Last Airlift

by Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch

  She left the curtains open and climbed back into bed. She hugged her doll and thought of Surrey Place, where she, Linh, and the babies had slept so close to one other.

  Tuyet wondered if the others slept by themselves. She walked to her door and opened it a crack. She could hear rhythmic breathing coming from one of the rooms and a gentle snore from another. She pulled the door open wider—

  Squeak!

  Tuyet started. She held her breath. Had she woken anyone?

  But the rhythmic breathing continued.

  If she limped down the hallway, she was sure to make noise. She had only one choice. Tucking her doll into the neck of her shirt, she got down onto the floor and dragged herself silently along the hallway until she reached the first door. She pulled herself up with care and turned the doorknob slowly. Terrified of another squeak, she held her breath and pushed the door open just far enough to peek inside.

  The room was similar to hers, but this one had a bed on either side. Between the beds was a window, the curtain opened slightly. On the floor sat a small rug, just like in her room. In one bed, Tuyet could make out the form of Beth snuggled up under the covers, her long hair splayed out over the pillow. In the other was Lara, deep in sleep on her back, her arms flung above her head.

  Tuyet longed to sleep in this room with the two girls. Their closeness would comfort her. The sound of their breathing would lull her nightmares away. She softly closed the door and crawled to the next bedroom. This one was smaller. Tuyet could see the barred sides of Aaron’s crib. He slept, curled in a ball, in one corner of the crib.

  The low snoring noise got a little louder as Tuyet made her way to the end of the hall. At the convent, one of the older nuns snored, so the sound did not frighten Tuyet. If anything, she found it a comfort. She gingerly pushed open the door and poked her head in. Mom and Dad were sound asleep in their bed.

  Tuyet closed the door as gently as she could and headed back along the hall. But instead of passing Beth and Lara’s room, she stopped for a moment and leaned against the door. How she longed to go into that room and sleep on the rug between them.

  It was so frightening to think of sleeping alone. But she didn’t want to disappoint this family. She had to make herself agreeable so they would never think of sending her back.

  Tuyet returned to her own room.

  She knew she would never sleep if she got back into the soft bed, so she hugged her doll and curled up on the rug. She’d wake up early and get into the bed.

  No one would know the difference.

  Chapter Nine

  Dad

  The first bits of daylight warmed Tuyet’s face. In her dreams, she was still in the orphanage, sleeping on the wood slat floor. She opened her eyes. She was on a rug on the floor. She sat up and felt her cheek. It was rippled with the impression of a soft rug instead of wooden slats.

  It all came back to her in a rush. She was alone, but this room, the too-soft bed, the chest of drawers where she’d hidden extra food—they were all her very own. And the stars…

  She limped to the window. The morning sky was a crisp bright blue with tufted clouds, and the ground was carpeted in green. There were objects on the green, but she didn’t quite know what they were.

  The doorknob was turning! Tuyet grabbed her doll and jumped into the bed just as the door squeaked open. Mom walked in, smiling, carrying Tuyet’s freshly laundered pants and her sweater from Surrey Place. But as soon as Mom saw Tuyet’s face, her smile disappeared.

  “What happened to your cheek?”

  Mom placed the clothing on the dresser and sat down on the bed. She touched the spot on Tuyet’s cheek where the rug had made its mark. Tuyet was scared. Would she be punished for sleeping on the floor? The woman didn’t seem angry, but she wasn’t happy either.

  All at once, Mom wrapped her arms around Tuyet, drawing her in close. It felt so good to be held. It almost felt like being safe.

  Just then, Lara and Beth tumbled into the room, hair awry, still in their pajamas.

  “Good morning, Tuyet,” said Lara.

  “Morning, sister,” said Beth. “I heard you outside our room last night.”

  Tuyet didn’t know what the girls were saying, but she could see right away that Beth’s words had caught Mom’s attention.

  “Tuyet was in the hallway last night?” Mom asked.

  “She was outside our door for a long time,” said Beth. “I don’t think she likes sleeping alone.”

