AN UNJUST SOUL BY THE RIVERBANK

The night gradually turned to morning, the sky was breezy, the cool river breeze blew into the rustling trees along the shore. The river surface was full of water, clusters of water hyacinths floated down, the dying moonlight was dim on each leaf. Kha swam slowly to the river's edge, the small boat rocking with every move he made to throw his net. Somewhere in the neighborhood there was a rooster crowing. Kha put his net into the boat and sighed. He went fishing all night but didn't earn much. He had to return early in time for his mother to sell the fish at the morning market. Swimming quickly, the boat swerved into the riverbank, where there were luxuriant trees, waving its hands at the branches and leaves that threatened to hit its face, when it suddenly heard a whisper a few steps away from it. Suddenly, it was creepy, remembering the ghost story at this banyan tree that old people often told, that ghosts often appeared late at night, when the riverbank was deserted. The whisper still echoed, Kha turned around, chills ran down his spine, his arms and legs trembled, glimpsed through the canopy of leaves, under an old banyan tree with roots hanging like human hair was a white shadow. That white shadow slowly turned back to Kha. It panicked and ran away, its legs clinging to each other. It felt like something was following behind it, gliding through the rustling trees...

The singing of the warblers and crested birds every morning made Mr. Duong feel completely awake. Over the age of seventy, the only thing to do is enjoy the countryside and the birds as friends. He squinted his eyes to look at the clusters of flowers that had just bloomed and still had morning dew. Mrs. Duong had just returned from the market, but before she could put down her basket, she immediately said:

- Do you know Mrs. Nam's son Kha sells fish?

Without waiting for him to answer, she continued:

- This morning he came back from fishing. I don't know what happened, but he was bedridden. Delirious, talking nonsense. He said he saw a ghost standing under the banyan tree at that riverbank. Oh my God! Hearing that made my whole body cold...

Before she finished speaking, she saw her husband slowly walking out into the yard, and she called out:

- Where are you going?

- I passed Minh. He replied. She looked after him, he didn't like hearing crazy stories like this.

As soon as he left the gate, Mr. Duong immediately met Lam. It was early in the morning and he already smelled of alcohol. He raised his bloodshot eyes to look at him and laughed:

- Hello Uncle Hai!

Mr. Duong smiled faintly and asked politely:

- I don't dare, why are you already so drunk so early in the morning?

- My life is only fun when I'm drunk, uncle!

After speaking, he smirked, his unbuttoned shirt revealing his muscular, tattooed bare chest. He staggered his steps. Mr. Duong looked after him, slightly shaking his head.

His wooden cane tapped loudly on the tiled yard floor. The wallflower bushes were in full bloom, fluttering with butterflies. He stood in the middle of the yard pensively looking at the oleander cluster, the fragile petals had fallen all over the roots, the old scene was still there, but the people...he sighed and spoke. call:

- Oh Minh!

There was a reply from inside the house. Minh walked out, his eyes squinted because the sunlight shone directly into his eyes.

- Uncle Hai!

Mr. Duong was startled:

- Are you sick? Why do you look so sick today? Your face is very pale.

Minh shook his head:

- I don't have any illness. I've been staying up reading too late these past few days, so I'm lacking sleep.

- Yes, let's stay healthy.

He slowly walked to the altar to light incense. He looked up at the deceased's face through the mist of incense. An unexpected accident took the lives of his younger brother and his wife. As for Minh, his nephew, who was lucky enough to survive, he also suffered from a disability. He looked at Minh struggling to make tea, a wooden crutch replacing a leg that was amputated at the knee.

Late afternoon, the sunset had turned dark purple, and the insects began to buzz. The river is full of water, the wind blows in and out, shaking the long roots of the old banyan tree, looking from afar it evokes a strange look, like the girl's flowing hair, that countryside afternoon scene is so sad and mournful. . Under the banyan tree are scattered half-burned incense sticks, with a faint scent of incense. The woman's voice mumbled and prayed:

- Dear teacher, my son accidentally offended you, please forgive him...

With trembling hands, she placed the incense stick under the tree. The wind blew, the banyan leaves fell, the incense sticks were extinguished, only a few thin wisps of smoke remained. Mrs. Nam was startled, there was a rustling sound of leaves, she turned around, there was a white shadow like a net walking on the ground, she was scared, clasped her hands and bowed repeatedly:

- Dear... dear... don't scold me...

