[E-Magazine]: That place is so passionate that it makes your heart flutter

The story of the sidewalk is a story that never gets old. The sidewalk is not formal, not polite, always has a high sense of community, helping to erase barriers between people...

I don’t know since when, but sometimes I like to sit at a sidewalk cafe to watch people passing by, to watch the yellow leaves gently blowing in the wind, to know that autumn has come, and to feel that the sidewalk is also a part of the soul of the street. Its diversity brings a sense of freedom and relaxation, as if helping us escape the constraints of principles. The sidewalk is a place of simple life. Just a few square meters, two or three plastic chairs and a plate of sunflower seeds are enough for us to have a simple joy without the need for luxury.

First of all, from the daily living habits of people, it can be seen that a common habit is to use many services associated with the sidewalk. Such as iced tea at the base of trees, pubs, restaurants...

I remember the years of subsidy, most houses burned honeycomb coal. The wide sidewalks were places for business and sales. There was a funny man selling fish noodles who often helped people mend plastic sandals. At noon when there were no customers, the children in my alley brought their torn plastic sandals to him. With just a small knife, the blade was chipped, he put it in the charcoal stove to heat it up, then cut the old plastic piece to mend it, and the children ran around the sidewalk carefree. Sometimes when he was in high spirits, he helped his wife set up the stall and sang, his voice hoarse with tobacco: "Life is still beautiful, love is still beautiful"...

On weekends, the sidewalks seem to be more crowded. After breakfast, customers go to the tea shop next door. Chinese tea is often bitter, so to balance it out, people often eat it with a sweet peanut candy. Therefore, tea and peanut candy are considered close friends, inseparable. In the summer, just a glass of ordinary iced tea can relieve both thirst and discomfort on a hot day. The heat of the summer sun lasts until early autumn.

Sometimes iced tea makes life slow down for a moment. Even though you are busy but tired or thirsty, you can still pull over to the sidewalk, sit down and drink a glass of iced tea, or when waiting for someone, iced tea is the most ideal choice.

The story of the sidewalk is a story that never gets old, it is always lively and attracts the attention of society. There have been many debates between economic experts and urban managers about how to effectively and sustainably exploit the economic value of the sidewalk, without affecting the traffic activities of pedestrians. Meanwhile, the activity that takes up the most space is still parking motorbikes. Shops and services all choose the sidewalk as a place to park. When urban space is increasingly limited, the sidewalk becomes a precious thing. It is a place where we can feel the collective life. At the corner of the coffee shop at the end of the street, there is a smiling security guard, the woman selling bread asks: I want to buy pate bread with lots of vegetables, the flower seller smiles brightly next to the rose basket still wet with dew...

The sidewalk is a world of constant transformation, witnessing many personal and social stories. Many people like to sit there because it is convenient. The sidewalk is not formal or polite. You can wear a branded suit, shiny leather shoes. You can wear faded shorts and T-shirts, and yellowed sandals. You can drive a luxury car or just a dilapidated bicycle. They sit together, holding a cup of hot Chinese tea that the shop owner just gave them. The sidewalk has a high sense of community, it erases the barriers between people...

The sidewalk can be seen as a living organism that contains all the joys and sorrows of life and the emotional state of people. The sidewalk is where people talk about all kinds of things. From love stories, gas prices, stocks, or thrilling stories outside of official history. No one forces sidewalk customers to speak softly and smile charmingly. And importantly, they can talk at a comfortable volume without fear of anyone complaining like in luxury cafes. People come to the sidewalk out of habit with endless stories.

When I lived in the city, my house also had a very wide sidewalk. At first, the uncles and aunts sold porridge in the morning. At noon and late afternoon, some children rented out children's books. Then there was the boy selling porridge, the old man retired with a sewing machine to fix clothes... Life just went by quickly. My sidewalk has remained the same for many years. Some people asked: "Please rent it out, why do you always let people sit there?" I just smiled. I have moved to a new house several times, but I have never intended to sell this house. For many reasons, but perhaps the wide sidewalk like a warm embrace embracing the house is one of the reasons why I softened my heart to keep it. It is also to remember the memories of a difficult time that I have overcome.

The season of milk flowers is coming, the sidewalk is fragrant with the footsteps passing by. Autumn night, the grilled corn shop smells fragrant. The sidewalk seems to sing the song of the changing seasons with the earth and sky: "The wind opens the night melody / the familiar path of milk flowers is soft with the scent of autumn feet / the green canopy is sweet with the sound of birds cooing / your eyes are like a jade well, imprisoned by the cool breeze"...

Just that alone is enough to make us so infatuated that our hearts are dazed.

Content: Le Phuong Lien

Photo: Internet Document

Graphics: Mai Huyen

Source: https://baothanhhoa.vn/e-magazine-noi-ay-dam-say-den-ngan-ngo-long-259020.htm