(translation by Democracy for Vietnam/ Montreal)

He stands there, quietly looking at the members of Tuan’s family gathered at the table for lunch. He has been there for a while, but dares not make his presence known. Many other former prisoners, his friends from the forced labour camps (such as Giang, Du, Min, Dan, and Ky Minh, Vu Luong) have come to see Tuan, but no one is like Old Do, because Old Do carries all his belongings on his back; he has nowhere to put down his bag, which represents all his possessions. He is homeless.

He hasn’t changed. The face covered with wrinkles. The very deep wrinkles give his face a particular look, which must captivate photographers. His beard hides his neck and covers his chest. His eyebrows, coarse and thick, overshadow his small eyes, tired, anxious, baffled, yet still keen. One would say that his greying beard, hair, and eyebrows leave little room for his skin criss-crossed by wrinkles.

His face does not show any joy that would be felt by a man who has just been set free.

From the first look, Ngoc knows that the guest is Old Do. Her husband has told her about him. And just by looking, she knows that he is in a miserable situation, with no way out. His situation resembles that of Min and Du who came to her place last year. She quickly finishes her rice bowl and stands up. Her place is too crammed, there is no room for visitors. Her husband once joked : ``We live in luxury : a dining room, a kitchen, a sitting room, a bedroom for us, a bedroom for the children.`` The whole unit has one room, on a surface of 20 square metres.

Tuan holds Old Do’s hand and leads him into the room under Ngoc’s pitying look, and that of her children, Hiep and Thuong. Another unfortunate person, condemned to a miserable life. Only baby Duong marvels at his impressive white beard. Duong mimicks the gesture of stroking his imaginary beard on his chest.

Ngoc brings him tea. Then she goes down the stairs to leave them alone. In reality, she has plenty to do below : fill the all-purpose water barrels, do the laundry, buy vegetable for the evening meal. She tells herself to invite Old Do to have dinner with the family that evening. She is sure of that, and therefore has to buy a number of items : a few squares of tofu to cook with tomato ( that would be a better dish if one had grease for frying), a bowl of salted vegetable soup, green onion. An effort must be made, to buy 2 duck eggs to make an omelette. She makes up her mind quickly and heads back home with all the purchased items in her basket. She walks straight into the kitchen, then gestures to her husband to come to the kitchen, and whispers a few words to him which seem to make him happy. He agrees by nodding several times.

Now, there remain just baby Duong and the two friends, two former detainees who have spent so many nights together in prison, lying next to each other.

Old Do arrived yesterday; that means he has been out of prison for two days. It’s the same story : he only learned of his release in the morning, as he was waiting in line to go to work. He received the order to stay at the camp, to not go to work on that day.

Upon his arrival in Hanoi, he slept at the Hang Co train station.

- Did you see Du? He sleeps at that station.

- I didn’t know that. There are so many people who sleep there.

- And last night, where did you sleep?

- At the train station here. But it’s not like in Hanoi. Here, there was no one else besides me, so I was chased out.

He sighs. It’s obvious that Old Do has no idea what will happen to him. More bad than good. He is more worried than before.

He removes his coat of lined cotton, the coat that Tuan gave him. Two pieces of grey material have been freshly sewn onto the coat to hide 2 ID numbers, one on the chest, the other on the back; these pieces of grey material came from the pants of another prisoner. This coat is too warm, but if he doesn’t wear it, he will get cold. He takes a packet of tea out of his bag.

- My salary at the camp was 42 cents. I bought tea for you.

Old Do did not forget; the present proves it.

- There isn’t much in this bag. The blanket you gave me. The containers you gave Du; he passed it on to me. The metal cup. A pair of pants and ashirt.

Tuan places the containers and the cup on the table. These things brings back to him lots of memories of the forest, the taste of manioc leaves he ate, the metal cup where tea was made on an improvised fire.

And again the sound of the gong, that sounded like it is tolling for somebody’s death; or it invited people to meditate, to think of their families.

