with the Japanese lawyer about the pending lawsuit situation.

On the fourth day, a small but heart-stopping incident happened - Sao Mai suddenly stopped eating again in the afternoon, showing signs of a mild stomachache recurring. The team leader immediately checked and discovered that part of the undigested food was causing a slight blockage in the intestinal tract.

"It's not as serious as last time, but it needs close monitoring," he said, adjusting the treatment regimen, adding digestive enzymes and adjusting the diet to better suit the old elephant's digestive system, which has weakened with age.

During the days of staying at Sao Mai, the whole Chu Rinh village seemed to have become an indispensable part of the camp. The mothers and grandmothers took turns cooking rice to bring down for the care team, the young men led by Y Khun took turns on duty at night to help keep watch, and the children in the village drew funny pictures of Sao Mai and posted them all over the fence of the elephant field as an innocent but sincere wish. Ama Not came by almost every day, some days he just sat quietly for a while by the tree, holding a wooden rosary, muttering ancient prayers.

"You know," the old man said to Ha Lam one afternoon, as they both sat looking at the sleeping Sao Mai, "when this elephant was young, my father once said that it had eyes wise beyond its years. He believed that it would live longer than all the people who had ever taken care of it, to witness all the changes in our village and this whole land."

"I hope so, old man," Ha Lam replied, her voice choked. "I hope he lives many more years, to witness better things gradually coming to the camp and his village."

While waiting for the situation to stabilize, Ha Lam had a rare moment of silence to sit with Tuan Khoi. Both were exhausted but still trying to stay awake to look after Sao Mai.

"Do you think," Ha Lam said, her voice thoughtful, her eyes still not leaving the old elephant resting, "maybe this is a sign that I have asked too much of it? Thirty years of living in a protected environment, but the years before that, what he had to endure when he was young, may have left consequences that are only now fully revealed."

Tuan Khoi pondered for a moment before answering, carefully considering each word. "Old elephants, like old people, at some point, their bodies will begin to show the damage accumulated over a lifetime, no matter how well cared for. This is not your fault or the camp's fault, but an inevitable natural law. The important thing is, in these last years of its life, it can live in love, not in suffering like what it experienced before."

That comforting word partly eased the torment in Ha Lam's heart, but could not completely erase the fear that one day, not too far from now, she would have to say goodbye to the elephant that had been with her whole life. It was part of loving beings with limited lifespans, a lesson she had learned from her father but was never truly prepared to face.

By the evening of the fifth day, Sao Mai's condition had finally stabilized completely, eating normally and walking more steadily, although the team's head doctor recommended a long-term special care regimen, including a more carefully adjusted diet, more frequent health checks, and reducing stressful activities for it.

"Miss Lam," the team's head doctor said before the emergency team left, "I want to say one more thing. In my entire career, I have rarely seen a community as united in caring for an elephant as what I have seen here over the past few days — not just the professional team, but the locals, the village elders, all dedicated to it. That is why I believe, this elephant, and your entire camp, deserve the best support we can give. can bring."

Right after Sao Mai's situation temporarily stabilized, another piece of news came, this time not from the health side of the elephants, but from the legal side. Lawyer Nhat called to inform that the district court had set the date for the official mediation session, which was only one week away.

"The timing couldn't be worse," Ha Lam said, her voice exhausted after nearly a week of staying awake taking care of Sao Mai. "We haven't had time to recover from what just happened."

"But perhaps, the story that just happened is the most vivid evidence for what you have always tried to prove," the Japanese lawyer said, his voice somewhat optimistic. "The solidarity between the camp and the Chu Rinh village community during the recent crisis, the dedicated support from experts and the whole society, all are eloquent evidence of the true value of this model. I think, this is the time we need to present the whole story, not only about the past, but also about what just happened, in court."

That evening, the whole group - Ha Lam, Tuan Khoi, lawyer Nhat, Xuan Mai, along with Mr. Thach and Ama Not who was invited to participate - sat down for a detailed meeting to discuss the strategy for the upcoming mediation session. Lawyer Nhat spread out a thick file on the table, including all the evidence he had collected over the past several months - the written agreement with Chu Rinh village, the appraisal report from the Department of Agriculture, testimonies of witnesses, and even video recordings from the last Sao Mai emergency night as a living testament to the community spirit that had been built.

"We will present it in chronological order, so that the conciliation council can clearly see the entire journey, from past mistakes to the correction process and the results achieved," lawyer Nhat explained, pointing to each part of the document. "The most important thing is to show that this is not an establishment trying to hide its mistakes, but a model that is constantly improving, recognized by both the community and professional agencies."

Mr. Thach, sitting quietly listening throughout the meeting, finally spoke up, his voice was weak but full of determination. "I want to personally be present at the mediation session, no matter how much the doctor prevents me. This is my responsibility, I cannot let my daughter alone bear the responsibility for my own mistakes."

Ama Not also nodded in agreement, his old eyes steadfast. "I will also be present, along with several representatives of the trade. This is not just Mr. Thach's family's story anymore, but a common story for all of us."

Tuan Khoi, sitting next to Ha Lam throughout the meeting, occasionally gently squeezed her hand under the table whenever she showed signs of worry, a small gesture but enough to remind her that she no longer had to face anything alone. Xuan Mai, even though she is the youngest person in the room, also contributed many sharp opinions on how to present the story in a way that is both legally convincing and touches the hearts of those who will sit in the mediation council.

Looking around at the determined faces standing side by side preparing for the upcoming decisive battle, Ha Lam felt a great collective strength that she had never dared to dream of when she began her solo journey against Hoang Kim many months ago. She looked towards Sao Mai, standing firmly again under the familiar shadow of a tree, next to Vang, who was lovingly rubbing her head against her friend's body, and felt that, although the road ahead was still full of thorns, she was more ready than ever to enter the final decisive confrontation with the Hoang Kim Group, not as a lone girl, but as a representative of an entire community that had gone through many challenges together to reach today.