by Amy Kwei
“We must remind Father to give us English names.”
“I’ve told the school that Father is a graduate of St. John’s University, and that he will give us appropriate English names. We don’t have to depend on the teachers to name us.” Golden Bell tilted her chin up and looked down on the room as if speaking to her classmates.
In Purple Jade’s room, Comely Brook was making their beds. Purple Jade said, “I hope Dragon will bring Bright Crystal when he comes. I’m certain we owe her our livelihood.”
“Bright Crystal is afraid to taint the Huang family name with her reputation.” Comely Brook plumped up a pillow.
“What a noble soul! It is no wonder Dragon adores her.”
“It does make you wonder, doesn’t it?” Comely Brook was now in her eighth month of pregnancy. Still doing all the housework, she paused frequently to rest. “The respectable ladies around cousin Chou Ling’s mahjong table do nothing but gossip all day, and they are received by the highest in society. They sneer and snicker about ladies like Bright Crystal, who is a true heroine.” She winced and stretched, then twisted to rub her back.
Purple Jade noticed her discomfort. “Let me give you a back massage.”
“Oh, no, Tai-tai,” Comely Brook waved her mistress away. “I’m fine. You’re already working too hard.”
“I’m not going to Dr. Tsui’s clinic today. I need to practice.” Purple Jade smiled. “I will not try my acupuncture on you. I’ll only follow the control points on the meridians of your back. My feet may be crippled, but I am developing strong hands.”
Purple Jade placed several quilts on her desk and instructed Comely Brook to take off her clothes. For one brief moment, Purple Jade was transfixed as Comely Brook stood holding her protruding stomach with both hands, totally unselfconscious. Her flesh shone creamy and smooth in the daylight. Her full breasts and rounded belly seemed oiled by the life within her.
So this is my magnificent gift to my husband, Purple Jade thought. In her youth, her sense of propriety had forbidden her to examine her own body. The pain of her bound feet was also a constant distraction. Yes, she had been denied sensual joys all her life.
She helped Comely Brook to lie comfortably on her side.
As Purple Jade proceeded with her massage, she recounted her new experiences to Comely Brook in the same way she used to talk about her painful feet with the now renamed Orchid. “Dr. Tsui is a very progressive man. He insists that all acupuncture needles be boiled for fifteen minutes after each use. He has acquired many charts from the Westerners to help me study anatomy.”
The gentle but firm movements of Purple Jade’s hands elicited soft groans of pleasure from Comely Brook.
“There is also a priceless collection of ancient anatomical models and diagrams in his clinic. These wooden and ivory figurines show the meridians of one’s body, and how chi travels through them. I practice inserting the acupuncture needles in the wax figures made of bronze on the inside, with holes for the proper acupuncture points. Now show me your middle finger.”
Comely Brook extended her middle finger as directed.
“No two persons are of the same size or shape, so we estimate the location of the proper points by a flexible tsun, measuring the length of the middle bone on your middle finger.” Purple Jade measured Comely Brook’s middle bone against her own finger. “Now, here is the point for the relief of your neck.” She pressed on it for a few minutes. “Brook-mei, I’ve become so accurate in my work, Dr. Tsui has allowed me to treat real patients!”
“Thank you, thank you, Tai-tai. You’ve found the right point!” Comely Brook sat up and swiveled her neck.
“I’m still deficient in the arts of pulse reading and tongue examination.”
“I definitely feel more relaxed.”
“Most patients don’t trust a woman to diagnose their illness. I also lack confidence in stating my opinion.” She massaged Comely Brook’s shoulders. “In acupuncture, Dr. Tsui is usually there to confirm my location. Somehow, the patients do seem to appreciate a gentle feminine hand.” Purple Jade motioned Comely Brook to lie down again.
“No, no, Tai-tai. This is enough. I’m fine. I feel wonderful.” Comely Brook still found it hard to think that a few short months ago their roles were reversed.
Purple Jade had similar thoughts. “All your life you’ve massaged my feet, while I led such a sheltered life. Now I’m exposed to human suffering daily. Yet truly, I feel my days are stimulating and challenging.” She lowered her head.
