My Dearest Friend Nguu 2

My dearest friend Nguu,

It was very painful getting the news that you had left us forever a couple of days ago. Since then, I have been spending my time talking about you and the good time we shared while in the UPLB with Mai, Bui Xuan and anh Brian Ngo over the phone. I also enjoyed reading the very first poem showing your love and admiration to your very dear Elvie and tributes written by our friends; those written statements really warmed my heart. I thought it would be easy to recall our precious time together, both happy and sad!- but it is rather tough thinking that this will be the last time I am talking to you, my friend Nguu!

Everybody knows that you were a very productive scientist, bilingual writer and poet; so I will only mention my personal thoughts, feelings and experiences I had with you other than that. Although you were ahead of me entering NLS college and UPLB and older than me by a year, you always treated me as a friend and I am grateful for that. I treasure the moments we shared when still attending graduate study at UPLB. You were living at IH while I was at Men’s dorm; but we met almost daily to play volleyball- most of the time, 2X2 (I wanted to pair with you because you knew where to place the ball to win). After the game, we proceeded to SU for dinner and the losers paid for a bottle of Coke per game. For the weekends, we looked forward to spending a good time together at Eva Lands Billiard; you taught me how to play billiard and bowling there, remember? We then had a couple of San Miguel beers at Dalampasigan across the street. One thing I and your UPLB friends will never forget is your ambition, Nguu! Guess what: “one day I will become Vietnam President”; we all wouldn’t know what to do but to say “Good luck, Nguu!”. After the fall of Saigon to the communists, all Vietnamese SEARCA scholars got together to decide whether we should stay on or leave for the USA, I was among those who supported you to stay on due to the simple reason that we wanted to reunite with our parents & families back home! It was a fateful and tough decision to make, Nguu!

Shortly after you got married to Elvie, you and Elvie moved to Quezon city to live with Nanay. So our UPLB group would make a point to visit you every now and then- even when no one is available, I would go by myself: taking the LTB bus for 65 km then a couple of Jeepney rides. My riding time never got wasted because we always enjoyed our time together with great conversation, singing, good food and San Miguel; Nanay was very accommodating! From time to time, Elvie would take us to her cousin’s nearby for singing sessions- actually her cousin taught us how to sing!

The most painful experience I had with Nguu and Elvie was when Le Van- their first child passed- I was at the hospital with them. I shared their deep pain, thus unable to sleep for a while.

Back to the happy times, I consider myself privileged to have shared the joy and excitement of Nguu & Elvie watching the births and growing up of all theirchildren: Le Anh, Le Kim and Le Mai. They are all successful grownups now: Nguu must be very proud of them all!

Nam mô Tiếp Dẫn Đạo Sư A Di Đà Phật! Rest in peace, my dearest friend Nguu!