by Max Howell
In seemingly no time at all they were all at Oxford and Helene was into her course work, while her parents bought a house at Eynsham. They reasoned that they would be using the house for a minimum of four years, so buying was better than renting. They had always loved the atmosphere of Oxford, and their hearts skipped a beat when the three of them would dine or have tea together, or Helene would cycle towards them with her black undergraduate robe and College scarf flying in the breeze.
The educational approach, Helene found, was entirely different from that in the United States. The lecturer, usually a professor of world renown, would hasten into the room and begin lecturing immediately. The content was unbelievably scholarly, and when his diatribe finished he hastened out of the room. No questions were asked. The Great One had spoken. The real education began thereafter, when gifted individuals would provide tutorials back at her College. Her own readings and points of view were gone over by question following question, the Socratic method, in these tutorials. The student was virtually on his own at Oxford, was expected to read the prescribed books and to finish any assignments. After a time she noticed that many students would miss the lectures and even the tutorials, and she wondered what might happen to them. Yet she always had the feeling that there was a high degree of tolerance by all the lecturers, and somehow they all seemed to scrape through.
In the first year she kept away from any social activities, as her studies were paramount. However she swam for her College in improvised competitions, and as might be expected she won handily. But she also tried her hand at hockey and track and field, or athletics as they called it in England. Sport, she found out, was a vital part of an Oxford education, the Oxford-Cambridge clashes in all manner of sports for men being the pinnacle. She enjoyed that side of Oxford. There was sport for all levels of participants. Those with no inclination could join a host of other societies such as Debating, Musicals and so on. She joined the Archaeological Society, and the members would go on various digs throughout Britain, which she thoroughly enjoyed.
Helene was very successful academically in her first year, so the following year she joined as well the International Students’ Society. It afforded her the opportunity to meet students from a host of other countries, many of them, but not all, being Rhodes Scholars. She would attend various functions they conducted, which included seminars, discussions, musical evenings, visitations and so on. Since she was a baby she had travelled extensively, and it added to her knowledge of the world to meet people from France, Germany, Greece, Turkey and so on, and to have discussions with them about their own lands.
There was only one student from China, a man some four or five years older than herself, and occasionally she talked to him on a first-name basis. His name was Wei-min, and he was in Balliol College. He attended the Society’s functions infrequently, as he told her that his social activities were limited because of his studies. Tall for a Chinese, and very good looking, Helene felt comfortable with him, and would always search the room to see if he were there. They had never talked on a personal level, but there was something about him, a modesty and self-effacement, that drew her to him. She was always disappointed when he was not at a function, and wondered about him quite often.
In her third year at Oxford she was strolling from her lectures to her College one day when she saw him walking towards her. When they saw one another she said: “Wei-min, I hardly ever see you these days.”
“It is simply that I have to study. Others have sacrificed to have me come here. So if I am not studying in my College I am in the Bodleian Library.”
“I understand, Wei-min, but would you allow me to take you to tea and cake?”
He glanced somewhat nervously at his watch and then smiled: “Helene, such an invitation is my first in Oxford. I would be very honoured.”
She led him to a nearby restaurant, and ordered tea and cakes. She then asked: “And what are you studying, Wei-min?”
“Languages”, he replied. “They now call the field linguistics. It is the study of languages, and complete intrigues me. One day my country will open a window to the world, and there will be a surge in the learning of languages. Perhaps I should be studying Economics or something like that, but anything else does not appeal to me in the slightest.”
“You will pardon me, Wei-min, but how old are you?” Helen asked.
“I am 25 years of age, an only son, so my parents and my grandmother have spoiled me”, he replied. “Sometimes, however, when I have an examination coming on, or a paper I have to hand in, I feel I am 50. And you, Helene, how old are you?”
“I am 19, going on 20”, she answered.
“You are so very young”, Wei-min went on, “I thought you were older. You seem to act much older. Where are you from, Helene, and what are you studying?”
“My interest is in the field of archaeology, where I hope one day I will work. At the moment I am studying Ancient History. You already know I am an American, and I live in California. Strangely, though, I was born just near Oxford, in the tiny town of Eynsham.”
“That is amazing, so you really are an Oxford-American.”
“I suppose I am, as I love both places.”
“You know”, Wei-min asked, “you seem to me to be very fit and athletic.”
“You could say that, I suppose.”
“So what sports do you participate in?”
“I was a swimmer.”
“Was?”
“I have retired, I think permanently, to concentrate on my studies. I am a serious student, like you are. So I have kept away from serious swimming since 1948.”
“Why 1948?”
“Well”, Helene explained, “I keep all this very much to myself. But I was in the last Olympic Games, competing for the USA.”
“Really! You must be very proud.”
“I am, Wei-min, I am. It was the main goal of my life, but now I have other goals.”
“I am hesitant to ask, Helene, but how did you do at the Games?”
“Well, Wei-min, I am somewhat embarrassed, as I keep it very quiet, but I won two gold medals.”
“Two gold medals? And you keep it quiet? If it were me, I would parade around Oxford wearing my medals, so everyone could see them.”
