Stories

Accidental Encounter by Đỗ Tường Linh and D J Clark

After years selling coffee from a cart around Hoan Kiem lake Mr Lam finally had the money he needed to open his own coffee shop in the old quarter of Hanoi. On a hot autumn's afternoon the main room was full of chat from local office workers keen to escape their mundane work. In the corner of a quiet back room, Son sat alone reading a book. He was so drawn by his own thoughts that he didn't seem to notice the scene around him. His parents had become entangled in the new Vietnam boom but had no time for their only child. He had grown up lonely and developed his own imaginative world.

His parents had always expected him to go into business but Son felt no bond with his elders or their ambitions. Through connections made on European internet forums Son had found solace with other disengaged youths and soon began to listen to and discuss suicidal rock bands. He spent long days in his small rooftop room contemplating life isolated from the city that surrounded him. After an online friend from Germany took his own life, Son too considered doing the same as a means to escape the pressure from those around him.

Leaving the coffee shop he wandered the city with no particular purpose. Walking past the art school a painting caught his eye and he entered the gate to explore. Quietly he moved from room to room captivated by the students experiments. Everything got him excited and he picked up a pencil and started to draw. This was fresh and felt good to him, a new world was opening up and for a while he left his imaginative world.

Before leaving he was handed a leaflet for a video exhibition opening that evening and he walked quickly to the gallery. Arriving two hours early he patiently waited for the show to begin. Seeing the images projected around him he was intrigued. He slowly moved around the gallery trying to connect with the viewers but his inner shyness stopped him. Finally he built up the courage to approach an artist and they began to talk. He opened up his feelings and was comforted by the response. That evening his plan changed, he no longer felt the need to follow his parents dreams or end his life to escape them. It was his life and he could make of it as he chose and so he chose to become an artist!