A Question of Faith

Hayslip finds herself in the middle of a meeting for Vietnamese people who are returning to Vietnam.  They are told they must declare any gift and money exchange.  Basically, if they keep the agency informed, they will be fine.  After the meeting, Anh and Hayslip take a flight to Danang to eventually be reunited with her home village of Ky La, at which point she goes back to her past.  She remembers the lies her mother would tell people to explain the pregnant girl.  Whle her mother talks to a woman about a job, she takes a walk and thinks about her father.  Her father has also become the laughing stock of the village.  He was mocked for having a daughter, Lan, who was dating American men.  He became ill and tried (unsuccessfully) to kill himself because he didn't want to live without his family.  Le Ly found herself wandering around an alley, and she was nearly raped again.  She soon was looking for yet another place to sleep, so she tried her sister.  Le Ly's mother convinced Lan to let Le Ly sleep in a corner on the kitchen floor.  When Le Ly told Lan the truth, Lan was disgusted and called her many foul names.  Le Ly was made to wait on guests at parties Lan would host.  Hayslip never thought these people were classy enough for Lan, especially her boyfriends.  Her boyfriend's would often come into the apartment, unable to communicate with Le Ly at all due to the language barrier, and wait for Lan to return.  Because she had not been particularly welcoming to one suitor, Lan kicked Le Ly out and left her to fight for herself.  She found refuge with another pregnant women for a few days, but soon returned to her sister's, where she found out her father has paid them a visit.  He had said they should take Le Ly back in, because that is what family does.  He also says he never wants to see Le Ly again.  Their father came to visit again after awhile, but this time Ba was at the house and Le Ly was told to hide in the closet.  Her father said he missed her and wanted to see her again.  That night, Le Ly's water broke and her mother took her to a birthing clinic.  She gave birth to a boy, Hung, and after three weeks in the physician's office, Le Ly was taken home.  This was a turning point in her life, and she began to move towards independence.  Her father stopped in to see the baby, but did not see Le Ly as Ba had forbade it.  She moved in with her cousins, where she learned the trade of the black market.  Le Ly would sell American goods, such as cigarettes and whiskey, to locals.  After a few weeks with some girls, they were selling their goods back to Americans that would pay top dollar.  "After a few months in this business, I was able to save enough money to ask cousin Nu (who needed a housekeeper more than another black marketeer) to find a house for me, my mother, and son."  In another example of her independence, she asks to buy a house for her and her close family.  Before the move, she is introduced to the product of marijuana, which is supposed to be able to fetch a high price and the military bases.  She was arrested on her way back from a sell, but was let off because her marijuana was actually fake.  The sellers began to see which Americans were trustworthy customers and which ones would simply arrest them and take their money and products.  The story returns to her adult life, where she is arriving in Danang.  The airport is rundown and not nearly what it was during the American War.  After making their way to the hotel, Anh goes to tell her family that Le Ly has arrived.  Le Ly lays in bed and wonders what her family will be like.  Will they be amazed by the wealth and good living she has found in America?  Will they be disgusted that she left the land of her ancestors?  She decided resting is the only way to get rid of those fears.