Inside out: Every year Mother sees I Ching Teller of Fate he claims that our lives will turn inside out. Ha says maybe I'll be able to play outside and we won't have to hide under the bed when soldiers are near. Heard that this years banh chưngis smuthered in blood. War is coming to Saigon. February 12,1975
Papaya Tree: Accidental papaya tree grew in the garden Ha flicked a seed into the garden and from there it grew into a papaya tree Brother Khoi is four years older than Ha and spotted the first blossom he can see higher Brother Vu found the first papaya size of a fist he is 18 brother Quang is the oldest 21 years of age "Who knows what he will see before me?"
TiTi waves goodbye: TiTi is Ha's best friend she is crying her & her 2 brothers are also on the verge of tears are getting inside there car packed with piles of suitcases TiTi puts in Ha's hands the flower seeds that they wanted to plant together but know it's to late she waves at me from the back of their bunny shaped car.
Missing in action: Ha's Father left home because he is in the navy. March 10,1966 he was captured on Route 1.That's all the information they had. Ha's Mother makes an altar praying for fathers safe return, offering tuberoses, fruit, incense, & glutinous rice with his picture taken that Tet 1966. At the end of the chant she puts away his picture and leaves everything else there for the day.
Feel smart: Ha lies to her family by buying "ninety-nine grams of pork, seven-eighths of a bushel of spinach, and four and three quarters cubes of tofu." Instead of buying one hundred grams of pork, a bushel of spinach, and five cubes of tofu like she's supposed to she does this to buy herself sweets. she feels smart.
One cannot justify war unless it flaunts it's own blind convictions.
Birthday
Ha being the young =est gets to celebrate her birthday twice once on Tet and on her actual birthday she gets roasted chicken, dried bamboo soup, and all Ha can eat pudding. This year only banana tapioca and Ha's favorite candy. To make up for it her mother tell Ha she can have one wish and her wish is stories of her mother's girlhood.
Birthday wishes
A Day Downtown: Ha and her mother go downtown to "hear the president's speech" of thanks for the men lost during the war he gives food to each family that lost someone. During his speech he cries Ha's mother says "tears of an ugly fish" Meaning she thinks that his tears are fake and that he really doesn't actually care about any of the men that were lost.
Closed to Soon: At Ha's school there is an announcement saying school is going to be closed a month to soon. Ha was so angry that she pinched the girl sitting next to her named Tram half Ha's size frail and skinny. Our mother's are friends and Ha will get in trouble. We do a math problem whoever gets it first gets the sweet potato plant. Ha knows that Tram the teachers pet will be awarded the plant. Ha pinches her again.
Bridge to sea: Ha's Uncle Son her father's best friend comes to visit the family he goes straight to the kitchen and opens the back door. UNBELIEVABLE LUCK!!!!! The door leads straight to the docks past the Navy port. Ha;'s mother says I will not risk my children to some rickety old boat. Uncle Son: What about a Navy ship Ha's mother: Like a navy ship would abandon our country. Uncle Son: There won't be a Saigon left to protect.
Should We: Ha's mother calls a family meeting asking all of her children whether or not they want to go on the navy ships to escape the war in Saigon. Brother Quang says no " How can we scramble away like rats and leave our country" Brother khoi says " What if Father comes home and find s his family gone." Brother Vu says yes he still wants to step on the same land Bruce Lee did. Their mother stays still and thinks they must stay quiet while waiting for her decision.
President resigns
On the Tv President Thieu is crying on the screen he says" I can no longer be your president but i will never leave my people or our country. Ha's mother lifts an eyebrow as if she knows he's lying.
Watch Over Us: Ha's uncle Son comes back to see whether their family is going or not he tells the family not to tell anyone in Saigon or the hordes of people that live in Saigon will come to the ports expecting to able to get on a ship and escape. Axa is still worried about her father her mother reassures er by letting her know that they made a pact that if they were separated they would meet each other in the North their original home.
Crisscrossed Packs: Since Ha's mother is a part time seamstress she use her sewing machine to make cloth bag for everyone to hold there belongings in. Brother Khoi remembering his pact with Ha to stay home and protect the chick and papaya tree he says make only 3 Mother brings the portrait of there father and asks Khoi to please come with them to make his father proud that he listened to his mother.Finally after a while he nods yes.
Saigon is Gone: Ha's mother is sick. Commander told everyone to go below deck he chose a safe river route to sea. Communists are dropping all the bombs they have left.Ha hopes that TiTi got out. A helicopter circles the ship dropping Vietnamese on deck it';s a humanitarian mission. The pilot comes below deck and tells the horrible news to Saigon's people Saigon is Gone.
One Engine: In the middle of the night the ships stop people scream everyone must think thats communists got us commander says"Thailand is much farther on one engine it was to risky to take river route we dodged bombs but missed rescue ships." He also tells everyone don't move if you don't need to because you'll was
choose
Ha's family must choose where they will go Uncle son says Canada most go to France Ha's mother chooses America. Because her sons can work and get scholarships if they're smart and succeed.
another tent city
The family flies to Florida in another tent city. To leave they must be sponsored people are getting sponsored but not Ha's family. Rumor had it that sponsors like christians better and like that Ha's mother "changes their religion."
