April 7th, 2024.
I hadn’t seen her in seven years. I couldn’t reach her before coming to Dalat. But it knew she was here, the name of her clothing store was on her Instagram. I’ll just stop by anyway, I thought. Maybe she will recognize me, maybe she won’t. A guy she met in Saigon seven years ago. If I don’t try, I’ll regret it.
The day started early in the morning. 7:30am and already out. I walk through backstreets and I make my way to Café Tùng, my second visit. While yesterday the café was nearly empty, today, motorcycles blocked the entire front entrance.
The waiter squeezed me in between two couples, all of us sharing a table. Most of the patrons seemed like Vietnamese tourist. Most were having coffee, playing games on their phones. Still I stay, and order Cà Phê Sữa Đá, iced coffee with condensed milk.
There’s a Mona Lisa on the wall. Somehow, it looks older than the original. They bring the little Vietnamese coffee press, “Phin”, with some tea on the side. This time I learn to properly serve it. First you wait for the coffee to brew, a couple of minutes. When water stops dripping, turn the cap and use it as coaster for the press. Mix the coffee and condensed milk before pouring it into the glass with ice.
As I get closer to her clothing store, I get nervous. I try not to think too much about it. Can’t avoid it. Don’t think of a pink elephant scenario.
I arrive. The entrance is on an alleyway above some steps, but it’s closed. What do I do? The store is closed, that’s what’s meant to happen. Nothing. I turn back and climb down the steps, a dog inside starts barking. Ok, maybe there is someone inside. I stay still for half a minute, waiting for something to happen. The dog barks louder. Time to go I guess. As I walk the alley, the dog follows me, barking from inside the house, pass one window, pass two windows. On the second window, I hear someone talking to the dog. I turn back, there she is.
“I think I know you. I’m Camilo”.
“Ohh my gaad” something clicks in her head.
Hồ My is as energetic as when we met seven years ago. In Saigon, she got tired of her job in social media, quit and opened a clothing store, Boho Garden, in the city.
Two things happened that brought her to Dalat. She met her now husband in 2018 and then, COVID-19 happened. Not enjoying Saigon during COVID-19, they decided to move to Dalat, where she reopened her store.
After an hour of talking, she had me already posing in a men’s Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese attire. Some connections are like that, the energy between some people remain, no matter how long you are far away. We say goodbye, with hope, knowing that really, you never know when you’ll see another person again.
