Butterfly Yellow

When LeeRoy finally sees Hằng, he drops a crate, stunned by how pretty she looks. At the fair, Cora and Hằng handle the register while the men unload and unpack the crates. The melons sell out quickly, and Mr. Morgan allows them to wander the fair. Cora asks LeeRoy and Hằng to stick close to David.

After gorging himself on sweets, David drags the other two to the Ferris wheel, where they manage to charm the operator to let them all ride for free. Atop the wheel, David looks out at the ranch and declares he will live here forever; he and Linh, the horse, will have their own ranch where they will breed quarter horses. Hằng notes she will go wherever he goes.

A yellow butterfly lands on David’s hand, and Hằng begins to sing his once-favorite song about a yellow butterfly. It is set to the tune of “Are you sleeping, Brother John,” and LeeRoy sings the English version, while David hums along.

David suddenly pronounces “bướm vàng” (butterfly yellow) perfectly, and Hằng is thrilled he remembers. She writes out the translation of the lyrics in the notebooks she is carrying, and brother and sister perform the accompanying hand gestures while they sing it. LeeRoy and David each sing a Spanish and French version of the song, and the trio sing the song together in a loop, one language after the other.

Despite Ling having repeated the words of the song and sung along happily, Hằng feels disappointment following the elation. She knows no matter how many stories she tells her brother, he will not come away from this life.

Hằng remembers how, after the worms, the girls were fed a sumptuous meal by their caretaker. The other girl announced her new name would be “Lan,” meaning “orchid,” and she would start a new life in Australia with her aunt, forgetting about all that happened to her until now.

Hằng contemplates the flipping emotions inside her. Without rescuing Linh as her purpose, she knows she might begin to cling to anger and vengeance; however, she remembers Bà, who believed that “life is long, the universe will deliver justice, eventually” (266).

After the UNHCR helicopter arrived on the island, Hằng and Lan were flown out and expedited to the last stage of their refugee processing camp in the Philippines. They were then fast-tracked to fly out just short of five months later, due to their “Extreme Trauma” status.

As the trio now walk back from the fair, LeeRoy offers Hằng his cowboy hat, but she declines. He proffers that he is not much of a real cowboy anyway, and she replies, “Du o ầy ri-eo cao-bồi chu mi” (268) (You are a real cowboy to me). LeeRoy notices her use of verbs and articles; she has been practicing and resolves to get them right over time.

Mr. Morgan contemplates how he only has LeeRoy and Hằng for one more day. He considers how after he takes LeeRoy to pick up his fixed-up truck, they will be gone.

The next day, Hằng picks vegetables from her box—green beans, celery, kale. She gives Mr. Morgan a ginger leaf, which smells just like the rhizome. Mr. Morgan uses some of the ginger to make ginger ale, while Hằng uses his utensils and provisions to cook her greens. While they work beside each other, Mr. Morgan offers Hằng a job as a gardener, paying $100 a month all year long. Hằng immediately accepts.

LeeRoy comes in, and Mr. Morgan takes him out to the porch to have ginger ale, while Hằng cooks. He senses LeeRoy’s feelings for Hằng and assures him everything will be alright. LeeRoy asks him for advice, and Mr. Morgan tells LeeRoy he already knows what to do. Hằng asks to join the men as they head out to pick up the truck.

The truck looks great, but LeeRoy only has $60 left over now. LeeRoy asks Hằng to lunch, and his heart flutters when she agrees. He has a surprise organized for her, with the help of his mother. On the way, Hằng tells him her plans: she will live with Cora, cooking for room and board, while she works as a gardener for Mr. Morgan.

LeeRoy takes Hằng to the West Texas State bookstore, where his mother has helped ship the “Handy Pocket Guide to Tropical Fruits” (277), a book filled with names and photographs of fruits. Hằng squeals in pleasure; she points out various fruits, and LeeRoy and her trade their English and Vietnamese names, as they head to lunch.

David makes LeeRoy and Hằng smell his horse before LeeRoy leaves, insisting each horse’s smell is unique and wonderful. LeeRoy mentions he might return in December, on his way to the National Finals Rodeo (NFR) championship, and promises to take David and Hằng along, on the former’s request.

There is a surprise waiting for LeeRoy on the seat of his truck: a bag of celery, fresh from Hằng’s garden, already washed and cut. She has also tucked $20 underneath it, which LeeRoy returns to her, holding her hand as he does.

Hằng tells LeeRoy her plans to study conversational English and drawing, which LeeRoy heartily approves. They half-hug each other goodbye. As he leaves, he asks if Hằng has read the inscription in the book. She finds remodeled lines from The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly on the title page: YOU SEE, IN THIS WORLD THERE ARE TWO KINDS OF PEOPLE, MY FRIEND. THOSE WHO GO AWAY, AND THOSE WHO COME BACK. I’LL BE BACK” (283). Hằng giggles and heads to her new room, which has a window through which she will be able to watch LeeRoy drive back up in December.