by Lois Lenski
“I thought you must be sick,” said Felix, “when you didn’t show up today. We always go together on rainy days. But you weren’t sick at all.”
“I wanted to cure you of getting scared,” said Roger again. “Did you collect from Joe Hong?”
“No,” said Felix. “I went there twice. I knocked on the door both times and nobody came. Then the third time, Mr. Hong opened the door. He was there all the time.”
“Did you ask him for the money he owes us?” asked Roger.
“No, I forgot,” said Felix. “Mr. Hong was mad. He said I was late. He must have been taking a nap.”
“The hardest part of this job is collecting the money,” said Roger. “You must learn to be patient, always polite and patient.”
“I don’t like collecting money,” said Felix. “I’m no good at it.”
After that, Roger did the collecting with better results. Once a month he gave all the money to his route manager, who divided it. Each boy earned nine dollars a month. It was a proud day for Felix when he took his first money to Mother.
“I will start a bank account for you,” said Mother. “Sometimes I will use some to buy your shoes, but most of this money is to be used for learning.”
“More school?” asked Felix.
“Yes, my son,” said Mother, “so you can be a scholar like your Father.”
CHAPTER III
A Day in the Country
It was Saturday. Father had a day off and decided to go to the country with his friend, Ed Leong, from the Sang Sang Poultry Shop on Grant Avenue. They were to have a ride in Uncle Ed’s truck and go to the Sang Sang Poultry Ranch at Walnut Creek. Felix and Mei Gwen called Mr. Leong “Uncle” because he was a close friend of the family. Father told the children they could go along on the trip. Mother would be at home all day to take care of the younger ones.
“In the city, we have no contact with the good earth and plants and animals,” said Father. “We must not cut the cord that binds us to all living things. We will renew our acquaintance with Nature. We will spend a day on a ranch in the country.”
“What is a ranch?” asked Mei Gwen.
“Don’t you know?” asked Felix. “A ranch is where many chickens are, and sometimes dogs and pigs and horses.” He turned to Father. “Can we go to Alameda too? Can we stop and visit Cousin Hom?”
“The ranch is at Walnut Creek,” said Father. “It is a long way from the city and we must let Uncle Ed decide the route. We are his guests. It is his truck and he will be driving.”
Mother put her arm around Felix’ shoulder. “Do not set your heart on stopping at Alameda, my son,” she said. “Have all the fun you can at Walnut Creek.”
Father and the two children walked to Grant Avenue to the poultry shop. Father carried his tea basket and Felix brought a large paper sack full of fish sandwiches. The poultry truck stood waiting at the curb, and near it stood Uncle Ed Leong. He was a fat, jolly man and he helped the children climb up in the cab. Felix sat in the middle and Mei Gwen sat between Father’s knees. Soon they were on their way. The truck moved slowly through the crowded streets to the bridge entrance, then faster on Bay bridge itself.
“Do you remember when we went back to visit Cousin Hom in our Alameda house, Younger Sister?” asked Felix.
“I think so,” said Mei Gwen. “It was hot and I took off my shoes and stockings, and got sticky things in my feet.”
“Burrs,” said Felix. “Do you remember Uncle Marvin’s pigeons?”
Mei Gwen shook her head. “Uncle Marvin pulled my braids,” she said. “He wanted to cut one off.”
About halfway over, as they entered the tunnel on Yerba Buena Island, Mei Gwen held her nose and closed her eyes. “Here’s where the smell begins,” she said.
The two men laughed. “What smell?” they asked.
“The smell of the country,” said the girl.
Uncle Ed laughed a lot, told stories and made jokes, so it did not take long to get to Walnut Creek. They came to the ranch and drove out the lane to the poultry yards. There Uncle Ed’s younger brother, Uncle Bob Leong, came to greet them.
Uncle Ed intended to take a truckload of poultry back to town. “Come and help me load the crates,” he said.
They all got out of the truck except Mei Gwen.
“I don’t like chickens,” she said. “I don’t want to get out.”
Father looked at her. “You may stay in the truck, daughter,” he said, “and observe all that goes on from there. Do not complain if you get tired of sitting still.”
Mei Gwen hid her face in her hands and said nothing.
