by Alexa Kang
“Clark,” Eden said, indignant, “how can you accept this? You’re not a white man. Don’t you find this insulting?”
“It’s not a matter of whether I accept it or not. My feelings aren’t relevant. I can’t change how society sees things. If an unmarried woman does what Ava does, she would put her reputation at serious risk.”
Eden locked her fingers. Why? Why were they all bound by so many restraints? And why did race always have to get in the way of everything?
Would she let these restraints bind her too?
No. She didn’t escape all the way from Germany only to be subject to another set of rules stemming from race. She took a deep breath. “You say you’re concerned about women losing their reputations, but not all women are afraid. Ava’s not afraid.” She gazed over at Ava and Major Patel, then pulled in her shoulders and looked softly into his eyes. “I’m not afraid either.”
Clark froze in his seat. He lowered his head. His eyes remained fixed on the half-drunken scotch in his hand. She could see his fingers tightening around his glass.
She waited for him to look up. Did he understand the meaning behind what she said?
He looked up. Not at her, but rather, at Lillian at the bar flirting with a group of American Marines. One of them tried to put his arm around her.
“Should I go bring her back?” Clark asked.
Before Eden could answer, Lillian had extracted herself and was walking back to their table.
Eden stole another glance at Clark. If Lillian hadn’t diverted his attention, how would he have responded?
The moment, though, had already passed. Clark’s face relaxed as he returned to his usual, courteous self. “There will be a flight demonstration at the Public Parks later this month. The event is to celebrate Generalissimo Chiang Kai-shek’s birthday. A group of American pilots will be performing aerial acrobatics. Would you and Joshua like to come? My sisters will be coming. I think Joshua will enjoy it.”
Joshua? His sisters? Flight demonstration? This couldn’t be further from what they’d been discussing only a minute ago. Out of confusion, she said, “Sure.”
Lillian returned to their table. Giggling, she sat down. “Those American boys sure are pushy.”
“Were they giving you trouble?” Eden asked.
“No.” Lillian flicked her hair back. “I was just having a little fun teasing them. I wouldn’t have gone with any of them anyhow. Did I tell you?” She ducked her head, unable to suppress her smile. “Roland Vaughn invited me to dinner.”
“Roland Vaughn?”
“The dentist from Manchester. You saw him once at Cafe Louis, remember?”
Eden tried to recall. Yes. There was a man who Lillian had fawned over once at Cafe Louis the day when Eden met Ava. He was having tea with a girl named June Phillips.
“I ran into him at the racetrack again. We talked a little. He suggested I should join him for dinner. He said his personal chef makes the best orange soufflé. He’s going to Singapore on business for the next two weeks, but when he gets back, he’ll arrange a special dinner just for the two of us.”
“What happened to June Phillips?” Eden asked.
Lillian shrugged. “Guess she couldn’t hold his attention long enough. Oh, no. I’ve completely forgotten to ask the bar to send a waiter over.”
“It’s okay.” Clark got up from his seat. “I’ll go.”
“Thank you.” Lillian clapped her hands together and proceeded to tell Eden more about the dentist. Half listening, Eden watched him walk over to the bar. As he moved further away, the hope within her dimmed.
Clark loosened his body only when he reached the bar. He held onto the bar’s edge to steady his hands. Was that a dream? Just now, Eden had practically admitted she had feelings for him.
For the first time, he allowed himself to be honest. What he’d been feeling all along wasn’t merely his one-sided fantasy. Their attraction was mutual. Only he’d walled himself off from believing that she would want him too. It was easier to keep telling himself over and over again that what he desired was hopeless.
I’m not afraid either.
When she said that, he almost couldn’t resist the urge to reach out and take her hand into his own.
But he knew better. She might think she wasn’t afraid, but the world was an unforgiving place. What kind of white woman would accept a non-white man? Only a whore would stoop that low. Perhaps a wealthy divorcée like Ava Simms could get away with such a liaison unscathed, but not a girl like Eden, who had not much behind her besides her good name. He couldn’t give her the life she deserved. If he let his feelings get the better of him, he’d ruin her. She’d be forever stigmatized. He would not do that to her under any circumstances.
