The Tangled Garden

She wouldn’t have noticed him had he not called her, “Vi! It’s me, Phong, Hà’s brother.” She recognized his smile and his voice, but Phong had grown into a sturdy man, broad-shouldered and square-jawed, nothing like the scrawny teenager with delicate traits whom she had last seen ten years earlier in Vietnam. Phong told her that Hà and their parents, the last ones in his family who left by boat, had perished at sea. His face hardened, “I should’ve waited to leave with them. We would have survived the journey.” The tragedy had broken Phong; he became estranged from his surviving older siblings.

From that day, despite being two years her junior, street-smart Phong protected Vi as if she was his younger sister. He helped her find an apartment and negotiated the rent for her. He counselled her on the application process to enroll in the same program at the university where he was studying. He introduced her to his circle of friends, but ensured that no one could take advantage of her. After graduating from university, Phong got married and moved to Ottawa with his wife. Vi, meanwhile, fell in love with her university classmate, who, she knew early on, was not the right one for her. It was Phong who convinced her to end the relationship. He helped her land a job and move to Ottawa, closer to him. After repeatedly dating the wrong men, Vi was now living alone, drifting apart from Phong—who had become increasingly disapproving of her romantic interests. He started lecturing her, telling her to stop being a pushover, to stop putting herself in a vulnerable position, and to stop acting passive-aggressive. Yes, she could be a drama queen at times, but how could he call her a hypocrite? How could he only see flaws in her?

The encounter with the Coconut Boy had left Vi with many questions, but it had also lifted her spirit. She thought of calling Phong to tell him about her experience, but still resenting his words, she decided against it. Phong was no longer the playful boy she’d grown up with, nor the considerate young man she’d reconnected with in Montreal. Besides, it was his turn to call and apologize.

***

When she got home, she ran to her garden. She now realized that her garden was very much like the painting. Her flowers grew wildly, intertwining with each other, bursting with colours.

Everything was bathed in the same late summer light as the painting. She sat under the canopy of the Japanese maple, looking up, observing the patterns of its leaves on the blue sky, and wishing to be transported back to the magical realm. She wished she could share this moment with Phong. She missed his childlike manners and inventive mind. Rubbing her hand over the rough head of the statue, she found solace in Ryokan’s serene smile.