I had
known Huyen's family since my childhood, but I lost track of them for over ten
years when my parents and I moved from Viet Nam to Cambodia.
When we
returned to Saigon in 1963, my father bought a
house next to Uncle Luu Hung's. I used to meet Huyen when he was on leave, a
couple of times each year. He was a very quiet person. Even though he did not
speak much, his sisters were afraid of him. Each time he gave an order, they
showed strict obedience.
Our
houses were located at the end of Vuon Chuoi (Banana Grove) Street, near
Professor Nguyen Sa's Van Hoc School. Once in a while a few gang members would
come to cause trouble in our neighborhood. Each time one of them harassed
someone or started a fight, we girls reported it to Huyen, but he smiled gently
and ignored it.