30 minutes by boat to the market
On the morning of November 2, the sky just cleared, from a small house in An Xa village (Le Thuy commune, Quang Tri province), Mr. Bui Huu Hai put up a boat to row, taking a boat to the main road, which used to be a familiar path, now turned into a quiet water.
6 days have passed, but the water has not yet receded completely. The highest water level was once on the edge of the house, his family had to live in the middle of the flood.
The water has gradually decreased, but slowly. Every day, Mr. Hai looks up at the steps in front of the yard, where the water lines are still dark, like a quiet trace of the continuous rain throughout the week.
Household furniture is still high, rice and necessities are kept neatly in a safe corner. But when he finally lost weight in his vegetables and meat, he knew it was time to go to the market. The boat trip was also a place to send necessities to the neighbors when Mr. Hai started rowing the first rows of waterlogs to the market.
Normally, just 5 minutes by motorbike, he was able to get to Tuy Loc village market. Now, after more than 30 minutes of traveling, I hope to get there. The water is still deep, the waves hit hard every time a canoe or boat carrying goods passed by.
He had to tighten the roof of the boat to keep it from tilting. Every time he rowed, the water rose, cooling down, but he laughed, saying: "When the water rises, this boat is the only road connecting me to life."
In the middle of the white fields, a few small boats of the people were quietly drifting, carrying laughter and a pair of packages wrapped in plastic bags. Tuy Loc market today is stranger than usual.
People in low-lying areas of An Xa, An Lac, Tuy Loc all take advantage of the temporary rain to go to the market to buy enough vegetables, meat, rice, and cooking oil. Everyone was worried, if the water rose again, it would take a few days to get to the next trip.
A few stalls selling freshly collected catfish and catfish in the fields, rare bunches of broccoli, and some pumpkin fruits are rushed onto the tarpaulin. Unstable weather has caused quite a few goods. Cargo vehicles cannot enter, so vegetables and fruits must be collected from the highlands.
Love for the village
In deeper low-lying areas, people still have to wade or row boats to the market. Motorbikes can only run at one section and then stall, so many people park their motorbikes at the end of the dry road, then soak in water to buy some necessary things. They chose to go when the water was still and the wind was calm, to avoid large waves from the river.
Mr. Hai said that although the flood this year is not too severe, it recedes slowly and prolongs. "Every day I look at the sky, look at the sun, and the whole rain has been in the forest for a few days. The water receded by a stack and increased by half a stack. This type of rain, if we live normally, we only like the elderly and children," he said.
During the flood days, people saw more clearly the love of neighborhood. Everyone who roads a boat to the market often brings a few grains of rice, bottles of oil, and vegetables to their neighbors. Some women sell goods waiting for the water to recede to bring their goods as gifts, because "there are people who are as miserable as me, who knows, why help each other?".
When his foreign child was still in high fields, Mr. Hai took a boat home. He shared that these boats were also sent by neighbors, shared together to overcome the flood. When he arrived at the alley, his mother was waiting on the porch, the water was still at the edge of the steps as if waiting to see her child return safely in a relaxing breath.
Millions of arms turn to compatriots affected by storms and floods
Consecutive storms and floods have caused many deaths, missing and injuries; many houses and production and business establishments have had their roofs blown off and suffered heavy damage. People across the northern mountainous provinces and the central provinces are struggling to cope with floods and heavy losses in human lives and property due to floods and thunderstorms.
"A piece of food when hungry is worth a package when full", with the spirit of mutual love that has always been a beautiful image of the Vietnamese people, the Golden Heart Social Charity Fund calls on domestic and foreign philanthropists to join hands to share with people affected by floods to have food, clothing, shelter, students have books to go to school...
The Golden Heart Social Charity Fund would like to sincerely thank the precious feelings of agencies, businesses, and domestic and foreign philanthropists.
Please send any help to: Golden Heart Social Society Fund, No. 51 Hang Bo, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi. Phone: 024.39232756. Account number (STK): 113000000758 at Vietinbank Hoan Kiem Branch, Hanoi. STK: 0021000303088 - at Vietcombank - Hanoi Branch, STK: 12410001122556 - at BIDV - Hoan Kiem Branch. Or scan the following QR code:
