Tet of the “hero” kicking open the window, saving the girl in the fire in Hanoi
In the last days of the year, the work of refrigeration repairman Trung Van Nam (34 years old) is not too busy. At 5:00 pm, following neatly arranging tools and tools in a temporary rented motel on Luong Khanh Thien street (Hoang Mai district, Hanoi), he rode a motorbike for regarding 20km, returned to the inn with his wife and two children. girl.
“Fast! Turn around, look back, almost a year has passed”, he smiled, a gentle, simple look, recalling the “unforgettable in life” moment that saved the life of a 14-year-old girl in the house. caught fire one followingnoon in January 2022.
Mr. Nam and Mr. Cuong (the girl’s grandfather) hug each other, the first morning following the fire, January 12, 2022.
Before being a hero
Trung Van Nam was born and raised in a family of 2 sisters in Ngu Thon Dai Ban village, Thang Long commune, Nong Cong district, Thanh Hoa province. His parents are often sick, do not have enough economic conditions, he takes advantage of the days when he does not go to school to go to the fields to catch eels, herd cows, etc. to help the family.
After graduating from high school, he once dreamed of entering universities related to military or security, but did not have enough matriculation points. Temporarily putting aside his dream, the 17-year-old boy then asked his parents to go to the South to study industrial electricity at Cao Thang Technical College (HCMC).
“I studied while working in electrical installation works, gaining experience. After two years, I graduated and worked in Ho Chi Minh City,” he said.
Nam, following a year known as the “hero” who saved the girl in the fire, said life has returned to normal as before.
In 2014, his sister got married and followed her husband to the South, he was not sure that his parents lived alone and returned to Thanh Hoa. A year later, during his visit to Hanoi for a few days, he rented a room in Thuong Tin district to rest.
When passing the main road, he saw the notice of recruitment of packaging workers, he applied to try it. After a while, he found his job boring, returned to his room following work, life was like a deadlocked circle, so he took a break.
As a coincidence, in the same apartment block, a friend who knew that Mr. Nam had studied industrial electricity, introduced him to work as an air conditioner repairer in the center of Hanoi. They gather 20 members, install and repair electrical appliances such as air conditioners, refrigerators, washing machines, water heaters, “headquarters” is located in a small motel room on Luong Khanh Thien street.
The job has no fixed hours. Summer peak, many things, he can not do, make up for the winter days when there are no guests.
In 2015, Mr. Nam married Ms. Do Thi Tuyen (30 years old, a preschool chef), who is also a tenant in Thuong Tin, following a few months of love and acquaintance.
“I used to think it was difficult for me to meet a girlfriend, so when I fell in love and found it suitable for Tuyen, we quickly got married,” he said, happier in 2017 and 2019 respectively, welcoming two beautiful daughters. , lovely.
Break the window, save the girl in the fire
At noon on January 12, 2022, while eating lunch, Mr. Nam heard the shouts of the people around him regarding the fire that broke out from the old two-story house along the street of Luong Khanh Thien.
Leaving the bowls and chopsticks, he and a few colleagues rushed out, seeing the fire burning. He took out the fire extinguisher and sprayed it, but the fire was getting bigger and bigger.
“The fire spread quickly to the second floor, standing from below the spray might not penetrate. I tried to climb up to the second floor,” he recounted.
The young man looked around, saw that the power pole had been cut off, quickly took off his sandals and climbed up to the second floor. Here, in the thick smoke, was a figure and a faint voice said: “Uncle, save me”. Taking a few seconds to calm down, he managed to get inside.
The second floor of the burning house is tightly enclosed, the only entrance is a window with iron bars that can only fit one person. He used both hands to shake to check the strength before using force to pull the bars but failed.
At this time, the fire burned more strongly, the hot smoke emitted made him more stressed. Without hesitation, he kicked the iron frame with his foot, causing the steel bars to burst, taking the opportunity to pull the girl outside.
“Save my brother” – the 14-year-old girl’s words startled Mr. Nam because the fire broke out fiercely, covering the whole house. He was tormented, not knowing what to do, until the fire department controlled the fire, and when he went inside, there were no more victims, he breathed a sigh of relief.
When the girl was brought out by Mr. Nam, the fire department’s crane truck was waiting to take the two people down and take them to the emergency room. The girl suffered burns to her arms and legs.
