Not this Year

Well, it looks like I'll be putting off An Act of Balance for yet another NaNoWriMo.

Instead, for 2006's NaNoWriMo, I'll be working on Escalating Descent - a sports analogy for what's going on with the U.S. and the Bush Administration. I'm actually very very excited about this. It's coming together very nicely.

Come join me and if you come from reading An Act of Balance and would like to read more, please let me know and I'll get back to writing this.

The Subject is...

[Author's Notes] an Anger Causing Agent designed to drive words out of the Author's head.

I decided to spare you all the small font. Besides, I don't want this to be ignored cause this is my basic place of revenge, where I can spit it out and perhaps free myself of this anger that is causing all the kind and nice words I have towards the protagonist which means I can't write about her.

See, if you can't tell already, Barbara is mostly based on my mother. Stupid me. I was feeling charitable towards her after a conversation where the unspoken words were: "no one sees me for who I really am." So, I wanted to do something nice for the woman who reared me, who basically gave me my sense of humor, my life.

So yesterday, my darling mother (NOT!) called to wish me a happy birthday. Now, she did everything right, except ONE THING. Yet the one thing is probably the biggest button on me and she put it there, so she feels she can use it at her leisure.

First off, what she did right. She called me the day before, so she wouldn't wake me first thing in the morning. She was in a great mood, which was also good. And since I had to cut her off (I was at work), I called her back. BIG MISTAKE!

When we got to the subject of Christmas, I said, "I'm staying at Mark's." Now, while my sister has a wonderful really large house, there are only so many beds. And this Christmas, they'll have 5 adults and 2 children staying in a four bedroom house. I'm sorry, there's a friggin BED at Mark's. So, what does she say to my statement that I'm staying at Mark's?

"You're so selfish. Oh that's right, you've always been the selfish one."

You want to know why I hate this administration so much? They use the same bullying tactics my mother uses. Any sign of disagreement, "Oh you don't love your country." "Oh, you're so selfish." BULL FUCKING SHIT!

I am driving thousands of miles to come see her even though I want nothing to do with my friggin tweaker nephew. My friggin tweaker nephew will be staying at my sisters and ANY negative thing that happens, I am betting that he will run back to crystal and use that as an excuse. "Oh, E.E. (which is chinese for younger sister of mom), aren't you glad I moved back into my mom's and am clean now?" And my reply to that is, "I have no opinions about the subject. Any opinions I have will be on the result. You are still going through the process. Therefore, I have no opinions yet."

That'll be better than, "We'll see" right? People think my "We'll see" as an infuriating thing. I only say that because I don't wish to be pinned down on a friggin answer yet cause I don't have all the facts! So, I think I'll just state that. Cause I can just see down the road, "Well, E.E., if you had shown more support I might've made it."

Yeah, fuck you too. And fuck you Mom, for making have a shitty birthday by calling me selfish, something ONLY MY FAMILY seems to think. And strange, they only think that way when they're trying to convince me to do something I don't want to do.

Here I am, writing nice about you and your family, as a present to you to say, hey, your youngest DOES see you. Unfortunately, I also see that friggin ASSHOLE side of you! You are a hurtful, hateful human being when you don't get your way. And there are times when I really feel that Dad had EVERY reason to cheat on you for 40 years. You'd better hope you're not being an asshole when I get to that part of the story, cause you ain't going like how I portray you.

7a

The months leading up to Simon's departure was torturous for Barbara. Not only was Simon angry at her for her part in the duplicity (she hadn't the heart to tell him the duplicity was only in his head; she had been saying things in front of him but was being ignored) but Carol was all wrapped up in her newfound "friendship" to realize anyone else existed aside from Jimmy and her parents.

So Barbara spent her time going to the movies and spending time with some of her cousins. Macau in the 1950s was like a revolving door for refugees. Because Hong Kong in the past decade had become harder to get into, Macau had turned into the refugee destination point. And because other surrounding countries were starting to open their doors to the refugees since China had formally closed its door on the outside world and thereby limiting the chances of confrontation, Macau saw plenty of arriving and departing Chinese. They poured in, and they poured out.

The Chings, blessed because of their wonderful luck in securing an apartment, were also cursed by the shelter. The shelter made it much harder to convince Isaiah to move. So, they stayed, and stayed, and saw the fronts and backs of their relatives as they arrived like beggars and left as opportunists seeking betterment in other places.

For Barbara, it was perfectly fine for that meant constant excitement. When Donnie arrived, they had a wonderful year together chasing each other down back alleyways and exploring old abandoned buildings where tons of squatters lived. In fact, it was probably the only time in her recent adult life (adult meaning when she entered the university) where she allowed herself to get dirty. When her cousin Joanne arrived, she learned the wonders that was Glamour Magazine and Cosmopolitan. Much more fun than sitting at home with her father, or being around sulky, silent Simon, or listening to Carol's silent sighs.

But, Barbara was fully aware the good times were going to end soon. Within a year, she'd be out of school. Which meant one of two things: either she had to work, or she had to stay at home and look after her father. She loved Isaiah, there was no doubt about that, even adored him, but staying home with him all the time would be a slow suffocation to her. And working meant, no more wandering the city by herself or with a cousin. Working meant, no more eating stinky tofu in between meals. And worst of all, working meant no more practicing dance steps in back alleyways.

Steven, her second cousin on her father's side, had picked her up one Saturday evening and whisked her to her first nightclub. And Barbara fell in love with dancing that night when she learned how to fox trot. If Isaiah or Sarah knew that Barbara was there dancing every Saturday night after that, instead of studying at the library, she'd be in so much trouble. But she was safe. The only person to wander out past 9 pm was Simon, and he went to go sample food at the latest new restaurant.

[526 words]

Chapter 6

A few weeks after Jimmy had bought Barbara stinky tofu, he showed up at their church. When the family was just getting seated after waiting until Isaiah had dragged himself into a seat, Barbara noticed that Jimmy was sitting in a pew near the back.

She nudged Carol with a giggle, then as discretely as a giggly 18 year old could get, pointed at Jimmy. Carol turned three shades of pink before settling on a darker purple hue and the changes made Barbara giggle more. Poking them in the back, Simon pointed to a pew.

After the singing and tithing, a small bespectacled unassuming man took the podium and the Ching family collectively gasped: it was Sung Mok Sze, Reverend Sung, the one who had baptized all three Ching family children as well as all their cousins. Hallelujah, he had made it out of the Communists' grasp! Sarah beamed at her family as if it was her surprise, since she had played piano as well for the previous service and knew about his presence.

The affection with which the mostly Shanghainese audience showered on the good Reverend would've surprised the current Pastor of the church, if he hadn't just witnessed in the previous service. In 1946, his church consisted of mostly southern Chinese who'd emigrated to Macau in search of a better life than life in rural China but now, his church had been taken over by the Shanghainese refugees. It was amazing how many protestants came from up north. Here, in the south, the heavier influence had been catholic.

So, when Reverend Sung contacted him from Hong Kong and confirmed the large presence of Shanghainese in Macau, they quickly arranged for this surprise visit. It was a good move; Reverend Wong could see his congregation visibly perk up.