Thankfully, Lillian had returned to join them. To deny his own heart was hard enough. To deny Eden was beyond the strength of his mortal soul.
Of course, he couldn’t leave her feeling rejected. For her to make her own feelings known, she took a huge gamble. For a man, being rejected would be slightly embarrassing, but the loss was negligible. For a young woman? An outright rejection would be devastating. An utter disgrace to her name if not her pride. To save her from the humiliation, he invited her to the Autumn Air Show. It was the first thing that came to his mind, for better or for worse.
“What can I get for you?” Mauricio Perez appeared before him on the other side of the bar. “Counselor Yuan.”
The proper way Mauricio addressed him took him aback. Ava hadn’t told him the names of her friends at the table, and she certainly did not mention Clark’s work. “How’d you know who I am?”
“I know a lot of things, Counselor.” Mauricio poured him a shot of liquor. “A lot of people pass through this place. They start having fun, they drink a little too much. Soon enough, their lips get loose. They begin to spill everything. But even without the alcohol, people talk. Most people by nature can’t keep secrets. Sooner or later, they’ll have to get it all out or it’ll drive them insane.”
Clark took a sip of the drink. Keeping his guard, he studied the bar owner’s face.
Mauricio didn’t seem too bothered. “I have a lot of friends, here and everywhere else. It’s one of the advantages of working here. I don’t even have to leave Shanghai to know a lot of important people elsewhere in the world. London, Paris, Moscow, Geneva, Washington. If I need a favor, there’s always someone somewhere I can call on no matter where you need me to render my services.”
“Why are you telling me this?”
“Because I can be of service to you.” He took a business card out of his shirt pocket and gave it to Clark.
Warily, Clark read the card. All it had was a phone number. It didn’t even show the name of the person to whom the number belonged.
“I have a lot of secrets to sell, but only to the highest bidder.” Mauricio lowered his voice. “For the right price, I can do you a lot of favors, too, depending on what you need done. Discretion guaranteed.”
Clark flipped the card in his hand. Could Mauricio indeed do everything he said? If yes, his value would be immeasurable.
The incident with Shen’s workers still plagued him. Knowing he had to let Dai Li step in, the incident might haunt his mind forever. He still suffered nightmares wondering what Dai Li might have done to silence the students leading the protest.
If something like that happened again, could he rely on someone else to help make the problem go away? Someone he could control? Unlike Dai Li?
Could Mauricio be trusted?
“Think it over,” Mauricio said. “You can contact me whenever you need me, or come by any time for a drink.”
Without committing one way or another, Clark put the card into his jacket.
“What else can I get for you?” Mauricio asked.
Remembering he’d come to the bar to find a waiter, Clark turned around to check on Eden and Lillian. The Marines Lillian was flirting with had sat down at their table and neither of Eden or Lillian looked pleased. One
of the Marines sidled closer and closer to Eden as she tried to lean further away. Another one, the one who had tried to put his arm around Lillian earlier, tried again. This time, she slapped him. The Marine vaulted to his feet. Lillian too sprung up from her seat.
Clark put down his drink, ready to return to the table to confront the men.
“Wait,” Mauricio said. “Let me.” He came around out of the bar and signaled two of his Russian guards. Clark followed behind them.
At the table, the Marine whom Lillian slapped began yelling at her. Mauricio stepped in between them. “Do we have a problem, gentlemen?”
“This little bitch—”
“Enough!” Mauricio eyed his guards, who had by now surrounded them. “No one speaks to ladies this way here. I won’t allow it.”
“She ain’t no lady.”
Before he could say another word, one guard grabbed him from behind and hauled him away. The other guards shouted to his friends to get out. Those who tried to shout back were dragged away and forced to leave.
“What happened?” Ava asked in alarm. She and Major Patel had rushed back to the table. “Are you okay?” She gave Lillian a small hug and a squeeze on the shoulder.
“I’m okay.” Lillian tossed her head, although her voice was shaking. “I can handle myself.”
