Ho^i` con` nho?, nho? xiu' to^i kho^ng co' ban. gai'.  Suo^t' ngay` to^i chi? cho+i vo+i'...me. to^i
va` ba` no^i.  to^i.  Me. to^i ra^t' thu+o+ng to^i nhu+ng vi` me. so+. ba ne^n it' khi me. che cho+?
ddu+o+c. to^i tru+o+c' nhu+ng~ tra^n. ddon` cua? ba to^i.  Ba` to^i thi` lai. khac'.  Ba` sinh ra ba  
ne^n ba phai? so+. ba`.   DDie^u` ddo' tha^t. may ma(n' ddo^i' vo+i' to^i.
     Ho^i` nho? to^i ra^t' nghich., a(n ddon` kha' thu+o+ng` xuye^n.  DDie^u` ddo' buo^c. dda^u`
oc' non no+t' cua? to^i phai? tim` cach' ddo^i' pho' vo+i' nhu+ng~ ddon` tru+ng` phat. cua? ba to^i.
Mo^i~ la^n` pham. lo^i~, he^~ tha^y' ba to^i do+m. rut' ca^y roi ma^y ra khoi? vach' la` to^i vo^i.
vang` chay. qua nha`  ba` to^i.  Ba` to^i thu+o+ng` na(m` tre^n cai' sa^p. go^~ lim dden bong',
 be^n du+o+i' la` nhu+ng~ nga(n keo' ddu+ng. thuo^c' ba(c' cua? o^ng to^i.  Ba` na(m` ddo', 
mie^ng. bom? bem? nhai tra^u`, tay phe pha^y? chie^c' quat. mo cau vo+i' mo^t. dang' ddie^u. 
thong tha?.
         -Ba` o+i, ba`!-To^i chay. dde^n' be^n chie^c' sa^p., ho^n? he^n? ke^u.
       Ba` to^i choi? tay nhom? da^y.:
         -Gi` ddo' cha'u?
         -Ba ddanh'! -To^i noi', mie^ng. meo' xe^ch.
         -Chau' ddu+ng` lo!  Le^n dda^y na(m` vo+i' ba`!
       Ba` to^i diu. dang` tra^n' an to^iva` ddu+a tay keo' to^i le^n sa^p., dda(t. to^i na(m` khua^t'
sau  lu+ng ba`, phia' sat' tu+o+ng`.  Xong, ba` to^i xoay ngu+o+i` lai., na(m` quay ma(t. ra ngoai`.
       Lat' sau, ba to^i bu+o+c' qua, tay vung va^y? ca^y roi dai`, mie^ng. hoi?:
          -Me. co' tha^y' tha(ng` Ngan. chay. qua dda^y kho^ng?
          -Kho^ng tha^y'!
       Ba` to^i than? nhie^n ddap' va` tie^p' tuc. nhai tra^u`.  To^i na(m` sau lu+ng ba`, tim thot' lai.
vi` lo a^u.  To^i chi? cam? tha^y' nhe. nhom~ khi nghe tie^ng' bu+o+c' cha^n ba to^i xa da^n`.
       Nhu+ng~ luc' ddo', to^i kho^ng dam' ve^` nha` ngay.  Bao gio+` to^i cung~ na(m` lai. 
cho+i vo+i' ba`.  To^i na(m` sa^p' ngu+o+i` tre^n sa^p., nung~ niu.:
           -Ba` o+i, ba` gai~ lu+ng cho chau' ddi!
       Ba` to^i kho^ng bao gio+` tu+` cho^i' ye^u ca^u` cua? to^i.  Ba` vu+a` gai~ lu+ng cho 
to^i vu+a`  thu? thi? ke^? chuye^n. cho to^i nghe.  Nhu+ng~ ca^u chuye^n. ddo+i` xu+a cua?
ba` to^i dda~ nghe dde^n' thuo^c. long`.  Ba` kho^ng co' nhie^u` chuye^n..  Co' bao nhie^u
chuye^n. ba` dda~ ke^? sach. sanh` sanh.  Do ddo', ba` cu+' ke^? ddi ke^? lai. nhu+ng~ ca^u
chuye^n. cu~.  Tuy va^y., mo^i~ khi ba`  ke^? chuye^n., to^i luo^n luo^n na(m` nghe vo+i' cam? 
giac' hu+ng' thu' he^t. nhu+ la^n` dda^u` tie^n, co' le~ do giong. ke^? diu. dang` va` a^u ye^m' cua?
ba`, bao gio+` no' cung~ toat' ra mo^t. tinh` cam? triu` me^n' dda(c. bie^t. danh` cho to^i khie^n' trai'
tim to^i run le^n trong mo^t. no^i~ xuc' ddo^ng. ha^n hoan kho' ta?.  Va` to^i ngu? thie^p' ddi luc'
nao` kho^ng hay, vo+i' trai' tim kho^ng ngu+ng` tho^n? thu+c'.