Tuan understands that all of Old Do’s belongings will accompany him until his death (the cup, the containers, the cotton coat, the blanket). How will he manage for the rest of his life with 30 piastres? Old Do says to him :

- It was a gross mistake.

He is again repeating that thought. He says it in a resigned fashion. Tuan has heard him say it so many times during his days in prison. (This gross mistake was to have believed the Communists’ propaganda and to have left Marseille, his wife, his daughter, his restaurant, to come back here, to work at the service of the government, to help rebuild his country.)

- You can relax now, Tuan tells him with a smile. We now know we will not die in prison.

Tuan remembers that that idea used to scare Old Do – to die in prison. At each burial of a prisoner, Old Do would whisper in his ear :`` We won’t let ourselves die in prison.``

It is true that the prison burials scared us, where there was no music, no wailing, no relatives to accompany the dead to his tomb. Nothing but the grave diggers. Tuan holds his hand and shakes it. Old Do says sadly :

- It’s difficult. My situation is different from yours. I don’t know how I will manage.

Now that Old Do is no longer concerned about dying, he does not know how he is going to live. It is quite a challenge to live, especially when one has no family, no shelter, nowhere to put down one’s backpack. It is difficult enough for an ordinary person, and it is worse for an ex-prisoner, an old political prisoner. In his case, life is a dark tunnel, obstructed. Tuan cannot help him. Tuan himself is in great difficulty.

Tuan does not get enough cigarette orders, even in a good season. (He rolls cigarettes for the cigarette sellers in the city). This occupation generates just enough income for him to buy some vegetable and a ration of rice. In the summer, it is hot, and nobody orders cigarettes, as people do not feel like smoking. One must wait till the winter. Last summer, he went through lots of trouble to get a job sewing bags for a state company : 3 cents per bag; if one works day and night, one can produce 10 bags, but there are not enough orders.

He does not need to say it, but Old Do was able to expect that his life will not be easy. Old Do drinks a gulp of water and comes up to Tuan’s chair. In a hesitating and embarassed tone :

- I would like to tell you something....

Old Do does not go on, straightens up and looks at the table, looking anxious. Why is he hesitating? It must be an important topic.

Very important. Old Do looks around the room one more time before speaking, while taking every precaution :

- Well, I will still tell you, even if you don’t agree, you can tell me frankly.

- What is it about, my friend?

Old Do looks miserable. His fate depends on what he is going to say and on Tuan’s reply, but he has no choice. Honestly, it is against his will. Tuan can read his thoughts looking at him. And Tuan wonders how he can help him.

- I mean to tell you.. it doesn't just concern you but also your wife. Let me know what you think. It's only temporary. That train station isn't working out for me, it's different. I can't sleep there as I used to do at the Hang Co station in Hanoi. They kick me out here .
Tuan has already heard him mention this, but from the repeated words, Tuan can guess at what he is getting at.

- And I have to try to find work. I can't just walk around with this backpack on my shoulder.

Old Do musters all his courage and looks straight at Tuan:

- Ask your wife if she will let me sleep at your place. I know things are quite tight for your family as they are, but I will only come home at night. I will manage to find food on my own.

Tuan looks Old Do in the eye. One cannot say no to those eyes, to that face, even though there is no more room in his place. They could squeeze in to make room for him, but the family's privacy will suffer. And then there are the neighbours, who are so fearsome; they find joy in your misery. And finally, there are the authorities, the security agents. Tuan has committed no crime, yet they have imprisoned him as a dangerous element to the revolutionary government. What will the authorities conclude from him, an ex-political prisoner accommodating another ex-political prisoner? Surely to them, if Tuan was not a "reactionary" before, he is becoming one now.

He knows a man whose father was shot by mistake during the so-called "land reform trials". That man is still suspected of harbouring ideas of revenge against the revolutionary government. Old Do has read the thoughts from Tuan's expression. He whispers as if talking to himself:

- I am stuck. If you accept, I won't bother you for long, just for a brief period.

