-Die^`u Chu*a Ki.p No'i  

        Ma^'y ho^m ro^`i Tha?o la. qua' chu*`ng, tu*. nhie^n i't no'i va` tra^`m ti?nh ha(?n ddi . Nga`y thu*o*`ng, Tha?o la` "trung ta^m pha't thanh" cu?a lo*'p. No' lanh mie^.ng la.i vui ta'nh, lu'c na`o cu~ng cu*o*`i ro^`i la`m cho ngu*o*`i kha'c cu*o*`i . To^i cho*i vo*'i Tha?o tu*` lo*'p 9, chuye^.n no' im nhu* tho'c ddu*o*.c trong vo`ng mo^.t gio*` ddo^`ng ho^` dda~ la` chuye^.n la.. Ba^y gio*`...
        Tie^'t 1... tie^'t 2.. tie^'t 3, no' cu*' ngo^`i ngo' cha(m cha(m le^n ba?ng. Co^ng ba(`ng ma` no'i, gio*` Toa'n kho^ng pha?i co' su*'c hu't ky` la. ddo^'i vo*'i no'. Nhi`n no', to^i tha^'y to^.i to^.i, cha('c ha(?n Tha?o ga(.p chuye^.n gi` pha?i the^ lu*o*ng la('m.
Chie^`u . To^i ro'n re'n sau ca'nh cu*?a xa'm nha` Tha?o . U?a, ma` mo.i nga`y, ma`u xa'm na`y dda^u co' a?m dda.m dde^'n va^.y . Ho^m no., to^i co' nghe Tha?o no'i di` U't no' bi. to^ng xe . Hay la`... va^.y la` to^i que^n ba(~ng, tho*` o* vo*'i no^~i ddau cu?a ba.n be`.
King... coong...!
        Ma' Tha?o ra, ma(.c bo^. ba` ba dden u a'm. Tho^i ddu'ng ro^`i ... Con nho? cu~ng thie^.t ky`. Co' chuye^.n buo^`n ma` ddem gia^'u ba.n be`. To^i theo ma' no' va`o nha`, lu*.a to*'i lu*.a lui ca'ch ba('t dda^`u vie^.c... chia buo^`n.
    - Da. thu*a ba'c, di` U't... 
    - U?a, con kie^'m di` U't chu*' kho^ng pha?i kie^'m Tha?o ha?. Di` U't...
    - Da. con co' bie^'t. Chuye^.n di` U't... la^u chu*a ba'c?
    - Ma^'y ho^m ro^`i . DDi ddu*'ng kho^ng ca^?n tha^.n gi` he^'t. Ba'c cu~ng lo so^'t ruo^.t dda^y .
    - He`n gi` Tha?o buo^`n qu'a!
    - Ho^?ng co' dda^u! Ca'i tha(`ng na`y, cho*i vo*'i Tha?o hai na(m nay co`n chu*a hie^?u.  Di` U't bo' bo^.t cha^n, no' mu*`ng muo^'n che^'t. DDo*~ co' ngu*o*`i ga^y lo^.n vo*'i no', ru*o*.t nhau ra^`n ra^`n.
    - U?a ... Da.... di` U't sao ba'c?
    - Bo' bo^.t pha?i hai tha'ng la^.n.
        Tro*`i dda^'t! May qu'a na~y gio*` to^i chu*a ki.p no'i ba^.y . O^ng ba` da^.y "uo^'n lu*o*~i ba?y la^`n" co' ly' tha^.t. Ne^'u kho^ng cha('c di` U't chuye^?n qua ru*o*.t to^i chu*' kho^ng pha?i ru*o*.t nho? Tha?o nu*~a .
    Tha?o kho^ng tie^'p to^i, nho*` ma' xin lo^~i giu`m. To^i ra ve^` lo`ng va^~n cu*' a^'y na'y: Tha?o buo^`n chuye^.n gi` dda^y ?
        Ho^m sau, ti`nh tra.ng cu?a no' ca`ng dda'ng lo ho*n tru*o*'c. Tu.i con trai xu'm la.i ghe.o no', no' cu*o*`i ra^'t gu*o*.ng. Thi?nh thoa?ng quay ma(.t ddi, la^'y tay che mie^.ng, ma(.t nha(n la.i ddau kho^?. Ma^'y ddu*'a kia kho^ng dde^? y', cu*' ho?i va(.n ve.o "Tro*`i dda^u co' no'ng ma` sao Tha?o buo^`n?". To^i thi` ngo' no' tu*`ng li tu*`ng ti' mo^.t, lo`ng cu~ng xo^'n xang.