  Mom patted the bed. “Let’s all give Tuyet a hug.”

  The girls climbed up onto the bed. Soon they were all over Tuyet, hugging and tickling until they all dissolved in a fit of giggles.

  Mom looked at her wristwatch. “Girls,” she said, “it’s time to get dressed. We’re going to be late for church.”

  Beth grabbed Lara’s hand and the two girls ran to their own bedroom.

  Mom pointed to the freshly laundered clothing that she had set on top of the dresser and hurried out.

  Tuyet put on her Surrey Place clothes and went down the hallway to the bathroom. Lara and Beth were dressed and at the sink, brushing their teeth. Mom was kneeling beside the tub, bathing Aaron.

  Tuyet couldn’t help Beth and Lara brush their teeth, but she was determined to show Mom that she could be a good worker. Tuyet knelt beside Mom at the side of the tub and tried to edge her out of the way. She grabbed the face cloth from Mom’s hand.

  Mom took the face cloth back. “You are my daughter,” she said. “Not my helper.”

  Tuyet was confused. Why was she here if not to help with the children?

  Mom pointed to Beth and Lara and made motions like brushing her teeth. Tuyet stood up and stepped over to the sink. At least she could understand Mom some of the time.

  Tuyet followed Beth and Lara to the kitchen, where Dad was setting out bowls, spoons, milk, and a mysterious box. Tuyet sat in a chair between the two younger girls. Beth poured what looked like small pebbles from the box into her bowl, and passed the box to Tuyet, who copied her then handed the box to Lara. Lara poured milk all over the pebbles, so Tuyet did the same.

  “Cheerios,” said Lara, picking up her spoon and pointing it at the box.

  Tuyet examined her spoon. It looked like a more practical tool than the pronged instrument from the evening before. She dipped the spoon into her bowl, filled it, and tasted the pebbles. They were crunchy and sweet—much better than Catalina dressing!

  The spoon was slowing her down, so Tuyet picked up her bowl and slurped down her breakfast. She gave a loud burp to show that she appreciated the good food. Dad looked over in surprise, but he didn’t comment.

  Tuyet had just finished her breakfast when Mom arrived, wearing a fancy outfit and carrying Aaron on her hip. She didn’t sit down for breakfast.

  “We’re going to be late for church,” she said.

  Beth and Lara quickly finished their Cheerios and got up from the table, taking their bowls and spoons with them and depositing them in the kitchen sink.

  Tuyet stood up to follow the girls, but Mom put up her hand and said, “No. We need to buy you shoes on Monday. You can come to church with us next week.”

  Tuyet didn’t understand.

  Mom pointed to her own feet, and then to Tuyet’s. “No shoes,” she said.

  Tuyet had no shoes. She understood that much.

  Mom kissed Dad on the cheek. Then she carried Aaron out the door. Beth and Lara followed.

  Tuyet hobbled to the front door as quickly as she could. She reached the handle and was almost outside when Dad put his hand on her shoulder.

  “No,” he said.

  Tuyet looked up at him in confusion. He didn’t seem angry. The two of them stood together in the doorway and watched Mom drive off with the children.r />
  Tuyet and Dad were left by themselves.

  So it was too good to be true. This woman didn’t want to be her mom after all. Beth, Lara, and Aaron weren’t going to be her family. She wasn’t going back to Surrey Place. Instead, they were going someplace else and she was staying here. But why had they left Dad behind, as well?

  Maybe Tuyet had misunderstood. Maybe Dad wasn’t a part of the family. Maybe dads didn’t really exist in this country, either.

  Tuyet felt like sitting down on the floor and bursting into tears, but what would this man do to her if she cried? Feeling like her feet were made of heavy stones, she headed slowly back to the kitchen. Two bowls and spoons were left on the table. She picked them up and carried them to the sink.

  Dad filled the sink with soapy water. This was something she could do. She placed her hands on Dad’s hip and pushed, trying to get him to move away from the sink. He looked down at her and smiled, but he didn’t move over.