Sadly, Tuan replies:

- Yes. It's true that we will be very tight, but temporarily, stay with us. My wife will probably not object to it. Stay and have dinner with us. We haven't eaten together in a long time.

Tuan placed baby Duong in the bed, as he sleeps soundly. Then he invites Old Do to go wash his face. The curious neighbours look at Old Do. It is true that Old Do's appearance catches people's attention, as he looks like the Old Vitali in the (French) novel "Sans Famille".

The two friends prepare the meal while chatting. Ngoc has told them what dishes to make before going back to work. Ngoc is very understanding and warm toward her husband's former prisoner friends. None of them has been treated by her with resentment when they told her about their situation.

Without hesitation, she agrees to letting Old Do stay for the night. She behaves as the follower of a religion, be it christian or buddhist or even as a Communist guided by moral principles of generosity: " If you love all human beings, your children will benefit from the fruit of your generosity, from the good you have done." Tuan admires his wife's conduct and follows her example. She is generous and thinks about the needs of others before hers; she never refuses to come to the help of someone in difficulty.

Tuan understands that the young student that she was who volunteered for the resistance (against the French) has disappeared forever. Tuan himself should also have disappeared. His "death" has led to the "death" of that student, but he does not want to die. He has to move about. He has to protest. He has to live. And write. His reason for living is to write. He has to write about what he loves in this life, about his life, and about his hatred. He wants to frame the glowing days of his childhood, the age when he began to learn about life; now, the memory of those years breaks his heart. Those who put an end to those happy days must be crucified as criminals; they have to stay nailed to their crosses forever. May each of his poems be a hanging rope for them.

Too bad it only happens in thought!

When would the day come when he would be able to write again? So many ideas and projects have been proposed to the government but were rejected as if they have "slipped away" without leaving any trace. It is an expression that Binh has used when discussing this topic with Tuan. Binh is the only person to whom Tuan dares reveal his thoughts. Binh said to him once: "We have contributed to the establishment of this regime. We were proud of it for a while. But now, in spite of all my efforts, I cannot make it better. We have a part of responsibility in this state of affairs."

Binh wants to meet Old Do, but has to give up, because Old Do always comes home very late. Binh looks at Old Do's belongings, piled up in the corner, like fragments of a life unjustly ruined.

Old Do comes up the stairs quietly, like a cat. He turns the doorknob without making a sound, opens the door and slips into the room, carrying the leather bag given to him by Ngoc. Inside the bag are two containers, and a metal cup. A small napkin is attached to the handle of the bag; Ngoc also gave him the napkin.

When he comes in, the mosquito nets are already set up. But on the table in the middle of the room, an oil lamp is still burning, its light softened by a piece of plastic from a fertilizer bag. Sometimes, Hiep (the older child in the family) is still up to study. Sometimes, Tuan has just finished his day's work (involving rolling an order of cigarettes). Ngoc is cleaning up, and Tuan waits for Old Do while drinking tea. Tuan offers him a bowl of hot tea. Sometimes, it is freshly prepared tea, sometimes it is diluted tea.

Old Do takes his bowl of tea, goes straight to his corner, where a mat has been placed and on which a well folded blanket can be found. He drinks his hot tea while blowing on it; he savours his bowl of tea with pleasure, but only one. Then he returns the bowl to the table, tiptoeing across the room, then goes back to his mat, covers himself with the blanket and goes to sleep.

Sometimes, when he comes in, everyone is already asleep, the light from the lamp has been dimmed. He heads quietly for his corner. He would miss the hot bowl of tea, but he would still feel comforted by the heat generated by the people in the closed room. He lies down, quietly. He continues his fight against the night. He stays awake. Tuan knows that Old Do never sleeps; usually, he would moan if he falls asleep.

