Heng Chuan my other childhood friend

Heng Chuan was one year older than me. He had a big family and lived next door. Han Xiang, Heng Chuan and I often played together. Heng Chuan sometimes bullied me as I was younger than him. We often fought violently. He had a group of brothers and sisters and I was with my sister Hing. Every time we fought, his mother would come over and reported the incident. My mother would say: “I will punish them.” But she never punished us because she knew our neighbour’s children were very naughty as well. Whenever his mother came to tell my mother off, she would make a bowl of beautiful fish-ball soup for us. We truly didn’t mind the fight and getting told off by their mother because we loved the fish-ball soup very much.

We fought with each other more often than playing with other. Their house was higher than ours and they frequently threw rubbish over to our house. My mother asked us to ignore it and we were full of rage.

Heng Chuan was in the same class as mine for Year 1 and Year 2 at Truong Phuoc Duc. We had wonderful time there but Heng Chuan was not a protective type of friend.

In 2010 July after my bowel cancer operation, I rang Han Xiang. He asked me to search for Heng Chuan. Heng Chuan’s eldest brother is my second brother’s best mate. My sister Fong went to visit them years ago in Perth so I got the phone number from her. I rang his sisters and brothers in Perth, and got his number. In August 2010 I took the courage to give Heng Chuan a call. I thought he wouldn’t have a good impression about me because of our rebellious past. With a nervous long breadth, I said to the phone: “Hello there, may I speak to Pham Heng Chuan?” His wife was at the other end and called him. He picked up the phone and I introduced myself to him. He was thrilled. We talked and talked for about three full hours. I couldn’t believe what he said to me. He said the fighting events were the most memorable moments instilled in his life. He couldn’t forget all the fighting events and he often thought about me. He said I had a deep impression in his mind. “Wow” I said to myself I couldn’t believe this because I thought he hated me as I argued and fought with him. I never knew Heng Chuan didn’t hold a grudge against me for all the trouble I had caused.