Felix went with the men. The chicken houses were enormous, each housing thousands of chickens. Felix helped chase and catch chickens and put them into the slat crates. The chickens clucked and cackled and made a great deal of noise. Feathers flew in all directions.
Mei Gwen sat in the truck with her hands over her ears, and her eyes closed. Once when she opened them, she saw a small boy of six standing near the truck, staring at her.
“Who are you?” she asked. “Are you Uncle Bob’s little boy?”
“Yes, my name is Jimmy,” the boy said. “I live here. What are you doing?”
“Just sitting here,” said Mei Gwen.
“What is the matter?” asked Jimmy. “Can’t you walk?”
“Yes, I can walk,” said Mei Gwen.
“Get down and show me,” said Jimmy.
Mei Gwen climbed down. It was true, she was tired of sitting still. Besides, she was getting hungry and she wanted some lunch. It must be time to eat.
Father brought a crate full of live chickens to the truck. Felix came behind with both his hands full.
“What are those black things in your hands?” asked Mei Gwen.
“Black chickens,” said Felix. “See?” He held them by their legs with their heads down. “Those in that crate are black too.”
“Oh, I never saw black chickens before,” said Mei Gwen. “How did they get black?”
Father explained. “Chickens can be white or speckled or brown or black. Black chickens are good for sickness and fever and when your eye hurts and you cannot see well. Uncle Ed says he has many customers for them.”
Felix tried to push his four black chickens into the crate.
“Do not put so many in,” said Father. “They die easy, if they don’t get air. Put those into the next crate.”
The men brought other crates to the truck and tied them on with ropes. Then Father said it was time to eat lunch. They sat on a bench under a tree and Father opened his tea basket. The padding inside kept the tea hot for many hours. He poured the tea into paper cups and passed the sandwiches. After they had eaten, Felix went to the chicken house and came back carrying a rooster in his arms. He stroked it gently.
“See how pretty he is, Younger Sister,” said Felix. “This is the father chicken. The mother chicken had red and black feathers, the father has red, black, green and yellow. These big ones eat lots of corn and other things. Uncle Bob grows all his chicken foods and feeds them every day. The father chicken is the biggest rooster in all the world. See how tame he is. Don’t you want to pat him?”
“Take him away,” said Mei Gwen. She would not even look.
Uncle Bob came up to her and said, “Don’t you want a chicken to take home with you? I would like to give you one.”
“Ugh, no!” said Mei Gwen. Then she added, politely, “No, thank you, Uncle Bob.”
“She is afraid of chickens,” explained Felix.
“That is because she does not know how nice they are,” said Uncle Bob. “Not a big rooster like that, Felix. Take that one back to the pen. Jimmy, you go catch a young one for Mei Gwen. It will make a nice tame pet. Then, when it gets big, she can eat it.”
Jimmy ran to the nearest chicken house with his dog Terry behind him. He chased the chickens while Terry barked. He came out with a half-grown chicken in his hands. Terry was jumping up. “Terry! Don’t you bite our chickens!” cried Jimm
y. He took the chicken to Mei Gwen.
The girl turned away, frightened.
“I don’t like it,” she said. “It’s got a sharp mouth …” She pinched her fingers together to imitate the chicken’s bill. “It says all the time gyp, gyp, gyp!”
“This is a baby chicken,” said Uncle Bob. “It will turn into a hen. In a month or two, your chicken will be twice as big as it is now. But you must feed and water it every day.”
“I don’t want it,” wailed Mei Gwen. “It could turn into a turkey too. That turkey would fight me—it’s red and black and ugly, and it’s got red things hanging from its face. Aunty Rose had one and it said turk, turk, turk all the time.”
Mei Gwen ran to Father and took his hand.
Jimmy set the chicken on the ground. It followed the girl and came near her leg. “See, it likes you,” said Jimmy. Mei Gwen hid behind Father to get away from it.
Father said, “I am ashamed of you, daughter, that you are afraid of a harmless little creature like a chicken. Are you already such a city girl that you have forgotten the ways of the country? The chicken will not hurt you if you are kind to it. I will put it in your arms—gently. Just stroke it on the back as Jimmy did. I will teach you how to hold it.”