Tuan wants to find out about his situation, what he does during the day, if he has anything to eat. But Old Do avoids the questions. As soon as he gets in, he goes directly to his corner and covers himself from head to toe with the blanket. In the morning, he is already gone when the family gets up. His mat is folded under the blanket. The same arrangement as in the prison.

He leaves the apartment when it is still dark out. He opens the door quietly, goes down the stairs nimbly, like a cat. He plunges into the street. The icy wind blows against him. But his coat, big and thick,
protects him well. He braces himself in his coat. He opens the public fountain, washes his face and rinses out his mouth. He ties the napkin to his bag and leaves. Like somebody who pursues a great goal, or who has to take on a challenging task, he has to hurry.

The same cycle repeats itself consistently. Tuan discovers it once when he gets up just after Old Do has left. Twice, Tuan quietly observes him until he heads for downtown. Perhaps, nobody in the neighbourhood knows that Tuan lets this individual live in his place. Old Do only comes back after
the end of the public radio program. In the morning, Old Do leaves the place long before the loudspeaker broadcasts the gymnastics lessons preceded by introduction music. Fortunately, it is winter. People goes to bed early and get up late.

...........

He wants to stay up some more to wait for Old Do's return. The loudspeaker has fallen silent. The kids are in the mosquito net, under the blankets. The doorknob turns discretely. Old Do steps in. Tuan motions with his head and whispers: "Come sit here."

Ngoc disappears into the mosquito net. Old Do has the presentiment of something unusual. Tuan pours him some tea and asks him in a low voice:

- How are you managing these days?

Old Do replies spontaneously without thinking:

- Oh! So so.

He has prepared that reply for a long time. A faul smell comes from his body, the smell of rotten food, or rather the smell that comes from garbage heaps in the street.

- We have hot water. Would you like to wash?

Old Do says no with his head. With the kettle of hot water in one hand, Tuan takes Old Do down to the ground floor. Both walk very quietly. Tuan stirs the water without making a sound. Old Do takes off his
coat and carefully, lets the water run over his face, his arms.

Tuan knows that the wash does him good. Tuan has kept another surprise for Old Do, later, in the room. Two slices of cooked manioc, exactly the extra ration to tone up those in prison who work on Sundays. Peeled manioc, cooked in slightly salted water. Those slices of manioc are tasty, although cold. Old Do eats. He does not refuse as he usually does. It is the first time that he accepts food when he comes back at night. He suspects that Tuan has good news. Tuan looks at Old Do and says in a low voice:

- You have got thinner. Old Do agrees with a nod:

- That's easy to understand.

Old Do may be the only one to know about his own situation, and how he feeds himself. Are those containers ever used?

Old Do goes to bed, but without using his mosquito net. Tuan has been asleep for a while when he is awakened by loud knocks on the door, and a voice ordering:

- Open the door! We are checking the household registry.

Tuan was expecting this inspection. He has already prepared answers to the questions to be asked. He turns on the light and opens the door. The household inspector is accompanied by the representative of household heads in his neighbourhood. (It is a teamset up as dictated by the rules.)

They wake people up in the middle of the night to do the census of the population without realizing that they bother them. It is in fact really disruptive. Maybe they do not want to do this, but it is a duty to fulfill in the name of the Revolution, and that eases their conscience by 99%.

The maintenance of security is crucial. It has to be done with discretion, and sometimes, with difficulty and with a sense of sacrifice.

The representatives remain standing. They count.

- Who is that?

Their looks are directed at a pile of blankets in the corner, next to little Hiep. The blankets start to move and a human comes out from underneath. Old Do with his long beard, his tangled hair, the wrinkled
face. He blinks at the bright light.

The inspectors look at Tuan. Ngoc has just sat down on the floor. Then she smooths her clothes,
rearranges her hair, and steps up to the inspectors.

- Gentlemen, that's a friend of my husband's.
- Did he register for a temporary stay?
- Not yet.

Silence. The household inspector shrugs.

