The calendar hanging on the dusty wall caught my attention. I quickly dusted it off and tore away two sheets. Wow, two years had passed already—it felt so fast. Suddenly, a shadow passed by, and the calendar fell to my feet. Turns out the nail on the wall had grown too old and loose; I'd need to replace it.
Just then, Fat rode up on his electric bike, shouting,
"Giang! Let's go! Beep, beep! Giang!"
"I'm here! Coming!" I yelled back, running out to meet him.
"Let's go to the stream. We've got something to discuss today," he said.
I scratched my head, puzzled. "What's there to discuss?"
"You'll know when we get there."
Turning toward the house, I called out, "Mom, I'm going out with my friends for a bit!"
Her voice echoed back, "Alright."
In no time, I jumped on the back of Fat bike. Wow, his bike was fast! I had to admit, he was rich—he got this bike back in sixth grade. In our village, most kids didn't get one until seventh or eighth grade. Man, I wanted one too.
The sound of rushing water grew louder and louder. We had arrived.
"Giang's here!" someone exclaimed.
Everyone turned to look at me, repeating the same phrase, "Giang's here! Giang's here!"
It felt like I was the missing puzzle piece to today's gathering. We started chatting about all sorts of things, but the main topic was high school transitions. Once that came up, everyone's mood darkened. It felt like they were hiding something or simply didn't want to talk about it. I broke the heavy silence,
"This is our last year. In about six or seven months, we'll take our exams. Honestly, I'm terrible at math and English. I don't know what to do. What about you guys? Any plans?"
Sensing my unease, Fat replied, "Well… I think I'll have to move to Hanoi. After the exams, my parents are planning to relocate for work."
He paused, then added, "I probably won't see you guys again."
Stunned, I hadn't expected this. I opened my mouth to respond, but Tày and Tý interrupted,
"Giang, uh… Tý and I are moving to the South for school. My parents said they found work there."
Tý choked up and added, "Yeah, my family's struggling here, so we're moving too."
I turned to Vinh, my last hope. Surely, he'd stay. If he left, I'd be all alone. "What about you, Vinh?" I asked hesitantly.
Looking down, Vinh replied sadly, "I'm moving abroad, Giang. In three or four months, I'll be in the U.S."
It dawned on me: this meeting was our final goodbye.
Feeling disheartened, I lay down on the grass, unable to fully process my emotions. A mix of sadness and frustration consumed me. Tày, noticing my mood, whispered something to the others. He then turned to me and said,
"Forget all that for now. Want to go catch some fish and crabs, Giang? This stream's full of them!"
I shook my head. "I just want to rest here and soak in the peace."
Understanding my mood, the group decided to leave me alone and wandered off.
I lay there, lost in thought. The sound of the babbling stream felt like a soothing melody, accompanied by the chirping of insects. Somewhere in the distance, I thought I heard a cricket—a strange sound for the daytime. I looked up at the sky, guessing it was almost lunchtime. If I stayed out too long, I'd surely get scolded by Mom.
Out of nowhere, a familiar yet foreign voice shouted from about ten o'clock,
"Stop!" (quietly)
"Stop right there!" (louder)
"Stop, you little brats!"
I shot upright, startled. "What the heck?!" I muttered. In front of me was utter chaos: Tý, Tày, Fat, and Vinh clutching stolen guavas while running for their lives. Behind them, Mr. Eight was chasing with a machete, veins bulging in anger.
"Run, Giang! Run!" they shouted in unison.
Instinctively, I bolted. "I didn't even do anything!" I yelled, furious.
Tý, panting beside me, gasped, "Doesn't matter… Just run!"
We dashed along the stream, our breaths labored, feet splashing through water. Behind us, Fat was falling behind, crying and yelling,
"Wait for me! Help me!"
I glanced back to see Fat clutching his "prize," tears streaming down his face. With a heavy sigh, I turned to Tày and Tý, motioned a farewell salute, and kept running. "Rest in peace, my friend," I thought.
Each of us fled in different directions. I thought it was over and that Mom wouldn't find out. But life had other plans. Mr. Tám visited every house to complain.
I hid behind the wall, eavesdropping as Mr. Tám recounted everything to Mom. Apparently, Fat had been caught and spilled the beans about the whole group. That day, I got the scolding of my life.
I felt so wronged. I didn't even do anything, yet I still got dragged into it!
Time flew by. The dreaded graduation exams came and went. They were as tough as everyone said. Just as we'd predicted, each of us went our separate ways.
On our final day together, we gathered by the stream one last time, reminiscing about the countless memories we'd made there. The scenery was as beautiful as ever—clear water and lush greenery.
"Let's swear an oath, guys!" Tày exclaimed, holding a plastic cup filled with stream water.
We all agreed enthusiastically, each grabbing a cup of water.
"To our everlasting brotherhood!" Tý shouted, raising his cup high.
We clinked our cups together and drank. The cool, sweet stream water felt refreshing. Afterward, we burst into laughter.
Fat pulled out a camera, and my eyes lit up.
"Wow, that's amazing! Where'd you get that, Fat?" I asked.
"It's a Canon 70D, isn't it?" Vinh added, excited.
"Fancy!" Tý chimed in, wide-eyed.
Proudly, Fat said, "I borrowed it from my dad."
"Let's take a photo to remember this day!" Fat suggested.
We scrambled to find the best spot in the frame. Fed up with the chaos, Fat shouted,
"Enough! Giang, you stand in the center!"
Reluctantly, I took the center spot, awkwardly flashing a peace sign.
"Ready? Timer's on!" Fat announced, pressing the shutter button before rushing to join us, lying flat on the ground.
Click! The camera captured the moment perfectly.
In the photo, I stood at the center, with Tày and Tý bickering on either side, Vinh looking confused off to the left, and sprawled out on the ground.
That photo became one of my most cherished memories—a snapshot of a time that would never come back.