Anh's reaction to seeing her mother safely ensconced back at her stall was one of relief. Nhu Ha rose from her squatting position, and putting her hands together greeting her daughter, their foreheads touching softly as they whispered their greetings to one another.
Anh enquired after her mothers health and well being, to which Nhu Ha smiled and nodded as she began to ladle some phò into a bowl from the small pot on the brazier. She then placed a small handful of beansprouts and garnishing's into the warm liquid passed it to Anh who now also squatted beside her mother. When her father Quang shuffled toward them a few minutes later he recognized Anh squatting beside his wife, and at once his lined and leathery face broke into a broad smile.
It had been many years since Anh had eaten with her parents at the market stall, in fact since taking control of the Chợ Đồng Xuân from her bourgeois predecessor, but if nothing else the last few days had taught Anh that she knew what was important to her.
Later that afternoon Anh was in her apartment overlooking the market when a battered and bruised Trung along with his three most trusted lieutenants reported in. He told Anh that they had forcefully conveyed the message of the new tribute to the stall owners who were less than thrilled at the change, he only had to hand out a beating to one truculent owner and the rest quickly fell into line...
Trung then went on to tell Anh of the treatment meted out to them by the soldiers at the barracks, and smiled vengefully that scores were still be settled on that front but at a future time. They all looked sheepishly at their feet when Anh questioned them as to the state of the Australian journalist.
He is in the hospital recuperating they mumbled...Anh anger rose at once
Những gì bạn đã phát hiện ra? (What have you found out?) she demanded looking squarely at Trung.
Trung averted his eyes and shifted uneasily, before saying that the Australian had left the city earlier that day. Anh smiled, but sensed that he wasn't telling her everything and so pressed him for details. Trung was trying to find a way to tell Anh what he knew would be devastating.
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