Duong Huong - The Zenith

“What did they ever do wrong?”

“They never harmed even a small bird, let alone another human being!”

“Why was it, heaven, that they had to meet with such calamity?”

His soul does not stop yelling out these questions. An does not believe in heaven, but he invokes it as a habit, just as anyone would when in trouble; clearly, though, he has fixed in his mind the faces of flesh-and-blood murderers.

“Maybe they are too powerful while I am all by myself. In other words, I will have to stomach this offense and hold it until the grave. If so, I shall pursue this injustice into the next life. And if one life is not enough I shall ask heaven for another incarnation. I will go to the very end of hell to find those who killed her and her little sister.”

Beyond the trees, one can hear the hubbub of a combat unit arriving. As the forest opening is narrow and the newly arriving troops are rushing pell-mell to get in, the noise they make echoes from all directions, reverberating from the mountainsides and woods. Realizing that Battalion 209 has arrived from Panda Mountain and that it’s time for the evening’s performance to begin, An gets up and returns to the stage area. Sunlight has long since disappeared and the grass public area is now flickering with lamps like some kind of enchanted land, as large headlights illuminate the whole stage. The new arrivals assemble in the assigned corner, each drenched in perspiration but happy like a kid receiving candy. The performers have gathered behind the sides of the stage. The soldiers have split from their provincial groups and rejoined their units. Whistles and catcalls come from everywhere.

Nha, the battalion commander, apparently restored after his nap, is now back in charge of his troops. An gazes at the whole spectacle somewhat puzzled, for he is still haunted by his memories of loss. He somehow feels left out of the party. Leaning on the base of a tree, he looks toward the stage as the soldiers from Battalion 209 keep surging forward from behind him to occupy the patch of ground reserved for them.

“Chi Van Thanh! Chi Van Thanh!”

A sudden call explodes right beside him, making An jump up. He unconsciously turns back. When he realizes that it was a mistake to do so, a guy has already come close, face-to-face with him:

“Brother Chi Van Thanh.”

“!..”

“Thanh, don’t you recognize me?”

A smiling face in the dark. An leans back against the tree, his whole body shaking like he is being electrocuted: “Comrade, you must be making a mistake. I am Hoang An.”

“Brother Chi Van Thanh, I am Ma Ly. Don’t you remember me?”

“But I am Hoang An.”

“Oh…”

The new arrival turns the flashlight toward himself so as to throw light on his face, which is drenched in sweat and sort of plump, like those of some women. The eyebrows are short and slanted and the eye slits really deep as they twist into a smile. The man has a short nose with open nostrils, and two rows of small teeth. An shudders, for there is no denying it. This man is indeed a former companion-in-arms — Ma Ly, of Meo origin, deputy squad leader in a company that An used to command. It was An who had suggested that he be promoted to that post. An takes Ma Ly’s arm and squeezes it, pulling him near.

“My name has been changed to Hoang An. I forbid you to use my old name. Understand?”

The other guy nods his head repeatedly in agreement.

An then says, “Go on watching the show. We will talk later on.”

Ma Ly agrees. “Don’t forget, will you? It’s quite a while since we have seen each other.”

An nods and says, “How long are you going to be here?”

“Only God knows,” Ma Ly replies. “Our battalion commander says we will have to be stationed here for quite a while to practice and wait for the order to integrate into an understrength division on the western front. It might be a few months.”

“In that case we still have time to run into each other. We often go that way.”

“Good. We must see each other. I’m going now.”

Ma Ly runs after his comrades. In a minute, everything becomes an indistinct crowd mingled with the trees in the woods, an undifferentiated black block. An suddenly remembers something. He springs up and runs after Ma Ly.

“Ma Ly, Ma Ly! Wait for me, Ma Ly!”

He brushes aside soldiers from Battalion 209 as he runs after his old comrade-in-arms.

“Ma Ly!”

“Here I am.”

An looks in the direction where the voice is coming from, and notices someone standing beside Ma Ly, so he hides himself behind a tree, waiting. In the dark he hears Ma Ly say:

“We are old comrades-in-arms…You go ahead, I will look for you later. We will assemble with our units after the performance.”

“Agreed.”

“Let me borrow your flashlight; mine is about to go out.”

“Be careful using it. We still have a long way to go.”

“OK.”

The other guy disappears in a flash. An stays in the dark for a couple of seconds before he walks out and faces Ma Ly.

“Let’s see the show together. I have many questions for you.”

“Agreed.”

They both join Battalion 209 to get closer to the stage, for, as guests, the 209 guys have been given half of the left side facing the stage, making the other soldiers green with envy. An and Ma Ly sit down together.

An looks at his watch then says, “I can only watch until nine fifteen. After that I have to stand guard.”

“You have to do it yourself?”

“My company is in charge. As its commander I do not have the right to sit here and watch while the younger soldiers have to leave and go on patrol.”

“You’re always the model soldier. I haven’t forgotten that. Ever since…we have known each other.”

“It’s not just me. In every division the cadres must act that way.”

After a moment of silence, Ma Ly asks, “Is this a dangerous place? I have heard that this is our rear area, like the ‘safe zones’ before.”

An laughs. “True, we are far from the battlefield. But there is no lack of enemy recon probes. That’s why we had to wait three years before we could have tonight’s entertainment. The soldiers, though, still have to go on patrol.”

“The enemy dares to venture even this far?”

“Are you joking? This is not like the Ha Tay boot camp twelve years ago. We are at war now. Do you think they are all just flabby pots of flesh or only wooden puppets?”

Ma Ly is quiet for a moment then asks: “You have given that many years and have only made it to company commander?”

“Do you forget that I was pursued so that I had to change my name? How about you?”

“I, too, am a company commander. I am told by higher-ups that should things develop well, next quarter I may be upgraded. A Meo who is especially loyal to the revolution and really courageous in battle.”

“Congratulations…”

“Oh-oh, the girls are coming out…” Ma Ly says, pointing to the stage.

They watch as the red curtains rise and a girl walks to the mike to give a very graceful bow as the master of ceremonies. She is dressed in a green four-piece tunic with one shoulder piece in red and another in purple over a chicken-fat-colored pair of pants, and the soldiers began to clap as if they have lost their regular minds. Then the music arises in all its splendor and excitement. The whole division has been waiting for this moment of happiness! But An no longer hears anything, no longer sees anything except the sweat-drenched face of his old comrade-in-arms. Ma Ly is giving all his attention to the MC.