The next Saturday, Vong got out of bed early. He was excited because today was Lucia’s birthday and he had been invited to Lucia’s birthday party at the park.
Vong helped his Grandma make his favorite spring rolls, as well as new sushi rolls filled with avocado, fresh cucumber and carrot sticks, which he hoped Lucia would like. Then, he helped his Grandma pack all of the rolls neatly into food containers.
Vong carried the containers as he walked to the park with his Grandma and Grandpa, whom he had asked to accompany him to the party since he knew how much they missed spending time outdoors. At the park, he immediately spotted the balloons and colorful party decorations and he heard the lively Mariachi music playing and as he came closer, he saw Lucia wearing a pretty dress.
“Chào, Vong!” Lucia greeted enthusiastically.
“Hola, Lucia!” Vong greeted. “¡Feliz Cumpleaños! Happy Birthday, Lucia!”
“Gracias, Vong.”
“These are my grandparents,” Vong introduced. “My Grandma made your favorite spring rolls and new sushi rolls for your birthday. I hope you like them.”
Lucia looked at Vong’s grandparents. “Thank you very much. ¡Muchas gracias, mucho gusto!”
Vong’s grandparents nodded and smiled.
“And here is your birthday present.” Vong handed her a rolled up grocery bag.
Lucia quickly unwrapped her present and when she saw the heart-shaped bookmark, her face lit up. “It’s beautiful, muy bonita! Did you make it, Vong?”
“Sí,” Vong answered. “I needed a bookmark so I made one for myself and I thought you might need one, too.”
“This is wonderful, Vong!” Lucia pressed the bookmark to her chest, happy that she had received a handmade gift on her birthday. “¡Muchas gracias!”
Afterwards, Lucia, Vong and his grandparents went to join the others and soon, the feast began. Lucia placed the special homemade rolls next to the Mexican dishes. Vong had never eaten Mexican food before but he could tell that all the dishes were tasty just by how good they looked and their delicious smell — the maize chips with guacamole and spicy red salsa, tamales, enchiladas and empanadas.
After the meal, Vong joined the other children in dancing around to the Mariachi music, then, they all took turns in hitting the donkey piñata which, after several tries, burst open with plenty of candies and toys.
Vong’s grandparents were very pleased to see Vong having a great time with his new friends, but after the piñata, they wandered to a more quiet section of the park. Worried, Vong followed after them and as soon as he caught up with them, he saw that they were staring at the park with a sad melancholy look in their eyes. He realized that they miss Vietnam more than anyone because they spent the most years there and had the fondest memories.
“Grandpa, Grandma, are you alright?” Vong asked as he approached them.
Vong’s grandfather sighed. “I miss home,” he said in Vietnamese. “But our life is here now and I believe things will get better.”
“At least, we are all together,” Vong’s grandmother added.
In spite of their answers, Vong still sensed their unhappiness and he frowned. “I wish that all of us can be happy here in America. I like it here.”
Vong’s Grandma looked at him and lifted his chin. “Do not mind your Grandpa and I. Just keep going forward. Keep doing well in school. After all, you are our future. You are our hope, just as the name ‘Vong’ means ‘Hope’ in Vietnamese.” She smiled at him, showing all her perfectly black teeth.
For a moment, Vong was reminded of the night before they fled Vietnam and he realized how far they had come since then, how much their lives had changed. He knew that Vietnam would always be a part of him but he knew that his life was in America now and that his grandparents and parents were counting on him to make the most of all the new opportunities in America, to make all their sacrifices bear fruit.
Vong smiled back at his Grandma and gave her a hug. “I will do my best, Grandma,” he promised.
As long as he had hope in his heart, he knew that in America he could make his dreams come true and the people around him happy. His new life, after all, had just begun.