Summary
Nkauj Ntsum and Tub Tuam dated and soon married. They each found successful careers and built a comfortable life together. However, there was one thing they did not have: children.
One day, Tub Tuam's mother pulled him aside and told him that she had spoken with their relatives. They all agreed that although he and Nkauj Ntsum were well-off, they needed children for their family to have a happy ending. Tub Tuam told his mother that, no matter what anyone said, he refused to take a second wife because he loved Nkauj Ntsum dearly. His mother, however, insisted that he should remarry. Tub Tuam said that before taking such a step, he wanted to make sure through medical testing that Nkauj Ntsum truly could not have children.
Nkauj Ntsum continued with her daily life, making breakfast and calling her husband and mother-in-law to eat. Tub Tuam later told his mother that he wanted to take Nkauj Ntsum on a vacation. His mother approved but reminded him of their private conversation, which made Nkauj Ntsum suspicious.
Nkauj Ntsum and Tub Tuam traveled to the mountains and stayed at a cabin. They took walks along a beautiful lake and enjoyed a romantic candlelight dinner. During the trip, Tub Tuam jokingly asked Nkauj Ntsum what she thought about adding a third person to their family. Thinking he meant a baby, Nkauj Ntsum happily said that it would be wonderful because a child would bring warmth and joy into their lives. Tub Tuam then revealed that he was actually talking about another wife. Upset, Nkauj Ntsum got up to leave, but Tub Tuam stopped her and said he was only teasing.
After they returned home, Tub Tuam's uncles called him to one of their homes. They told him that they had placed their hopes in him as a future family leader and strongly wanted him to have children. If his current wife could not bear children, they said he should take a second wife. If Nkauj Ntsum could not accept it, they suggested that he divorce her. After listening to their pressure, Tub Tuam said he would think about it.
Meanwhile, Nkauj Ntsum received a call from her doctor's office. She went to the doctor without Tub Tuam, and the physician explained that after testing both her and her husband, the results showed that the reason for their infertility was Tub Tuam. Because Nkauj Ntsum was a kindhearted wife who was willing to sacrifice herself for the man she loved, she refused to let Tub Tuam take the blame. She asked the doctor to keep the truth from him and, if Tub Tuam asked, to tell him that the infertility was her fault instead. The doctor agreed and promised to let Nkauj Ntsum decide when the time was right to reveal the truth.
Tub Tuam then called Nkauj Ntsum to ask about the results of her doctor's visit. She told him that the infertility was her fault and hung up. Relieved of the burden of believing that he was responsible, Tub Tuam immediately asked his cousin to help him find a second wife. His cousin introduced him to a young woman named Maiv Mim. Tub Tuam talked and flirted with her, and before long, he began visiting her frequently.
One day, Nkauj Ntsum asked Tub Tuam why he had not been home as often. He told her that he had more meetings to attend. She initially believed him, but she was devastated when she accidentally encountered him and Maiv Mim shopping together at a grocery store. She spent many nights alone, crying herself to sleep.
Shortly afterward, Tub Tuam told his mother that he wanted to marry Maiv Mim and asked her to explain the situation to Nkauj Ntsum. His mother said she was unsure whether she could persuade Nkauj Ntsum to accept it. Tub Tuam replied that she would simply have to try because, regardless of what happened, he intended to marry Maiv Mim. What neither of them realized was that Nkauj Ntsum had accidentally overheard their conversation. Hearing that Tub Tuam intended to marry another woman deeply saddened her.
The next day, Tub Tuam's mother tried to explain the situation to Nkauj Ntsum. Nkauj Ntsum confessed that she had overheard their conversation the night before. She told her mother-in-law that if Tub Tuam truly no longer loved her, she would open the road for him to remarry.
Later, Nkauj Ntsum went to a restaurant by herself. By coincidence, Tub Tuam and Maiv Mim sat behind her. Nkauj Ntsum overheard their flirtatious conversation and deliberately made her presence known. Shocked to see his wife, Tub Tuam struggled to explain who she was to Maiv Mim. Remaining composed and respectful, Nkauj Ntsum simply said that she was Tub Tuam's coworker and walked away.
Tub Tuam then met with his uncle and told him that he intended to marry Maiv Mim when the moon became full. That night, Tub Tuam and Nkauj Ntsum lay uncomfortably in bed together. Tub Tuam told his distressed wife that he was going to bring Maiv Mim home to live with them. He promised that, no matter what happened, he would continue to love Nkauj Ntsum the same way.
Nkauj Ntsum told him that he had never listened to her, so she no longer cared what he did. She said she would give him the freedom to begin a new life with another woman. Tub Tuam asked why she spoke as though she no longer wanted to live with him. Nkauj Ntsum replied that someone like her had nowhere else to go, so he did not need to worry about her.
