Independent Independence

Dan woke me up with a kiss and greeting words, “Happy Fourth of July. Thank you for coming to the United States and coming into my life.”
My eyes half closed, my brain was singing, “Việt Nam Việt Nam nghe từ vào đời/ 
Việt Nam hai câu nói trên vành môi/ Việt Nam nước tôi.” (Vietnam, Vietnam is heard for the first time in life/ Vietnam is two syllables on my lips/ Vietnam, my country.) I opened my eyes and sat up immediately. I called, “Dan!”
Dan replied, “Yes, Honey?”
I told him, “I remember my first cognitive Independence. The Independence Day of Vietnam before 1975 was on November First or Second. My father worked in District Khánh Dương, a highland, in Vietnam. The driver took us to Khánh Dương. We got there around 10 a.m. My father was at the ceremony; he ordered the driver to take us to the ceremony to join the feast. They treated us well; I ate a lot of food. I do not remember anything else.”
Dan embraced me. “Honey, you should write the story.”
I shared my thoughts with Dan, “I am confused. All the stories about my family are true. If they are true, I might grow in a wealthy family. However, I don’t think so. We did not have much money. My parents saved every penny to buy knowledge for us.”
A shower of kisses dropped on my body. Dan hummed in my ears, “You are my princess; an independent princess who came from Vietnam. I love Vietnam. Vietnam is an independent country like my little independent princess.”

Los Angeles: July 4th, 2014