Desperate message 

“Thu, where are you? Mom is very weak now, please come see her,” was the message sent by Tran Thi Be, 54, in Da Nang, to her brother who had been missing for 31 years. Her message was posted on YouTube on the 6th day of the Tet holiday, or February 3, 2025.

In the video posted to seek family members, Be mentioned that Tran Thi Le, born in 1936, was her mother, and the missing person was Tran Van Thu, born in 1957, her brother.

Be’s parents had eight children, with Thu being the second. Thu had a wife and three children in Da Nang. He often traveled to the South or the North for work, and each trip lasted several months.

Thu suddenly left home without any apparent reason 31 years ago. 

“At that time, my mother even sold cloth meant for sewing clothes to give us money to search for my brother. For 31 relentless years, we searched without cease, but to no avail,” Be said.

Before Tet holiday, Le fell sick and could not eat and drink. For 30 days, she only had a little breath but seemed to be holding onto something. Guessing that she was still troubled by the absence of her missing son, Be and her siblings intensified their search, hoping for a miracle.

Be contacted and sought help from a YouTube channel specializing in connecting and finding lost people. Information about Thu was posted on the channel. Family members sent a message that their mother was in critical condition and they hoped Thu would return to enjoy his later years with the family.

“I’m here, mom”

On the evening of the 7th day of the Tet holiday, Be unexpectedly received a phone call with information about Thu’s whereabouts.

“My mother was very ill, so all family members were always by her side. When I answered the phone, we were about to have dinner. Hearing the news, everyone was overjoyed and forgot all about the meal,” Be recalled.

Prior to that, an acquaintance of Thu had watched Be’s video and the message about searching for her brother. This person informed Thu and the YouTube channel owner. After some inquiries, it was confirmed that Thu was living in HaTien in Kien Giang with his second wife. 

On the evening of the 7th day of Tet, Thu and his siblings connected through a phone call. Recognizing each other instantly, tears were shed before joy could be fully expressed.

Thu said: “My eyes are very blurry, I can’t see everyone clearly. How’s mom, Brother? His brother responded: “Mom is very weak. I need you to come see her immediately.”

Hearing this, Thu cried more loudly. “I’ll rent a car and come back tonight, no matter how high the cost,” he sobbed. Knowing that he had no money, his siblings encouraged him and promised to cover the expenses.

Before Tet, Thu had fallen ill and was hospitalized. He decided to return to hometown by bus, though he had not been fully recovered. During the 24-hour journey from Kien Giang to Da Nang, he did not sleep and cried continuously.

At 9 pm on the 8th day of Tet, or February 5, 2025, he arrived in Da Nang. Unable to walk, he needed the support of two relatives to help him enter the home.

He quickly entered the room where his mother was amid the clapping and cheers from children, siblings, and relatives. "I'm here with you now, Mom," he said as he knelt next to his mother's sickbed. Le, hearing her son's voice, tried to move and mumbled inaudibly.

After visiting his mother, Thu was led to the altar room to light incense for his father. In front of the family altar, Thu repented, "I left father, mother, wife, and children. Now, I return to ask our ancestors and parents for forgiveness for my faults."

He confided that at the end of each year, he was always restless, unable to eat or sleep, constantly getting up from bed, pacing back and forth. He had many times packed his bags to go to the bus station to return home but then refrained.

On the afternoon of the 10th day of Tet (February 8, 2025), Le took her last breath in the embrace of her children. The hope of Be and her siblings for their mother to depart life peacefully had come true.

Ngoc Lai