A Quiet Life in Trà Vinh Before America

When I learned that he had actually purchased his plane ticket, he sent me a copy of the ticket and his travel itinerary.

I was surprised.

At that moment, many emotions filled my heart.

I was happy because I felt that I had met an honest man, someone who was willing to spend his time, money, and effort to travel across the world to meet me.

But I was also nervous.

I wondered what it would be like when we finally met in person.

Would he be the same as I imagined?

Would we be able to communicate when I knew almost no English?

I told my parents that a man from far away was coming to visit me.

At first, they did not believe me.

Everyone asked:

"You don't speak English. How can you talk to him?"

I understood their concerns.

Even I did not know where this friendship would lead.

Later, I showed my parents his plane ticket and travel plans.

Only then did they realize that it was real.

My family became very interested in our story.

The day I went to the airport to meet him, I was accompanied by my niece.

I wore a black dress and a pair of high heels.

I was excited, nervous, and anxious all at the same time.

I could not sit still.

I kept sitting down, standing up, and looking toward the airport exit.

Finally, I saw him.

My first thought was:

"He doesn't look exactly like his photos."

Perhaps it was because I had only seen him through a phone screen before.

Seeing him in person felt completely different.

We greeted each other with a little awkwardness and shyness.

Both of us seemed nervous.

After that, he followed me back to my hometown.

At that time, my father was seriously ill, and my family was the first place he wanted to visit.