Comely Brook was overcome by emotion. She fell to her knees and grabbed Purple Jade’s hands. She wept and kissed them. “Oh-me-to-fo, may the Buddha bless them.” She held them to her cheeks.
Purple Jade assisted Comely Brook to her feet. “Hush, Brook-mei, get dressed.” She was beginning to feel uncomfortable with the strange pleasure she felt at the sight and touch of Orchid’s body.
Comely Brook became aware of her unseemly outburst in the face of her mistress’s serenity. Her mistress was adept in directing her toward manners of probity. She started to dress.
“Virtue-ko has instructed me to send you to a Western physician,” Purple Jade said in a steady voice. She had long ago resolved to be a pillar of strength in this household of women. “We know he is a learned man, who has great faith in the Western sciences. Brook, do you think the Western Ocean Devils know anything about the feminine art of giving birth?”
“No, I don’t think so.”
“Cousin Chou Ling took a tour of the hospital when it was opened to the public. She saw hearts, brains and even a fetus pickled in jars!”
“The West Ocean Devils may be used to cutting up people because they are too familiar with knives. They use them every day during their meals.”
“Mrs. Lee told me that sometimes Western hospitals cut open the women and remove the babies,” Purple Jade continued. “Mrs. Chang said that sometimes the children are gouged out of their mothers by tongs. The tongs are shiny and short, but almost exactly like the kind we use to grasp and handle charcoal. Do you think it wise to have our heir born in a place like that?”
“No, please don’t cut me open!” Comely Brook cried.
“I would never let anything like that happen to you.”
The steel in her mistress’s voice reassured Comely Brook. She finished dressing, and took on the same placid tone as her mistress. “It is better to stick to the methods of old. I would feel more comfortable at home.”
“Yes, I shall write to our husband and tell him I’ll send for old Tsai Ma-ma from Hangzhou. She delivered both Golden and Silver Bell. She is old but experienced, and now, I also can help.”
Both women beamed.
“Uncle Dragon is not coming until noon,” Golden Bell informed her sister. “Let’s write to Father now.”
Silver Bell took out her pen and paper. “I’ll write what I can in English, and write the rest in Chinese. You can help me change it to all English when you’re done with your letter.
“Write ‘Dear Dad.’ American children call their fathers ‘dad,’ so that is what we shall call him from now on.”
“Isn’t it hard to learn English?” Silver Bell asked. “I get so confused. For instance, why do they pronounce know’ and ‘no’ the same way but spell them differently?”
“It’s strange, isn’t it?” Golden Bell proceeded with her own writing. “I’m telling Father about Old Chen, but I’ll also tell him that sometimes Mother still stares into space and has moments of deafening silence.” She read from her letter. “’She goes to Dr. Tsui’s clinic every day, and studies her herbal medicine every night. She looks tired even though she says she likes her work. Without a household of servants to manage, minus the social obligations of Hangzhou, she is a different woman. I’m sure it’s her love of learning that’s sustaining her spirit. Perhaps it also provides the balance and sanity of her mind. I hope time and an open mind will heal her sorrow.’ What do you think? Do I sound like an adult?” Golden Bell asked her sister.
“Father must know I appreciate Mother’s problems, but he must also see how exciting it is for us now that we are in Shanghai.” She leaned over and corrected her sister’s sentences.
“That sounds fine. I’ll tell Father that Mrs. Williams gives me piano lessons in school,” Silver Bell said. “Do you think Father knows why I must practice so many scales? Everyone prefers the songs I play. But Mrs. Williams says that if I do not practice my scales, I’ll never be a good pianist. Mother thinks the teachers are gods, but have you ever heard of a great pianist who plays scales?”
“No. Tell him we both want to be Christians.” Golden Bell pointed to the place where her sister was supposed to write.
