by Anne Vize
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\nThan Le dips her paddle idly into the murky water of the Thu Bon River and gazes across the glassy surface towards her home. \u00a0She looks at the young couple seated nervously in the front of the boat and smiles at them. \u00a0They smile back, and then glance at each other as if seeking reassurance that this small gesture has been the correct thing to do. \u00a0She watches in amusement at their unspoken conversation. \u00a0It is the start of the Australian holiday season, and the tourists are just starting to fill the hotels and restaurants with their enthusiastic chatter and passion for spreading money around like confetti. \u00a0Soon it will be peak season, with people jamming the markets and stores and snapping photographs in every direction. \u00a0But for now it is still peaceful in her small town, and Than Le is making the most of the peace before the holidaying hordes descend.<\/p>\n
The water slaps gently at the side of the boat, and she turns her attention back to paddling. \u00a0They have not progressed very far along the river, but the tourists do not seem to mind. \u00a0They never do. \u00a0Than Le is always surprised at how short a distance she can paddle up the river without the tourists complaining. \u00a0So long as she lets the oars occasionally brush the surface, they seem to be happy. \u00a0They are talking to each other now, pointing out the scenery as it drifts slowly past. \u00a0A large white bird glides gently past on outstretched wings. \u00a0An old woman stands on the shore, gesturing to them. \u00a0The tourists wave to her enthusiastically and the old woman waves back, a bright, toothless smile lighting her worn features.<\/p>\n
Than Le has been paddling this stretch of the river for years now. \u00a0She makes a reasonable living for herself during the tourist season, ferrying eager travellers from the restaurants to the bridge and back for a few thousand dong a trip. \u00a0The money she makes supplements the family business. \u00a0Her mother, like many of the women in Hoi An, is a dressmaker. \u00a0She spends her days toiling over metres of fabric designing clothes for the western tourists who visit her store. \u00a0Than Le always thinks it is quite comical that people would travel all the way to Hoi An just to spend their holidays being measured and pinned and fitted for dresses and suits that they could buy just as easily at home. \u00a0Her father runs a small mini van for a hotel, driving rich Americans to see the major sites around town.\u00a0 Sometimes the tourists pay Than Le in Australian dollars, and these she hides away under her mattress. \u00a0She is saving them for a trip she wants to take when she is older.<\/p>\n
Than Le dreams of one day visiting Australia. \u00a0She saw Australia on a map once. \u00a0It was enormous; a great spreading eagle covering half the page. \u00a0Her own country, by contrast, was tiny. \u00a0A mere spot at the very top of the map, with only some small writing in the corner to show where the rest of her homeland disappeared onto another page. \u00a0She would love to visit at Christmas time just to see for herself what all the fuss was about. \u00a0She had read a story at school called “An Australian Bush Christmas” and ever since she had been fascinated by the notion of everyone sharing a religious festival that seemed to be chiefly concerned with playing sports, visiting friends and giving each other presents.<\/p>\n
Than Le’s attention returns to the couple in her boat. \u00a0She listens to them talk. \u00a0They have not yet discovered that she can speak English, and so she lets them chat uninterrupted. \u00a0They think she is a boy, probably because her long, black hair is swept up underneath her floppy sunhat. \u00a0It is much easier that way; when her hair is down it often catches in her fingers. \u00a0The young woman is asking the man if he thinks they should give her a tip when they get back to the shore. \u00a0Than Le giggles quietly and thinks that it sounds like a good idea to her. \u00a0She doesn\u2019t mind tourists like this couple. \u00a0Quiet and polite, not like some of the loud, demanding holiday makers who think she should have to entertain them during their boat ride. \u00a0She likes that this pair can sit in the boat without wriggling, so she does not have to work to balance the boat as well as paddling. \u00a0Some tourists insist on lurching from one side of the tiny craft to the other so they can take photos of each other and of Than Le. \u00a0She hates having her photo taken, but most never bother to ask. \u00a0They just click away with their cameras and videos, taking photos and film of just about everything. \u00a0Than Le wonders sometimes if they ever get to see the real Vietnam, or just blurred images through the lens of a camera as a reminder of their Vietnam holiday.<\/p>\n
Than Le has one photo of herself at home that she keeps in a box by her bed. \u00a0It was taken by an Australian tourist last year. \u00a0The girl had been travelling alone, and Than Le had watched her spend some time sitting on a bench besides the river, trying to summon the courage to ask for a boat ride. \u00a0Finally Than Le had taken her out, and the girl had chatted excitedly for the entire trip. \u00a0She had quickly discovered that Than Le\u2019s English skills were good, and they had enjoyed a pleasant half an hour chatting about food and Australia and Than Le\u2019s school and family. \u00a0The girl had asked Than Le if she minded having her photo taken, and had spent some time carefully organising the light and the background for the shot. \u00a0At the end of the trip, the girl had carefully copied down Than Le\u2019s address into a small notepad and promised to send her the photos she had taken. \u00a0Than Le had never expected the picture to arrive, and she had deliberately put it out of her mind. \u00a0Then, weeks later, a small envelope had arrived with a note and a photo inside.<\/p>\n
