Teardrops In a Coffee cup
By Johnny Tran

At that time Hanh was a beautiful girl in Buon Me Thuoc highland where the famous coffee is produced. She was a worker of the Coffee Production Company of Buon Me Thuoc. Her father was a worker for this company too. Since the childhood she became fond of coffee tree, she loves so much the nature, plants and animals and that was reason for her death later on.

In every sunset Hanh had a habit in walking beside the coffee trees. She enjoyed to see mature coffee seeds and fresh certain smell of coffee's baby leaf. Once a day while she was walking, she heard groan sound from young coffee trees. There was a huge deer, its horn was stuck in fence that is used to protect young coffee trees. Hanh was hurried to come over there to save the huge deer but that was very difficult for the little girl while the deer struggled to keep out from this fence. Fortunately while she was very disconcerted, suddenly there was a strong man ran fast from forest to the deer's place, they both were cooperate together to free the deer. However the deer's front leg was broken, this man named Trung and also worked for the Coffee Company too, carried huge deer to his house to take care of it. After that Trung and Hanh knew each other. Their love grew up as the young coffee trees grew, they often dated at coffee tree where they used to save huge deer. Their love was romantic, pure, and they had the same characteristic that they loved nature, specially the coffee trees. Their willing was to have a coffee farm, so everyday they could work together on their own coffee farm while they could see their children playing and smiling beside coffee trees. Their dream was so nice but it was very difficult to come true because they was growing up in the Vietnam War time, around 1970s. Trung was called to be a soldier, he was sad because he did not want to leave her wife while they ware enjoining their honeymoon . Her heart was broken, she was not sure that Vienam war would be stopped and her husband would go home. She just had only her willing to care their coffee farm and wait for the day Trung to come back home. A few years later, the war became intense in Buon Me Thuoc. The toxic was spread out. All her neighbors ran a way, the coffee trees became dried and died, so Buon Me Thuoc highland was dark. But Hanh still kept to stay in her farm land, she could not leave. She wanted to stay to care and conserve the seeds of coffee and also wait for her husband to come back. She tried to keep their farm becoming green and wealthy as her faith with Trung. Her life at that time was very miserable, a battle almost happened in everyday, sometimes coffee trees were fired by weapons and there were fires. Viewing hamlet was in ruin and coffee trees were denuded of leaves, her heart was wrung with pain. There was no more coffee's smooth green leaf but faded leaves. She did not give up, she continued to maintain seeds and care trees, she loved coffee trees as herself, her life became fond of them since she was kid.

And the special number was 1975, that is the year everyone around the world knew what the event was. The Vietnam war stopped and the peace has come. After 5 years leaving her husband, Hanh really felt happiness, a couple were together in cultivation their farm. Once again the other happiness came to Hanh who to be a mother of a little cute baby girl. Happiness deeming to spread her life while she had a happy life with her husband and the little cute 7 years old girl then war disease hit to her. There was not only Hanh but also three of her friends who stayed in Buon Me Thuoc during the war to get cancer disease caused by the toxic. Two of them died after a short time of treatment.

In a few days following, Hanh could not sleep because cancer disease made her too much pain. She was not beautiful as in the past, her tumor was developed very fast so her body and her skin were changed. She really was collapsed, she knew that she just existed in the world in a few hours. Her tears were dropped along on Trung's warm arms, his warming could not warm up the depth of the her heart. She did not want to leave her lover. She imaged in next days Trung would live alone, and on their farm there would be only him to cultivate. Their daughter would lose a mother to take care of, this big event unfortunately was coming so early to her young and small daughter. She wanted to call God but he stays far away from her so he could not hear her calling. She used to have a lot of plans to do. At the moment she still was attached to the world with her family and society. But her willing was ended then everything was ended too. Her last breath stopped, her head lied on his arm, little daughter hugged tightly mom and was creaming a lot.

Trung raises a coffeecup to drink but he stops, a few of his tears drop on the cup, this incident pasted over one year but he always feel it just happened in yesterday. Everyday he looks coffee tree where they first time knew together. The old remembrance is still there but old wife is gone.

His lip scintillates from his heart emit:

Alone with a coffee cup - top lip bitter,
Alone with a coffee cup- miss a lover,
You lied under coffee tree
I sit beside this tree
Closing distance but can not touch....

Alone with a coffee cup-remember our love
Alone with a coffee cup- our love tempest
Big tempest so we dissociate.
Everyday coffee incense emits to you
Everyday my tears drop on coffee cup.

Coffee...Coffee...Coffee...
Your incense is difficult forgetting