Dear Mom and Dad,

Last night I heard
sniffles and cries,
uncontrolled sobs
roaming the rundown shack.
Sighs then accompany it,
spewing out like
puffs of
smoke.

Huh?
I wonder and wonder
who
was it?
Why?
What happened?
Is… something wrong?

The next morning
while scavenging for
leftovers
from last, last week;
I caught a glimpse
of Mom’s eyes.
Bloated,
puffy,
red rimmed.
And Dad,
your face was
contorted with
wrinkles.
Were you-?

Dear Mom and Dad,
Up until that fateful morning,
I still wouldn’t believe
that there was
a
WHOLE
NEW
WORLD
for me to

EXPLORE

out there.
These rather…
strange
people,
nuns they called
showed up
in front of our shack.
They were really nice by the way!
They escorted me
Into a car
and took me to
a sk-sho-sko-shool?
They say that
I will stay there
until next summar?
and that
I can’t see you
until then.

I missed you already.

Dear Mom and Dad,
Today…
was a strange day.
I think I-
fainted
in school.
After that,
everything was a blur.
When I woke up,
Mom and Dad, YOU WERE THERE!
The teacher was talking to you
in hushed tones.
I couldn’t hear what you were saying,
but
I know it’s bad.

BIG,
FAT,
UGLY
tears

were cascading

   D
   O
   W
   N

your face Mom.
Dad just stood there,
unblinkingly shocked.

Did I do something wrong?
I’m sorry.

Dear Mom and Dad,
I got released out of hospital today.
You were there to
support me.
Mom,
your eyes were still
glassy and puffy
as clouds
on a rainy day.
Dad,
Your face was grim
I still don’t know what’s wrong with me,
but I feel
pretty..
better than last time.

I’m okay now, really.

Dear Mom and Dad,
As the days pass by,
I often feel like
a dandelion struggling
in the fierce storm.
Not to mention,
there are those weird
…
pain
in my chest;
and I kept

V          M                              N
   O                        T
                     I              I
                                                           G

out what I ate.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me,
BUT
I’m sure I’ll be fine;

-so please,
don’t worry about me too much.

Dear Mom and Dad,
…
I overheard you whispering
about my-

HEART DISEASE

condition.

WHY DIDN’T YOU TELL ME?!

Dear Mom and Dad,
I’ve..
lost

H O P E

for everything
in life.
I don’t know what to do.
I don’t care anymore

I know that
you guys want to

PROTECT

me,
and I’m sincerely
grateful
for that.
But-
I’m sorry.
I can’t take this anymore.
The feelings of one day near the future
I’ll be
GONE,
gone from this world.
I know the both of you
will cry
a lot
for me.

And I just want to say that…

my love for you
will NEVER
fade away
like ink in old letters.

Dear Mom and Dad,
The medicine I’ve been drinking
It doesn’t work well anymore.
I feel like….
my life
is slowing being drained,
like unclogging a sink pop-up drain.

POP (ba-dump)!
POP (ba-dump)
Pop (ba-dump)...

Dear Mom and Dad,
My
H O P E
for

LIVING

is back!!
I heard that
Dad contacted
an organization
by the name of
Heartbeat Vietnam
as a last resort-
and they agreed to
HELP
us,
for the expenses of a heart surgery!!

I can live longer with you now!
I can go outside to play with other children!
I can go to school with my new friends!

Tidal of happiness overwhelm me.

Dear Mom and Dad,
After the surgery
although it

HURT

a lot, actually...

I feel so thankful now,
for the life I have,
for you guys who have taken care of me
from the day I was born;
and lastly,
for Heartbeat Vietnam
who had gave me
another ‘ticket’,
another opportunity
in life.