“OK.” Silver Bell was delighted that her sister was giving her so much attention. “Golden Bell, should I tell Father — I mean Dad — that I had to ask Mother’s permission for our baptism, because you have already made Mother angry, refusing to go in the chamber pot? No, maybe I should leave that for later.” She erased it. “I’ll tell him I sing in church, and we both agree it is only right that we should be members. I love to sing “Amazing Grace” and “Onward, Christian Soldiers.” Do you think Father knows these songs?”
“The first one is pretty — so sweet. It makes me want to cry.” Golden Bell smiled. “The second one is a marching song. Father might even have sung it while riding his white horse during the revolution. I think you’ve learned more English from the songs than from the books in school.” Golden Bell shook her head. “I wouldn’t tell him about that, though.”
“I’ll tell him I’m reeling our cocoons to make a silk scarf for him. Mother said we’ll need to buy more cocoons from Hangzhou soon,” Silver Bell said. “Well, I’d better tell him it is Brook Ma-ma who is really doing most of the work. She is so wonderful. She often asks me to teach her songs and allows me to feel her stomach. Once, I felt the baby kick! Oh, Golden Bell, I can’t wait to see the baby! Do you think Father would mind if I give the baby half of his scarf? I’ll definitely teach him how to play the piano!”
“I’m not afraid to tell Father that I refuse to help weave his scarf.” Golden Bell sneered. “I’m saving some of my allowance from Uncle Dragon to buy him a set of fountain pens, so that every time he writes, he’ll be reminded that I am the future and promise of China, just as he said I should be.”
“Should I tell him we hate the foul-smelling herbal drinks Mother brews for us every week? No, I’ll say we both hate the drinks, but we gulp them down to please her.”
“Oh I don’t think you need to bother Father about what Mother thinks is nutritious.”
“I know you are secretly proud of her, because you tell everyone in school our mother is a doctor.”
“Never mind.” Golden Bell waved the thought away. “How are we going to tell Father about Iris?”
“What about Iris?”
The doorbell rang, and Golden Bell went to answer it. “It must be Uncle Dragon. He’ll advise me. Bring down the firecrackers. We’re starting our New Year!”
GOLDEN BELL MET Glorious Dragon at the door. “Uncle Dragon, Uncle Dragon, Iris wants to marry Lieutenant Kamasaki! What are we to tell Mother and Father?”
“Tell your father the truth.” Glorious Dragon drew his niece away from the front door. “He is a liberal man of learning. He will not hold nationality against any man.”
Silver Bell came out with a string of firecrackers.
“Tell your father that Iris met a Japanese lieutenant when she was helping Miss Tyler in the Hangzhou mission. He holds some type of administrative position, so he was never involved in any atrocities.” He strode toward a rake and tied the firecrackers to its handle.
Silver Bell gawked. “Iris met a Japanese!”
“I’ve met Lieutenant Kamasaki,” Golden Bell informed her sister. “I was impressed. He was born in America — still carries his Western ways, but he and his family have gone back to their Japanese roots.”
“A Japanese! Imagine that!”
“We speak in English. I honestly can’t understand why we call the Japanese ‘brown dwarfs of the East Ocean.’” She rolled her eyes. “Lieutenant Kamasaki looks just like a tall Chinese scholar — fairer than our peasants who work in the sun all day. Oh Mei-mei, it is so very romantic! He knows Iris was my personal maid. He is fascinated by our family.”
Silver Bell nodded. “But what will Mother say?”
Glorious Dragon drew the girls away and lit the firecrackers. He huddled close to shield them from the fiery sparks. “Tell your mother Lieutenant Kamasaki is Mr. Kam, that he was born in Fukien and educated overseas, so he does not speak our dialect. Tell her they met through Iris’s work in the factory.” He looked up and saw that the firecrackers had brought his sister to the upstairs window. “Silver Bell, remind me to tell you another episode of the Monkey King making havoc in heaven when we get inside.” He took out two red envelopes from his coat pocket and gave one to each girl.
Purple Jade noted that her daughters had neglected to kowtow in thanks for the New Year’s lucky money in the red envelopes. When she came down to greet her brother, he was already deep into his story. “The Monkey King was floating down from the airplane on a parachute designed by our factory.”