        Lo+n' le^n mo^t. chut', ngoai` me. to^i va` ba` to^i, to^i co' the^m ba ngu+o+i` ban. gai'. 
DDo' la` hai ngu+o+i` chi. con bac' to^i.  Chi. Nhu+o+ng` lo+n' ho+n to^i bo^n' tuo^i?, dda^u` nhie^u`
ghe? cho^c' ne^n luc' nao` cung~ cao. troc..  Chi. Quye^n ba(ng` tuo^i? to^i, da dden nhem?,
quanh na(m chi? va^n. mo^t. cai' qua^n` co^c., kho^ng bao gio+` chiu. ma(c. ao', mui~ luo^n 
luo^n tho` lo`.  Ngu+o+i` thu+' ba la` co^ Thinh., con ut' cua? ba` to^i.  Co^ Thinh. ba(ng` tuo^i? 
vo+i' chi. Nhu+o+ng`.  Khi bac' to^i sinh con gai' dda^u` long` thi` ba` to^i sinh con gai' ut'. 
DDa^u` co^ Thinh. cung~ cao. troc. nhu+ng dda^u` chi. Nhu+o+ng`.  Tre? con que^ to^i kho^ng 
co' la(m' tro`  cho+i nhu+ tre? con thanh` pho^', suo^t' ngay` chi? nghich. dda^t' ne^n ddu+a' nao`
cung~ la(m' ghe?.
        To^i cung~ ghe? dda^y` dda^u` nhu+ng may ma(n' kho^ng bi. cao. troc. nhu+ chi. Nhu+o+ng` 
va` co^ Thinh..  Me. to^i cho to^i ho+t' toc' "ca-re^", nhu+ng me. bao? lao~ Tu+' ho+t' toc' hui'
dda^u` to^i to+i' ta^n. ot', pho^ cai' gay' tra(ng' nho+n~.  Nhu+ng~ mun. ghe? tre^n dda^u` khi lanh` 
bie^n' thanh` seo., tho+i` gian kho^ng xoa' no^i?.  Lo+n' le^n, to^i co' thoi' quen dde^? toc' dai` 
phu? gay' la` do va^y.
         Dao. a^y', o^ng to^i ddinh. xa^y mo^t. day~ nha` ngang phia' sau ne^n cho ddo^? mo^t.
ddo^ng'  cac' cao nghe^u. ngay tru+o+c' sa^n.  Suo^t' mo^t. tho+i` giandai`, ddo^ng' cat' ddo' la` 
sa^n cho+i ly' tu+o+ng? cua? bo^n' co^ chau' to^i.  Chung' to^i suo^t' ngay` bo` le^ tre^n cat', 
thi nhau ddao` nhu+ng~ ddu+o+ng` ha^m` sa^u hut' hoa(c. hoai`  co^ng xa^y nhu+ng~ toa` 
nha` cu+' cho^c' cho^c' lai. ddo^? sa^p..  Xa^y nha` chan', chung' to^i lai. vo^c' cat' nem' nhau. 
To^i vo+i' chi. Quye^n mo^t. phe, chi. Nhu+o+ng` vo+i' co^ Thinh. mo^t. phe.  Chung' to^i nem' 
ha(ng dde^n' no^i~ cat' bay mu` tro+i` va` chui dda^y` ca? tai, mui~,
mie^ng..  To^i
so+. cat' bay mu` ma(t., cu+' ddu+ng' xa xa, mo^t. tay che ma(t., mo^t. tay vo^c' cat' nem' to+i'.   Chi.
Quye^n gan li` ho+n to^i nhie^u`.  Hai tay hai na(m' cat', ma(t' nha(m' tit., chi. xo^ng le^n phia' tru+o+c'
nem' lie^n ho^i` ky` tra^n..  Chi. Nhu+o+ng` va` co^ Thinh. bi. cat' nem' rat' ma(t. lie^n` ke^u thet' 
va` bo? chay..