Revereng Sung had specifically asked about Isaiah and was saddened to learn of his stroke. He hadn't been surprised to learn of Sarah's immediate volunteering to take over piano duties and was glad to hear that Carol seemed to follow in the elders' footsteps of service to the church. What of the two younger, he wanted to know and in order to do that, he had decided to stay the week.

Barbara loved having Reverend Sung around. He'd always been a sweet, benign person to be around, one that people tried to make laugh because his laugh was so infectious. Even Simon enjoyed having him around and Simon liked very few people.

After the sermon, Sarah rushed over to tell her family that they were going out for dinner. Isaiah looked at her with surprise, and she said to him, "I'm going home to press your best suit. You are going to look so handsome. I've been saving for a special occasion and I guess this is going to be it." She straightened up his tie, beaming at him.

Just then, a very nervous Jimmy walked up to Isaiah, stuck out his hand to shake Isaiah's before realizing Isaiah was leaning on his cane for support, and quickly withdrew the hand. Clearing his throat, he stood straight up and announced to Isaiah that his name was Jimmy Sun Wun Ming and he'd like the opportunity to sit next to the family during sermons, and if Isaiah didn't mind, perhaps he, Jimmy could take the entire family out to dinner sometime.

Simon looked at the firetruck red Carol, then at the stammering Jimmy and put his quick analytical mind to work. He quickly surmised Jimmy's intent and started laughing his head off, earning him a hard punch in the arm from Carol.

Before any of the family could react (besides laugh), Barbara quickly said, "Well, what about tonight?" Sarah poked her youngest in the back, though stifling a chuckle, and Isaiah laughed outright. The good natured Jimmy nodded with enthusiasm, even at the suggestion that a family friend come along, and to his everlasting credit, he never balked at the suggestion of the new western cuisine restaurant that just opened near the riverfront.

Before the night was out, Jimmy had become one of the family.

Since the Ching family and Reverend Sung were all familiar with Western culture, they were all looking forward to being able taste such faire as borscht, french onion soup, roast beef, and chicken marsala. Most western restaurants during that time in Asia tended to carry an international menu since western food were pretty much lumped into one group.

And just in case some of the party objected to the standard western cuisine, a few Chinese dishes would be included in the menu as well. There would usually be an oxtail soup, disguised to be a french dish but in reality was a oxtail stew Chinese style. Also, some sort of fried rice or rice noodles would appear under the Chinese Food heading. Simon had a peculiar habit of trying out the Chinese cuisine in western restaurants, so Jimmy didn't feel out of place ordering the rice noodles with beef.

Reverend Sung's curiosity with Jimmy didn't last long; he was much more interested in what the younger two Chings were up to. The last time he had seen the two, they had been far more receptive to the gossip rags of Hollywood than the word of God so he feared a little that the younger two would not be as devout as the parents or Carol.

When Reverend Sung asked Simon what his plans for the future was, Barbara, under Isaiah's direction, made an announcement, much to Simon's surprise. She stood up and cleared her throat instead of letting Simon speak for himself.

"Simon," she declared, "will be going to America soon. I wrote my godparents and they have decided to sponsor him to America." She could feel Simon's stunned look boring into her back. She quickly continued. "He will be attending the California State University of Sacramento after he works off the money that paid for his passage to America."

A fist slammed down on the table, making the entire restaurant look towards their table. An fuming Simon asked, "Who made this decision?" Whirling on his father, he snarled, "Trying to get rid of me, old man, is that it?"

Very quietly at his end of the table, Reverend Sung coughed and said almost under his breath in English, "Thou shalt honor thy mother and father." Having said that, he bowed his head and prayed.

That small little action seemed to drive all the air away from Simon's horn and he just looked at the small praying man on one end of the table and then at the crippled, glowering man on the other end. Trying to keep his dignity and yet hold on to some of his righteous anger, he threw his towel down on the table and said, "Fine. America it is. At least there, I might learn something."

After delivering this little jab at his father's teaching abilities, Simon stormed out. Jimmy, in all earnestness, asked Isaiah if he should go after him. Shaking his head, Isaiah said, "Don't worry about Simon. His love of fine food will overcome his anger." Sure enough, Simon came back before they finished the main course and devoured his roast duck.

[1203 words, 7157 total]

6c

Since the Ching family and Reverend Sung were all familiar with Western culture, they were all looking forward to being able taste such faire as borscht, french onion soup, roast beef, and chicken marsala. Most western restaurants during that time in Asia tended to carry an international menu since western food were pretty much lumped into one group.

And just in case some of the party objected to the standard western cuisine, a few Chinese dishes would be included in the menu as well. There would usually be an oxtail soup, disguised to be a french dish but in reality was a oxtail stew Chinese style. Also, some sort of fried rice or rice noodles would appear under the Chinese Food heading. Simon had a peculiar habit of trying out the Chinese cuisine in western restaurants, so Jimmy didn't feel out of place ordering the rice noodles with beef.

Reverend Sung's curiosity with Jimmy didn't last long; he was much more interested in what the younger two Chings were up to. The last time he had seen the two, they had been far more receptive to the gossip rags of Hollywood than the word of God so he feared a little that the younger two would not be as devout as the parents or Carol.

When Reverend Sung asked Simon what his plans for the future was, Barbara, under Isaiah's direction, made an announcement, much to Simon's surprise. She stood up and cleared her throat instead of letting Simon speak for himself.

"Simon," she declared, "will be going to America soon. I wrote my godparents and they have decided to sponsor him to America." She could feel Simon's stunned look boring into her back. She quickly continued. "He will be attending the California State University of Sacramento after he works off the money that paid for his passage to America."

A fist slammed down on the table, making the entire restaurant look towards their table. An fuming Simon asked, "Who made this decision?" Whirling on his father, he snarled, "Trying to get rid of me, old man, is that it?"

Very quietly at his end of the table, Reverend Sung coughed and said almost under his breath in English, "Thou shalt honor thy mother and father." Having said that, he bowed his head and prayed.

That small little action seemed to drive all the air away from Simon's horn and he just looked at the small praying man on one end of the table and then at the crippled, glowering man on the other end. Trying to keep his dignity and yet hold on to some of his righteous anger, he threw his towel down on the table and said, "Fine. America it is. At least there, I might learn something."

After delivering this little jab at his father's teaching abilities, Simon stormed out. Jimmy, in all earnestness, asked Isaiah if he should go after him. Shaking his head, Isaiah said, "Don't worry about Simon. His love of fine food will overcome his anger." Sure enough, Simon came back before they finished the main course and devoured his roast duck.

[520 words]

A body at rest tends to ....

[Author's Notes] So last night, on pins and needles all night (partially because of pms, partially because of the stupid useless election friggin' Ahnuld made us go through) I didn't write. Can you tell? I am now further behind than ever, but shall I let this daunt me? (God, I feel like Donnie Rumsy right now).

Today, I shall attempt to write 1,000 words and make up the rest on Friday, my birthday.

