Chapter 23: Chapter 22 – The VC Capture Us Again

On our way to school, the road is blocked, so Hoa, Tin, and I take a path across the Evergreen Forest. The lights at the tops of the lamp posts along the path shimmer in the fog. Through dense clouds of vapor, the VC guerrillas move among the trees, their rifles swinging above the back of their shoulders. A shot rings out, scattering leaves above our heads, so we get behind a tree trunk.

Tin looks around the tree trunk, saying, "I don't see the guerrillas now, but we better take a different route."

We go through a ravine between a parapet of sandbags on one side and trenches on the other, and come out at the National Military Cemetery.

We come up to a tomb surrounded by walls carved with elaborate Oriental designs.

Hoa says, "Let's move on. It's too eerily quiet around here."

Tin says, "But first, let's come into this impressive tomb and take a quick look."

We put our book bags down behind a bush and go into the tomb. There is a picture of a girl on the headstone. There're picture frames on the walls, and each frame contains a picture of the same girl, along with a eulogy poem from her grieving parents.

I bend over to look at a small hole at the base of the headstone. The sounds of talking and bumping of bodies against wood come from inside the grave. I say, "Corpses coming back to life."

Tin says, "The VCs must be staying inside the coffins. They do this when they are preparing for their attacks on the American-Vietnamese Allied Armies."

Hoa says, "I heard that the VCs come out of the coffins and kidnap people who are visiting the cemetery. Let's get out of here." 

When we get back out of the tomb, we see food set on a wooden table at the tomb entrance. I say, "The foods were not here when we came into the tomb. There are no footsteps on the ground, but look, there are grimy handprints on the table's surface."

"This cemetery gives me the creeps," Tin says.   

We pick up our book bags and run away.

Taking a long way home from school, Hoa, Tin, and I reach a downriver section of the Gold Nuggets River. I see the water glowing, and looking down into the water. I say, "Hoa and Tin, look at the glowing rocks in the water."

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Hoa says, "You told me the glowing rocks have gradually disappeared from the place where you've been collecting them. Maybe the water current carries the rocks away from your area."

I say, "And it's possible the rocks are carried to here." Let's pick these rocks and we can make cosmetics to sell, huh?"

"That sounds like a good idea," Tin says.

Hoa says, "Now you can be a makeup manufacturer, and we'll be your employees."

I say, "But I will pay you only when the makeup is sold. Is that OK?"

"Wow, it's a deal!" Tin says.

I roll up the hem of my pant legs and wade into the knee-deep water. I see the reflection of gun muzzles pointing at me. Afraid to look up, I keep staring into the water, and then see feet wearing tire sandals.

I look up, swinging my arms to shove away the gun muzzles pointing at my head. Tin and Hoa stand under a pine tree on the riverbank, also with guns pointing at them.

"It's uncivil to point guns at kids," Hoa says.

"Do you expect the VCs to be civil?" Tin says.

I say, "No, I don't expect it. If they were civil, they wouldn't be called Vagabond Characters." 

The same VC Lieutenant Commander, with who I'm so familiar, says, "Take them to the Cu Chi tunnels and put them to work."

Hoa says, "Oh, no! What do you have us do at the tunnels?"

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