        Hi`nh nhu* ba`i va(n so^' 2 ddie^?m Tha?o kho^ng cao la('m. Tru*o*'c gio*` Tha?o chu*a co' ddo^'i thu? ve^` ca'i mo^n vie^'t da`i, no'i da`i na`y . Co^ Bi'ch Va^n co' chi?nh no' va`i ca^u, ba?o no' chu? quan, gu*o*.p e'p trong gia?i quye^'t va^'n dde^`. Nhu*ng to^i cho*i vo*'i Tha?o, tha^'y chuye^.n ca^u ne^. lo*`i khen tie^'ng che^, ddie^?m na`y ddie^?m no. kho^ng pha?i la` ti'nh ca'ch cu?a no'. No' xo*?i lo*?i, pho'ng khoa'ng. Va^.y la` chuye^.n gi`?
        Ra ve^`, to^i cha(.n lo^'n Tha?o . Ma(.t no' ddo? bu*`ng, mo^i kho^ ran. Buo^`n dde^'n pha't be^.nh luo^n. To^i e nga.i:
    - Tha?o be^.nh ha??
    La('c dda^`u .
    - Tha?o co' chuye^.n gi` buo^`n? Ca? tua^`n na`y ...
    No' quay ma(.t ddi no*i kha'c. No' ddi.nh no'i ddie^`u gi` nhu*ng mi'm mo^i la.i .
    - Mi`nh ddu*a Tha?o ve^` nha . DDe^? mi`nh nho*` Hu*ng cho*? Thie^n Hu*o*ng ve^` giu`m.
    La.i la('c dda^`u, nhu*ng no' nhe^'ch mo^i cu*o*`i ro^`i . Nu. cu*o*`i ra^'t la` la. , la. la('m.
        To^i cha(?ng the^? ye^n ta^m ve^` Tha?o . Qua ho?i dda'm con ga'i, tu.i no' tra? lo*`i tro*'t quo*'t. Va(n Anh xi' mo^.t tie^'ng da`i nu*~a ca^y so^', tre^` mo^i: "Ngo' la.i mi`nh xem". Thi` to^i ngo' la.i mi`nh, va^~n... ddie^?n trai nhu* xu*a, to^i dda^u co' la`m ddie^`u gi` ddo^.ng cha.m to*'i Tha?o dda^u chu*'. Ca? tua^`n ro^`i, no' la`m lo* cha(?ng nhi`n ma(.t to^i ma` to^i va^~n theo ho?i tha(m ta^.n ti`nh. Ca? tua^`n ro^`i, to^i ... a'i cha`, ma^'u cho^'t la` dda^y ... to^i cho*? Thie^n Hu*o*ng ve^`. Ba Thie^n Hu*o*ng ddi va('ng, ba.n be` giu'p ddo*~ nhau tho^i ma`.... Hay la`... hay la` Tha?o co' ca'i gi` vo*'i to^i . To^i ddu*'ng pha('t da^.y, bao nhie^u la` chuye^.n hie^.n ra: nu. cu*o*`i la. la^~m. Khuo^n ma(.t ddo? u*?ng. Va^.y ma` to^i tu*o*?ng no' be^.nh. Ro^`i tra'nh ma(.t, ro^`i co' nho*` ddie^`u gi` cu~ng vie^'t thu* tha^'y qua va` dda(.c bie^.t la` tha'i ddo^. a^'p u'ng muo^'n no'i ddie^`u gi` la.i tho^i . DDu'ng ro^`i, no' dda~ ca?m to^i! Bo.n con trai thu*o*`ng ba?o to^i co' phu*o*'c lo*'n khi lu'c na`o Tha?o cu~ng "Minh o*i! Minh a`!". DDi ca('m tra.i Tha?o cu~ng chi? dde^? to^i cho*?, tu.i Nam co` hu*o*ng, Du~ng dda^`u ddinh na(n ni? ma^'y, xe^ no^? cu?a tu.i no' cu~ng e^ a^?m. To^i cu~ng ho*i he^'ch ma(.t le^n tro*`i, du` lu'c ddo' con Tha?o nhe'o to^i ddau ddie^'ng: "E^, nghi~ ba^.y ddi coi chu*`ng to^i a`!".
        Con ga'i no'i co' la` kho^ng. O^ng ba` mi`nh no'i cho*' co' sai . Tha?o no'i cu*'ng va^.y chu*' cha('c ha(?n no' ca?m to^i tu*` la^u ro^`i . Hie^'m co' ddu*'a con trai na`o dde^'n nha` ma` ma' Tha?o nie^`m no*? nhu* ddo^'i vo*'i to^i (!?). Ba no' ddi Pha'p ve^` cu~ng co' qua` cho to^i . Xe't cho cu`ng, trong 43 ddu*'a lo*'p 11 A5, to^i la` ddu*'a coi ddu*o*.c nha^'t, ho.c cu~ng ta`m ta.m la.i la` gio.ng ca dda^`y trie^?n vo.ng.
