In the fifth chapter, Hayslip goes through many stories, as her life as an adult is the main story, and the tale of her childhood is a frame device. The chapter begins with the cab driver admitting he is lost, not intending to hurt her, and they soon find a young boy who claims to be Anh's son. As the boy directs the driver to his home, Hayslip has a flashback to her final days in Anh's house. Soon after Anh and Hayslip had sex, she begins feeling sick, and later discovers she has become pregnant with his child. After multiple attempts to abort the baby, she begins to show and the woman of the house is (correctly) convinced the child is Anh's. The wife kicks her out of the house, despite Hayslip and her mother begging for a job. Anh says he will buy a house in a distant village and let them live there until the baby is born. Le Ly's mother has become bitter toward her daughter and concerned they will not be able to find her a husband. In return, Hayslip began to have negative thoughts about her mother. "For the first time in my life, I wished my mother was somewhere else- or even dead. It was a horrible thought- I'd never had it before- but it gripped me now as strongly as the living thing inside my belly. True, she stood by me, caring for the sick animal no one else wanted, but somehow that wasn't enough." The story then returns to the adult era, Anh explains that since the years since Hayslip was fired, he divorced his wife and turned his business over to the communist government. While this continued to make him money, he was no longer considered wealthy, and moved into his girlfriend's house, whom he married. They both realize there is no longer a romantic spark between them, and he brings her back to the hotel to talk. Hayslip figures she has more of a sibling relationship than a remotely romantic one. She thinks back to her close relationship with her brother. She and her brother, Sau Ban, shared a close relationship in which Sau ban would often spoil his little sister. When he was called away from the family through his job his parents began to argue their father became sick, prompting Le Ly to try to get the family to come together. Sau Ban came for a visit, but his presence made their parents miss the other girls more. When Sau Ban became old enough to be entered into the army, he moved back to Ky La in an attempt to escape being drafted. Unfortunately, the Republicans had moved into the village recently and began to persuade Sau Ban. The family tried to sneak him out and to get the Viet Cong to accept him. Both attempts were unsuccessful, and they turned their attention to getting Sau Ban married and hopefully plant the seed of their family. He was soon married, but left his bride at Ky La while he went with his sister to the city. They soon received a letter that indirectly said Sau had been taken in by the Viet Cong. Later, the family got a reading from a physic that said the boy was likely dead. After they had confirmed his death through the physic, the bride left and they built him an alter. The story goes back to the adult life, where Le Ly and Anh rehash old memories and explore the life of their son. They also go to a meeting that is for former Vietnam citizens that are returning to the country. The book then goes back to the time when Hayslip's sister, Ba, lost her husband. The husband's cousin began to sexually harass Ba until she gave in. She invited him to a secluded area, where it is assumed they had sex. Ba and her father here arrested and taken to an interrogation ward. They were released a few days later, on the condition the Ba marry the cousin, who was working for the police. Ba agreed and the two moved to the city because of his job. This would be the cousin that would lobby for Le Ly's release from prison in the earlier chapters. I agree with Amanda Grahn that the chapter is remeniscent of the song Coming Home by John Legend.
No comments:
Post a Comment