So, resigned idealist, how did you spend your 42nd birthday? Oh, I spent it doing laundry and bleeding from the fingers and my uterus. Yeah Yeah, I know my period isn't here yet, but trust me, my office, Bratworse AND myself can't wait. At least I won't be so jumpy and ready to snap at everyone.

All I can say is, I am so glad the voters in California came to their senses. I know that we lost San Diego and Orange to the dark side a long time ago, but I am sooooo glad that the rest of us has come to its senses.

Now, maybe I can write.

6b

Just then, a very nervous Jimmy walked up to Isaiah, stuck out his hand to shake Isaiah's before realizing Isaiah was leaning on his cane for support, and quickly withdrew the hand. Clearing his throat, he stood straight up and announced to Isaiah that his name was Jimmy Sun Wun Ming and he'd like the opportunity to sit next to the family during sermons, and if Isaiah didn't mind, perhaps he, Jimmy could take the entire family out to dinner sometime.

Simon looked at the firetruck red Carol, then at the stammering Jimmy and put his quick analytical mind to work. He quickly surmised Jimmy's intent and started laughing his head off, earning him a hard punch in the arm from Carol.

Before any of the family could react (besides laugh), Barbara quickly said, "Well, what about tonight?" Sarah poked her youngest in the back, though stifling a chuckle, and Isaiah laughed outright. The good natured Jimmy nodded with enthusiasm, even at the suggestion that a family friend come along, and to his everlasting credit, he never balked at the suggestion of the new western cuisine restaurant that just opened near the riverfront.

Before the night was out, Jimmy had become one of the family.

[205 words - to be continued]

6a

A few weeks after Jimmy had bought Barbara stinky tofu, he showed up at their church. When the family was just getting seated after waiting until Isaiah had dragged himself into a seat, Barbara noticed that Jimmy was sitting in a pew near the back.

She nudged Carol with a giggle, then as discretely as a giggly 18 year old could get, pointed at Jimmy. Carol turned three shades of pink before settling on a darker purple hue and the changes made Barbara giggle more. Poking them in the back, Simon pointed to a pew.

After the singing and tithing, a small bespectacled unassuming man took the podium and the Ching family collectively gasped: it was Sung Mok Sze, Reverend Sung, the one who had baptized all three Ching family children as well as all their cousins. Hallelujah, he had made it out of the Communists' grasp! Sarah beamed at her family as if it was her surprise, since she had played piano as well for the previous service and knew about his presence.

The affection with which the mostly Shanghainese audience showered on the good Reverend would've surprised the current Pastor of the church, if he hadn't just witnessed in the previous service. In 1946, his church consisted of mostly southern Chinese who'd emigrated to Macau in search of a better life than life in rural China but now, his church had been taken over by the Shanghainese refugees. It was amazing how many protestants came from up north. Here, in the south, the heavier influence had been catholic.

So, when Reverend Sung contacted him from Hong Kong and confirmed the large presence of Shanghainese in Macau, they quickly arranged for this surprise visit. It was a good move; Reverend Wong could see his congregation visibly perk up.

Revereng Sung had specifically asked about Isaiah and was saddened to learn of his stroke. He hadn't been surprised to learn of Sarah's immediate volunteering to take over piano duties and was glad to hear that Carol seemed to follow in the elders' footsteps of service to the church. What of the two younger, he wanted to know and in order to do that, he had decided to stay the week.

Barbara loved having Reverend Sung around. He'd always been a sweet, benign person to be around, one that people tried to make laugh because his laugh was so infectious. Even Simon enjoyed having him around and Simon liked very few people.

After the sermon, Sarah rushed over to tell her family that they were going out for dinner. Isaiah looked at her with surprise, and she said to him, "I'm going home to press your best suit. You are going to look so handsome. I've been saving for a special occasion and I guess this is going to be it." She straightened up his tie, beaming at him.

[478 words]

Chapter 5

Just as they had reached the four year mark in Macau, things finally came to a head between Simon and Isaiah. Isaiah would love to have throttled his son, just to knock some sense and humily into him, if only he could move fast enough to catch him. Simon, for his part, would have loved to have teach his old man a lesson, if being crippled didn't forever taint that allowance. As it was, tempers simmered along for lack of a release.

Isaiah had indeed become a changed man after his stroke. His bitterness tinged everything which made being around him hardly bearable. One of the reasons people had such sympathy for Sarah was knowing Isaiah's temper. Yet, it seemed a miracle to most in the church that Isaiah seemed to know and understand where each person's breaking point was, and he seemed to stay clear of that. Nonetheless, his temper was still something to behold.

No slouch in the temper department himself, Simon had the fiery Ching temper. Once it flared, it had to burn itself out or the simmering result would last in a fireball no one in the family wanted to experience. Therefore, Simon almost always got what he wanted, from food at dinner to getting a partition to his part of the studio apartment. Barbara and Carol would console themselves telling each other about how hard it'd be for Simon to find a wife who was willing to put up with both his idiosyncracies as well as temper. The more repugnant his temper, the more they voiced this opinion as if to curse him.

This particular row was over Simon's grades. At first, Simon got top honors no matter the class but after three years, his grades were bordering on being average. Why! Isaiah wanted to know from his son, how could he, a principal's son, let his grades fall to such an... average (the word was spat out) degree?

Barbara, having just gotten home from school, pulled up a chair to eat her afternoon snack of red bean biscuit. For a moment, she wondered if she should get up and seek out some amusement but Simon shot her a pleading look. Resignedly, she tried to make herself as small as she could in the corner.

Isaiah was waving his cane around like a sword, his voice getting louder with every swipe he took. "I just don't understand it. You have got to be one of the brightest I've ever seen and yet, you're willing to throw it all away! What is wrong with you, that you have to spit on everything that's given to you?"

Simon yawned, which infuriated Isaiah more; Barbara could tell by how wide the arcs in his swing was. "You listen to me! Don't you remember your teachings? Honor your father and mother! Is this how you honor your mother, how you honor me? No, you disgrace me! And your mother!"

At this, Simon took offense. "Mother understands why I needn't bother! Peh, the way you're acting, this is Oxford. Wake up and look around, old man. This isn't Shanghai. This is Macau. And you cannot call that school, a university! Why should I try? I might as well go to the racetrack!"

"The racetrack! I knew it! I knew you were up to no good. Do you know what God thinks of gambling?" Isaiah was almost spitting his words out.

"Do you know, old man," Simon said slowly, pointing to Isaiah's brandished cane, "how that was paid for? Do you really think Mother says no when I give her part of my winnings? She says, 'Thank you, Son,' then goes out and buys you special spices so you can have your chili dishes. Simon leaned into his father's face, "Why don't you say, 'Thank you?'"

Immediately, a clang rang out as the cane dropped onto the tiled floor followed by an echoing smack. Barbara looked up to see Simon's aghast face as he clutched his left cheek. Her father was beckoning to her brother, "Come on closer, so I can get the other cheek, son."

Simon spat at the ground and left the house.

