Street 8, Tran Phu Ward, Ha Tinh City, the place where the elderly lady Thu had been living became crowded with joy and tears.

The lady who was homeless for 31 years has been found by her son, Nguyen Son Lam. At 8 AM on January 30, right after he reached Ha Tinh City, he rushed to find his mother after a long journey.

In a rush to find his long-lost mother

He asked people the way to Street 8, Tran Phu Ward, a place he had never ever been before. He has had trouble sleeping for the past month because of the person waiting for him there.

People here knew Thu’s son would come to take her so they gathered around the tree where the old lady spent her days and nights, all to witness and share in such a moving reunion.

Very near his mother

Finally, the moment came when mother and son could be reunited after 30 years. Son was steps away, filled with nerves and worry as he found his mother.

Many strangers suddenly showed up in front of her that drove her into a bad temper. Son had just reached the place where his mother was sitting. She stood up and walked away. She went down a small alley and muttered some words which no-one could understand.

Walking away from her son

“Here you are. I cannot miss it. She became old but I cannot forget her face’s features,” said Son in front of the crowd. His words brought many people move to tears. “She was always like this, she had an unpredictable temper and often raised her voice at others,” added Son.

Thu kept walking ahead and her son kept following and called out to her. “Mom, please stop!” She continued walking and suddenly turned around saying strongly, “No, it’s not me. I am not your mother. I know you are trying to cheat me and traffic me.” Her words made Son more nervous.

"Mom please stop"

After walking for a while, she felt tired and sat down right in front of a house. Son and Huong, a kind person who had helped her so much throughout the years, approached her and started talking to her. Finally, she smiled. A bright smile which Son expected to see since the moment he saw her. He took out a handkerchief to wipe off sweat rolling down her face. He could not help but to cry.

Huong reminded Son to check for an identifying scar on her head. “Oh my god. It’s you. You are my mother. You were living here but we could not know,” said Son, thrilled.

Checking for a familiar scar

Son was sobbing by now and many people around them could not help crying as well. There was a rain of joyful tears under a sunny day in Ha Tinh.

Son told us about his family and the pain of losing his mother. His father was born in Can Tho and moved to Lao Cai in 1960 where his father met his mother. They have 5 children and Son is the eldest brother. When Son was 14, his father left his mother and brought them to the South. He did not want to go with his father but he had to take care of his brothers and sisters because they were still small.

His father remarried after a short time. They were forced to go to Ca Mau to work for a living. By the mid-80s, he came back Lao Cai to find his mother but no body knew where she was. He didn’t know that she had moved to Ha Tinh.

A reunion will take place with her whole family after 30 years

Son said he would take Thu with him to the South in order to look after her. He would happily do anything in order for his mother to be reunited with her whole family, no matter what challenges lay ahead.

Thu received a donation of VND 2 million ($108) from the Dan Tri/DTiNews Compassionate Hearts Fund and VND2,132,000 ($115) by Dan Tri’s readers.