Narrator

First-person narrator, a 28‑year‑old Vietnamese American son writing a letter to his mother and recalling multiple childhood memories. Narrator recounts his childhood, his college English degree, and the nickname "Little Dog" given by his grandmother. Narrator recounts his nine‑year‑old summer in Virginia, his relationship with his grandfather Paul, and memories of Ca trù songs and his role as interpreter for his mother. The narrator is a mother waiting at a kitchen table, reheating fried flat noodles, watching for her son wearing an orange New York Knicks sweater while his son lies under a pine grove. Narrator recounts working at his mother’s nail salon and a tobacco farm at age fourteen. Narrator recounts his experiences on a Connecticut tobacco farm, meeting Trevor in a barn, feeling a coiled charge of desire, and reflecting on childhood memories. Narrator reflects on his pink bike, a dress he once wore, and a dance in a tobacco barn, linking these memories to his relationship with Ma. Narrator rides a bike with Trevor, observes the Connecticut River at night, reflects on decaying neighborhoods and his newfound freedom after leaving his father's house. Narrator deepens his sexual and emotional partnership with Trevor, recounts abusive childhood memories, and describes their shared experiences in rain and on the farm. Narrator travels by train from NYC to Hartford after learning of Trevor's death, reflects on memories, and visits Trevor's house. The narrator details OxyContin’s history, its deceptive marketing, Trevor’s overdose cause, and his own war metaphor, describing his drug‑filled, sexual, and artistic struggles. Narrator reflects on Lan’s death, calls Paul from Vietnam, and muses on names and memories. Narrator reflects on memories while walking in a Virginia garden with his grandfather Paul, linking past trauma to present surroundings. Narrator recounts a vivid, dream‑like memory on a tobacco farm at age fifteen, hearing a wailing animal, and reflecting on his bond with Trevor.