MR.
THUONG VISIT MONDAY AFTERNOON APRIL 17
After
saying goodbye to Ms. Hanh and her sister, we (Khanh, the local Red Cross
representative, and I) made our way across the hamlet to Mr. Thuong’s house.
Like Ms. Hanh, he greeted us with a broad smile. For a man with mere stubs for hands, his accomplishments are
nothing short of amazing. His
ducks, chickens, and pigs are thriving.
In fact, just one day prior, a sow had a litter of 14 cute little
oinkers. The water pump that we
provided two years past is functioning as intended, so Thuong’s days of lugging
buckets from the well are history.
Harvesting fruit from nearby trees was fun. Thuong has rigged a curved
knife on the end of a long pole for the purpose of removing fruit from the
higher parts of the tree. But that
seemed too easy for me, so I opted for climbing high up and seeking out fruit
the hard way. These things, the
name of which eludes me, are quite large at 6”-8” (15cm-20cm) in diameter.
Everyone was amused when one, cut by Thuong, bounced limb to limb before
falling smack dab on top his head.
Even the “victim” laughed.
Nga,
Thuong’s wife, prepared a delicious meal consisting of shrimp, soup, and
chicken. We even enjoyed cold
beer, evidence that the fridge provided last year is still doing its job. As
we completed dinner, I handed Thuong a monetary gift, suggesting that it be
used for the kids.
Since
first meeting Thuong, I have been much impressed by his positive attitude, work
ethic, and how well he has adapted to his disability. Because of our help &
support, he can now sustain a favorable & secure quality of life for his
family. Together, we made it happen.
With
a promise to stop back for a brief visit on Wednesday, we said goodbye with
handshakes and hugs.
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