Like every other day, I woke up at 8 a.m. I usually stay up late working, so I’ve gotten into the habit of taking a moment in the morning to breathe deeply and express gratitude for the gift of a new day. After that, I checked my phone for emails and tasks to complete. When I opened the phone with the Vietnam SIM card, I saw several missed calls from my dad at 6:03 a.m., which was 11:03 a.m. in Vietnam. A wave of anxiety washed over me, and my heart sank as I read the message from my dad: "Grandpa has passed away…."

My grandfather was the one who sparked my curiosity about the vast world beyond. When I was a 5-year-old child, I naïvely thought that Saigon and Binh Dinh were two separate countries. But his stories opened my eyes, making me dream of distant lands, places he had been to. Before I left home for university in Saigon, my dad and I would visit my grandparents every weekend. My grandparents' home was about a two-hour motorbike ride away. For me, those trips weren’t just about visiting family; they were adventures filled with memories. Every summer, my sister and I would stay with them, helping with the cashew harvest, tending to the cattle, and enjoying the rustic beauty of the countryside.

Despite his busy work on the farm, Grandpa always woke up early to tend to the fields, but he never forgot to prepare breakfast for me. He would cook instant noodles and set out a thermos of hot water, along with some mangosteens, already cut because he knew it was my favorite fruit. On market days, after taking Grandma to sell coconuts and fruits from the garden, Grandpa would buy us delicious treats for breakfast.

Grandpa wasn’t just a caregiver; he was also deeply invested in my education. He made sure to be home in time to watch "Đường Lên Đỉnh Olympia" (The Road to Mount Olympia) with me, encouraging me to answer the questions and creating challenges to sharpen my mind. He constantly reminded me to study hard, believing that education was the key to escaping poverty. Although, as a child, I didn’t fully grasp the depth of his words, now, looking back, I realize the significance of his advice.

Whenever we visited our grandparents, I would sleep with Grandpa while my sister slept with Grandma. Grandpa would tell me stories about his training in geology and mechanics in the former Soviet Union, about the times he was wounded during the war, his stay in a Bulgarian hospital, and the war medals he had received. He also encouraged me to learn foreign languages, saying, "Knowing another language is like living another life." At that time, I didn’t fully understand what he meant, but now I see the value in his words. He planted in me a passion for learning and exploring the world.

One memory I’ll never forget is from when I was in 5th grade. One afternoon, my aunts picked me up from school and informed me that Grandpa had fallen while working in the fields, and my parents were transferring him to a hospital in Hanoi. I could only pray that he would be okay and recover soon. But when my parents brought him back home, I realized that his life had changed forever. He had lost one eye, and the other was severely impaired due to war injuries. Despite this, Grandpa remained optimistic and strong. He hugged me and said, "I’m still healthy, don’t worry." Even as his vision faded completely, he continued to help Grandma around the house, and he could still cook delicious meals. He always told me that no matter how hard life gets, you must do your best and remain independent.

I vividly remember Tet in 2018. While helping Dad prepare the chicken for the altar, Grandpa asked me if there was any news about my PhD applications. He knew I had applied to many programs over the years but had yet to secure a stable job. At that moment, he gently reassured me, encouraging me to keep trying because, as he said, "To achieve something worthwhile, you must overcome many challenges." I received my acceptance letter for the PhD program on the 4th day of Lunar New Year in 2021. Grandpa was overjoyed, even though his health had declined significantly, and he had difficulty walking. But Grandpa, I’ll be graduating next year. Why couldn’t you wait just a little longer until I could bring my diploma home?

The memories of Grandpa remain vivid in my mind. I remember as a child, when I visited him, he once pretended to be dead while lying in the hammock to scare me. And this morning, when I received Dad's message, I hoped that maybe, just maybe, he was only pretending again…

Your grandson.