Hoang Mai district police determined that the fire occurred at regarding 12:35 am at the family of Mr. Vu Manh Cuong (70 years old). A 6-year-old grandson managed to get out, and his sister was stuck on the second floor.
The house where four people lived was burned down. Leaders of Tuong Mai Ward People’s Committee (Hoang Mai District) said that the initial cause was short-circuited electrical equipment, then spread to other devices.
At 10 o’clock that night, Mr. Nam arrived home. His wife and children waited anxiously, both happy that he did a good job and saved a life, but also worried that he would get burned or injured. His mother, Mrs. Le Thi Thiep (58 years old), called, crying red eyes, blaming her son for “how reckless”.
“I explained that she was not injured, still healthy, she was relieved,” he said. That night, his sleep was restless.
After becoming a “hero”, Mr. Nam’s life was slightly turned upside down. Social networks reported simultaneously, many media agencies “hunted”, he even had to quit his job to receive.
“I am open to everyone’s affection, but sometimes I feel pressured and shy,” he said, rejecting the title “hero” because the act of saving the girl was purely instinctive, not meant to be respected. honor or praise.
“Even if everyone prevents me, I will jump in. Anyone in this case will do the same,” he confided.
Mr. Nam looked into the distance, recounting the progress of the fire a year ago.
But since then, many good things have come to Nam and his family. Many times when he went to the customer’s house to fix the air conditioner, he was recognized by everyone, asked to shake hands and take pictures together. Someone invited rice, texted “when finished, stay and drink beer”, but the workers refused, because they missed an appointment to have dinner with their wife and children. There is a family that keeps breaking down the air conditioner, hot and cold water heater, all call him. Many times he was busy, but they said they would wait and meet the “hero”.
“After a year, I returned to my previous quiet life, everything is back to normal. I appreciate and appreciate everyone’s love,” the man looked into the distance, his eyes filled with tears.
“I told him to soon forget the incident, but always remember regarding humanity”
Mr. Vu Manh Cuong’s family is in a particularly difficult situation in Tuong Mai ward (Hoang Mai district). The two grandchildren lived with their grandparents since they were young because their parents died early.
Mr. Cuong is 70 years old, used to work as a security guard, but due to poor health, he took leave to take care of the house and take care of his two grandchildren. His wife still sells goods at the market. After the fire, the grandparents’ house was repaired by the people and local authorities.
“I consider Nam like a son”, standing outside the house that a year ago was like a “flaming torch”, Mr. Cuong choked. The austere man said that the fire passed, leaving the family a great predestined relationship. He has another child, a friend.
The two families of Mr. Cuong and Mr. Nam often keep in touch and visit each other. Every time he came home from work, there were some local gifts such as oranges and rice cakes. Nam came over to play and called: “Dad, I have a gift”, making Mr. Cuong very emotional. The gift was simple, but he treasured it, saying it was “rare in life”.
With a 14-year-old girl, crossing the line of life and death, developing her sense of smell and being more sensitive to the “smell of fire”. Every time her grandfather secretly smoked or someone burned paper around, the little girl discovered and reported to her grandfather “fire, fire”.
“My granddaughter is still haunted by the fire. She wakes up when she’s sleeping and smells burning everywhere. I told her, ‘Everyone’s life goes through events. The bigger the event, the deeper it is, but let’s forget it soon, just remember forever regarding human love,'” Mr. Cuong shared.
Closing a rare story, opening up special predestined relationships in life that both sides cherish. A year has passed with many chaos, left in them is still human love.
Every Tet, Mr. Nam returns to his hometown early, from December 25 to 26, taking advantage of his wife and children to shop for new clothes. He often stayed at home with his parents for half a month, then went to Hanoi to go to the temple on the New Year’s Eve to pray for good luck and health.
He said that only in the countryside, next to his parents and wife and children, can there be a real Tet atmosphere. He always remembers the days when the brothers in the village focused on slaughtering pork, on the 30th night of the New Year, sitting with a pot of banh chung, the whole family gathered around the year-end rice tray, and lit fireworks to welcome New Year’s Eve.
“In addition to the health of my family, I wish the new year will achieve the set goals. I try to work, earn money to feed my two children and go to school,” he confided.
Vu Manh Cuong wished for a healthy new year, told his two granddaughters to be obedient, to study hard, especially to inculcate feelings for those around them.
