1994 (#21) - Luan's restaurant and Keemo's research in Vietnam by Paul and Christine

During the delicate period following Christine's divorce, she begins dating Paul. The two spend a lot of time together and not infrequently go out to dinner. Among Christine's favorite restaurants is The Saigon Shack, the Chinese and Vietnamese restaurant right in the center of town. Soon Christine becomes friends with the owner, Luan Volien, whom she admires for her sacrifices and determination. When Luan suffers a robbery, the umpteenth, in which she is wounded by a gunshot, Paul and Christine offer her all their help. Paul sets out to find the evidence and the criminals, while Christine ends up confiding in the woman. Luan, who lives in America with his teenage daughter Mai Volien, suffers greatly from being away from his son Keemo. Luan then explains that during the Vietnam War she became pregnant by an American soldier from whom she conceived and gave birth to Keemo. She later married a man Nguyen Volien from whom she had Mai. When during the civil war, women were separated from the males, she and Mai decided to emigrate to America, and it is at this time that the woman took the name Luan Volien, since she was originally called Mai Yun. Luan thus managed to rebuild her life here in the United States, but she no longer had contact with her husband and Keemo. It was only a few years ago that a letter arrived informing her that Nguyen had died, but there was no trace of Keemo. Concerned that Keemo might be a de facto outcast in his own country, being the son of an American soldier, Luan expressed her desire to re-embrace her son, who today should be in his twenties. Moved by this story, Christine and Paul promise Luan that they will find his son and so, driven by the spirit of adventure and solidarity, they set off for Vietnam and the capital Ho Chi Minh. Having disembarked in a world that was completely new and unknown to them, Paul and Christine began to get to know the traditions, customs and traditions of a country that was only in recent years trying to recover from so many years of war, poverty and suffering. Paul and Christine, however, immediately set out to find Keemo, scouring the streets of Ho Chi Minh and asking around for information. Eventually, Paul manages to locate the boy. Initially, the boy flees, but eventually Christine manages to convince him of their good intentions and they inform him of their mother and their desire to see him again. Eventually, Paul and Christine manage to convince Keemo to return with them and the three of them soon show up at Luan's hospital bed, who can't believe his eyes at seeing his lost son again after so many years. Mai, Keemo and Luan embrace with the joy and happiness of those who had lost each other and were resigned to never seeing each other again. Paul and Christine, moved when they see the scene, are tried by the experience but also satisfied and happy with what they have done. This experience has certainly contributed to unite them and bring them very close, so much so that the two decide to get engaged.