- Give me the household book.

Ngoc looks for the household register.

- Where is one of the children?
- Sir, my daughter left for the countryside.
- Have you reported to the authorities her temporary absence?
- Sir, she went to her grandparents'.
- That means you did not report her temporary absence, right?

Tuan remains silent. Ngoc remains silent.

- Does your guest have any papers?

Old Do throws his blanket aside and searches in his mosquito net, his clothes, his bag and finally finds a piece of paper. It is the release order. The inspector takes a long look at the paper. He turns the paper, looks at both sides of the paper to make sure there is no forging, then he speaks in a threatening tone, full of hidden meaning.

- Tomorrow, the two of you with your guest will have to report to the police station to claim this household register and this release order.

Then he leaves. Tuan tries to listen for the sound of further inspection in other units. But it is all quiet. They only came to inspect his unit. The children in the mosquito net go back to sleep and cover themselves completely with their blankets. Old Do is about to speak to him, walking toward the table. Tuan tells him:

- It is late. Let's get some sleep. If you want, we can talk tomorrow morning.

Everyone goes to bed, but who can sleep? Tuan does not want to draw attention from outside by leaving the light on late at night. And one must above all avoid to have a conversation late at night where whispering voices can be heard.

Anguish. Worry. Will they seize my household register? And Old Do's release order? And another concern: his living unit is the only one to be inspected among all other units in this house. It is because his unit has been the object of monitoring for a long time; they want to know who comes and goes.

Even if Old Do leaves very early and comes back very late. Old Do now takes all personal responsibility for the annoying incident that occurred last night. But Tuan understands that that incident resulted from
steps he had taken concerning his file. Ngoc has the same suspicions. With the feeling of a game being followed in a hunt. Tuan and Ngoc have grasped the meaning of those events.

That morning, Old Do stays at home. Ngoc makes noodle and adds "nuoc mam" (fish sauce) to it, and serves it as breakfast to the whole family. A real treat to Old Do. Tuan insists that he eat 2 bowls. He is hungry.

After eating, Old Do invites Ngoc to sit down so he can speak to her. He stares at a spot on the table, the wrinkles becoming pronounced at the corners of his eyes. He speaks slowly, in a solemn tone.

- My situation is really difficult. You two, you have helped me and I don't know how to thank you. At the beginning, I intended to stay only 3 or 5 days. But it's been almost 2 weeks now, and that is too much goodness on your part. I have understood that this situation cannot go on. It was only temporary. It has gone on long enough. Your place is very small, there is not enough room for your family. It's worse with me around. The kids will grow up, they will need room for their activities, for their studies. Then there was last night's incident. I regret it, I think I have taken advantage of your goodness.

That is true, what he is saying. Tuan has tried very hard to arrange this place the way he did. Even if he only stays there 4 or 5 hours a day. Even if Old Do occupies only a small corner at the back of the room. Even if he appears and disappears like a shadow. Even if he reduces his needs to a minimum: he has refused all, tea, tobacco, a banana Tuan left for him from time to time. Life is really cruel. One cannot help anybody but oneself.

- Today, I have to leave you. In reality, I don't even know where I will go. But I cannot stay with you forever. All should work out for me.

He looks determined, but then worries.

- Will they seize your household register? And my release order?

With those words, Old Do shows his sense of responsibility. The register and release order are returned to them, but on the condition that the owners of those papers show that they are repenting with respect to the rules. They have to show respect to the yellow uniforms. Tuan is allergic to that uniform colour, but he never viewed those people as the authors of the misfortunes he has had to put up with, nor those of Old Do.

Those officials only carried out orders. Even individuals such as Mr. Lam at camp QN, or the head warden at camp VQ. Tuan is afraid of that uniform colour because it is closely linked to his days of misfortune, during which his fate was that of an animal.