  Dad washed all the dishes, rinsed them, and put them on the drying rack. When he was finished, he took two towels out of the drawer and handed her one. He dried one of the bowls and set it in the cupboard. She dried one bowl and handed it to him.

  “Thank you,” he said.

  But soon they were done. How could she prove herself useful now?

  Tuyet stood warily as Dad went to the closet. He brought out the white rubber boots. Her heart sank. So she was going back to Surrey Place, after all. But how would they get there without the car? Tuyet hoped that she wouldn’t have to walk. It seemed a long distance.

  Dad motioned for her to join him by the big window, and held her steady as she stepped into the tall boots. He slipped his own feet into a pair of shoes and pushed on the giant window.

  It slid open! It wasn’t a window, but a glass door.

  Dad took Tuyet’s hand and the two of them stepped outside onto a wooden porch. The air was cooler than the day before and a shiver ran through Tuyet. Dad went back inside and came out with a sweater. He popped it over her head and she slipped her arms into the sleeves, which were so long, they went down practically to her knees. Dad rolled the sleeves up until her hands peeked out. The sweater was cozy and warm. She looked up at Dad and smiled.

  He stepped down onto the green carpet and Tuyet followed him. She wanted to touch the green stems, but her boots were so tall that it was hard to crouch down. Dad sat right down on the green and patted the spot beside him. Tuyet sat, her giant boots splayed out in front of her. She placed her palm down on the green and felt its cold dampness.

  “Grass,” said Dad. He pulled out one blade and handed it to her.

  Tuyet examined it carefully. It was a perfect, tiny knife of green.

  Dad ran his hand through the grass as if he were looking for something.

  “There’s one,” he said, pulling up a broad piece of grass. He held it flat between his two thumbs and brought it to his lips. He blew, making a shrill, whistling noise.

  At first Tuyet was startled by the noise, but Dad did it again, and she found the noise so absurd that she giggled. He showed her how he held the blade. Tuyet held hers between her thumbs. She brought it to her lips and blew, but it didn’t work. Dad combed his fingers through the grass and found another broad blade and handed it to her.

  It took her a few tries, but soon she was making as much noise as Dad. He laughed out loud and she grinned. Maybe it would be okay, after all.

  Dad stood up and held out his hand to help Tuyet to her feet. He pointed to one of the objects that she had seen from her bedroom window. It was a metal framework with pairs of rope hanging down, a wooden slat between each pair of ropes.

  “Swing,” Dad said.

  Tuyet stared at him in confusion. Dad sat on one of the seats. He pushed off with his feet and swung back and forth. Tuyet couldn’t help but smile. It seemed like such an odd thing to do. Dad hopped off the swing, picked her up, and placed her on it, showing her where to hold the ropes so that she would be steady. She gripped the rope. It was an odd sensation, like floating in the air. Dad stood behind her and gave her a gentle push.

  Tuyet smiled.

  Dad pushed her a bit more. The swing rocked gently back and forth, and Tuyet felt the wind on her face. The sky and the grass sped up before her. It seemed like such a wasteful thing to do—sitting, feeling the swing go back and forth, watching the world speed up. It didn’t seem to have any purpose at all. Tuyet did not feel useful sitting there.

  But she could have stayed on it for hours.

  It was … fun!

  Tuyet was so entranced that she didn’t notice her hands were starting to turn blue with the cold. But Dad saw. He put his hands on the rope and steadied the swing until it stopped. He lifted her off and held her in his arms. She clung to him and felt his warmth.

  Dad carried Tuyet around the yard. He pointed at objects and told her what their English names were—sandbox, monkey bars, back porch, fence. It seemed there was no end to the marvels of the backyard.

  “Play,” he said, holding one arm out wide.

  They walked up the porch steps and through the sliding glass door. Dad set her back on her feet and pointed to the table. She sat on one of the chairs. Dad left the room. Within moments, he was back, carrying a worn cardboard box. He upended the contents onto the table. Wooden blocks.

