Ngày đăng: 31/05/2024

 

Imagine that every day, you wake up and do a job as a hero. But how will you feel, and how will people around you think about your job? Now, let’s engage in the story of a firefighter and his daughter and see how things unfold.

 

 

***

Carla lived in a busy city with her parents. She was a sweet little girl with big, shiny eyes. Her cheeks were rosy, and her smile was as warm as a sunny day. She often wore colorful dresses and giggled a lot.

The cute little girl woke up everyday and had a tasty breakfast with her mom. She loved going to school and playing with her friends. After school, she enjoyed fun activities like bike riding and drawing colorful pictures. Each night, she fell asleep while listening to her mother’s bedtime stories.

Carla spent most of her time with her mom because her father was too busy. She missed her dad a lot. Sometimes, she wished her dad could join their games and bedtime stories. She hoped for more family time with both her parents. Recently, she felt lonely when her dad often left her with her mom. That explained why her mother hardly saw her smiles as usual.

Carla’s dad, Mr. Johnson, worked as a firefighter captain in their city. He was a friendly and kind-hearted man. He had a warm smile and a gentle voice. He was always willing to help others, just like he did in his job as a firefighter.

He was always busy with different shifts and long hours battling fires. His day often began early while other family members were still sleeping. He had a quick breakfast and rushed to the fire department. His daily routine included physical exercises, equipment maintenance, and emergency calls to be helped.

First, he practiced many training sessions to keep his body healthy and strong. Then, he took care of his fire station and big fire truck. He instructed his team members to help when there was a fire. Sometimes, they stayed at the fire station for many days if the case was challenging.

Mr. Johnson knew that his daughter was lonely and disappointed in him often. He was not with her most of the time, even on special occasions. He once missed her school talent competition, so Carla had to go up on stage without her dad cheering her on. At family picnics, he was always the one gone first. Each holiday was sad when he often rushed for an emergency call in the middle. Mr. Johnson was so sorry. He wished Carla would understand that he was doing important things to keep their city safe.

**

Mr. Johnson arrived home late that night. He quietly went to his daughter’s room, where Carla was sleeping. Mr. Johnson gazed at her face. “She looked like an angel. She was smiling. That must be something interesting,” he thought. Then, she began to cry, sobbing softly.
“Don’t go, Dad,” she whispered. Mr. Johnson gently took her hands and comforted her, “I’m here. I’m here.” Carla stopped sobbing, and the smile returned to her face.

Carla’s mother noticed Mr. Johnson in Carla’s bedroom. She approached him and looked at Mr. Johnson. “We need to talk.”

She told Mr. Johnson how sad Carla had been lately. She hoped he would stay home for Carla’s upcoming ninth birthday party on Saturday. She asked him to make his time to join that day with Carla. Mr. Johnson felt guilty for almost forgetting his daughter’s birthday. He promised himself he would spend all his day with her. He would host a fun party for her.

**

Today was Saturday morning. Mr. Johnson unlocked the door and tiredly entered his house. He had worked all night. A big fire nearly destroyed a suburban factory. All he wanted now was to take some rest. But then he spotted Carla in the kitchen, and his eyes showed how much he cared.

“Happy birthday, my angel,” he greeted Carla with warmth.

Carla turned around at his voice and rushed to him, hugging and kissing him. “Thank you, Dad.”

She hesitated for a moment before asking, “Dad, will you stay with me today?”

“Yes, I will. I am hosting a party for you this evening,” he answered. Carla jumped with joy.

“But Daddy is a bit tired after work. I’ll go to my bedroom and rest for a while. We’ll have lunch together, and then I’ll prepare everything for your party. Deal?” said Mr. Johnson.

“Yes, sir!” Carla giggled and headed to the kitchen, grabbing her milk before saying goodbye to her dad.

**

Carla’s birthday party was at 6 p.m., but Mr. Johnson started preparing it very soon.

Their backyard was now lovely, with amazing decorations and ornaments. Colorful balloons floated around. A big table covered in polka dots was at the center of the yard. On it, there was an awesome birthday cake. It was a big chocolate cake covered in bright blue frosting. Lots of colorful sprinkles were on it. On the top, there was a smiling chocolate unicorn.

He also bought other desserts, including vanilla cupcakes, colorful macaroons, and jellies. A heart-shaped pinata with lots of candy and toys was hanging on the tree near the table. “Carla’s birthday party would be super fun!” he thought.

Carla’s friends came to the party in colorful clothes. They brought her beautiful gifts. They gathered around Carla. They waited for her to make a wish and blow the birthday candles.

Everything was going to be perfect until Mr. Johnson got an emergency call. His heart sank, and he knew he had to go. One of his team members was in severe injury. His team needed his help.

When he was about to leave, Carla held his father’s hand and cried. “Don’t go, Dad.”

“I’m sorry, Carla.” Her dad was in a hurry. “I have to go. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” Then, he quickly left.

