Born into a medical family, Amar, a 15-year-old boy, was expected to be a doctor, but deep down in his heart, he was eager to take up writing as his future career. He was in a great dilemma whether to pursue his dream or live up to his parents’ expectation. until one day when his father gifted him a parrot.

The parrot had two hazy lines in her neck: black and red. Amar knew the hazy lines mark the stage of learning. “When there is a good teacher, how can his student be stupid” ,he used to believe. It was absolutely true.

Metto’s cage was yellow with a big door and a shiny silver rod (杆) running through the centre. Metto’s world was fantastic, surrounded by eight-foot white walls with some plum trees. And a lawn, with a palm tree in the middle, was dotted with multiple-color roses.

Back home from school every afternoon, Amar always slid the door of the cage up for Metto to set her free nearby the palm tree. Metto could set herself free because she learned how to slide up the door but she had never tried to do so. It was either love with Amar or, might be, she had never tasted the taste of a bigger world.

Amar always talked with Metto in Pashto (普什图语). Whenever Amar fished out peanuts from his pocket, Metto talked frequently “Toti choori khore” —parrot! Wanna eat choori. She had learned one more sentence after meeting with a friend belonging to jungle outside the white walls. She always said that at the end of meal “Da wakht bam teer she”—this shall to be passed, which Amar had never taught her.

Amar saw her friend coming daily and sitting in the plum tree nearby Metto’s cage. He let them and did nothing. “The new one can never succeed in winning her. After all, I feed her well. She will never leave me”, Amar murmured. But he didn’t know the new teacher had taught her something the old one hadn’t. It was the outer world with untouchable horizon.

One day, on the way to feed her, Amar was shocked at what Metto was doing.

His head hanging down; Amar came back home after long running.

Daniel, a young architect, had recently moved to a new city for a promising job opportunity. Although excited about his new life, he found it difficult to adjust to the busy pace and distance from his family, particularly his younger brother, Vincent. Growing up, the two brothers had been inseparable, sharing a close bond despite their six-year age difference. Daniel had always taken on the role of Vincent’s protector and friend, guiding him through the ups and downs of childhood and adolescence, and supporting him in his pursuits.

One evening, after a particularly challenging day at work and feeling homesick, Daniel received a phone call from his mother. She told him that Vincent had been struggling with school and his personal life, and she believed that he needed his older brother’s guidance now more than ever. Feeling a sense of responsibility and concern for his brother, Daniel decided to take some time off work and return home for a surprise visit.

Upon arriving in his hometown, Daniel was greeted with a sense of nostalgia (怀旧) and familiarity. He immediately noticed the changes that had taken place in Vincent’s life during his absence, as well as the undeniable signs of his brother’s distress. Determined to help, Daniel took Vincent under his wing, spending hours talking and reconnecting with him. Together, they revisited their favorite childhood spots, looking back upon the happy memories they had shared and the lessons they had learned together.

Through their conversations, Daniel discovered that Vincent had been facing significant academic pressure and was struggling with feelings of loneliness and isolation. The once-confident and outgoing teenager now seemed lost and unsure of himself. As the brothers continued to spend time together, they openly discussed their fears and aspirations, strengthening the bond they had always shared, and finding comfort in each other’s company.

As the days went by, Daniel could see the positive impact their time together was having on Vincent.

On the last day of his visit, Daniel had a heart-to-heart conversation with Vincent.

Ah Dc was hungry again. This was not surprising, for he had only eaten half a bread since morning. It was already late afternoon. and sleeping was not going to help him drive off the hunger anymore. He slowly lowered himself from the platform he was on and made his way home from the disused bridge he was sleeping on.

The home was a run-down house with so many holes through its walls and roof (屋顶) that the wind practically whistled through it when the rainy season approached. Ah De loved the music of the wind then. It helped him forget the cold that covered his thin body. Though his house was in a poor condition. Ah De still smiled as he thought of his mother’s face. She was a wonderful woman who never forgot to make him feel treasured. They were alone in this lonely part of Vietnam, his father having died in the war. She made her living by washing clothes for other families, while Ah De did his part by eating little and staying out of her way. But in the evenings. she would put her arms around Ah De and tell him the loveliest stories of courage and adventure. Ah De knew that he would do all he could to make his mother happy.

Suddenly, a burst of beautiful music came to Ah De’s cars from the air. Ah De turned around to where the sound was coming from. He saw a group of people coming down the road. welcoming the brightly-colored silk chair that was carried by four strong men. The children of the village were all dancing around the chair, wild with joy. Ah De’s curiosity was aroused. The children were usually not so active. Why were they so excited now? He rushed after the group and tried his best to find out what was happening.

He finally found out that the man in the silk chair was an important man in the capital

Ah De excitedly went home with the news.