At 7:10 a.m., trading the weight of my eyelids, I sit up. Today is finally the day I meet David. The man I once saw only through a screen will be reunited with me in the real landscape. The reason I woke early was to eat pho with him in the morning — that promise alone eased my sleepiness a little.
I shower, take a taxi, and head to the pho shop he loves. I arrived fifteen minutes late. But he also came a little late, and we naturally shook hands. His kindness showed on his face; he got me a large bowl of pho and a small one for himself. Morning pho was exceptional. Vietnam has a 'morning food culture,' and the fact that shops are so naturally open at 8 a.m. is proof of that.
On his phone was a live video of his daughter at daycare. Seeing her sitting in a Doraemon child seat, I couldn't help but smile.
After the meal we went to Highland Coffee. The Vietnamese milk coffee was so strong my hands trembled. David laughed, 'I told you so!'
He even had T-shirts ready, with a character holding the Vietnamese flag. It warmed something deep inside me.
He taught himself to become an engineer, and now he's launched a local brand and spoke of his dream to take it overseas someday. Waking at 5 a.m. to juggle childcare, work, and building his brand, I felt nothing but respect.
We rode a motorbike to his house. It's a three-story, narrow house; he doesn't even use the air conditioner, saving money to devote himself fully to making clothes. He ordered me noodles and fried spring rolls for lunch, and another milk coffee as well.
It was so strong it made me laugh, but that feeling made me happy.
When he showed me his workplace, seeing the man from the screen here… I felt the world both vast and small at the same time. His wife came home, we introduced ourselves, and the three of us had lunch.
His wife, originally from Hoi An, showed me a photo album she had taken before they got married. A heavy album that must have weighed three kilos. In the house, with family photos covering the walls, I strongly felt the family love of Vietnam.
We shook hands and parted, me thanking David as he said, 'Come again' and 'Next time I'll make it.' Truly, I'm glad we met.
I went back to the hotel and took a nap. At 7 p.m., next was my meeting with Hieu.
He was already waiting at the restaurant. Older than I imagined — thirty-three years old. His daughter was born in February, so he seemed sleep-deprived from childcare. I felt an attraction to him as a man in his fashion, muscles, and cleanliness. The Vietnamese dishes he ordered arrived like a mountain, and we laughed as we ate bit by bit.
As we talked, I was surprised to learn he was from Quy Nhon — one of the places on my travel list. Maybe this is what fate is. The coincidences that travel and people connect always move me.
He might be introverted, but perhaps because of that my ENFP side came out naturally. Before I knew it, we had talked a lot and laughed a lot.
'Let's meet again in Japan or Vietnam,' we said as we parted that night. Today — that day — truly shone deeply in my heart.