“Happy New Year, Dragon-dee,” said Purple Jade. “I see you are improving on the classics!”
“Oh, M-ma, we prefer his story,” Silver Bell cried.
“Happy New Year, Jade-jei.” Glorious Dragon stood up to bow. “You’ll like the ending of my modern version also. Well, the Monkey King flew to the East Ocean and bombed out their Sun God! Everything blew to high heavens just like the fireworks at your father’s birthday party.”
“Oh, wasn’t that the best party we’ve ever had?” Silver Bell clapped.
“That would put a glorious end to this war, wouldn’t it?” Purple Jade laughed.
Comely Brook served tea and the traditional sweets for the New Year. Glorious Dragon said: “The girls miss festive celebrations. I want to take them to a movie, or better still, take all of you to the Park Hotel to watch people dance.”
“Oh goody!” The girls ran upstairs to change.
“You are really overindulgent, Dragon-dee. When you’re not here, it is only Silver Bell’s music that enlivens our house.” Purple Jade smiled.
“Today is special. I’ve booked a table in a European restaurant for our New Year’s Day dinner. But before dinner, we’ll go to the tea dance. You and Brook mei-mei must both get changed!”
There were public executions of thieves and Chinese patriots on the streets of Shanghai every day. The Japanese left the headless bodies to rot in the open, so that passersby would learn to fear their conquerors. Glorious Dragon instructed his chauffeur to take a circuitous route to avoid the gruesome sight.
At the hotel, everyone enjoyed watching the dancers. The girls tapped their feet, swayed with the music and gazed longingly at the action on the dance floor. Purple Jade allowed Glorious Dragon to teach her daughters a few steps. Exhilarated by their brief dancing lesson, the girls were reluctant to leave.
On the way to dinner, they were still giddy from the excitement, and so were surprised when their car became mired in an impossible tangle of pedicab, rickshaw, and bicycle traffic. Suddenly, people tumbled all over each other, clearing the way for a Japanese military convoy. A dozen soldiers on motorcycles led the way. An open van followed. A huge white flag, emblazoned with the red sun of the East Ocean, fluttered over the cab. More than a dozen men were in the van, with their hands tied behind their backs. White banners flew from the sides of the van stating the crimes of the prisoners: “Traitors,” “Thieves,” “Enemies of the co-prosperity sphere.” Some of the men hung their heads low; others wept. A few others looked like educated gentlemen. One young man had chalky pale skin, glowering eyes, and a scowl of defiance on his face. He looked like a student. Another man wore a Western suit. His dark eyes burned with rage. Purple Jade turned pale. She thought that either one of them might have been her husband, thrown
in with common criminals, to be executed like one of them.
The man in the Western suit began to shout: “Chun Hwa Ming Kwo Wan Sway! Chun Hwa Ming Kwo Wan Sway!” (Long live the Republic of China!) People on the street took up the chant, raising their fists. The women were moved to tears.
“The Japanese wish to instill fear in our hearts,” Golden Bell said in a steely voice, “but instead we are roused to even greater heroism.”
Purple Jade turned to her brother to thank him for her husband’s freedom. But he averted his eyes, and began singing an English song with Silver Bell. Purple Jade remained quiet. She realized that this was his way of soothing his conscience — trying to keep his head above this flood of national shame.
When they entered the European restaurant, Silver Bell exclaimed: “The tables are set with so many shiny weapons!”
Glorious Dragon explained that one knife was for spreading butter; another for fish, and the one with a sharp scalloped edge was for cutting meat. One fork was for uncooked raw vegetables, one for fish, and another for the meat. One spoon was for the soup, another for coffee or tea afterward.
“We won’t have tea with our meal?” Comely Brook asked.
“You’ll have it when the last sweet course comes.”
Everyone nodded, but they were confused. Glorious Dragon held up each piece of silverware before he used it, so they could follow and use it the same way.
“The weapons are heavy!” Silver Bell whispered.
The salad of raw vegetables was too strange for the women. They pushed their lettuce around their plates and watched Glorious Dragon.