“It’s all right, Ava,” Mauricio said, smiling at other guests around them who were gawking at the scene as they returned to their drinks. “Just a few Marines trying to get fresh. My men took care of it. I apologize for the ruckus, ladies. Let me have my waiter bring you a round of free drinks. Bellinis sound good?” He patted the back of a chair and left.
Clark went around the table to Eden’s side. She looked slightly ruffled, but fine otherwise.
“Maybe we should go home,” Eden said. “It’s late.”
“Are you sure, dear?” Ava asked. She grabbed Major Patel’s hand and gazed longingly into his eyes. “You shouldn’t let a few hooligans ruin the fun.”
“Ava,” Clark said, “I can take Eden and Lillian home. My car’s outside.”
Still hesitant, Ava glanced at Eden.
“Thank you, Clark,” Eden said. “Ava, you and Major Patel stay. We’ll come back again next time.”
“You plan to come back?” Clark asked.
“Sure.” Eden threw him a casual smile. “It’s not rigid like most other places. I like that no one here would judge a woman for who she chooses to be with.” She looked pointedly at him.
Clark looked away and avoided her eyes.
“But I’ve had enough excitement for tonight, I think.” She dropped her shoulders. Clark noticed a shade of disappointment on her face.
“In that case, what about you, Lillian?” Ava asked.
“I’ll go with Clark and Eden,” Lillian replied, her voice calmer now. “Wouldn’t want to be a third wheel.” She playfully stuck out her tongue.
“I’ll go get my driver,” Clark said and headed toward the door, relieved Lillian had decided to leave with them.
He hoped Eden wouldn’t resent him.
Someday, maybe she would understand.
23
Journey to Kaifeng
True to her word, Ava Simms spared no effort in preparations for their trip. The morning she came to pick up Eden for their trek to Kaifeng, she arrived with two Ford trucks. She rode in one truck with her driver, Lin Shifu, and Arnie Shepard, the photographer. Two burly Russian guards, Boris and Dmitry, rode in the second truck.
As if this entourage wasn’t enough, Mr. Bernard, her pet monkey, had also come along.
Eden couldn’t take her eyes off the monkey in the tailored safari shirt and shorts.
While the guards loaded Eden’s trunk, Ava showed her the food and gear she’d packed to bring along in the vehicle driven by Lin. A basket of apples, oranges, and bananas. Another basket of bread, jars of jams, and peanut butter. Bags of beef jerky, dried fruits, coffee, oatmeal, and beans. There were also trunks of clothes, boots, and ponchos. “It might rain,” Ava said.
The heavier items were stored in the other truck. Jugs and barrels of water, containers of petroleum, and various tools like ropes, lanterns, hatchets, shovels, and knives, as well as the camera equipment.
Ava pointed to the stack of boxes of Chinese mooncakes. “These are gifts. I figured they’ll appreciate the finer quality mooncakes made in Shanghai, with the Moon Festival coming up and all.” She opened a box and showed Eden. “Tea is a must, of course. Here are the oolongs. Oh, I’ve got some gorgeous silk fabrics and Korean ginseng too. I bet they’ll like that.” She opened a box filled with books. “Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to find many Jewish-related gifts, but I was able to get a hold of these copies of the Torah. I figured they can use these new ones after all those thousands of years.”
Eden looked at the mountain of stuff. Was it a good idea to bring so much on a long journey? With all these luxury items too? Ava must be thinking of their trip as being like those made by emissaries traveling to pay tribute to foreign kings and emperors in the old days.
“Don’t forget the mosquitoes.” Ava showed her the bottles of citronella. “And if we get bitten anyway, we have these.” She held up one of the bottles of Chinese hualu water, a type of perfumed water the Chinese used to relieve itches from insect bites.
Lin Shifu pointed at the canvas and poles. “You don’t need the tents. It’s not safe to sleep outside.”
“Just in case, Lin,” Ava dismissed him. “Just in case. You never know. It’s good to be prepared even if we don’t end up using them.”
Lin picked up a loaf of bread. “These won’t last. The air’s too humid.”