To Than Le, <\/em><\/p>\n A picture to remember our boat ride. \u00a0I hope we meet again someday.\u00a0 I have written my address for you so if you ever have a chance to come for a holiday to Australia you can visit me. <\/em><\/p>\n From your friend in Australia,<\/em><\/p>\n Annelise.<\/em><\/p>\n The young couple are holding hands now and watching her as she paddles. \u00a0She dips her paddle into the water again and points to her house. \u00a0It is raised on stilts above the water, and for some reason all the tourists seem to find this intriguing. \u00a0They often ask about how high the water rises up the stilts during a storm or flood. \u00a0They seem to enjoy hearing about the big flood last year that carried so many people to their deaths. \u00a0Than Le still shivers when she thinks about that day. \u00a0She finds it strange that the tourists want to hear about a day when people died trying to save their belongings and their children and animals. \u00a0But they seem to enjoy those bits the most. \u00a0So sometimes Than Le makes the story sound just a little worse than it really was. \u00a0She invents some extra details about people floating holding their possessions above their heads so they could save them. \u00a0She tells them about young children performing heroic rescues against the rapidly rising waters. \u00a0She knows when she has got the details of her stories just right because the tourists gasp and nod knowingly at each other.<\/p>\n Than Le begins the story about the rising waters of the flood for the fifth time this afternoon. \u00a0She tells the young couple about watching the water creep up the stilts of her house, and seeing her books and clothes disappear into the swirling river muck.\u00a0 She tells them about her mother crying as her treasured sewing machine was swept away. \u00a0She finishes her story with a nice detail about oranges bobbing on the surface of the water and her fishing them out so her family could have something to eat that night. \u00a0She likes stories where she gets to be the hero. \u00a0The young couple look admiringly at her, as if they can suddenly see something more than just a young, dark eyed teenager in a floppy hat.<\/p>\n Than Le has a secret rule on her boat. \u00a0If the tourists smile at her and her stories and they are polite and well mannered, she tells them about the bridge. \u00a0If they grunt at her indifferently like some of them do, or if they are rude and ignore her while she is telling her stories, she doesn\u2019t tell them about the bridge until it is almost too late. \u00a0The bridge sits low over the river, its ancient bulk casting a wide shadow over the water. \u00a0All the kids who paddle the river play on the bridge. \u00a0They tie their boats up to it, and climb up to explore the pylons. \u00a0If there are no tourists around, they might sit near the bridge and fish. \u00a0They all enjoy the game of paddling unsuspecting tourists towards the pylons, waiting until the very last second, and then pointing casually at the fast approaching stone underside and saying \u201cbridge.\u201d \u00a0It\u2019s a great laugh to watch the tourists shriek and flatten themselves against the floor of the boat, often making it rock precariously with the sudden movement.<\/p>\n They are almost at the bridge. \u00a0Than Le points over the young woman\u2019s shoulder and motions to them to duck their heads. \u00a0She deftly guides the boat under the low bridge, and safely out the other side. \u00a0The couple sit upright once more, and smile at her in appreciation. \u00a0The man takes some bananas from his bag and offers one to the woman. \u00a0She takes one, then motions at Than Le. \u00a0The man hesitates for a moment, as if wondering if he can afford such generosity. \u00a0Then he shakes his head and holds the bunch out to Than Le. \u00a0She reaches for a banana and peels it quickly, the paddle tucked for a moment under her armpit. \u00a0It has been hours since she has eaten and she is hungry. \u00a0She smiles a quick thank you to the man and munches happily. \u00a0The couple smile at each other, pleased with themselves.<\/p>\n When they return to the shore, Than Le steadies the boat against the river wall as first the man and then the woman step gingerly out, her holiday beach bag clutched to her chest. \u00a0They exchange another look and the man nods decisively at the woman. \u00a0He reaches into his bag and holds out the rest of the bananas. \u00a0Than Le takes them from him, pleased to have a snack to eat during the afternoon. \u00a0The man smiles at his wife and Than Le hears them tell each other that the young boy will have something decent to eat for a change. \u00a0She forces her smile to stay where it is, and waves to the departing tourists. \u00a0As they look back, Than Le takes her hat from her head, and shakes her long dark hair out from under it. \u00a0She runs her fingers through the knots, smoothing it as best she can without a brush. \u00a0She giggles at the stunned look on their faces as they realise that she is, in fact, not a boy at all.<\/p>\n \u201cBye,\u201d she calls out to them. \u00a0\u201cI\u2019ll see you around sometime. \u00a0Enjoy the rest of your holiday in Vietnam! \u00a0Oh, and thanks for the bananas!\u201d by Anne Vize Than Le dips her paddle idly into the murky water of the Thu Bon River and gazes across the glassy surface towards her home. \u00a0She looks at the young couple seated nervously in the front of the … Continue reading
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\nA version of “River Girl” was first published in Island, a Tasmanian literary magazine.
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\nANNE VIZE<\/strong> is an Australian author who works mainly in educational writing, creating books for teenagers who struggle with literacy and their teachers. She is currently a frustrated eco travel writer (hampered by two small fries who don\u2019t travel well) who aims to travel the world in her own holiday times, reviewing wonderful places to stay sustainably. She is sure no one else harbours this ambition, so the market should be wide open. Anne\u2019s latest books are Into Reading Books 1 and 2<\/em> published by Phoenix Education.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"