After reading the article ‘How to Safely Communicate with a bad person’, I found it to be very insightful and beneficial, especially for young students who lack experience. If you are living far from home, I highly recommend giving it a read to equip yourself with knowledge. The article provides practical safety solutions and accurately analyzes the core issues, resonating with my own story.
When I graduated from high school, it was my first time living far from home, and I felt incredibly comfortable and free without anyone exciting me. However, I also faced numerous challenges, especially during a period of financial difficulty for my family. Witnessing my parents working tirelessly and doing everything possible to support my education, not being deprived. It was during that time that I truly understood the hardships and silent sacrifices that parents make for their children, which cannot be compared or quantified. No matter how much filial gratitude we express or how we repay them, we will always owe them a lifetime of unconditional love.
That’s why I told myself to make every effort, so as not to worry my parents, and I was determined to find a job. Luckily, thanks to my knowledge of a foreign language, I was chosen by an English employer to work and manage the store, with a salary that covered my tuition fees and monthly expenses.
The area where I work is mostly inhabited by foreigners from various countries and backgrounds. Particularly, there is a small bookstore dedicated to foreign customers. Within the store, there are only three employees, each with contrasting personalities. One is reserved and rarely smiles, another is always energetic and friendly, while the third is quite fierce. Their tasks involve attending to customers, selling books, and making deliveries. The store owner is skilled in communication and has a way of winning people over, even if they are strangers. He assigns the delivery tasks to Mr. Sau, an older man with a few scars on his face, giving him an intimidating appearance. Every day, they often come over to chat with me and socialize, aiming to attract foreign customers to buy books. On the other hand, they are also regular patrons of the store, so I must provide attentive and polite service. However, I always maintain a sense of caution because I’ve heard long-time employees there say, “Mr. Hong is cunning, and Mr. Sau is very aggressive and suspicious”.
That became evident one day when I noticed a lack of customers, so I stepped outside to relax and survey the surrounding areas. While observing, I unintentionally caught sight of the bookstore owner discreetly slipping a white package into a book and handing it to the Westerner. Honestly, at that moment, I didn’t think much of it as I wasn’t sure if I understood correctly or not. Therefore, I intended to step back inside and continue with my work, but I didn’t know where Mr. Sáu was observing me from, and suddenly he appeared behind me. He glared at me, swiftly approached, and sternly asked, “What did you see?”
The stern and fierce expression on his face made me feel a bit anxious and angry. Fortunately, my usual calm and reserved nature allowed me enough time to assess the situation and realize that I was ‘in trouble’. At that moment, I fought back my composure and tried to maintain eye contact with him, pretending to be puzzled as I asked, “What do you see Mr. Sau?”.
Given his inherently suspicious nature, he remained distrustful and continued to scrutinize my demeanor
– “Do you not see anything?” he emphasized the question.
– “Well, what do you see, sir?” I continued to feign ignorance, pretending to be puzzled.
– “Well… it’s Mr. Bình”, he hesitated as he directly asked about the bookstore owner, but I also sensed an underlying implication in his question.
– “Oh, what about Mr. Bình?” I maintained an air of surprise, feigning a lack of understanding. He paused for a moment before continuing.
– “Oh, No! What I want to know is if you noticed anything special about Mr. Binh because Mr. Binh is still single and he often praises you”. He wants to divert the question’s target because he sees my curiosity. Meanwhile, I affirm.
– “No, sir, I didn’t see anything” – I shook my head and spoke.
At this point, he fell silent and stared at me, perhaps trying to observe if I showed any unusual expressions. Then he shifted to explore my personal life, asking questions like: “Where does your family live?”, “Do you have many siblings?”, “What do your parents do for a living?”, “Which school are you attending?”, “How did you know about this place and decide to work here?”
Caught in such an intense barrage of questions, unable to decline and fearing his retaliation, I mustered the courage to invite him to sit at a table and said, “Please wait for me here, I will go inside and pour you a glass of water” but he replied, “No need, just have a seat”. His tone was gentle.
I also attempted to blend in with his words and actions, bravely sharing the hardships of my circumstances as if engaging in a conversation between two acquaintances, to alleviate his suspicions. I said,
– We have a large family with many siblings, and our family works as farmers back in the countryside. Seeing how they struggle, I wanted to take on extra work to ease the burden on my parents, no matter how small the amount. It’s quite challenging to find jobs nowadays, sir! I consider myself fortunate to have found this opportunity. My parents are also at a similar age as you, and I love them. However, I sometimes do them sadness, perhaps because I don’t fully understand the complexities of adult emotions. In your opinion, what do parents at this stage of life desire most from their children?
This topic seemed to evoke a sense of empathy in him, as he responded with a smile while sharing stories about his daughter.
– I also have a younger daughter, who is a few years younger than you. Every time I come home from work, she runs up to me, hugs me, and asks me all sorts of questions. She would say things like, “Was work tiring today, Dad?” or “Remember to eat well and not skip meals, Dad.” She truly cares about me. Even though she’s still young, she knows how to show concern. Whenever I fall ill, she cries and tells me, “Dad, please don’t die. Don’t leave me”. Each time I hear those words, it warms my heart, and I couldn’t ask for anything more.
Suddenly, at that moment, I no longer saw a fierce expression, but before me stood a devoted father who loved his children unconditionally, willing to sacrifice and care for them like so many other fathers. It made me miss my father through his words
Especially, he takes pride in mentioning his daughter’s academic achievements, and a happy smile always lights up his face. “Every year, she consistently excels as an outstanding student at Le Quy Don Specialized School”, he proudly says.
My empathy and respect gradually built trust with him, making him more open and engaged in conversations. It also helped me understand his background and grasp his emotions better, as well as partially comprehend why he tends to be aggressive and suspicious. When he drops his intimidating demeanor, I see him transform into an amiable and enthusiastic person. Whenever he goes somewhere and brings food for everyone in the store book, he always gives me a portion and even stands up for me when Mr. Hong gives me a hard time. Even when I decided to quit my job, he advised me, “Think it through, your family is still facing difficulties, and you still need money for your education expenses. Finding another job might not guarantee the same salary as this place”.
Although I only worked there for a short four months, it provided me with valuable experiences and enhanced my ability to adapt quickly. Sometimes, I had to feign naivety in the face of dangerous situations. It was thanks to this skill, I was able to ‘escape’ when the bad person was discovered. However, amidst all that, I also witnessed the hidden sides of people, and I realized that each person carries a warm heart and a sense of compassion if we know how to awaken the inherent goodness within them.
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