Sighing heavily, Isaiah leaned over to pick up his cane, but it had skittered just out of his reach. Barbara ran over to help him. "Obedient daughter," Isaiah muttered absently. Was it her imagination or did her father just sprout some white hair? It was hard to tell against the pale skin. Her father's gaze landed on her and his eyes focused. "So, youngest daughter of mine. What shall we do about this brother of yours? It seems he needs a challenge. Where shall he go?"

"Well, most of our family went to America. Maybe they can help?"

"I've tried. It seems most don't want to associate with the principal of a school that printed Communist propaganda. Strange, huh?" Isaiah's eyes twinkled at his daughter. She giggled, happy to see some life stirring in her father again. Perhaps it took Simon making him this mad to appreciate life again?

"Well, you know who else is in America? My godparents."

"Oh yes! Victor and Samantha. Why don't you write them and see," here, Isaiah's tone turned mocking, "if they're up to handling an ill-tempered genius?"

Simon's fate was sealed the second Barbara put pen to paper.

[889 words, 5954 total]

5b

Isaiah was waving his cane around like a sword, his voice getting louder with every swipe he took. "I just don't understand it. You have got to be one of the brightest I've ever seen and yet, you're willing to throw it all away! What is wrong with you, that you have to spit on everything that's given to you?"

Simon yawned, which infuriated Isaiah more; Barbara could tell by how wide the arcs in his swing was. "You listen to me! Don't you remember your teachings? Honor your father and mother! Is this how you honor your mother, how you honor me? No, you disgrace me! And your mother!"

At this, Simon took offense. "Mother understands why I needn't bother! Peh, the way you're acting, this is Oxford. Wake up and look around, old man. This isn't Shanghai. This is Macau. And you cannot call that school, a university! Why should I try? I might as well go to the racetrack!"

"The racetrack! I knew it! I knew you were up to no good. Do you know what God thinks of gambling?" Isaiah was almost spitting his words out.

"Do you know, old man," Simon said slowly, pointing to Isaiah's brandished cane, "how that was paid for? Do you really think Mother says no when I give her part of my winnings? She says, 'Thank you, Son,' then goes out and buys you special spices so you can have your chili dishes. Simon leaned into his father's face, "Why don't you say, 'Thank you?'"

Immediately, a clang rang out as the cane dropped onto the tiled floor followed by an echoing smack. Barbara looked up to see Simon's aghast face as he clutched his left cheek. Her father was beckoning to her brother, "Come on closer, so I can get the other cheek, son."

Simon spat at the ground and left the house.

Sighing heavily, Isaiah leaned over to pick up his cane, but it had skittered just out of his reach. Barbara ran over to help him. "Obedient daughter," Isaiah muttered absently. Was it her imagination or did her father just sprout some white hair? It was hard to tell against the pale skin. Her father's gaze landed on her and his eyes focused. "So, youngest daughter of mine. What shall we do about this brother of yours? It seems he needs a challenge. Where shall he go?"

"Well, most of our family went to America. Maybe they can help?"

"I've tried. It seems most don't want to associate with the principal of a school that printed Communist propaganda. Strange, huh?" Isaiah's eyes twinkled at his daughter. She giggled, happy to see some life stirring in her father again. Perhaps it took Simon making him this mad to appreciate life again?

"Well, you know who else is in America? My godparents."

"Oh yes! Victor and Samantha. Why don't you write them and see," here, Isaiah's tone turned mocking, "if they're up to handling an ill-tempered genius?"

Simon's fate was sealed the second Barbara put pen to paper.

[509 words]

5a

Just as they had reached the four year mark in Macau, things finally came to a head between Simon and Isaiah. Isaiah would love to have throttled his son, just to knock some sense and humily into him, if only he could move fast enough to catch him. Simon, for his part, would have loved to have teach his old man a lesson, if being crippled didn't forever taint that allowance. As it was, tempers simmered along for lack of a release.

Isaiah had indeed become a changed man after his stroke. His bitterness tinged everything which made being around him hardly bearable. One of the reasons people had such sympathy for Sarah was knowing Isaiah's temper. Yet, it seemed a miracle to most in the church that Isaiah seemed to know and understand where each person's breaking point was, and he seemed to stay clear of that. Nonetheless, his temper was still something to behold.

No slouch in the temper department himself, Simon had the fiery Ching temper. Once it flared, it had to burn itself out or the simmering result would last in a fireball no one in the family wanted to experience. Therefore, Simon almost always got what he wanted, from food at dinner to getting a partition to his part of the studio apartment. Barbara and Carol would console themselves telling each other about how hard it'd be for Simon to find a wife who was willing to put up with both his idiosyncracies as well as temper. The more repugnant his temper, the more they voiced this opinion as if to curse him.

This particular row was over Simon's grades. At first, Simon got top honors no matter the class but after three years, his grades were bordering on being average. Why! Isaiah wanted to know from his son, how could he, a principal's son, let his grades fall to such an... average (the word was spat out) degree?

Barbara, having just gotten home from school, pulled up a chair to eat her afternoon snack of red bean biscuit. For a moment, she wondered if she should get up and seek out some amusement but Simon shot her a pleading look. Resignedly, she tried to make herself as small as she could in the corner.

[380 words]

Chapter 4

During Barbara's 3rd year at "university", she had taken a break between classes in search of stinky tofu. Stinky tofu was a Shanghai delicacy which had recently wound its way down to the streets of Macau. It really was an appropriate name; most local folks in Macau would studiously avoid the stall. Yet the stall was constantly mobbed by the Shanghainese immigrants who found the odor and taste both flavorful and fragrant.

Barbara had been pretty happy lately; her studies really didn't occupy her time or thoughts too much. Even with as little time as she spent on schoolwork, she was still the head of the class, and that was pretty much all that mattered, wasn't it? In the meantime, another movie theatre opened up just around the corner from the cramped apartment they all resided in, so all in all, life was really good.

She sniffed the air for the tell-tale pungency of the tofu. Ah, there it was, she can just make out its smell over the exhaust fumes of cars whizzing by. Because business was so brisk, the "tsuh duh voo" stall hadn't moved from its spot in days. It was indicative of the sheer numbers of Shanghainese flooding into the city; in 1949, no street vendor alive would've been caught selling the aromatic delicacy.

Nudging her way to the front of the line, Barbara quickly ordered and got two large dripping pieces of tofu but before she could pay, a hand shot out of the crowd to pay for it. Standing on tiptoes, she tried to look over the shoulders of the crowd behind her. "Ah Koo, sze nung ah?" Big Brother, is that you?

The hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbed her wrist and pulled her through a small opening in the crowd and squirting through, she emerged in the open looking for Simon. But it wasn't Simon. It was another guy standing there, grinning at her.

Puzzled, she demanded, "Nei hai meen goh!" switching to the local dialect, Cantonese, she had picked up these past two years. The skinny, kind-of-good-looking-but-definitely-with-eyes-too-narrow boy just shrugged at her, then spoke in halting broken Cantonese, "Mm sik gong." No know speak. He continued to grin at her.

She switched to Shanghainese, not knowing what else to do. "Nung gong Sang Hei woo, ah?" He nodded once, still grinning but his grin was slowly metamorphized into something more bashful. Barbara thought to herself, oh no, I hope this grinning dummy isn't about to ask me out.