          Sau nhu+ng~ tro` cho+i nem' cat' thu' vi. ddo', bao gio+` to^i cung~ bi. a(n ddon`.  Ba to^i ban ngay`
ddi lam` kho^ng co' nha` nhu+ng to^i' ve^` nghe me. to^i ke^? to^i. to^i the^' nao` ba to^i cung~ ddem to^i xet'
xu+?.  Thoat. dda^u` to^i phai? ddu+ng' nghie^m, hai tay khoanh tru+o+c' ngu+c. va` li' nhi' tra? lo+i` nhu+ng~
ca^u hoi? dda^y` dde doa. cua? ba to^i.  Tie^p' theo, to^i lai. phai? nghe^nh~ co^? nghe ba to^i lua^n. to^i..
Thu' tha^t., luc' ddo' to^i cha(ng? he^` chu' y' may? may dde^n' nhu+ng~ lo+i` ra(n day. cua? ba to^i, dda^u`
oc' to^i mai? ba^n. biu. vao` vie^c. ddoan' xem lat' nu+a~ dda^y to^i se~ bi. ddanh' ma^y' roi va` tha^m` mong
ba` to^i ddang ddi cho+i dda^u ddo' trong lang` se~ kip. ve^` tru+o+c' xay? ra nhu+ng~ chuye^n. ddang'
tie^c' cho ddu+a' chau' kho^n' kho^? cua? ba`.  Nhu+ng khac' xa vo+i' o^ng But. trong ca^u chuye^n. ba`
ke^?, ba` to^i cha(ng? bao gio+` nghe ddu+o+c. nhu+ng~ mong moi? tha^m` kin' cua? to^i.  It' khi ba` ve^` 
ddung' luc'.  Ba` chi? ve^` khi mo^ng to^i dda~ ha(n` nhu+ng~ ve^t. roi khie^n' long` to^i the^m ho+n` tui? va`
to^i gia^n. do^i~ cha(ng? them` tro` chuye^n. vo+i' ba`.  
          Kho^ng co' ba` to^i can thie^p., to^i ddanh` phai? buo^n` ba~ thu+c. hie^n. no^t' pha^n` cuo^i' cung`
cua? phie^n xet' xu+?.  To^i la(ng. le~ phui? cha^n leo le^n bo^. van' na(m` sa^p' xuo^ng', ma(t. ap' vao`
phie^n' go^~ mat' lanh., qua^n` keo' xuo^ng' khoi? mo^ng.  To^i na(m` im nhu+ the^', ngu+o+i` ca(ng ra,
ma(t' nha(m' nghie^n`.  Kho^ng hie^u? sao to^i luo^n luo^n tin ra(ng` khi bi. ddon`, nha(m' ma(t' lai. se~ it'
ddau ho+n.
          Ba to^i vu+a` ddanh' vu+a` dde^m'.  Ma(c. du` dda~ chua^n? bi. tinh tha^n`, ngu+o+i` to^i cu+' bi. gia^t.
na^y? mo^i~ khi ngon. roi qua^t' xuo^ng'.   Ba to^i kho^ng hoc. ddu+o+c. cach' ddanh' nhe. tay nhu+ me.
to^i.  Ba ddanh' ddau tha^u' xu+o+ng.  Hai roi dda^u`, to^i nghie^n' cha(t. ra(ng, co^' kho^ng ba^t. khoc'. 
Nhu+ng dde^n' roi thu+' ba thi` to^i kho^ng ke^m` giu+~ no^i?.  Bao gio+` cung~ va^y., dde^n' roi thu+'
ba la` to^i khoc' oa`.
          To^i vu+a` nu+c' no+? vu+a` leo xuo^ng' dda^t', cha^n so+` soang. tim` dep'.  Khi nga^ng? ma(t. le^n,
to^i nhin` tha^y' mo^t. ddo^i ma(t' la^p' lo' ngoai` khe cu+a?.  DDo' la` ddo^i ma(t' co^ Thinh..  Khi nay~,
ha(ng? chi. Nhu+o+ng` va` chi. Quye^n cung~ ddu+ng' rinh` phia' ngoai`, nhu+ng dde^n' khi tha^y' to^i leo 
le^n van' na(m` up' ma(t. chua^n? bi. tho. hinh`, cha(c' hai chi. em khie^p' ddam? bo? cha.y ve^` nha`.