“Well, we’ve got to eat something. It’ll last till it lasts.”
“This trip’s a mistake. I tell you. Don’t go.”
“Lin, we’ve been through this. I’ve made up my mind. Come hell or high water, we’re going.”
Lin walked away, shaking his head. He looked like someone was feeding him poison.
“Ignore him. I’m prepared for any possible disaster.”
“I see you are.” Eden’s eyes landed on the load of guns and rifles.
Ava’s face turned serious for the first time. “You never know. I do hope we won’t be needing them.”
When the guards finished loading, Ava grabbed Mr. Bernard’s hand and led him and Eden to the more comfortable passenger truck that Lin drove. As their little caravan drove out of Shanghai proper past the factories at the city outskirts, the Chinese countryside began to come into view. There wasn’t much to see other than large fields of rice paddies separated by small irrigation ditches. Once in a while, a farmer in a large straw hat would appear, usually carrying a long bamboo stick on his shoulder, balanced by a wooden bucket hanging on each end. Elsewhere, farmers and their oxen could be seen plowing the fields.
Away from the hustle and bustle of the city, Eden sat back in her seat. She was glad they’d decide to make this trip. Since the night at Sambuca, she had wanted to go somewhere far away. What was she thinking telling Clark she wasn’t afraid of becoming involved with someone who wasn’t white? The way she told him, she’d made it obvious she would like to see him in a capacity beyond friendship. It wouldn’t have been so terrible if he had done or said something to show her he cared. When he didn’t, all she was left with was embarrassment. How she needed now to escape far, far away from that awful feeling of embarrassment.
Kaifeng would be far enough, she hoped.
Like Charlie Keaton had told her, the roads weren’t in the best condition. The ride so far had been bumpy, but bearable. Along the way, Lin made continuous stops, asking the locals for directions and information about what was ahead. Ava’s suggestions to use the compass and maps went unheeded.
Around noon, they stopped for a break for a lunch of the bread, jam, and peanut butter Ava had brought along.
“We should look for a restaurant,” Lin said. “The farmer back there told me there are petrol stops and noodle shops up the
road.”
“Oh, Lin,” Ava said, exasperated. “Look at the view. It’s lovely out here in the countryside. We have fresh air!” She inhaled a deep breath. “What could be more wonderful than having a picnic? I bet no foreigner in Shanghai has ever picnicked out in this part of China.”
“No. Of course not. They’re not crazy,” Lin said and walked away for a smoke.
“Don’t mind him.” Ava spread out a picnic cloth on the field slightly off the road. “He’s grouchy because he has to have rice with every meal. The bread is death to him. Come on, Mr. Bernard.” She took a banana from the basket. The monkey squeaked and ran up to join them. Boris and Dmitry settled to eat by the trucks. Arnie took a pork bun. “I might be able to get some good shots,” he said and wandered off with his camera.
Eden sat down and ate her lunch. The rolling hills far away looked so different from the mountains in Germany. Here, the trees and vegetation were less even in height. A layer of mist seemed to pervade the darker, deeper shades of green. A heavy air hung all around. Even when breezes blew by, the humidity never went away.
Halfway through her sandwich, she felt something crawling on her leg. A large scorpion had found its way onto her body. Reflexively, she screamed as she frantically tried to brush the creature away with her sandwich. Her sudden cry frightened Mr. Bernard and he shrieked and ran away.
“What? What?” Ava jumped to her feet. Hearing the commotion, Boris and Dmitry came running over with their guns. Lin and Arnie, too, rushed back.
“A scorpion,” Eden cried. “A scorpion was crawling on me.” She twisted around to check if it was still anywhere on her leg.
Boris laughed. Dmitry rolled his eyes and walked away.
“Is it still there?” Ava asked, coming closer to Eden while apprehensively stepping around the spot where Eden had sat.
“I think it’s gone,” Eden said. So was her appetite.
Ava looked at the remainder of the bread and bent down to pick up the spilled jam. Behind her, Lin crossed his arms. “I told you. Picnic. Bad idea.”
