“A Mother’s Secret: A Child’s 53-Year Quest for the Father in the Same City”

10 October, 2024

A fleeting romance left me fatherless as I grew up

Hai’s mother, Ms. Dam Thi Lieu, is from Binh Dinh. Around the year 1970, Ms. Lieu was married with a son. When her husband went off to war, she left with her 8-year-old son to Saigon to seek a living. There, she met Mr. Nguyen Van Nien, a man from Quang Ngai who worked as a laborer in Saigon. At that time, Mr. Nien also had a wife and four children back home.

They developed feelings for each other and conceived Hai. In 1971, Ms. Lieu took her two sons back to her hometown and never returned to Ho Chi Minh City. She cut off all contact with Mr. Nien from then on. Later, Ms. Lieu married and had three more children. Occasionally, she would mention Hai’s biological father but had no information to help find him. Her family in Binh Dinh still lives there, while Hai, as an adult, moved to Ho Chi Minh City to pursue his career and has lived there ever since.

Hai at one year old, photographed with his father and mother.

Hai’s mother has since passed away, and only his half-brother, who followed their mother to Ho Chi Minh City, knows the full story. Based on the information his brother recalled, Hai learned that his father’s eldest son was named Tho and lived near Cho Binh Thoi (now in District 11). Thus, Hai’s journey to find his father began many years ago, but with no leads.

“My father must be very old by now, and I don’t dare hope that he’s still alive. I just wish to find my siblings, relatives, or anyone from his side of the family so that I can know my ancestors and so that my children can trace their roots,” Hai shared. Fortunately, after sharing his story on Tuan Vy’s channel, someone from his father’s side of the family reached out to connect and confirm the information.

My father and brothers have been searching for me all these years

The person who came forward was Mr. Van (62 years old, currently living in Ho Chi Minh City), the fourth child of Mr. Nien and his first wife. Mr. Van watched the video of Hai sharing his story and was convinced that he was his long-lost brother. When he saw Hai on the screen, Mr. Van was even more certain of their blood relation as Hai strongly resembled their father.

Mr. Van and Hai finally meet.

It was incredible how all the information provided by both sides matched perfectly. Through Mr. Van’s retelling, Hai learned that his father’s family had been searching for them for many years without any success. Both brothers were surprised to find out that they had been living in Ho Chi Minh City, very close to each other, for decades without knowing it.

“When my father was alive, he told our family everything. They all knew that he had a son with Ms. Lieu, named Hai. He even gave us a photo of himself with you when you were about one year old, and I posted that photo online many times in my attempts to find you. Before he passed away, he instructed us to keep looking for you. Unfortunately, your eldest brother, Tho, has also passed away, but I am fortunate to have found you,” Mr. Van confided to his brother.

It turns out that after Ms. Lieu left for Binh Dinh, Mr. Nien went to his sister-in-law’s place in Phu Yen to look for her, but to no avail. From then on, he never returned to find Ms. Lieu and Hai. Later, Mr. Nien remarried and had five more children. They all lived in Ho Chi Minh City for many years. Mr. Nien gave his children a keepsake photo to help find Ms. Lieu and Hai, but he did not live to see this day.

All these events took place over five decades ago, and those who knew the full story are no longer with us. For Hai, finding his paternal family and reconnecting with his roots is the most important thing. As for Mr. Van, he has finally found his long-lost brother, bringing peace to their late father’s soul.

They plan to reunite soon to share all the thoughts and feelings they’ve kept inside over the years.

Source: Tuan Vy’s Channel – Connecting Love