"Is life as enjoyable as it is seemed to be? The pain that inflicts your heart, over and over if you are a failure; is that a price that is worth paying for this so-called "happiness"? Failures we don't receive those aspects of life; love, friendships, and bonds. People who have that opportunity must be blessed, because even though they might be in pain sometimes, they have something to keep them living, striving on. Me, however, no such thing. I have a wonderful mother, who should be better off without me, but no matter how I tried I couldn't make a friend. Maybe one place in the world, that can help me and be my escapism from this pitiful existence. The country with beautiful seas, as many beautiful people, where the experiences you get are unlike traveling anywhere else. That country is Vietnam and this is where I change once and for all."
Slumping his head down in misery a young boy had once again received a rejection in the employment opportunity, throughout his job-hunting process. Tony Bui, an eighteen-year-old high school undergraduate confined to his apartment building, just stared at the email he just received this morning. The gunk from the building decay from his room could be smelt from the street as he had not taken enough care of his surroundings leaving rubbish on the floor.
"Man I just can't get a job and all the time I have just been getting rejected from the places I work. Maybe I should have tried harder last year at school." He was secluded in a one-room apartment where he closed his window to drown himself in the Japanese animation, anime, that he had downloaded slouching on his chair to comfort himself. This was the norm for the boy's everyday life; sleep, drink, do nothing and just watch anime, the definition of a failure.
Every interview that he had gone to overcome the hurdle into employment had been approached with the barrier of a question asked by every employer," why didn't you graduate from high school?" A blank void filled his mind as memories of his experiences in that hell flooded into his mind.
He reminisced on his day still feeling the mocking and laughter from other kids that mentally abused him as a kid for the itching nature he possessed, his eczema, a condition that caused an itchy inflammation of the skin. Words like "monkey", "gorilla", and "failure" were tossed in his face with no regard as he supported their theories by scratching more during the heat of brutality.
"Why can't you speak Vietnamese even though you are Asian. Come on, did you lose your parents or something, why can't you even speak your language, you disgraceful man. " Continually assaulting him in the find, the stream of blood started dripping from his rashes as he itched them more and couldn't take the pain so he quickly shut himself in the toilet.
Alongside that whispers from his family members, grandparents, aunts, and uncles always addressed him as a disgrace. "It's a shame that he can't speak Vietnamese isn't it."
Every time he was asked about his high school record, the memories of his early childhood flooded back into his mind. At some point, he was able to put the façade of a high decent answer that consisted of making an excuse that the feeling of the environment that school offered wasn't right. Though it was always obvious that the answer he vomited out never satisfied the people that judged his character.
No one helped him; no family, friends, or teachers, all just watched as he rotted in this society. Every night, he still remembered the pain and start his body feeling in the heat with the part between his arm becoming red and popping up with an unusual texture of his normal skin.
In the end a failure.
Just," a failure" could be described in his experience. His final exam was an absolute disaster, panicking during the exam and failing the test which was publicly announced. He was forced to watch all the other students in the same grade as him receiving their certification. of graduation walking up those steps whilst he ended up drinking himself to sleep on his eighteenth birthday.
Popping out that brief daydreaming, he could feel his mind shatter just. Like an ocean, his stomach vibrated along making a groaning sound as it shouted at him to feed it. Reluctant getting out of his seat he looked upon his fridge as his stomach rumbled with pain with only a bottle of water in the freezing container. He was shocked at how little he had stocked up his supplies.
"Man, I've got to go out and buy something from the shops soon before I run out." Preparing him for travel to the supermarket, before leaving he heard from his bedroom.
His phone started ringing, with a vibrating shaking his head a. Hesitating to pick up seeing the recipient on his phone. He sighed before reluctantly picking up the phone to hear his own mother's voice booming through the speakers.
"So sweetie did you get the job you were looking for?" His mother was asking with concern about her son's performance recently not with excitement but cautious optimism.
"No mom, unfortunately, I didn't. Maybe this is a useless endeavor for me. I shouldn't have ever quit school, I guess you really can't do anything you do in life." All the failure could hear on the other side was a short silence which indicated a sign of exhaustion from his mother.
"Son, why don't you come back to Vietnam and stay with me for a little bit?" His mother's voice reeked of concern for her son but she already had failed because that country had been the roots of his bullying.
"Mom I can't even speak Vietnamese, what would I even do there? I don't belong there either, I wish I was never born into a Vietnamese family." He heard his mother's voice suffocating inside but was so immersed in frustration that he couldn't say anything confronting back.
"Okay honey, ... it's your choice but just make you do something about a job and fast, I'm worried about you. I'm sorry I couldn't help you in the past. Bye for now. Love you." He cut the connection between his mother abruptly as he felt overwhelmed starting to instantly regret the decision immediately. He still felt a heavyweight in his heart gasping his chest and contemplating his decision to continue, because, in the end, he never told his mother about the people who picked at his vulnerability. During his final exam, despite trekking the pain throughout his entire life, the one time where it mattered he broke down.
That was the moment he was outcasted as a failure by the world.