“That sounds very un-Chinese.”
“It is, actually, we are taught modesty, just like you seem to have been educated. Maybe there is a little Chinese in you somehow. The Mongols and Genghis Khan ranged far and wide, but I never knew they got to America.”
“It is funny you should say that, because my father was born in China, and my grandfather worked there many years as a missionary. So I have been influenced by China.”
“That is incredible. But where was your father born?”
“It was a small town, Tengehow. My grandfather was head of the mission there, the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.”
The shock showed vividly on Wei-min’s face, and tears flooded his eyes. He looked at her as if he had seen a ghost.
“Wei-min, are you all right? Have I said something to offend you?”
He shook his head, but he could not stop the tears that now streamed down his face. He reached for his handkerchief and put his face into it, sobbing uncontrollably, while Helene looked on, astonished at this turn of events.
It took Wei-min about ten minutes before he could gather himself. He tried to speak, but at first he could not. He stammered: “Helene, what is your surname?”
She said, simply”, Luce. I am Helene Luce!”
Again, Wei-min was rendered speechless, and it took some time before he could go on.
“Helene, this is all beyond comprehension. We Chinese believe in fate, and I believe we were fated to meet, here in Oxford.”
“What do you mean, Wei-min?”
“I was also born in Tengehow. My grandmother was Lin Shi-an, who cared for your father at the Mission.”
“I have heard of her. My father revered her.”
“Your father, Helen
e, and mine, were brought up together at the Mission, by my grandmother, until the Mission was dissolved. I have been brought up with stories about the Luces, your father, grandfather and grandmother. And here I am, at a restaurant in Oxford, with their daughter. But the influence of your family does not end there. Your family is the reason I am here.”
“How can that be?”
“Well, when the Mission closed, your grandfather Henry Luce arranged that the society for the Propagation of the Gospel would send her eight hundred dollars a year. My grandmother has saved that throughout the years so that her son could go to Oxford. He, my father, married quite young and did not have the desire for such studies, but I did. My grandmother’s father went to Oxford, you know. So here I am, on Luce money. So your family has great meaning for me.”
“This is all unbelievable, Wei-min, absolutely unbelievable. I can hardly wait to tell my parents. They are here, you know. Well almost here, they are living at Eynsham at the moment. Wei-min, will you have lunch with myself and my parents here to-morrow, Saturday, at noon. I will not tell them anything about you, it will be a complete surprise.”
“I shall be here for certain.”
“So, Wei-min, until to-morrow.” She shook hands with Wei-min, and they left to go to their separate Colleges.
As soon as she got back to her College, she immediately rang her parents. Her father answered the phone. “Dad”, she said, “I want you and mother to come to lunch with me to-morrow at the Oxford Inn at twelve.”
“But why don’t you come out here to Eynsham?”
“Dad, it is a surprise, believe me. It has to be here. Okay?”
“Well, if you insist. But what is this about a surprise?”
“Until to-morrow, Dad, until to-morrow.”
That night Joanne and Henry discussed again and again what the surprise might be. Did she do well in a particular exam? Did she have a boyfriend? A multitude of questions flooded their minds, and they did not sleep well that night. All this secrecy was so unlike Helene.
They arrived early for the lunch, to find Helene already there. Henry immediately said: “What’s this all about, Helene?”
“Not now, Dad, you will know in a few minutes.”
Just then Helene rose to her feet, and hurried to the door. She then walked towards the table, accompanied by a Chinese man. Her parents were now completely perplexed.
“Mum and Dad, I want you to meet Wei-min”, Helene said. Wei-min shook their hands enthusiastically, and they all sat down. “Mum and Dad, you may find this hard to believe, but this is Lin Shi-an’s grandson. His father, Dad, was brought up with you at Tengehow.”
Helene then told them how Wei-min got to Oxford, on money that Henry’s father had arranged to be sent to her annually by the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel.
Henry and Joanne could scarcely believe what they were hearing, and asked all manner of questions about Lin Shi-an, and what she had been doing. “She is still alive”, proffered Wei-min, “some 70 years of age. She is a legend in Tengehow. She began the school there, and still teaches, though part-time. She teaches piano still.”
“Piano? She taught me, you know”, said Henry. “She was an enormous influence on my life. In fact, she changed my life, but we can leave that to another day.”
“I did not know”, Wei-min answered.
Then Joanne interrupted. “Have you heard about this ring, Wei-min?” She took it off and handed it to him.
“That ring, Mrs Luce, is a family legend. I know all about it, but never expected to see it in my life-time. My grandmother always called it her love ring.”
“And that is what we call it, Wei-min.”
They sat together at the restaurant, everyone completely taken aback over the course of events. When it was all over, the parents agreed to meet Wei-min at least once weekly. Life, they all thought, had some unbelievable twists and turns. This was certainly one of them.
CHAPTER 8.
WEI-MIN IS GONE
From that time on, Helene and Wei-min would manage to meet almost daily, and their friendship deepened. Helene began to understand the dilemma Wei-min found himself in. Up to 1948 Chiang Kai Shek had been fighting Mao Tse-Tung and his revolutionary army, but Chiang Kai Shek was finally defeated and fled to the island of Formosa. The insurgents had no navy or else they would have followed them there. In 1948 the People’s Republic of China was proclaimed, with Mao as Chairman.
