Dieu Hien: Childhood picking up bananas at the market to eat, drinking public tap water, sick U80, in a nursing home

In the past 9 years, the theater artist's nursing home has become the home of Dieu Hien, the "first martial artist" of Cai Luong for a while.

Tough childhood

Meritorious Artist Dieu Hien, whose real name is Lam Thi Hien, was born in 1945 in Bac Lieu. She lost her father at a young age. "My family is very poor, living in the bottom of Bac Lieu. After my father passed away, both sides of the family rejected my mother. Listening to you, she took me away.

Leaving my husband's house, my mother went to stay with people, but after a few meals, I was kicked out because I had a habit of crying at night, every 3 o'clock at night, I cried, cried until morning, coaxed or beat me, but I couldn't stop. The owner couldn't stand it, so he kicked my mother and me away.

My mother had to go to the street again, and when she saw someone at home, she applied to work. People saw my mother taking her small child along, so they also loved and let her work. But I kept crying in the middle of the night, so the owner kicked me out.

My mother had to take me away again, going on and on and coming to Saigon. Near evening, my mother led me under the bridge to sleep. In the morning, my mother took me to Ong Lanh bridge to pick up some bananas people left to eat, after eating, then go to the public faucet to drink.

A friend of my mother's saw that scene, and couldn't bear to take her to Bach Dang wharf, please get off the boats carrying dried shrimp and green beans from Bac Lieu, Can Tho to cook rice for people.

A year later, there was a mechanic who left his wife and loved my mother, so he asked to marry me. At first, my mother refused, but everyone around advised me to accept it so that I wouldn't suffer. Then my mother agreed to marry him as her second husband and I have a stepfather."

At the age of 14, Dieu Hien left home to join the troupe and was taught by many vocational teachers. At the age of 16, she was assigned to play the main character and began to develop a name in all the southern stages. With a strong and generous singing style, she was awarded the title of "First martial arts practitioner", in which the role of female general Trieu Thi Trinh in Nhuy Kieu General and Bui Thi Xuan in the play Female General Co Dao is considered a classic. dictionary.

Later, when Cai Luong went downhill, she followed the troupe to sing to the provinces to make a living. In 1979, a fire accident caused Dieu Hien to severely burn his hand. She gradually left the stage to live quietly with her children and grandchildren.

I do not expect the children to be filial

In the past 9 years, the theater artist nursing home on Au Duong Lan Street, District 8, Ho Chi Minh City has also become Dieu Hien's home. For her, this is also a place for me to spend the rest of my life after almost a lifetime of wandering around.

Initially, Dieu Hien lived with her family of more than 10 members in an old cramped apartment. On one occasion, a representative of the Ho Chi Minh City Theater Association visited her home and encouraged her to live with her colleagues. After entering, she was placed in a small room on the ground floor, without having to climb the stairs.

Dieu Hien lives peacefully with fellow artists who have the same situation. Every day, she works and eats according to fixed time frames. Everyone also gathers to chant Buddhist sutras every evening, to talk about life and career stories. They told stories about how it used to be touring in the old days, how they practiced in the troupes, and laughed together.

Dieu Hien has 5 children, most of whom are married but still have a heavy burden of living. In which, two sons play at the stage venues, and two daughters follow their mother's singing career even though they are rarely invited to shows. Her youngest daughter also had congenital epilepsy and needed someone to take care of her. Understanding the circumstances of each child, the female artist does not require them to be filial or expect financial support.

Sickness, hardship but not pessimism

Dieu Hien used to be a 'First Martial Artist', famous throughout the southern stages, but in old age lived in poverty and disease. That image made her colleagues and audience feel pity for her. However, the female artist was optimistic, never blaming her career for being a swindler or feeling sorry for herself because of her old age. It was the love from the audience, colleagues or students through gift wrapping, a little extra money to buy medicine every visit that warmed her heart.

Retired for many years, Dieu Hien is still worried about cai luong, seeing it as a part of her flesh and blood. From the first days of her career as a singer to becoming famous, the glory and the long life of her profession have been experienced enough.

Young photo of Meritorious Artist Dieu Hien. Although she retired early due to illness, she still has more than 100 lifetime roles on the cai luong stage.

Dieu Hien has a small cassette that is always kept at the head of the bed. Every night, listening to strange and familiar voices on the radio, the female artist finds herself reliving a glorious time of the singing profession.

At the age of 77, "Female General Trieu Thi Trinh" has many diseases such as herniated disc, high blood pressure, hyperthyroidism, rheumatism... Severe heart valve disease makes her easy to breathe, exhausted. even if it's only a few steps. Also because of her bad health, the female artist was afraid to appear in crowded places, although many shows asked her to "re-appear".

Until early 2021, her close friend - People's Artist Bach Tuyet - wanted to do a commemorative music show together. Dieu Hien accepted because she wanted to share memories with a friend of the same age, and also to thank and say goodbye to the audience.

Telling a reporter, she said that her wish to be able to sing smoothly the neo-classical version of Tan Quynh cries for you is associated with her name. "An old person is like a yellow leaf left on a green tree branch, it only takes a slight breeze to fall. I want to stand on stage again and be satisfied even with my eyes closed," she said.

With Dieu Hien, all the glory, suffering and happiness in life have been experienced, so there is nothing left to be attached to. She wished the last years of her life to be peaceful, sleep well, so that she could leave so that the disease would no longer torment and trouble everyone around her.

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