Old Do says good-bye to Ngoc as she gets ready to take her bicycle out to go to work. He kisses Duong, the youngest of Tuan's sons. Only today does Duong find out that the old man with the long beard was sleeping in the same place as him. He likes to touch that beard. Now, in the old man's arms, he can caress that beard at will. Duong is not aware of the foul smell coming from the old man's clothes, the smell of sewers which has more than once made Ngoc nauseous.

Duong strokes the beard gently from the old man's chin to his chest. The old man holds his cute hand close to him and breathes in. A smell of children brings back memories from his years by the Mediterranean. His eyes fog up with tears. Duong takes his hand back when seeing the old man cry. Quickly, Old Do gets up and places all his belongings on his shoulders: bag, blanket, mat.

- Well, I am leaving.

Tuan walks him to the bottom of the stairs.

Later on, when Tuan remembers Old Do, he finds that those are the most difficult memories in his life. Tuan feels guilty; he has behaved as a selfish person, he has been an accomplice to the crime against the old man. Surely, Tuan knows that that feeling of guilt is unfounded, and unfair, but it keeps coming back to his mind. It is impossible to erase the regret of the irresponsible attitude toward Old Do's fate.

About a month later, Old Do comes back. His appearance did not change much, being the same solitary Vitali with his bags, wearing torn clothes, carrying all his belongings on his shoulders, and giving off a strong odour. Only one difference: more miserable, more tired but with a ray of hope in the eyes, the hope to have found a way out.

Old Do asks Tuan: "Do you have paper and a pencil?" Slowly, he takes them and puts on his glasses.

His old glasses are broken on one side. He has difficulty writing. At that moment, Duong comes up to touch his beard. Old Do tells him gently:

- Go play somewhere else, your uncle is busy with work for now.

Duong goes to his daddy. He resigns to only looking at that beard. Suddenly, Old Do throws the pencil and looks at Tuan:

- Can you write for me?

Tuan readily accepts to do it. Old Do reads:

- Democratic Republic of Vietnam. Independence, Freedom, Happiness. To the Security Service. No, just a minute. Maybe it's better to write to the office at Camp VQ?

- What are you talking about?
- I am requesting a re-admission to the detention camp from which I was released.

Tuan feels dazed. He puts down his pencil and stares at Old Do.

- I have thought about it, it's much better to be in prison. I have no family, it makes no difference to me.

Tuan understands. For Old Do, prison life is easier. But then one has to die in prison as well. Is he no longer afraid to die in prison?

- I can't put up with the current situation anymore.

He is right. For him, the kind of life he leads right now is more frightening than dying in prison.

- In that case, you have to address the request to the Security Service. The detention camp won't accept you. It's the Security Service that will transfer you to the camp. To the camps, we are processed
merchandise, they won't re-admit us. - You are right. Please write for me then.

Tuan writes. The old man waits in silence. Then Tuan says:

- Let me re-read to you.

The old man shrugs: "Good! Good!"

You will sign here. The old man signs. After signing, his facial expression changes. Hope gives way to worry. Would they accept my request? In a pessimistic tone, he says:

- We are not sure what will happen to this request.

That is the last time Old Do comes to Tuan's. His request is subsequently turned down. Since that day, he searches through garbage heaps. He spends his days in front of hotels, and state restaurants. He picks up leftover soup from soup bowls. He gathers bread crumbs. He does this for two reasons: first, to feed himself, and second to realize his great project.

They may arrest him for being a tramp, in which case he would be sent to a concentration camp for re-education. But this time, it would be as a common law criminal, a prisoner with an even number just like the old French they arrested at the same time as him in the past; his offence would be to have eaten leftovers from the plates at state-owned restaurants.

But Old do is out of luck. Before, there was a ‘crystallyzing campaign’ going on in the city. They were arresting tramps to purify the city. Now, the city is already clean and pure as crystal, or maybe the city is still full of trouble, but they do not need to ‘crystallize’ it anymore. The campaign is now over, the results have been recorded and the campaign is now history.