Father put the chicken in the girl’s arms. For one minute only. The next minute the chicken was flying across the yard and a little girl was running fast to the truck.
Father said to Felix, “Go and comfort Younger Sister.”
Felix climbed up in the cab and sat down beside Mei Gwen. She leaned on his shoulder and sobbed. He listened as the words came out: “When he breathe, he go up and down in my hands. He went breathing up and down. He never sit still, he scratch me here on this arm and on both arms. He say gyp, gyp, gyp … he don’t like me … I don’t want to take Jimmy’s chicken back to town with me.…”
Nothing more was said about a pet for Mei Gwen. When the truck drove out of the ranch gate, the tame chicken was left behind.
As the truck bounced along the highway, Felix kept thinking about Alameda. He wished Father would ask Uncle Ed to stop there. It would not be too far out of their way, and the sun was still high in the sky.
Mei Gwen leaned back on Father’s shoulder and dozed. But Felix kept his eyes open. Suddenly, to his surprise, he saw a familiar street. There was the public library where he used to borrow books. There was the police station with the tall Christmas tree by the sidewalk, where Uncle Marvin used to take photographs. All the buildings were familiar.
Felix breathed deeply and his eyes sparkled. He knew that Father had asked Uncle Ed to stop at Alameda on his way back to town. His happiness was so great he could not speak. He looked at Father and smiled. Father smiled back, happy to give his eldest son an unexpected pleasure. Felix touched Mei Gwen on the arm. She opened her eyes and looked around.
“Do you know where we are, Younger Sister?” asked Felix softly.
The truck had turned off the main street into a narrow, unpaved alley. It stopped in front of a gray, unpainted frame house. A plum tree was growing in the tiny yard, its branches and foliage shading half of the raised porch. Two garage doors were below. Small houses stood in the yards on both sides and across the alley.
Mei Gwen looked around and said, “Is it Alameda?”
The word was magic to Felix. “Don’t you know? Are you not sure? Oh, it’s just the same, it hasn’t changed at all!”
The children hopped down, followed by the two men. They all went up the porch steps and soon Cousin Hom and his wife and baby came to the door and invited them in.
The first thing Father said was, “We cannot stay long. My friend, Ed Leong, must get back to the city with his poultry.”
There was so much to see and so little time to see it all. Felix took Mei Gwen by the hand, led her around the house, explaining everything. Mei Gwen liked it all much better than the chicken ranch. She smiled happily as she shared Felix’ enthusiasms. He showed her the plum tree by the front porch.
“It always bloomed for Chinese New Year,” he said. “The blossoms were so pretty in the spring. Once Johnny Lew and I climbed up high on a branch and I didn’t know it was old and it broke. I fell down with it—kerplunk to the ground.”
“Did you hurt yourself?” asked Mei Gwen.
“My back hurt a little,” said Felix. “My friends, two boys and three girls, helped me up and into the house. I told Mother and she said not to climb trees any more.”
“Did you stop climbing?” asked Mei Gwen.
“No,” Felix laughed. “Johnny and I climbed the cherry tree and the pear tree and the loquat tree in the back yard—” He paused. “Once we did something bad.”
“What did you do?” asked Mei Gwen.
“I will start at the beginning,” said Felix. “Once I saw a beautiful bird in the plum tree. It had long feathers of red and orange and purple and yellow. It looked something like that beautiful rooster I showed you today. Only it wasn’t a father chicken. It must have been a magic bird—and I shot it.”
“You shot it dead?” asked Mei Gwen.
“No, it didn’t die,” said Felix. “Johnny had his BB gun that day. He said it was a robin eating our plums. He shot first and missed it. I shot next and hit it in the wing. It fell on the ground. Then we felt sorry for it, and we took it over to Grandma Reed, the colored lady next door. She bandaged its wing to make it well. We wanted to keep it for a pet, but she said to let it go and we did. It could fly a little, sort of lopsided. We hated to see it go. After that we only shot at the plums—until Mother made us stop, because she wanted to can them. Grandma Reed thought it was a magic bird, and so do I.”
“Did you ever see it again?” asked Mei Gwen.
“No,” said Felix. “It never came back.”
