Lai Châu – Chị thợ sửa xe trên đèo

Lai Châu - high pass at five in the morning
White mist, wind cutting the face like a knife
I open the shop, flashlight on my head
Broken bikes stop, customers cold and shivering
I smile - "let big sister fix it, you will warm up soon"
Hands black with oil, but the heart clean
A broken spark plug, a leaking tire
The customer asks "how long will it take, sister?"

I say "one glass of iced tea"
And the customer laughs - because it is true
Motorbikes of every kind, every kind of life
Some carry rice, some carry love
Some carry a whole dream down to town
I fix them all - because the road must go on
And people must reach their place
Noon burns, the pass is silent as death
I sit under a tree and eat a rice ball
An old customer returns, "thank you for yesterday, sister"
I nod - "the road is long, we will meet again"
And the wind carries the thanks far away
At dusk, the last motorbike leaves
I close the shop and lock the old padlock
Look down into the valley, clouds drifting slowly
Lai Châu is high, but the heart is low
Low enough to lift others up
When night falls, I sit outside in the yard
Hear distant engines, hear the wind
Tomorrow open again, repair again
Smile again, give iced tea again
Lai Châu is still here - and I am still here
Fixing bikes, fixing lives - in one rhythm