The kids had a blast running around the party, except for Carla. They snacked on sweet treats and BBQ foods. They drank the delicious juice that Carla’s mom made. They played games like ‘Musical Chairs’ and ‘Pin the Tail on the Donkey’ that were supposed to be held by Carla’s dad. Carla hid herself in a corner and cried. She hated Daddy. He never kept his promise. For many years, he never entirely made his time for her birthday.

Mom found her. She sat next to Carla and comforted her with a warm hug. “It’s okay, Carla. Daddy’s job is important. You know he’s a hero. And a hero is always busy.”

Carla couldn’t stop crying. She didn’t understand. She just wanted her dad. She didn’t want to share him with anyone.

**

Mr. Johnson returned home late that night. He expected his daughter to forgive him, but instead, he received an angry look from her. When he tried to hug her, she pushed him away.

“You love your job more than me, and I hate it! Stay away from me!” Carla yelled at her dad.

Carla’s dad was heartbroken by her words. He tried to explain to her, but she did not want to listen. After that day, they did not talk much, even though her dad tried his best to make things right.

**

But life had a way of teaching Carla an important lesson.

It was a sunny day when a big fire broke out in Carla’s school. People had no idea where the fire had started. It began in the lab room. It was fueled by lab chemicals. The fire grew bigger and bigger. The smoke filled the hallways. The flames spread rapidly. It caused panic among the students and teachers. The teachers tried to guide all students to escape from each classroom. Carla and other students in her class were lucky to escape the smoke quickly because her classroom was near the exit.

Carla was now standing in the schoolyard and observing. The school was in a mess. People ran away in panic. The fire was angry, and its smoke covered the entire school. Suddenly, she remembered her close friend Lucy. “Where was Lucy? Oh my god, she was still in the bathroom, wasn’t she?”

Carla was so worried about Lucy. She was about to find her teacher to save Lucy. Then, some sound of sirens pierced the air. Carla’s heart leaped with hope. She knew her father had come.

Carla’s father arrived with his team. His heart beat so fast when he heard his daughter was in danger. He trembled. Never in his life had he felt that pressure to save somebody like that.

Carla recognized her dad from a far distance. He was powerful in his protective gear. He was rushing towards her. She yelled at him, “Dad!!”

He burst into happiness to see her okay. He embraced her in his strong arms. “I’m so worried for you, darling!” He almost cried.

“Dad…!” Carla yelled. But then she suddenly remembered Lucy. She told her dad about Lucy’s situation.

Mr. Johnson divided his team into many small groups. Each team would search for people in certain areas. He would find Lucy himself.

The heat inside the school was intense, and the thick smoke made it nearly impossible to see. But nothing could stop Carla’s father and his team from their mission.

Carla watched her dad from behind. Mr. Johnson pushed through the flames. He felt the severe heat on his skin. The heat and smoke spread very fast. He carried a fire extinguisher and crawled on the floor along the hallway.

The firefighter team almost rescued everyone and took them to a safer area. Carla was still searching for her dad and Lucy. She felt scared. “What if he couldn’t make it? No, Dad was a hero. He could save Lucy and get out of the fire,” Carla prayed for her dad’s safety.

When Mr. Johnson came across the lab, a small explosion happened. Broken glass from the tubes flew out. He tried to hide from it but couldn’t be fast enough to stop them from cutting his thigh. It was painful. He dragged his leg tiredly. The smoke seemed to swallow him. He knew that as time passed, Lucy’s chance to be saved became smaller and smaller. He tried his best to keep crawling.

Finally, he reached the restroom, where Lucy was huddled in fear. Mr. Johnson took off his jacket and covered Lucy’s head.

“I am Carla’s father. I’ve come to bring you out safely. Now, get out of the corner and follow my lead,” he said with a serious look. Lucy looked at him worriedly and then crawled to him. Fortunately, the fire in the hallway was nearly under control by the firefighter team, which made it easier for Mr. Johnson and Lucy to get out.

Carla watched in awe as her father appeared from the smoke, carrying Lucy in his arms. His firefighter uniform, with its bright red color and shiny helmet, made him look even more like a superhero to Carla. He walked unbalancedly with an injured leg. His face was smudged with soot. But he smiled warmly at Carla when she saw her.

Carla cried a lot. Her dad’s bravery made her realize how extraordinary his job was. She felt selfish for being angry with him before. She said she was sorry for her hurtful words. Her dad forgave her.

From that day on, Carla understood her dad better. She learned how hard he had to face daily and how important his job was for her city. Instead of being angry, she sometimes visited her dad at his office when she missed him. Their father-child relationship became even closer.

 

***

Carla’s story teaches us how to understand and forgive busy parents when they can not keep their promises because of their jobs. It would help if you tried to find the reasons behind it. Sometimes, they have important jobs, just like Carla’s brave dad. He is busy to be a hero of everyone.

 

– The end –

 

Một số truyện ngắn khác trong dự án: Luyện viết cùng Moira

 

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