Finally, the boy said in Shanghainese, "Ve sho de nah nung gong..." Don't know how to say it... and he quickly blurted out, "Nung yuh ah chia? Ngu keu chu goo, gah." You have an elder sister, I've seen her. He then shuffled his feet and blushed at the floor, which immediately endeared him to Barbara.

Oh good, it's Carol you like. Cause you're just a bit too dopey for me. But, you might be good for Carol. Barbara didn't say anything to this declaration of his, there wasn't any need to, so she waited for him to say why he bought the stinky tofu for her. And she waited. After a minute or two, she finally spoke up. "Wei! Ngu ve dung le hao." Hey! I'm not going to wait any longer. She pointed at the stinky tofu and with four gulps, she had downed the two pieces.

"Eh?" The boy looked up from his feet and with a start, realized that Barbara was still standing there and that she had been waiting for him to speak before eating. "Oh! Deh ve chee, deh ve chee." He bowed as he said this. Giggling, Barbara accepted his apology though she thought he was overdoing it a bit. After all, it seemed to her, the boy was more apologizing for his thoughts than his actions or lack thereof.
Then the boy jerked his head away from the stall and Barbara nodded. Following him would be far more interesting than going back to spend the afternoon typing. Somehow the boy seemed safe and Barbara trusted her instincts. He led them to a less traversed but still fairly crowded corner where it was more pedestrians and less vehicles.

"Hau che, mah?" Good eats? She nodded, aware that her breath now carried a trace of the aroma. "Good, good." Surprised for the first time today, Barbara wondered where the boy picked up English. He could barely speak Cantonese, yet his English was spot on? Strange.

"Ngu sz Sun Wun Ming. Beh ning chiao ngu Jimmy. Ngu yi sz che St. Joseph's dok sze guh. Ngu ah chia luh nung bak bak guh hoh dong dok sze. Leh yee duh, ngu kew chee nung ah chia, soo yi shao duh nung yuh ah chia. Mmm-muh siang duh weh duh leh tse di kew chee nung."

I am Sun Wun Ming, but others call me Jimmy. I went to St. Joseph's [in Shanghai] to study. My elder sister went to your father's school. There, I've seen your elder sister, that's how I knew you have one. Never thought I'd see you here.

"Gah tsioh," She chuckled.

"What's so strange?" he looked at her puzzled.

"Your name! It sounds the same as my sister's. Wun Ming." "Yi yang, guh!" she repeated for emphasis.

"Oh really? It must be fate, then", he laughed. "Can you bring me to go see her?"

Barbara stepped back, giving Jimmy a hard look. "Why should I trust you?" But seeing immediately the sadness that descended at her words, she quickly said, "But there is a way you could see her. Start going to my church." and she gave the address to him. "She plays piano for the children during the first service, then she goes and listens to the sermon at the second service. I suggest the second service."

Leaving him at the corner with his mouth open, she ran away yelling back, "Thanks for the stinky tofu....!"

[993 words, 5,065 words]

4b

Then the boy jerked his head away from the stall and Barbara nodded. Following him would be far more interesting than going back to spend the afternoon typing. Somehow the boy seemed safe and Barbara trusted her instincts. He led them to a less traversed but still fairly crowded corner where it was more pedestrians and less vehicles.

"Hau che, mah?" Good eats? She nodded, aware that her breath now carried a trace of the aroma. "Good, good." Surprised for the first time today, Barbara wondered where the boy picked up English. He could barely speak Cantonese, yet his English was spot on? Strange.

"Ngu sz Sun Wun Ming. Beh ning chiao ngu Jimmy. Ngu yi sz che St. Joseph's dok sze guh. Ngu ah chia luh nung bak bak guh hoh dong dok sze. Leh yee duh, ngu kew chee nung ah chia, soo yi shao duh nung yuh ah chia. Mmm-muh siang duh weh duh leh tse di kew chee nung."

I am Sun Wun Ming, but others call me Jimmy. I went to St. Joseph's [in Shanghai] to study. My elder sister went to your father's school. There, I've seen your elder sister, that's how I knew you have one. Never thought I'd see you here.

"Gah tsioh," She chuckled.

"What's so strange?" he looked at her puzzled.

"Your name! It sounds the same as my sister's. Wun Ming." "Yi yang, guh!" she repeated for emphasis.

"Oh really? It must be fate, then", he laughed. "Can you bring me to go see her?"

Barbara stepped back, giving Jimmy a hard look. "Why should I trust you?" But seeing immediately the sadness that descended at her words, she quickly said, "But there is a way you could see her. Start going to my church." and she gave the address to him. "She plays piano for the children during the first service, then she goes and listens to the sermon at the second service. I suggest the second service."

Leaving him at the corner with his mouth open, she ran away yelling back, "Thanks for the stinky tofu....!"

[349 words]

4a

During Barbara's 3rd year at "university", she had taken a break between classes in search of stinky tofu. Stinky tofu was a Shanghai delicacy which had recently wound its way down to the streets of Macau. It really was an appropriate name; most local folks in Macau would studiously avoid the stall. Yet the stall was constantly mobbed by the Shanghainese immigrants who found the odor and taste both flavorful and fragrant.

Barbara had been pretty happy lately; her studies really didn't occupy her time or thoughts too much. Even with as little time as she spent on schoolwork, she was still the head of the class, and that was pretty much all that mattered, wasn't it? In the meantime, another movie theatre opened up just around the corner from the cramped apartment they all resided in, so all in all, life was really good.

She sniffed the air for the tell-tale pungency of the tofu. Ah, there it was, she can just make out its smell over the exhaust fumes of cars whizzing by. Because business was so brisk, the "tsuh duh voo" stall hadn't moved from its spot in days. It was indicative of the sheer numbers of Shanghainese flooding into the city; in 1949, no street vendor alive would've been caught selling the aromatic delicacy.

Nudging her way to the front of the line, Barbara quickly ordered and got two large dripping pieces of tofu but before she could pay, a hand shot out of the crowd to pay for it. Standing on tiptoes, she tried to look over the shoulders of the crowd behind her. "Ah Koo, sze nung ah?" Big Brother, is that you?

The hand appeared out of nowhere, grabbed her wrist and pulled her through a small opening in the crowd and squirting through, she emerged in the open looking for Simon. But it wasn't Simon. It was another guy standing there, grinning at her.

Puzzled, she demanded, "Nei hai meen goh!" switching to the local dialect, Cantonese, she had picked up these past two years. The skinny, kind-of-good-looking-but-definitely-with-eyes-too-narrow boy just shrugged at her, then spoke in halting broken Cantonese, "Mm sik gong." No know speak. He continued to grin at her.

She switched to Shanghainese, not knowing what else to do. "Nung gong Sang Hei woo, ah?" He nodded once, still grinning but his grin was slowly metamorphized into something more bashful. Barbara thought to herself, oh no, I hope this grinning dummy isn't about to ask me out.