When she looked up, she could no longer see the white shadow, the surroundings suddenly became quiet, it was just her and the gradually falling darkness.

Minh wandered to the riverbank, the moon had just risen, shining a sparkling light on the river surface. In the middle of the street he met Lam, he was still drunk, looking at Minh fiercely. He watched until Minh disappeared behind the luxuriant trees. His eyes were red and streaked with blood.

Minh closed his eyes and took a deep breath. The wind blew in, flowing coolly through his hair, clusters of water hyacinth blooming purple flowers slowly and quietly. Since the terrible disaster caused him to lose his entire family and one leg. Fate gave him life, life felt like death. Minh sighed dejectedly. A cold wind blew past, making him shiver. He kept thinking. Minh didn't see a white shadow standing behind him.

Minh turned around, startled, in front of him appeared a girl. She stared at him, her big beautiful eyes so sad. Long black hair highlights her smooth white skin. She wore a white silk shirt, the hem of the shirt fluttered gently, making her figure more fragile. That image evoked a gentle flutter in Minh's heart. Minh was confused:

- She is...

The girl quietly walked closer to Minh, looking out at the river:

- Why do you come here so often?

Her voice was gentle, sounding like a gentle breeze:

- How do you know? Where is your house? I've only been here a few months now so I don't know many people.

The girl turned back to look at Minh, her eyes were even more vast than the river.

- I'm from here, every day I see you standing here for a long time, what are you standing here for? Aren't you afraid?

- I found this place cool and quiet, so I came here to enjoy the cool air. My house is close to here. When you say afraid, what are you afraid of?

The girl looked down, her face seemed hidden behind her long black hair, her voice was cold:

- People here do not dare to come out here, especially at night, because they are afraid of ghosts.

- Ghost? Minh smiled.

- Aren't you afraid?

- No, because I don't believe it.

The girl suddenly fell silent, she looked up and looked at the in-laws swaying in the wind. Her face suddenly turned pale, her eyes were as big as jet with ghostly black irises. She slowly turned to look at him. There was a creepy giggle. Minh was horrified to see at the corner of the girl's mouth, a trickle of blood. from flowing down the neck.

Minh wanted to run away but couldn't. He leaned against the banyan tree and looked at the girl slowly approaching. Her body just floated as if it didn't touch the ground. The girl slowly raised her hand....

- Minh...! Bright...

Mr. Duong's voice called in his ear:

- Why are you sitting here, making me keep looking for you? Come in quickly.

Minh looked at Mr. Duong bewilderedly, then looked around, there were only trees and a dark river at night. The moon disappeared behind thick clouds.

- Where is she, Uncle Hai, do you see a girl in a white shirt standing here?

- What did you say? I see you sleeping here alone, is there any girl?

- No, there was a beautiful girl here just now, but... she...

Before Minh could finish his sentence, Mr. Duong's face changed and he hurriedly said:

- Come home now. If you stand here, you'll accidentally get caught in the wind. Come home with me.

Then he hastily helped Minh back. As soon as the two of them turned away, the moon slowly revealed a dim light. Below the banyan tree, there was a white silhouette of a girl with her hair loose, swaying under the long roots, watching.

Minh had a fever, Mr. Duong sat and looked at Minh and sighed:

- From now on, don't go to that banyan tree anymore.

- What's wrong, uncle? Minh suddenly stopped and continued. Are there ghosts?

- Are not. Mr. Duong suddenly exclaimed. You shouldn't go out there late at night in the cold wind, you'll get caught in the wind, don't you think it's okay?

Minh looked at Mr. Duong:

- It seems like there's something going on at that banyan tree, right?

- It happened quite a while ago. Mr. Duong sighed. In the neighborhood at that time, there was a girl named Lua, very beautiful. I remember she had long black hair. Ms. Lua comes from a well-educated family and is good at housework, so there are many people pursuing matches, all of whom are rich. But she chose the teacher who had just returned to teach at the village school. They loved each other, but suddenly when they were about to get married, people discovered the teacher's body drowned in the river. Ms. Lua was so miserable that she died, going to the river every day to cry. Then one afternoon, she went to the riverbank and didn't come back up. When they looked for her, everyone saw that she had become a lifeless body, the girl had hung herself on the branch of an old banyan tree.

