Phuong waited patiently at the Noi Bai airport as Bill's flight landed from Bangkok. It was late and Phuong was shocked when he first saw Bill walk toward him, he had visibly aged, his haggard and drawn look reminded Phuong of that all too familiar look of someone directly from a war zone.
Bill endeavored to greet him warmly, but his exhaustion seemed to seep from every pore of his body as Phuong shook his hand, smiling Bill said "so Phuong what's been going on here while I've been away?" They talked as they walked to the car in the nearby parking lot, but within seconds of pulling from the lot Bill fell into a deep sleep. Phuong drove through the crush of scooters that besieged the roadways even at this late hour and thought about what lay ahead for Bill...he must warn him.
Bill woke while a start when Phuong gently shook his shoulder upon arrival at his house. "Sorry mate, I must have dozed off" he smiled sheepishly. Thanks for the lift, back to our old routine tomorrow? Phuong replied "chắc chắn, xem bạn vào ngày mai". At this late hour and with his muddled brain Bill couldn't decipher Phuong or the familiar Vietnamese. Phuong realizing that it was beyond his friend said "okay, see you in the morning at the Star"
As Bill gathered his bag from the back seat, Phuong turned to him and said "we must begin our lessons again". Bill smiled as he closed the door to the car and watched as the taillights of Phuong's car disappeared into the darkness along Cát Linh đường phố.
Bill tried to imagine surviving in Hanoi without his trusted friend Phuong, "No bloody way he thought to himself". He turned toward his apartment but didn't noticed the two men sitting on the scooter lingering in the shadows.
Bill unlocked the gate and made his way toward the sanctuary of his apartment, too exhausted to think...
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