He couldn't get into a university, find a job or even talk to his own family properly Sitting with himself for a couple of minutes letting a sigh of emotions out he whispered to himself. "What am I doing with myself man. Will, I ever achieve happiness?"
"Okay, guess I'll go and get some grocery shopping before the shops close for today." He glanced at the silver watch on his wrist, giving a panicked shriek at what time had passed. It was 8:50 pm, and the shop closed in 10 minutes which Tony scrambled to get changed out of his sleepwear before running out still half-dressing. His breath was rasp and his movement feeling a tingling sensation in his throat slowed down as he had his hands on his knees stopping and letting the sweat pouring from his face. He continued to pace on but moments after taking off again the boy bumped into the shoulder of a man wearing an office suite; with short brown hair and a scar over his eye giving the man a menacing appearance. Subsequently, the items that he carried from scattered in a five-meter radius across the ground.
"Oh I'm so sorry, I wasn't watching where I was going. Are you alright?" Apologizing profusely Tony quickly started carrying the scattered belonging under the cuffs of his hands and returning them to their bags.
"Thank you, young man. Do you want a mint as a token of my thanks?" The gentleman was wearing an officer's hat as a distinguishable feature but other than that he had a scar over his eye. He bowed as he thanked the boy holding a container of Mentos from the large thirty packs. After rushing to place the items back before running back for his venture.
As the teenagers ran back to the supermarket, the man looked behind him and gave a smile toward the boy he just met delighted for he would be saying the boy not long after.
Returning from his shopping trip with his grocery bags in hand, a wonderful instant noodles cup, an perfect for dinner. He was lying face down on his pillow still exhausted feeling the sweat focus towards the center back part of his body from his marathon to the shops. He had just reached the store a minute before closing and just grab some quick snacks before the store completely shut down.
"Man what am I doing with myself, I've got to pay rent this month and start looking for a job tomorrow again. I'm tired of this crap." Slumping shuffling through the papers his hands showed expenses after expenses that were unpaid or just due to come.
A knock at the front of his apartment could be held from his peripheral as he was putting together his dish but dismissed the sound because of the late time this was happening. He resultantly slumped from his position trying to put the best persona possible that he was wake by readjusting his facial muscles.
"Hello my name's Edward Miles, I'm from the rehabilitation company. I have come here with a proposal for you today Mr. Tony Bui. Will you hear my request and see what I have to say?" The man he just met on the street was now outside his apartment as Tony just looked at him with the officer's creepy smile plastered across his face. There was silence with no response from the introduction before the door slammed in front of the stranger's face blowing away his hat with a wind force that led it to the ground. He held a mint offering it as a complimentary gift to his new friend as he did before.
"Hey now give me a chance won't you. I promise I'm not anyone suspicious, just trust me please." He peaked his head through the door peaking into his room with a reassuring glee. Tony himself didn't know why but he felt he could trust this man, letting him enter as Tony watched his every movement like a hawk. Now sitting in his apartment Tony started to slightly regret the decision of allowing this man to enter his apartment as they both shared a cup of coffee, the strange man acting overfamiliar with him every aspect.
"I'm sorry, it's so dirty and disgusting in here." Quickly clearing all filth of the tables Tony shuffled around to present his room in a more positive light.
"No that's all good really. I should be the one Age 18, Birthday is on the eleventh of February and ." All these details that the man stated were correct and couldn't be refuted which made. "Finally, failed high school last year and has never.
"What are you a stalker or something? Jeez, why do you know so much about me."
"Do you want to come with me to Vietnam and try the rehabilitation program? This a program where failures are given another chance to become successful by undergoing studies in another country for six months. Will you try and change yourself, Tony Bui." The officer reached out a consent form from his bag and placed it promptly with a pen in front of the boy sitting across the table for him. Tony, thought as remnants of thoughts scattered through his mind, still itching his arm with the bruises at the back of his elbow.
"Vietnam!" Tony didn't know how to approach the name of his own country. Despite that being where the roots of his culture were, he never knew anything about the place, and honestly, the culture, the people, and nor the language. Even though he always antagonized himself over that fact.
"You just think it is pain, don't you? But what are you doing at your house now, wasting away your life away watching anime, maybe even thinking suicidal about yourself at some point? Take this chance you have to travel somewhere special, a place you have been avoiding your entire life, and maybe for once you can change yourself. Miracles don't just come to people out of nowhere. We don't just make friends, find love, or get a job because we want to. We have to change. It's a hard lesson but that's the reality of life that we must come to accept. So I'll ask you again, Tony Bui, will you participate in the rehabilitation program?"
"I'll get to change huh." After so long of a stagnate life, it was his chance, a chance to change himself. From a loser who doesn't know his language, to someone who can be proud of himself for the first time in his life.
"Yes, I accept. Please I want to go to Vietnam." He picked up the pen scribbling the signature part of the form signing six months of his life away to the journey ahead.
"Okay, then we're leaving right now then. Pack your bags and let's go," showing an excessive amount of enthusiasm for this trip.
Little did Tony that this trip would change his life.