Tuesday's Gone

I'm all done.

I'm in the midst of packing and getting ready to split soon. Ut and I are trying to figure out what to do with all the loose ends, the chucklehead maid is totally in the way as always, and Na and Vit are running about, making a general mess of everything. Hoogo oi!

Outside people are getting ready for America Defeated Day/ Reunification Day. On April 30, 32 years ago, a fierce mile-long column of North Vietnamese tanks rolled down Le Duan street and crashed through the gates of the Reunification Palace, turning the grounds into a muddy tank parking lot. A soldier ran up the front steps unopposed and waved the NLF flag from the second story balcony. The war was officially over.

Across town, American helicopters airlifted the last Americans and lucky South Vietnamese out of the US Embassy, leaving a hoard of South Vietnamese clamoring at the gates. Finally the helicopters left for good, and thousands of people who were until then in the employ of the US army were left to their fate in the hands of the North Vietnamese.

It is ironic (?) that this is the day i too make tracks from Saigon. And like those people left at the embassy gates, there are people here who are sad to see me go. I came here alone, but i leave having four sisters, three brothers and a girlfriend. Last night Trang said, "Khong di ve nha. Nha la Saigon." (Don't go home. Saigon is home.) I will miss them all very, very much. I love every one of them. And because of the circumstances, My and I are trying our very best to not love each other too much, which is turning out to be the hardest thing of all. I will miss her most of all. I will see her one more time when I go up north. Wish me luck. Hopefully someday we'll see each other again.

I'm signing off for now. In the words of Ronnie Van Zant, Hoogo's gone with the wind.