Felix took Mei Gwen around the house to the garden at the back. It was not the same, for Cousin Hom had not planted any vegetables. Grass and weeds covered the yard. Felix showed Mei Gwen just where the tomato plants grew, and the corn and the watermelons. He pointed out the cherry and pear trees, and the bamboo stalks for fishing poles. He showed her the fishpool, which was half full of water and still had two gold fish and one black fish in it. He showed her where he had buried his turtle. He told her about the fishing trips he used to take with Jack Bailey, his American friend, and Timmy Reed, the grandson of the Reeds next door.
“Mother liked it better here,” Felix said. “In town she misses canning her own fruit, the pears and cherries and plums.” He leaned over and picked up a caterpillar. “I used to collect caterpillars, white, gray, brown and black ones.”
“Ugh! Caterpillars!” cried Mei Gwen. “Those fuzzy things! Don’t put it on me!”
“I made a house for them in a coffee can,” said Felix. “I put green leaves in to make them comfortable, and little sticks so they could walk up and down for exercise. I put sour-pusses in for their playmates. I fed them sugar, but I’m not sure they ate it. I think the ants did.”
“Somebody’s looking over the fence,” said Mei Gwen.
Felix dropped the caterpillar. He looked and saw a boy’s dark face staring at him. “Why, Timmy!” cried Felix. “Is that you?”
The boy climbed up on top of the fence and sat there.
“It sure is me,” he said, grinning. “When did you come back, Felix? You gonna live here again like you used to?”
“No, Timmy,” said Felix. “We live in San Francisco now.”
“It must be nice to live in the big city,” said Timmy.
“I don’t like it much,” said Felix.
“Well, stay here then,” said Timmy, “and go fishing with me.”
“I wish I could,” said Felix.
The next minute Grandpa and Grandma Reed came out of their house and looked over the fence. Grandpa Reed was a little old man with white close-cropped hair, who spent most of his time reading the Bible. Grandma Reed was taller and wore a flowered silk dress and an apron. She liked to work in her garden and kept it free of weeds. They were both
glad to see Felix and Mei Gwen and asked all about life in the city.
“We sure do miss you,” they said.
Soon Father called from the back door. Felix and Mei Gwen had to go indoors. “Uncle Ed must start for the city,” said Father.
“Can’t we go to visit Uncle Marvin?” asked Felix.
“No,” said Father. “It is too late.”
“Where does Uncle Marvin live?” asked Mei Gwen.
“Don’t you remember?” said Felix. “He has a laundry over on Central Avenue and they live upstairs. Don’t you remember Aunt Lucy and the cousins, and all the pigeons in pens in his back yard?”
“Yes, I guess so,” said Mei Gwen, “but it was so long ago. I was little then.”
Cousin Hom’s wife gave the children cakes to eat, and told them to take Chinese candies in their pockets. Soon they said goodbye and climbed back into the truck. As Uncle Ed Leong drove slowly out of the alley, a flock of pigeons flew across the sky.
“Oh, see Uncle Marvin’s pigeons!” cried Felix. “How pretty they are.” Then he became very quiet. He felt sad to be going away from Alameda, back to the noisy city again.
Mei Gwen dozed all the way. But that night, at home in her own bed, she could not sleep. When she did, she had a bad dream about a chicken. She dreamed it was sitting on top of her head. She said, I shall bang him—I shall bring him back to the farm. She threw the chicken out of the window of the apartment house, and it fell on the head of a woman walking on the sidewalk below. The woman cried out, What shall I do? My hair is all gone. Pay me some money to buy me some more hair!
Mei Gwen woke up crying about her bad dream. Father turned the light on and talked to her a long time before she fell asleep again.
CHAPTER IV
A Day at the Factory
Mei Gwen went running down the street, the tail of her red sweater flying behind her. A small change purse was chained to her belt. Around her neck a metal necklace kept bobbing up and down. On it hung her apartment door key and her “dog tag.”
All the children in San Francisco had worn identification tags since the Second World War. The public school provided them for five cents each, and the parent provided the chain. Each tag gave the child’s name and street address. Mei Gwen knew why she wore it. If she fainted on the street or got the stomach-ache, any policeman could read her tag, learn who she was and take her home. Everybody should have one.