Finally, the boy said in Shanghainese, "Ve sho de nah nung gong..." Don't know how to say it... and he quickly blurted out, "Nung yuh ah chia? Ngu keu chu goo, gah." You have an elder sister, I've seen her. He then shuffled his feet and blushed at the floor, which immediately endeared him to Barbara.

Oh good, it's Carol you like. Cause you're just a bit too dopey for me. But, you might be good for Carol. Barbara didn't say anything to this declaration of his, there wasn't any need to, so she waited for him to say why he bought the stinky tofu for her. And she waited. After a minute or two, she finally spoke up. "Wei! Ngu ve dung le hao." Hey! I'm not going to wait any longer. She pointed at the stinky tofu and with four gulps, she had downed the two pieces.

"Eh?" The boy looked up from his feet and with a start, realized that Barbara was still standing there and that she had been waiting for him to speak before eating. "Oh! Deh ve chee, deh ve chee." He bowed as he said this. Giggling, Barbara accepted his apology though she thought he was overdoing it a bit. After all, it seemed to her, the boy was more apologizing for his thoughts than his actions or lack thereof.

[644 words]

Chapter 3

Simon and she went to different schools mainly because in 1949 Macau, one just didn't find a true university that accept women. The scholarly arts were for men. The school Barbara attended, the one intended for her homebound sister was more like a secretarial finishing school.

The courses offered in the secretarial school were for subjects like typing, or stenography, or dictation. Of course Barbara excelled in them; she was a quick study no matter the subject. But challenging? No, she was sick with envy every time she'd look at her brother's diminishing form as he walked away to his school.

He got to study such exciting subjects as trigonometry, or calculus, or chemistry. At first, Barbara would get Simon to teach her the things he was learning, but she quickly figured out that either he was a lousy teacher (which was entirely possible) or he was deliberately leaving things out so she couldn't follow him (which again was posssible). No matter the reason, she wasn't understanding. So to stop the frustration with both the subject and with Simon, she just stopped asking.

She called it the "Ah Q" mentality. And she was proud of herself for being able to execute it. Her youngest daughter in the future would call it the Polly Gumping of life, in reference to two movies: Pollyanna and Forrest Gump. Basicaly, it was, if it's upsetting, look at something else that makes you happy. In this case, she didn't want to think that she was stupid, nor did she want to think her brother was malicious.

Simon's life for the next four years would be consumed with showing the professors at the university he was smarter and therefore had little time to go gallavanting with Barbara. Too much urging from her would start a lecture about how she wanted fun too much and how it will just harm her in the end. The retreat from his presence was immediate.

"Come on, come visit the market with me," and Carol would shake her head no, with a fearful glance out the window. Carol's life consisted of home and the church, with occasional forays out to eat. It seemed to Barbara that Carol was afraid the Communists would burst through the door any moment to snatch her and drag her back to the mainland. "Ve wei da leh guh, ah Chia" They won't come, Sis. But a grunt from Isaiah would confirm the necessity of Carol staying at home since Sarah was at work.

Within a month of them finding a church, Sarah had taken over as the church piano player. It was the perfect opportunity to be devout, show devotion as well as advertise one's skill and talents. And since everyone in the church knew of Isaiah's condition, Sarah was soon teaching all the children in the church piano, earning enough for the medical bills as well as food and rent for the entire family.

As more and more Shanghainese flooded into Macau, Sarah's students finally started extending past the parameters of the church. She became the piano teacher for the entire Shanghai community in Macau. Years later, Sarah's grandchildren would be astounded by the constant flow of former students that came by to pay their respect to her.

Before long, Carol took on students of her own since the demand outstripped the supply. Though Barbara's skill at the piano was nearly equal to Carol's she wasn't old enough to command respect and was spared having to work. Simon, of course, didn't have to work; all his energy had to be directed at studying.

Isaiah, at this point, could move around gingerly by using a cane and dragging his left foot around. He had gone from a handsome laughing man to an angry, grumpy man who often took his anger out on yelling at every little transgression. All of them dreaded staying at home because of Isaiah's temper but he still needed frequent attention. He was unable to bathe by himself and he fell often.

After one particular nasty exchange between Isaiah and Simon, Sarah told the three children not to come home until she had put a white handkerchief in the window. Carol, Simon and Barbara huddled beneath the window, speculating wildly in their thoughts, but none daring to vocalize them.

After what seemed like countless hours, the much anticipated handkerchief appeared. The three of them marched in with sideway glances at the parents. Isaiah was calm and sitting at the head of the table, with a full spread in front of him. He indicated to the three to sit down. Sarah then sat down and offered a prayer of thanks. Nothing else was ever said about that night and a peace descended upon the family that lasted close to 30 years.

One thing changed: Isaiah, though still bellicose at times, never seemed to deliberately pushing buttons again. Before, he attempt stunts like telling Carol she was stupid, which Carol was insecure about due to the obvious intelligence of her siblings; or telling Simon he was effeminate. The only person he indulged was Barbara who could always make him laugh for she was the only one who understood his dark humor, who laughed merrily at his twisted comments.

What had transpired between Isaiah and Sarah only the two of them knew. Barbara suspected that Sarah just made Isaiah understand he was totally and utterly dependant on the good graces of the rest of the family. That was how she could just relax in front of her father and enjoy herself, unlike her siblings. They cared too much about what Isaiah said.

Not Barbara. She had finally found the one movie house Macau had, at the time. And Halleluah, they were showing the latest Judy Garland musical.

[963 words, 4071 total]

3b

After one particular nasty exchange between Isaiah and Simon, Sarah told the three children not to come home until she had put a white handkerchief in the window. Carol, Simon and Barbara huddled beneath the window, speculating wildly in their thoughts, but none daring to vocalize them.

After what seemed like countless hours, the much anticipated handkerchief appeared. The three of them marched in with sideway glances at the parents. Isaiah was calm and sitting at the head of the table, with a full spread in front of him. He indicated to the three to sit down. Sarah then sat down and offered a prayer of thanks. Nothing else was ever said about that night and a peace descended upon the family that lasted close to 30 years.

One thing changed: Isaiah, though still bellicose at times, never seemed to deliberately pushing buttons again. Before, he attempt stunts like telling Carol she was stupid, which Carol was insecure about due to the obvious intelligence of her siblings; or telling Simon he was effeminate. The only person he indulged was Barbara who could always make him laugh for she was the only one who understood his dark humor, who laughed merrily at his twisted comments.

What had transpired between Isaiah and Sarah only the two of them knew. Barbara suspected that Sarah just made Isaiah understand he was totally and utterly dependant on the good graces of the rest of the family. That was how she could just relax in front of her father and enjoy herself, unlike her siblings. They cared too much about what Isaiah said.

Not Barbara. She had finally found the one movie house Macau had, at the time. And Halleluah, they were showing the latest Judy Garland musical.

[292 words]

3a

Simon and she went to different schools mainly because in 1949 Macau, one just didn't find a true university that accept women. The scholarly arts were for men. The school Barbara attended, the one intended for her homebound sister was more like a secretarial finishing school.

The courses offered in the secretarial school were for subjects like typing, or stenography, or dictation. Of course Barbara excelled in them; she was a quick study no matter the subject. But challenging? No, she was sick with envy every time she'd look at her brother's diminishing form as he walked away to his school.