Wei-min often spoke to her of his problems. One day in particular stood out in her mind. It was when he said: “I feel, Helene, obligated to go back to my homeland. I have been receiving letters from members of the Communist Party. They want me to finish my studies and go back to China, for the good of the people and the country. They are appealing to so-called intellectuals like myself to return and assist the rebuilding process that is going on. China tugs away at my heart, and it appears as if our society is headed towards an amazing break-through, where opportunities will abound, and everyone will be equal.”
The year was now 1952, and they were both in their final year at Oxford. She knew that she was in love with Wei-min, and instinctively felt her feelings were reciprocated. Neither had, however, ever spoken about their innermost feelings. They had never kissed, or even held hands.
Her heart ached at the possibility of his departure. She was torn in her feelings. She knew he had to follow his dreams, as she had herself to this point in time. She said to him, a worried look on her face: “Wei-min, you know that I support you, no matter your decision. But I must say my heart is heavy at the very thought of you leaving. I honestly don’t know what I shall do. I look forward so much to seeing you, talking with you, having our College lunches together on the banks of the river, walking along the streets of Oxford with you past the ancient Colleges.”
“I feel the same way, Helene. I can remember my grandmother, Lin Shi-an, telling me that her father would often say that his days at Oxford, at Balliol College where I am, were the happiest in his life. She can remember lithographs of Oxford on the walls of her house, and how her father would sigh when he looked at them. These have likewise been my happiest days, Helene, more so because of you and our remarkable association. I know what I should do, however, and that is rally to the cause of my country, but what I would personally like to do is stay here, at Oxford, just like we are now. I wish that time would simply stand still.”
“So do I. Maybe, Wei-min, there is a middle position. When you graduate, you could go back to China. If it does not meet your expectations, you could leave, come back to Oxford, or the United States.”
“Yes, Helene, that would seem to be possible. It was not difficult getting permission to leave China to come here, and I would not expect that to change.”
“I am going to stay on to do a Ph.D. in archaeology, so I will simply immerse myself in my work.”
So it was, then. After graduating Wei-min made arrangements to go back to China. The first step was to catch a train at Oxford to London. It was a sad occasion when they farewelled him, Helene’s parents coming to the station as well. As Wei-min opened the door of his compartment to say his final good-byes, tears were in his eyes, as well as Helene’s. His hand reached forward to grasp hers, and then without thinking she kissed him. “Look after yourself, Wei-min”, she said tearfully.
“And you, Helene, and you.”
The train pulled away from the station. Tears were streaming down her face as she stood there waving. Wei-min leaned out to catch a last glimpse of her. Soon, too soon, he was gone from sight.
Helene turned to her parents and took them in her arms. Her jaw jutted out. It reminded them when she was a child, when she had informed them she would be an Olympic swimmer.
“That is the man I intend to marry, Mum and Dad. It may surprise you, but that is the first time we have ever touched hands, or for that matter kissed.”
Joanne said: “We are not surprised, Helene. We know you very well. Your feelings run deep and true, just like your paren
ts.”
They hugged, and walked arm in arm to their car, Helene’s heart heavy.
CHAPTER 9.
TRAGEDY AND HAPPINESS
It was four years later when Helene received her doctorate degree at Oxford. Her thesis was “Excavations in Etruria.” She had become increasingly intrigued with the Etruscan civilization, which was a pre-Roman civilization. Realizing that little work had been done with respect to them, she ventured to Italy, and spent two years in excavations of the tombs that littered the countryside. Almost two thousand years old, there were grass-covered mounds, like small hills, littering central Italy, between the Tyrrhenian Sea in the west and the Apennines in the east. Within those mounds funeral sites were being excavated.
Some of the Etruscan settlements were at Tarquinii, Vulci, Caere, Veii, Rusellae, Vetulonia, Populonia, Clusium, Cortona, Perusia, Arretium and Faesulae. Working with Italian archaeologists, she uncovered various tombs in the mounds, retrieving the various artefacts left there at the funerals. There were the skeletons of the dead, plus ornaments like magnificent candelabra with human figures, and bronze mirrors with carvings on one side. But what intrigued her most were the tomb walls, where there were magnificent paintings showing the life of the Etruscans at that time. Many were of funeral games, and one tomb was named “Tomba delle Olympiadi.” Athletes were shown on the walls running, throwing the discus and javelin with a throwing device called an amentum, long jumping with halteres or hand weights, chariot racing, and so on. Many tombs were ruined through the seepage of water down the walls, but those that survived were magnificent in their colour and the social life they depicted. The Italians were very happy that she would write up a section of the work as her thesis, so her main concentration in the thesis was on these particular wall paintings and the possible Greek influence in Etruscan life.
These were all historic finds, something like those of Sir Arthur Evans in Crete when he discovered and named the Minoan civilization, and Helene was soon presenting papers on the Etruscans to archaeological conferences around the world.
