“Dick did send a message,” I said. “But who is going to help Pearl and her family?”
“We have done our best,” Papa replied.
“Why don’t you go and find yourself a hiding place?” I was disappointed.
“I will.”
I never anticipated what would happen next: Papa and I were kidnapped in broad daylight. Unable to resist a reward, an acquaintance sold Papa to the soldier mobs.
The informer pointed at Papa. “This man knows exactly where the foreigners are hiding.”
Papa and I realized that we were dealing with professional soldiers whose leader was a warlord we used to know, Bumpkin Emperor.
It had been over twenty years since I had first met him. The man had gone from being a local warlord to becoming the commander of the Nationalist forces in our region. Bumpkin Emperor claimed that he had killed more foreigners than anyone else in the country. He was responsible for the dean’s death.
The soldiers prepared to torture us. They wanted to know the hiding place of the foreigners. I clenched my teeth and prayed. The soldiers choked me with hot-pepper water until I passed out.
I woke to a clean room. Papa was sitting next to me.
I sensed his nervousness and asked, “Papa, where are we?” I saw that his fingertips were wrapped in cloth bandages.
“Have some water, Willow.” He passed me the cup.
“No, Papa. Please, first explain what happened.”
“I’m getting you out of here.”
“Papa, what is going on?”
“I made a deal, and we are both going to be released.”
“Deal?” I stared at him. “What kind of deal? What did you do?”
He avoided my eyes.
“Speak, Papa!” I tried not to let my imagination run wild.
“The important thing is that both of us are safe,” he insisted. “Look at you, blood all over. You could have lost your baby.”
The possibility of what he might have done hit me.
“Don’t tell me, Papa, you didn’t…” I stopped, realizing what must have happened.
Papa lowered his head.
“This can’t be! No! Papa, it mustn’t be…”
Papa began to cry like a guilty child.
I could feel my blood freeze in my veins.
“I have committed a terrible crime.” Papa spoke in a small voice. “I deserve to go to hell.”
I pulled at his arms and shook him. “No! You didn’t do it!”
“They used sharpened bamboo splinters and shoved them under my fingernails.” He raised his hands and pulled off the cloth, revealing bloody fingers. “They said that they were going to kill you if I refused to cooperate.”
“You told them where Absalom and Pearl were hiding?”
Collapsing to his knees, Papa nodded.
CHAPTER 23
“There are no foreigners here!” Soo-ching and Confucius shouted as they tried to push the soldiers away from the hut.
A crowd gathered and watched in fear.
One soldier hit Soo-ching with the butt of his rifle. She stumbled back, dazed, and her nose started to bleed.
Confucius jumped on the soldier and bit him.
Other soldiers pulled Confucius off and kicked the boy in the stomach.
Standing hidden in the crowd, Papa and I were ashamed and scared.
“Let’s burn the hut,” one soldier suggested.
The other soldiers agreed. “Let’s roast the foreigners!”
“No!” Soo-ching screamed.
The crowd moved forward. “There are no foreigners in the hut!” They began to push the soldiers.
The sharp crack of a gunshot came. A man in a high-collared military uniform with bars on his shoulders strode through the crowd. It was Bumpkin Emperor. A row of bright gold buttons ran down the center of his jacket. Medals were pinned across his chest. His hat looked like a lotus pad.
“Is there anyone here hungry for a bullet?” Bumpkin Emperor’s fat cheeks quivered.
Soo-ching crawled to him and grabbed his legs. “Respected general,” she cried. “Please spare my home!”
“Only if you produce the foreigners.” Bumpkin Emperor waved his pistol.
“I know nothing of foreigners,” Soo-ching cried.
“Mother of louses! How dare you lie to me?” Bumpkin Emperor slapped her face. He turned to his soldiers. “What are you idiots waiting for?”
“Please!” Soo-ching pulled at Bumpkin Emperor’s arms.
“You stinking female hog!” He kicked her. “Get off me!”
The soldiers came. They removed the bales of hay from in front of the door.
Bumpkin Emperor walked to the door and kicked it open.
Soo-ching threw herself at Bumpkin Emperor’s feet. “I will die first before you burn my home!”
Bumpkin Emperor walked away from Soo-ching and fired a shot at her.
“Mother!” Confucius screamed.
The soldiers pinned Soo-ching down, and she squirmed to be free.
“You are going to have a lingering death, crazy lady!” Waving his pistol, Bumpkin Emperor ordered, “Skin the rabbit and set fire to the hut!”
The soldiers started to tie Soo-ching with a rope.
Lit straws were thrown on top of the roof.
A voice came. “Stop in the name of God!”
Absalom filled the opening at the door of the hut.
Behind him stood Pearl, Grace, and the children.
“Tie the foreigners,” Bumpkin Emperor ordered. “Line them up.”
“Absalom!” Papa threw himself at Absalom’s feet.
“Mr. Yee, my friend!” Absalom replied.
Papa slapped his cheeks with both hands. “I have betrayed you! I gave in to the torture! May God punish me.”
Papa turned to Bumpkin Emperor and pleaded, “These foreigners have done China no wrong. They have been living with us all their lives. Look, this is Pearl. You remember her when she was a little girl? She was raised in Chin-kiang under your lordship…”
“Stay away or you will die with them!” Bumpkin Emperor yelled.
“Your lordship!” Papa cried.
The soldiers dragged Papa away.
Absalom, Pearl, Grace, and the children were lined up against the burning hut.
I no longer knew where I was. All I could think about was Dick’s knife in a basket in my kitchen. My legs began to carry me home. I ran.
When I returned, a larger crowd had gathered. Many of the people were from surrounding towns and villages, having sought refuge in our city from the chaos. They outnumbered the city folks. Among them were many who believed foreigners were China ’s curse. They felt that the sooner we got rid of them, the better.
I pushed my way through the crowd, shoving people aside to reach Bumpkin Emperor. My intent was to stab him.
“You!” He saw me.
I held back, hiding Dick’s knife under my shirt.
Bumpkin Emperor was standing near where Absalom, Pearl, Grace, and the children had been lined up. While I had been gone, their hands had been tied behind their backs.
I hoped I could reach Bumpkin Emperor before he shot me.
“I’ll die first,” Absalom said in a calm voice. He looked at his daughters and grandchildren. “We will be with God.”
Terrified, the crowd watched in silence.
Absalom turned to face the crowd and started to sing.
The greatest gift the world has known
When the God of Glory
Who is full of mercy
Sent His Son
Pearl, Grace, and the children joined him.
Love has come
Hope has begun
Still a higher call
Had He, deliverance from our sins
“Master Absalom,” the Chinese Christians called out as they dropped to their knees and joined in the singing.
For by the sin of man we fell
By the Son of God
He crushed the power of Hell
Death we fear no more
Absalom sang as if he were in his church.
“Prepare to shoot!” Bumpkin Emperor shouted.
I moved behind Bumpkin Emperor and took out the knife.
Hearing the noise, Bumpkin Emperor turned. I could clearly see his big frog eyes.
I have no memories after that. I only knew that I had lifted the knife and then everything went dark.
“You are an ant who tries to shake a pine!” was what I was told Bumpkin Emperor had said, after one of his soldiers had hit me in the back of the head.