He got to study such exciting subjects as trigonometry, or calculus, or chemistry. At first, Barbara would get Simon to teach her the things he was learning, but she quickly figured out that either he was a lousy teacher (which was entirely possible) or he was deliberately leaving things out so she couldn't follow him (which again was posssible). No matter the reason, she wasn't understanding. So to stop the frustration with both the subject and with Simon, she just stopped asking.

She called it the "Ah Q" mentality. And she was proud of herself for being able to execute it. Her youngest daughter in the future would call it the Polly Gumping of life, in reference to two movies: Pollyanna and Forrest Gump. Basicaly, it was, if it's upsetting, look at something else that makes you happy. In this case, she didn't want to think that she was stupid, nor did she want to think her brother was malicious.

Simon's life for the next four years would be consumed with showing the professors at the university he was smarter and therefore had little time to go gallavanting with Barbara. Too much urging from her would start a lecture about how she wanted fun too much and how it will just harm her in the end. The retreat from his presence was immediate.

"Come on, come visit the market with me," and Carol would shake her head no, with a fearful glance out the window. Carol's life consisted of home and the church, with occasional forays out to eat. It seemed to Barbara that Carol was afraid the Communists would burst through the door any moment to snatch her and drag her back to the mainland. "Ve wei da leh guh, ah Chia" They won't come, Sis. But a grunt from Isaiah would confirm the necessity of Carol staying at home since Sarah was at work.

Within a month of them finding a church, Sarah had taken over as the church piano player. It was the perfect opportunity to be devout, show devotion as well as advertise one's skill and talents. And since everyone in the church knew of Isaiah's condition, Sarah was soon teaching all the children in the church piano, earning enough for the medical bills as well as food and rent for the entire family.

As more and more Shanghainese flooded into Macau, Sarah's students finally started extending past the parameters of the church. She became the piano teacher for the entire Shanghai community in Macau. Years later, Sarah's grandchildren would be astounded by the constant flow of former students that came by to pay their respect to her.

Before long, Carol took on students of her own since the demand outstripped the supply. Though Barbara's skill at the piano was nearly equal to Carol's she wasn't old enough to command respect and was spared having to work. Simon, of course, didn't have to work; all his energy had to be directed at studying.

Isaiah, at this point, could move around gingerly by using a cane and dragging his left foot around. He had gone from a handsome laughing man to an angry, grumpy man who often took his anger out on yelling at every little transgression. All of them dreaded staying at home because of Isaiah's temper but he still needed frequent attention. He was unable to bathe by himself and he fell often.

[669 words]

Chapter 2

Barbara soon found out that being on the run wasn't fun in the least. For four weeks, the Chings made their way south, often only a few steps ahead of the Communist army. Rumors made truth impossible to see. One day they would hear that Mao Tse Tung had been assassinated and the next day, it'd be Chiang Kai-shek who'd been.

Fearful that Simon would be taken to serve in either party's army, Sarah talked Simon into wearing women's clothes for the duration of the trip. Though Simon felt emasculated by his actions, he nonetheless had to face the truth: he wasn't a fighter. Simon had been reared to be the genius of the family. Early on, he was allowed to not participate in sports to further his studies in mathematics.

After two days of teasing by Barbara, (Carol had better sense, AND had been an early recipient of Simon's temper) Simon finally managed to corner Barbara and after a painful headlock, extracted a promise of silence from Barbara that she kept until after his death. During the exchange, Barbara had seen a wild panic behind Simon's eyes that just seemed too close to the surface for comfort. She made the promise not because she was afraid he'd hurt her, but rather, that he'd hurt himself.

Carol had withdrawn more and more the further south they went. Each town they stepped in seemed to have more stories about atrocities committed by the Communists and each story would make Carol blanch more. No one needed to say "And this was the crowd you hung around with?" Carol's stricken face told the family she was trying to reconcile revolution with being a Christian.

Barbara tried to approach Carol a few times; after all, it had to have been better than to be around a mortified Simon, but it seemed both her siblings had, for their own reasons, withdrawn from the world. Barbara took to watching her parents for sheer alleviation of boredom.

Isaiah was a very handsome man and he was fully aware of it. His skin was this luminescent pearl white; Barbara had often overheard their servants whispering that the reason for his skin was a Russian ancestor. Snickers would follow that observation which would anger Barbara. From then onwards, she had always made sure people thought of their family as pure Chinese, central stock.

Sarah, on the other hand, was rather stern looking. Even when she smiled, which was rare, she seemed to display dragon teeth. Few dared to cross her yet it seemed Isaiah did, frequently.

Isaiah had one weakness, and that was the theatre. He had a box at Shanghai Opera House and often on the way home, he would stop there for a song or two. Because Sarah was quite vocal in her dislike of Chinese Opera, none of her children grew up to understand just what Isaiah heard in those one-word-that-can-be-stretched-into-dozens-of-notes. Which suited Isaiah quite nicely. After a full day being at a school full of children, the last thing he wanted was his own children disturbing him during his bliss.

Three weeks on intense scrutiny led Barbara to believe that her mother and father didn't really love each other, they merely seemed to tolerate each other. Shaking her head, she vowed to herself she'd never end up in that state.

Then, just as Macau was within two day's reach, a test of their faith shook them all up. Isaiah collapsed with a stroke. Simon had managed to find a doctor, also a refugee. For his diagnosis, Simon had to promise a percentage of his future earnings. Recognizing Isaiah and the Ching family as devout Christians, the doctor made Simon promise on a Bible with Sarah as witness.

The prognosis wasn't good; Isaiah was completely paralyzed on the left side. Managing to create a make-shift stretcher, Sarah and the children took turns carrying Isaiah into Macau. Because of Isaiah's state, they almost weren't allowed into Macau, but Sarah slipped the border guard a very large emerald broach. The change in attitude was almost comical. In fact, it was the border guard who found them the residence in which they'd live for the next five years.

The first few weeks were spent in getting a doctor for Isaiah, a job for Sarah, school for the children and of course a church. The doctor and church were relatively easy to find; it turned out that the guard was a Christian as well, his parents having been converted by Portuguese missionaries. "Didn't I tell you God would provide?" Sarah would ask her children nightly as if to convince herself.

When it came time for the children to start school again, Carol decided to stay at home. "Baba needs someone to take care of him" was the reason given. Going around to the high schools in the area, she found that unless she had the proper papers showing proof of residency in Macau, she had to provide a sizable bribe. With the limited income she had and with Isaiah's rising medical bills, a bribe was out.

An answer came when Sarah was about to throw out Carol's application to the local university. Realizing that no proof of residency, age, OR graduation was needed to attend the school, she quickly enrolled both Simon and Barbara, counting on both their intelligence to keep up.

Another thing Sarah counted on was the fact that all three of her children had little deh tse or daam in the local dialect, Cantonese. No, daring was truly lacking in all three. Therefore, she had little trouble trusting them to stay out of trouble.

At 16 years old, Barbara entered the adult world of the university.