Mr. Duong mused:

- It happened when the child was not yet born. From now on, don't go outside that banyan tree anymore. I'll find someone to cut down that banyan tree, so it doesn't haunt everyone and this house.

Minh was surprised:

- What do you mean?

- Your Uncle Ut is the young teacher in the story he just told. He is the younger brother that my father loves the most. Because of that, your grandmother sadly passed away early, and your father also became less talkative. It was like a terrible disaster struck the family.

Minh suddenly looked up at the altar, at the image of the deceased, the face of a young man, looking exactly like him. His heart suddenly felt compassion for the faithful girl.

That night, the moon was bright. Minh stood and lit incense and then looked out, the road leading to the river was as bright as day. Suddenly Minh heard someone calling, the call was both near and far, echoing in his ears. Like a sleepwalker, Minh followed that call, went out, followed the road to the riverbank. Under the banyan tree, with a fluttering white skirt, the silhouette of a girl stood there for a long time.

Lam stood looking down at the riverbank. Today he is not drunk. So he felt scared. Watching Minh go down to the riverbank, he did not dare to follow. Since Minh came here, his face reminded him of old things that he didn't want to remember. His crimes, thought to be buried, now appeared before his eyes, making him afraid. He was not afraid of Minh, but he was afraid of something that had haunted him for many years, right at this banyan tree.

There was an owl calling at night. Tonight Lam followed Minh. Tonight he was drunk and the road under his feet became difficult to walk. He cursed in his heart, how could this cripple walk so fast? Suddenly he rubbed his eyes, panicked, he had been standing under the banyan tree, the branch of the banyan tree still stuck in his face. The moonlight clearly illuminates a half-burnt incense stick, emitting a fragrant scent. Lam shivered, the cold wind biting into his bones made his drunkenness disappear, he quickly tried to leave this scary place, when..., the in-laws kept falling down his face, Lam raised his hand and suddenly recognized it. Turns out what he held in his hand was not a banyan tree but hair, human hair, something wet and slimy fell down his face, Lam widened his eyes and looked up. Dangling above his head, the girl's body was hanged on a banyan branch, her eyes wide open, looking at him. Lam screamed and fell to the ground. He tried to stand up to run but his legs kept clogging him, so he crawled and crawled out of here. Moaning sounded behind him, getting closer and closer... swirling into Lam's head. He madly realized that all this time he had been standing in one place, unable to leave this riverbank. He hit his head on the ground:

- Miss Lua, please forgive me, please forgive me. I know my sin. Lam gasped. Because in the past I was young and naive. Because I love you, I committed a big sin.

There was a hissing sound like the sound of clenched teeth. He looked up, hovering above the ground was the girl, her dark gray face hidden behind her long hair. Lam clasped his hands together in despair:

- Please forgive me... I know my crime... I killed Mr. Ut, please... I will burn incense and smoke until you both die.

The cold moonlight was like a growl in the girl's throat. It hit Lam's face with bloodshot eyes. His body stiffened. His thin blue-black hands reached out and touched his cold skin. He smelled the fishy smell of blood. he flows down.

Minh seemed to be in a dream, the fear in his heart suddenly disappeared when he saw the girl stroking his hair and smiling gently at him. That smile felt strangely familiar to him. It seemed that for a moment he forgot who he was. The calm river was filled with moonlight, coloring the purple hyacinth flowers. They walked leisurely on the small streets. Minh saw that his legs were no longer disabled and he walked healthy with her. The pure, sparkling white color of his shirt wrapped around him. Suddenly at the end of the road, she stopped to look at him, still with those sad eyes. Minh was about to ask, but she shook her head and reached out to hold his hand. He shivered because her hand was cold. Suddenly she turned around and slowly walked away. , Minh tried to hold on but couldn't, he cried out...

- Are you awake, child? Mr. Duong's voice was full of worry. Minh looked around and saw himself lying on the bed.

- You've had a fever these past few days, making me so worried!

Minh put his hand on his forehead, the unreal dreams still made him nervous. There was a commotion outside.

- Is anyone lost?

- Yes, that guy Lam, I don't know if he was so drunk that he thought he was depressed or something and hanged himself from the banyan tree in the river. But I tell you for the last time, don't go out there again. Sad scenes can make people distracted...

Minh absent-mindedly looked out at the wharf, the lonely river... and suddenly, under the leaves, the fragile silhouette of a gentle smile, with sad eyes looking at him.