The day that forever changed our lives was July 31, 1981. . .
When we came to a dirt road in a remote area in Phu My District. By now, it was around 8:00 p.m., but there was still some sunlight in the sky. Dad had wanted to get there after dark to avoid being seen by anyone, so the light made him and everyone else nervous as he instructed all of us how to proceed from there. My mom’s group, he said, was to follow Si’s wife, who came from that district and was familiar with the area. Three minutes later, Trieu and Huyen would follow them, and Dad’s group would follow behind three minutes after that. . .
By the time Dad, Ngoc, and I reached the end of the dirt road and were about to trek through a wooded area, it had become dark, so I felt less nervous, and I’m sure Dad and Ngoc did, too. When we were about half a mile through the woods, we arrived at a field that was partly covered with cactuses and bushes. Two men whom I had never seen before were waiting there with the rest of my family to guide us to the coast. Even in the dark, I could see the relief on Mom’s face when we arrived. . .
To keep together in the dark, we all held each other hands. I was holding on to Loan’s hand. After struggling through the cactuses and rocky paths for at least a mile, we all came to an area where the ground was smoother. Soon, I could feel the cool fog rolling in from the ocean. As we walked toward the water, I could finally hear waves hitting the shore. Two minutes later, we were finally on the beach…