[949 words, 3108 total]

2b

Then, just as Macau was within two day's reach, a test of their faith shook them all up. Isaiah collapsed with a stroke. Simon had managed to find a doctor, also a refugee. For his diagnosis, Simon had to promise a percentage of his future earnings. Recognizing Isaiah and the Ching family as devout Christians, the doctor made Simon promise on a Bible with Sarah as witness.

The prognosis wasn't good; Isaiah was completely paralyzed on the left side. Managing to create a make-shift stretcher, Sarah and the children took turns carrying Isaiah into Macau. Because of Isaiah's state, they almost weren't allowed into Macau, but Sarah slipped the border guard a very large emerald broach. The change in attitude was almost comical. In fact, it was the border guard who found them the residence in which they'd live for the next five years.

The first few weeks were spent in getting a doctor for Isaiah, a job for Sarah, school for the children and of course a church. The doctor and church were relatively easy to find; it turned out that the guard was a Christian as well, his parents having been converted by Portuguese missionaries. "Didn't I tell you God would provide?" Sarah would ask her children nightly as if to convince herself.

When it came time for the children to start school again, Carol decided to stay at home. "Baba needs someone to take care of him" was the reason given. Going around to the high schools in the area, she found that unless she had the proper papers showing proof of residency in Macau, she had to provide a sizable bribe. With the limited income she had and with Isaiah's rising medical bills, a bribe was out.

An answer came when Sarah was about to throw out Carol's application to the local university. Realizing that no proof of residency, age, OR graduation was needed to attend the school, she quickly enrolled both Simon and Barbara, counting on both their intelligence to keep up.

Another thing Sarah counted on was the fact that all three of her children had little deh tse or daam in the local dialect, Cantonese. No, daring was truly lacking in all three. Therefore, she had little trouble trusting them to stay out of trouble.

At 16 years old, Barbara enters the adult world of the university.

[394 words]

Chapter 2a

Barbara soon found out that being on the run wasn't fun in the least. For four weeks, the Chings made their way south, often only a few steps ahead of the Communist army. Rumors made truth impossible to see. One day they would hear that Mao Tse Tung had been assassinated and the next day, it'd be Chiang Kai-shek who'd been.

Fearful that Simon would be taken to serve in either party's army, Sarah talked Simon into wearing women's clothes for the duration of the trip. Though Simon felt emasculated by his actions, he nonetheless had to face the truth: he wasn't a fighter. Simon had been reared to be the genius of the family. Early on, he was allowed to not participate in sports to further his studies in mathematics.

After two days of teasing by Barbara, (Carol had better sense, AND had been an early recipient of Simon's temper) Simon finally managed to corner Barbara and after a painful headlock, extracted a promise of silence from Barbara that she kept until after his death. During the exchange, Barbara had seen a wild panic behind Simon's eyes that just seemed too close to the surface for comfort. She made the promise not because she was afraid he'd hurt her, but rather, that he'd hurt himself.

Carol had withdrawn more and more the further south they went. Each town they stepped in seemed to have more stories about atrocities committed by the Communists and each story would make Carol blanch more. No one needed to say "And this was the crowd you hung around with?" Carol's stricken face told the family she was trying to reconcile revolution with being a Christian.

Barbara tried to approach Carol a few times; after all, it had to have been better than to be around a mortified Simon, but it seemed both her siblings had, for their own reasons, withdrawn from the world. Barbara took to watching her parents for sheer alleviation of boredom.

Isaiah was a very handsome man and he was fully aware of it. His skin was this luminescent pearl white; Barbara had often overheard their servants whispering that the reason for his skin was a Russian ancestor. Snickers would follow that observation which would anger Barbara. From then onwards, she had always made sure people thought of their family as pure Chinese, central stock.

Sarah, on the other hand, was rather stern looking. Even when she smiled, which was rare, she seemed to display dragon teeth. Few dared to cross her yet it seemed Isaiah did, frequently.

Isaiah had one weakness, and that was the theatre. He had a box at Shanghai Opera House and often on the way home, he would stop there for a song or two. Because Sarah was quite vocal in her dislike of Chinese Opera, none of her children grew up to understand just what Isaiah heard in those one-word-that-can-be-stretched-into-dozens-of-notes. Which suited Isaiah quite nicely. After a full day being at a school full of children, the last thing he wanted was his own children disturbing him during his bliss.

Three weeks on intense scrutiny led Barbara to believe that her mother and father didn't really love each other, they merely seemed to tolerate each other. Shaking her head, she vowed to herself she'd never end up in that state.

[555 words]

1c

Barbara wasn't sure how she felt about leaving Shanghai in 1949. She had just turned sweet 16 (not that anyone in her family had noticed) and in the past few years since the war had ended in 1945, she had enjoyed such freedoms like she never did before. Because both her parents, Sarah and Isaiah were involved with reconstruction as well as trying to keep Carol out of trouble, both Simon and Barbara were pretty much left to their own devices.

On Saturdays in Shanghai, Barbara used to love hopping from movie house to movie house, seeing as many as four movies in a day. She'd hit the morning movie, run and get a snack from a food stall on the way to the second theatre house, see two more movies, get dinner from another food stall on the way to the fourth movie house. Arriving home, Sarah'd ask "Chue sah dee fong, ah?" Where'd you go? And Barbara'd shrug and reply "Kui deen ying." She start to tell her mother about who was in the movie, but before five words got out her mouth, Sarah'd be dealing with Simon's current woes.

So, Barbara grew up in a dream-state of sorts, with movie stars like Barbara Stanwyck to serve as role models. Her class-mates and her poured over the latest gossip rags from Hollywood that were ferried over from the States. Of course, the latest would mean three-to-five year old articles but Barbara and her friends didn't care.

When Isaiah announced the move to Macau, Barbara only had one question. Do they show American movies there?

[266 words]

Adding onto Chapter 1

[Author's Notes] Ugh, just realized that what I needed to put in is actually part of Chapter 1. God, I hate writing sometimes. People have asked me in the past where I break up the paragraphs, the chapters. I likened it to this: You know how you put a comma in when you take a breath in your sentences? Well, the paragraph and chapter changes come when you take a breath in your ideas.

And since I'm writing about how Barbara got to Hong Kong (Oh, it needs to be established I think that she's from Shanghai), there's no pause in idea.

Changing Perspectives

[Author's Notes] I spent a day thinking about it and yup, I'm tossing out what I have of Chapter 2.

Why? Because I deliberately shifted perspectives to that of Barbara's mother. While I think I managed to capture a different voice, I think the change in perspectives detracted from the story rather than add to it.

The main reason to change a perspective in a novel is to provide the reader with knowledge that the protagonist doesn't have. No matter how you dress your reasons, that is what it basically boils down to. Say, for instance, you wanted to show that the person the protagonist is angry at, was confused and not deliberately antagonistic, you might shift to that person's viewpoint.

At this juncture, I want Barbara to remain a flawed person, self-centered but fun to be around. Foolish, yet intelligent. Putting Eileen's perspective won't add anything except for provide a reason for Barbara to have gone to college at 16.

Okay. Chapter 2, take 2.