The Road to 40 Day 182/365: The Little Man Comes Home

Today was the last day of Vino’s Malaysia trip, and we were looking forward to see him again and hear all about his experiences.

Che initially planned to go to the office, but ultimately decided to take call from home so she can pick up Vino in the afternoon.

This was the first time that we’ve been away from each other this long, and it doesn’t help that he couldn’t bring a smart watch or any device. On the plus side, at least he was having fun without gadgets for a couple of days.

When we reached school, he was all smiles and hugged us both. His teacher told us that he had a bit of a tough time in camp, but ultimately had fun. She said he felt homesick and actually got a bit sick.

Vino said he vomited once, but didn’t know the trigger. He said he was able to join all the activities despite that episode, so that’s a good thing. When we asked why he cried, he simply said:

“Because I missed you.”

Back in Vietnam, I was told by a friend that after their kids went to residential, they sought their own space at home. We were thinking it might be the same for Vino, but I guess it’s the opposite for him.

I like that he’s expressive with things like this, and I hope he doesn’t lose it as he ages. Sometimes, we find it difficult to be honest with our emotions, so I want to nurture his honesty.

He was so excited to share his stories and didn’t miss a chance to hold hands or hug either me or Che. When we got home, Che still had a few meetings and Vino had to go to the toilet.

He was saying the room looked nice but the toilet in his room was not. He also said the teacher assigned him to the folding bed, which he described as being as hard as a rock. It wasn’t the most comfortable stay, but it’s good for him to experience something different from what his mom books.

He said he woke up about 10 times during the night.

He shared proud moments, like starting a fire using flint and cotton, as well as crossing the low ropes when some of his friends couldn’t. He was able to swim and play football, but he had a lot of insect bites on his arms and legs.

I’m happy that he was able to fit all his things back in the bag. Che made it all fit, and I was worried that he might not be able to put it back after he used his clothes.

I was talking to my sister about it and she reminded me that we were sent to my dad’s province for a couple of weeks or so (maybe even a month, I don’t remember) when we were Vino’s age. However, that’s with family and cousins, whereas Vino was with school friends and administrators. It’s a bit tough to imagine how he would handle it, and we’re just glad that he came back happy and excited about the whole thing despite being homesick.

Once Che was done with her meetings, we had movie time cuddled up on the sofa.

Vino did call his friends and played with them online, as per normal. I guess it’s fine, that’s how he wants to spend his personal time. But he’s learned to put more important things first, so it’s easy for him to drop out of calls when we ask him for help or to eat.

With Vino back and Che feeling a bit better, we were a bit more at ease and relaxed. We were able to have some wine and cheese for a little bit of date feels while watching another K-Drama, Nice Guy, before retreating to the bedroom.

We still have a separate bed for Vino in the room, so I asked if he was going to sleep on it. He said he doesn’t know yet, but it felt like he already knew what he wanted to do.

Che and Vino watched a movie while I took a bath, and as soon as I came out, Vino removed his glasses and cuddled up with Che. At some point while he slept, he rolled over to my side of the bed to cuddle up with me.

Che and I agreed that it might have been really difficult for him to sleep because he’s always been used to cuddling left or right.

He’s growing taller by the day and it’s sometimes uncomfortable to fit all three of us in a bed, but he’ll always be welcome to sleep with us for as long as he wants.