Later that night, Nkauj Ntsum wrote a letter to her aunt, explaining the details of her heartbreak and asking her aunt to welcome her with open arms if she ever arrived at her doorstep. Not long afterward, while Nkauj Ntsum was listening to music in the living room, Tub Tuam called and asked her to prepare a bedroom for him and his bride. Nkauj Ntsum told him that she would not prepare a new room for them and that they could simply sleep in their old room while she moved into another. Instead, she packed her suitcase, left the house, and wrote Tub Tuam a letter.
When Tub Tuam returned home with Maiv Mim, he found the house quiet and empty. He searched for Nkauj Ntsum but found only her letter beneath a pair of bangles and a ring. In the letter, Nkauj Ntsum explained that she had left but assured him that she would not die because of love. She said she could no longer endure watching him love another woman in front of her. If their love was meant to be, they would find their way back to each other someday. Although she desperately wanted them to remain together, Tub Tuam had chosen otherwise, leaving her with no choice but to take her own path. After reading the letter, Tub Tuam shed tears.
From then on, Tub Tuam constantly thought about Nkauj Ntsum and struggled to figure out how to live without her. He soon discovered that his new wife, Maiv Mim, was lazy and undutiful and cared mostly about herself. This made him miss Nkauj Ntsum even more. His longing for her led him back to the places they had once visited together. Tub Tuam's mother also began to see Maiv Mim's true nature and regretted the role she had played in separating her son from Nkauj Ntsum.
One day, Tub Tuam and Maiv Mim went to the doctor because Maiv Mim was not becoming pregnant either. During the visit, the same doctor finally revealed that he had previously told Nkauj Ntsum that the reason she and Tub Tuam could not have children was Tub Tuam's infertility. The revelation devastated Tub Tuam.
One day, while going through the mail, Tub Tuam came across a letter from Nkauj Ntsum asking how he was doing. She told him that she still missed him deeply and that if they were truly meant to be together, they would meet again someday. After reading the letter, Tub Tuam noticed that there was no return address. He wondered how Nkauj Ntsum could send him a letter without giving him a way to find her. Then he noticed the Seattle postmark on the envelope.
Without wasting any time, Tub Tuam took the next available flight to Seattle to search for Nkauj Ntsum.
When he arrived, however, he could not find her, no matter where he searched or whom he contacted. One night, he decided to go to a bar to drink and relieve some of his stress. Unbeknownst to him, it was the same bar where Nkauj Ntsum had taken a volunteer job as a night singer. Unfortunately, Tub Tuam arrived only seconds too late and missed her that night.
The next day, Tub Tuam continued searching for Nkauj Ntsum, but once again had no luck. Eventually, he began to lose hope. He told himself that he was still happy to be in Seattle because seeing the city felt almost like seeing Nkauj Ntsum herself, so he had no regrets about making the trip.
For his final night in Seattle, he returned to the same bar. This time, he unexpectedly heard a familiar singing voice. He turned toward the stage and was stunned to see Nkauj Ntsum standing there, singing. She saw him too and began to cry as she sang a heartbreaking song about lost love.
Afterward, Nkauj Ntsum and Tub Tuam reconciled. She finally explained why she had hidden the truth about their infertility from him. She did not want him to be disappointed in himself or burdened by the knowledge that he was responsible. Instead, she wanted to find a way to help him first.
Tub Tuam brought Nkauj Ntsum back home. Upon their return, Maiv Mim packed her suitcase and said goodbye to Tub Tuam. She admitted that she knew he had never truly loved her because he was always missing Nkauj Ntsum. She wished the two of them a happy life together. Before Maiv Mim drove away, Tub Tuam wished her well and hoped that she would find a suitable companion.
Tub Tuam and Nkauj Ntsum then tried different methods to overcome their infertility, and the movie ends with the two of them happily cuddling their two children.
My Thoughts
This is one of my fondest childhood Hmong movies. I loved it so much that I watched it countless times as a kid, and I'm sure many of you did too.
Now, as an adult rewatching the movie, I still enjoy it immensely, although I notice a few flaws that I did not notice as a child. Because I have such great respect for the movie, I will refrain from pointing out everything I think could have been improved.
There is, however, one thing I wish the director and/or screenwriter had handled differently: I wish they had expanded the ending a little more and made Nkauj Ntsum play a little harder to get. After everything Tub Tuam put her through, I felt that she forgave him too easily.
The movie feels so nostalgic and almost ancient to me now. One side of me really hopes that someone will eventually create a fresh remake, while another part of me hopes no one ever touches it for fear of ruining this original classic.
No comments:
Post a Comment