Chapter 29 — Where Old Elephants Rest

The inauguration day of the traditional house of Chu Rinh elephant sanctuary coincided with the engagement day of Ha Lam and Tuan Khoi, a coincidence that the two deliberately arranged, so that two events with profound symbolic meaning - the past being fully honored and the future being initiated - could take place on the same day, as an affirmation of the seamless continuity between generations.

From early morning, the whole camp and Chu Rinh village were bustling with a festive atmosphere. The camp gate is decorated with colorful brocade strips hand-woven by women and mothers in the village, mixed with wildflowers picked by children from all over the hillside. The small temporary stage set up in front of the new traditional house, where the ribbon cutting ceremony will take place, is decorated simply but solemnly, reflecting the rustic spirit that the whole community always cherishes.

Representatives of the Provincial Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, along with several district officials, were present early to attend the ceremony, in addition to the presence of many domestic and foreign conservation organizations that have followed and supported the camp's story over the past time. Most notably, Truong Hoang Long was also present, not as an opponent, but as a new partner in the collaborative project to promote responsible observation tourism that the two sides have been quietly implementing for the past few months.

"I am really happy to be here today," he said briefly when invited to speak, "and I believe, the story of Chu Rinh camp will also inspire many other development projects across the country, so that we can learn how to develop economically without sacrificing core human values."

Mr. Thach, sitting in a wheelchair pushed to the stage by Ha Lam because his health did not allow him to stand for long, was invited to give the opening speech at the ceremony. He held the microphone with trembling hands, but his voice still resonated with power, recounting the entire thirty-five year story of the camp - from the day he was a young ranger accepted by old Ama Rin as a student, through the years of torment over keeping the secret, to the day the truth was fully revealed and reconciled.

"I want to thank everyone present today," he said, his voice choking in the last few sentences, "especially Chu Rinh village, who gave me the opportunity to correct my mistakes, and my daughter, who completely completed what I left unfinished. This traditional house is not to honor me alone, but to remind all of us, that nature conservation is inseparable from respect for people, respect for the community, and respect for the mistakes that need to be corrected." honestly."

Before inviting Ama Not to speak, the host - played by Xuan Mai herself - introduced a short film summarizing the camp's entire journey over the past year, from the tense first days of facing Hoang Kim's land survey team, through the tearful night of Sao Mai's rescue, to the decisive mediation session at the district court. The video made many people in the crowd cry, especially when the image of Sao Mai standing firmly and healthily in the middle of a field of elephants appeared on the big screen, in complete contrast to the shaky, painful footage recorded during the previous critical night.

Ama Not stepped onto the stage, her old voice still resonating powerfully despite her old age. "I am the son of Ama Rin, the person who passed on the elephant taming profession to Mr. Thach thirty-five years ago," he began, his eyes scanning the attentively listening crowd. "For the past thirty years, between my family and Mr. Thach's family, there have been problems that have not been completely resolved until recently. But today, standing here, I want to tell everyone, especially the descendants of Chu Rinh village - mistakes in the past are not as scary as not daring to face and correct them. Mr. Thach's family has given us a valuable lesson about that, and I believe, this will be a solid foundation for a long-term relationship between our village. and this sanctuary."

After the speech, Ama Not was invited to cut the inauguration ribbon with Mr. Thach. The two old men held a pair of scissors together, cutting off the red ribbon with applause and the sound of gongs resounding throughout the valley. Inside the traditional house, the artifacts are solemnly displayed - Mr. Thach's old notebook, the Ama Not family's traditional elephant taming kit, a photo of the entire community on Sao Mai's emergency night, and even a certificate recognizing the provincial model conservation model - all tell a complete, unvarnished story about the journey that Chu Rinh land has gone through.

In the afternoon, the engagement ceremony of Ha Lam and Tuan Khoi took place right at the farm yard, harmoniously combining the traditional ceremony of the M'nong people - with the exchange of bronze bracelets and blessings in the native language from the village elders - and the Kinh ceremony with trays of fruit and betel and areca according to lowland customs that Tuan Khoi's family brought from far away. The two cultures, seemingly different, naturally blended together, creating a unique, cozy ceremony that reflected the spirit of the whole story that took place throughout the year.

Sao Mai, Vang, Ebony and May, although unable to attend the ceremony directly for safety reasons, were also lightly decorated with wreaths of wild flowers wrapped around their necks, standing from afar in the elephant field like special guests witnessing the happy day of the girl who has devoted her whole life to taking care of them. Many guests, after attending the ceremony, took the opportunity to visit the elephant herd and take souvenir photos next to the safety fence, contributing to spreading the beautiful image of the humane conservation model that the camp is pursuing.

While everyone enjoyed the communal party set up throughout the camp yard, Ho Quynh Anh, a female reporter who had closely followed the camp's story from the first days of the crisis, was also present to report on this special event. She found Ha Lam while she was taking a break from the constant congratulations, sharing a sincere feeling. "I have followed many conservation stories in my career as a journalist, but the story of Chu Rinh camp is one of the stories that makes me most confident in the ability of humans to correct mistakes and rebuild trust," she said. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to tell this story."

The veterinary emergency team from the Vietnamese Elephant Conservation Fund, who stayed up all night to save Sao Mai's life, were also invited back to attend as honored guests, receiving a warm welcome from the whole community as true benefactors of the camp.

Lawyer Thai Minh Nhat, also present at the ceremony, could not hide his pride when looking back at the past journey. "I have handled many complicated land disputes in my career," he shared with Tuan Khoi over a glass of wine, "but this is the first time I have seen a case end not in victory or defeat, but in complete reconciliation between all parties involved. That is truly justice in the deepest sense."

At night, when the official ceremony ended, the whole community still lingered, gathered around the big fire in the middle of the yard, dancing and singing together until late at night. Ha Lam, in an outfit combining the traditional ao dai and brocade scarf of the M'nong people, stood in the middle of the bustling sinuses, hand in hand with Tuan Khoi, looking up at the star-studded night sky on Chu Rinh peak, her heart filled with a deep happiness and gratitude for everything that had happened during the past journey - from the first days alone facing the fear of losing everything, today, when she stands in the middle of a united community, a family. extended family, and a love strong enough to continue writing new chapters of the story called Chu Rinh together.

Mr. Thach, sitting in a wheelchair in a corner of the yard, was pushed closer to the fire by Bay Kinh to fully feel the warmth and festive atmosphere, looking at his daughter happily in the middle of the sinuses, his mouth smiling slightly with satisfaction. Next to him, Ama Not also sat down. The two old friends reviewed old memories together, occasionally laughing heartily at stories that had become legendary for both families. In the distance, at the elephant beach, Sao Mai and Vang still stood quietly under the shadow of the moon, as if quietly witnessing the full joy of the people who had devoted their lives to loving and protecting them, an image that anyone who witnessed it would never forget, no matter how far they went in later life.