        To^i cha(?ng the^? ngo*` vie^.c cho*? Thie^n Hu*o*ng ve^` la`m Tha?o buo^`n dde^'n va^.y . Con ga'i ca`ng du*~ la.i ca`ng be~n le~n trong ti`nh ca?m ma` (!). Anh Hai to^i ba?o the^'. Anh cu~ng no'i the^m: "Ye^u so*'m chi? to^? hu* ngu*o*`i tho^i nha' Minh. Ma`y ma` ye^u so*'m, ba xu*? a`!". Nhu*ng ne^'u to^i tu*` cho^'i ti`nh ca?m cu?a Tha?o, no' se~ hu.t ha^~ng la('m. No' se~ buo^`n dde^'n sinh be^.nh ma` che^'t, lo*'p se~ va('ng tie^'ng no'i cu?a no', bo.n con trai se~ da^`n cho to^i mo^.t tra^.n vi` ca'i to^.i "co' phu'c ma` kho^ng hu*o*?ng". Ca? dde^m tra(`n tro.c ti'nh to*'i ti'nh lui . "Be^n... ti`nh be^n hie^'u", qua' kho'! Tho^i thi` thu*' hai na`y, ba Thie^n Hu*o*ng la.i ve^`. Tha?o se~ ddo*~ buo^`n. To^i se~ ti`m ca'ch no'i chuye^.n vo*'i no'. Co' le~ no' kho^ng tra'nh ma(.t to^i dda^u, chie^`u nay no' va^~n cu*o*`i vo*'i to^i mo^.t ca'i ho*i ra.ng ro*~ ro^`i ma`.
Thu*' hai . To^i ho^`i ho^.p:
    - Tha?o ne`!
    - Ha??
    - To^i ho*i gia^.t mi`nh:
    - Ho^?m gio*`, Minh bie^'t Tha?o co' ta^m su*....
    - E^ sao ho^m nay ddo^?i to^ng dza^.y . Tu.i mi`nh dda^u co' xu*ng ho^. hie^`u ha^.u dza^.y o^ng?
    To^i ba('t dda^`u hoang mang, cu~ng co' the^? no' tu*. do^'i lo`ng mi`nh ma` vui ve? vo*'i to^i . 
    - Mi`nh bie^'t sao ca? tua^`n Tha?o buo^`n ro^`i .
    - Ma' tui no'i ha?. Tro*`i o*i, tui no'i ma' tui gia^'u du`m ro^`i . Ma` ta.i bu*~a ddo' ddi ho.c ve^` tre^?, tui ddo'i qua' a(n nga^'u nghie^'n, la.i the^m hai di` cha'u ru*o*.t nhau, tui ca('n nha(`m mie^.ng mo^.t ca'i, no' xu*ng mu?, ha`nh tui ca? tua^`n.
    - Chu*' kho^ng pha?i ...
    - Pha?i gi` o^ng? Di` U't cu*o*`i to^i qua' chu*`ng, chie^`u ho^m ddo' ddi cu~ng bi. xe to^ng. Tu*. du*ng nha` ca? hai thu*o*ng binh. Ma' tui ra^`u thu'i ruo^.t ma` co`n ba?o "ddo*? o^`n a`o".
    To^i nghe Tha?o no'i ma` do^? mo^` ho^i ho^.t, vo*'t va't:
    - Ca('n nha(`m mie^.ng ma` Tha?o kho^ng cu*o*`i ca? tua^`n luo^n sao ?
    - Cu*o*`i co' ddu*o*.c dda^u . DDau la('m. Ho^m bu*~a nghe o^ng ba?o ddu*a tui ve^`, tui ma('c cu*o*`i ga^`n che^'t ma` pha?i mi'm mo^i ddo? ca? ma(.t, ho^?ng tha^'y sao ?
    - U*`a ... u*`a .
    - Bu*~a nay khoe? ro^`i, ddi a(n bo` bi'a kho^ng?
    - A`... a`... tho^i kho?i . Ba` ddi ddi, tui co' co^ng chuye^.n.
        To^i ho^'i ha? cha.y, ca'i ma(.t que^ kho^ng chi.u ddu*o*.c. May qu'a, nho? Tha?o kho^ng pha't hie^.n ra ddie^`u gi` ddang xa?y ra trong to^i . No' ma` bie^'t, cha('c cu*o*`i ga~y ghe^' luo^n. May qu'a, may qu'a, to^i chu*a lo*~ lo*`i ...

                                                                                                Le^ Ngo.c Die^.p