  Dad and Tuyet spent the rest of the morning building tall towers and knocking them down.

  Tuyet heard the sound of a car pulling into the driveway.

  “Mom, Aaron, Beth, and Lara are home,” said Dad.

  Tuyet ran to the front door. It was true! They had come back! Beth was first through the door, with Lara close behind her.

  “Want to play outside?” she asked Tuyet.

  Tuyet knew play. She knew outside. She nodded.

  9-1 — A sample of Tuyet’s Vietnamese writing

  Chapter Ten

  Joy

  That afternoon, Tuyet learned about making shapes in the sandbox with damp sand and a pail. She hung from the monkey bar with both hands while Beth and Lara tumbled around her. One day she would be strong enough to follow them, but for now, she only cared about being part of the family. She didn’t speak the same language yet, but they all seemed to communicate fine. It still felt odd to be playing with children instead of standing back and watching. But it was a good feeling.

  She was pushing Lara on the swing when Dad stepped outside.

  “Tuyet,” he said. He motioned with his hand for her to come in.

  Had she done something wrong? She steadied the swing and helped Lara down, then she trudged inside.

  Her eyes took a few seconds to adjust to the light indoors. Three people sat at the kitchen table—a man, a woman, and a girl. She blinked. She had seen this man and woman before. She looked at the girl.

  It couldn’t possibly be. She rubbed her eyes and blinked again.

  “Linh?”

  10-1 — Tuyet with Linh, May 1975

  The girl jumped out of the chair so quickly that she nearly upended it. She ran to Tuyet and wrapped her arms around her.

  Tuyet hugged her friend and wept and wept.

  “How did you find me?” she asked when she could speak again.

  “It was a care worker,” said Linh. “Someone told our parents about our friendship. We live close enough to visit.”

  “Come on,” said Tuyet. “I want you to meet Beth and Lara. And you’ve got to see the big outside with all the play things.”

  Linh stayed the entire afternoon. Tuyet was so happy that her heart felt like it would burst.

  When it was time for bed, Tuyet was so filled with contentment that she thought she might be able to sleep on her own. The happy memories of the day would drive out her fears. But when she went into her bedroom, so
mething had changed. The bed was bare.

  Tuyet turned. Beth stood in the doorway, a grin on her face.

  “Come on,” she said. “We have another surprise for you.”

  Tuyet followed Beth into the girls’ room. Lara sat cross-legged on her own bed. On the floor between the two beds were Tuyet’s sheets, blankets, and pillow—made up like her own special bed.

  “You can sleep with us as long as you want,” said Lara.

  That night, Tuyet slept on the floor between her two sisters, wrapped in the comforting sound of their rhythmic breathing.

  In the middle of the night, she woke up and slipped out of bed. She looked out the window. They were still there, sparkling down on her.

  So many stars. Too many to count.

  10-2 — Beth, Tuyet, Aaron, and Lara, first day of school, 1978

  Historical Note

  During the course of the Vietnam War, many Vietnamese children were left orphaned. Missionary groups from all over the world came to South Vietnam and tried to help the orphans, but supplies were hard to come by and the conditions in the orphanages were awful. When South Vietnam was captured, the North Vietnamese victors wanted to close down the orphanages. Healthy South Vietnamese orphans would go to families and be brought up as loyal communists. But children with disabilities—like Tuyet—would be killed. The children of American fathers, who were considered the enemy, would also be killed.

  In the spring of 1975, most American troops had already left South Vietnam. Saigon, the capital city of South Vietnam, was about to be overtaken by North Vietnamese forces and the North Vietnamese.

  The missionaries were desperate to get out as many orphans as they could before the fall of Saigon. On April 2, 1975, fifty-seven orphans were airlifted out of Saigon on a World Airways plane. On April 4th, the first official “Operation Babylift” evacuation was to take place, but the plane crashed just after takeoff. Many orphans and care workers died.