The old man has no other choice: to stay in the city.

The coat now becoming too large has taken on an undefinable colour. Once, Tuan meets him on his way to the Central Market Theatre to deliver cigarettes: the old man looks like a big bag of cotton, busy searching through the garbage heap on the other side of the street. It is spring 1975, in the midst of the rainyseason, as Tuan has been out of prison for 2 years. The army of the North is launching its liberation campaign of South Vietnam, starting with the offensive on Banmethuot, to reunify the country.

Tuan calls out to the old man who does not respond, being completely absorbed in his work. Tuan comes up next to him. The old man gives off a strong odour which hangs in the air, even spreads in the street. In his musty coat, the old man looks at Tuan as would a stranger, then resumes his search. He does not say a word. Would he not have recognized Tuan, or would it be because he has lost his memory. He may have decided to sever all ties with everyone to be by himself. Loneliness is necessary to help him forget his identity, and therefore live in inner peace.

Thus, for a time, one sees an old man cheered on by children. An old little man with a long and thick beard. His cotton bag on his shoulder. He goes into houses to steal pieces of clothing or a child’s cotton diaper hanging on the clothes line to dry. Or steal a pair of sandals left in front of a house. But he never manages to get arrested. They have caught him red-handed, but did not denounce him, nor insult or beat him. They don’t call the police, and even when the police is aware of his acts, they do not send him to the re-education camp. His plan is not working at all!

On the other hand, the children enjoy his presence. The old man enters an alley where many clothes lines can be found. As soon as they see him, the children cheer noisily. They welcome him by applauding. Wherever he appears, the children shout out their joy sponstaneously, without ulterior motives. Whereas the children love him, the adults look at him with pity. Because of this pity, he cannot get arrested by the police so he can be brought to a re-education camp.

Once, he is walking around in the neighbourhood where Binh lives. The children hide in one corner and look at him silently. As soon as the old man grabs a shirt hanging on the clothes line, the whole group rush into the alley and cheer him. Their joy is spontaneous (as they would cheer when power comes back suddenly to their houses after a blackout). Their innocent laughter and their cheering stop the old man in his attempt. He lowers his arm. He leaves the alley at an unsteady pace. The children come up to him while hopping. They surround and tease him. He smiles at them, looking indulgent. Other children wait impatiently for him in other alleys. Their joy will be ruined if Old Do does not visit their alley. When by chance, he enters a house, all the children will hide and prepare asurprise for him.

Just like Santa Claus, he brings joy to the children. But Santa is an immortal character, whereas Old Do is giving them the last days of his life.

When was the last time he has eaten? He does not remember. What has he eaten that day? He is no longer hungry. He walks like a sleepwalker. He feels light. He feels he does not touch he ground when he walks.

Then comes a day when he can no longer walk. His mind wanders freely in dreams. It is a very pleasant sensation which he has never known. He also has a place where to lie down and daydream: a temple of the village god, long abandoned and in ruin.

After the Geneva Agreement (1954), this temple was transformed into a slaughterhouse. Trucks would bring pigs from the countryside to the temple where their throats would be cut, and their meat distributed to the market. Lots of action at this temple: the sounds of the trucks carrying the pigs, the screams of the pigs, the sounds of carts that brought rice which was to be exchanged for pig excrement to be used as fertilizer, the ovens that served to boil water and prepare food for the pigs.

Since the war has forced the population to leave the city to seek refuge in the countryside, the temple is no longer used as a slaughterhouse. It has fallen into complete ruin. No more worship. Nor anymore traces of pig excrement. One only sees bats in this temple.

It is an ideal place for daydreaming. Nobody is here to disturb him. An euphoric sensation. He remembers nothing, feels as if he is moving by floating through the air.

He does not die in prison, and so he gets his wish. He no longer comes to the children in the alleys who are waiting for him to cheer him. At first, they miss him a lot.

Soon, they forget him.

They forget him completely.