A Compelling Piece by Jada Pinkett-Smith

JADA PINKETT-SMITH: “THE WAR ON MEN THROUGH THE DEGRADATION OF WOMAN”

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After slaying critics in defense of her daughter Willow, outspoken actress and activist Jada Pinkett-Smith took to Facebook today to drop some knowledge on how the degradation of women has resulted in problems for both sexes.

As we look at societies where the women are lost, struggling for education and otherwise disregarded, versus those who consider women the center of their communities, Jada‘s words ring all the more truer. Read what she has to say below:

How is man to recognize his full self, his full power through the eye’s of an incomplete woman? The woman who has been stripped of Goddess recognition and diminished to a big ass and full breast for physical comfort only.

The woman who has been silenced so she may forget her spiritual essence because her words stir too much thought outside of the pleasure space. The woman who has been diminished to covering all that rots inside of her with weaves and red bottom shoes.

I am sure the men, who restructured our societies from cultures that honored woman, had no idea of the outcome. They had no idea that eventually, even men would render themselves empty and longing for meaning, depth and connection.

There is a deep sadness when I witness a man that can’t recognize the emptiness he feels when he objectifies himself as a bank and truly believes he can buy love with things and status. It is painful to witness the betrayal when a woman takes him up on that offer.

He doesn’t recognize that the [creation] of a half woman has contributed to his repressed anger and frustration of feeling he is not enough. He then may love no woman or keep many half women as his prize.

He doesn’t recognize that it’s his submersion in the imbalanced warrior culture, where violence is the means of getting respect and power, as the reason he can break the face of the woman who bore him four children.

When woman is lost, so is man. The truth is, woman is the window to a man’s heart and a man’s heart is the gateway to his soul.

Power and control will NEVER out weigh love.

May we all find our way. 

J

SHIRLEY'S THOUGHTS :-

I am not sharing this because I hate men or that I am a Taliban-Feminist. I am sharing this because I am profoundly concerned about the relationship between men and women, regardless of their ethnicity. How a man and woman carry their deepest regard for one another in their minds and hearts need to be refined, retuned or at the very least, re-visited. A higher respect and understanding is a MUST in order for men and women to treat each other way much better than now.

As every man is blessed with a stronger physique than most women, they need to understand their role in not using their brute strength in harming women in any way, but in valuing the unique vulnerability of a woman. The same can be said for their NOT taking advantage of a woman's weakness but to uphold her "divine" right to evolve and grow in the same manner as a man deserves to do the same.

I have seen in many cases, more than I care to recall, despite their age or race, the way some men treat women are just deplorable. Especially, wealthy successful men. 

To me, it is NOT enough that a man makes a huge load of money and then he turns around have affairs and disrespects his wife as well as children. Wealth and power do not give any man the right to misbehave or behave appallingly.

A successful man does not need to ever demean or belittle any other human being. Especially, his own spouse or life partner.The way a man treats his wife and family IS a telling sign of how great a man he is. 

Of course, there is the flip side to this - there are women who would just throw themselves at men, and they do not care whether these men are married, single, or engaged. They will still continue to pursue the men who are already "taken". 

Lately, these types of women have been mostly nationalities of a certain country. And yes, it is not a joke at how many marriages have been broken up, and families torn apart as a result. However, I also recognise that I speak from a very comfortable position. I have never known what it is like to be hungry, desperate and driven to the point that I would do anything and more just get myself out of a terrible position in life. So, I cannot simply judge. I do know that.

But knowing that still does not resolve the problems. 

My questions are simply these -  

How is a man's greatness reflected on the way he treats the women around him? 

How will he define the essence of his character or identity through a woman?

The very same questions apply to women as well.

These are not easy subject matters. Many people will have their points of views, enforced by their own personal issues. But if you can understand why I post this article and questions, perhaps we can start looking at ourselves and begin the true journey of relationship evolution between a man and a woman.

At the end of the day, I truly wish that as we grow and advance in this world, we will also evolve into better people and uphold higher set of values - together and not separately.

WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE A BETTER MAN, OR A BETTER WOMAN?

As Jada Pinkett-Smith said, "MAY WE ALL FIND OUR WAY".

This shall be my birthday wish for this year.

Peace!

A SNEAK PEAK INTO A DIRECTOR'S MIND

I am taking a slight digression from story posting today to share this deeply personal perspective of an extremely talented Filipino Director and friend, Erik Matti. 

Erik laments the degradation of the independent film industry in his country. However, I find that some of his words resonate with me on the state of our society at large. After all, art does imitate life to an alarming degree. I hope you will take the time to read this, as it is rather long. It is definitely a worthy read. 

By the way, Erik is one of the nicest guys I have the priviledge of knowing. He is famous for his temper and his fierce loyalty to friends and films. Please do google him and find out more. There are really many good films and Directors that will never see the light of day because mainstream movies have been hogging the cinemas across the globe. How will we ever see other points of views or enjoy the diversity that is an essential part of life?  


Rantings on the state of the indies by Erik Matti

I realized that my collection of paintings has exactly the same qualities I look for when I watch a movie. Craftsmanship, subject, honesty and a unique personal eye imbued by the artist in the world depicted in the subject of his work.

I don't have in my collection conceptual and abstract pieces. The kind that has splashes of color that matches the sofa in 

your living room or a hotel lobby. I also don't have works that has a single nail in the middle of a huge stark white painting with a thread tied to it and the end dangling with a drop of the artist's blood. Nothing wrong with these pieces if it is worthy as final piece of work. Worthy of emotional and form value that we can marvel at.

In short, I don't have a piece of painting where the rationale is more interesting than the work itself. I also don't get swayed buying a piece of work where any one with a wild imagination from 5-12 years old can put together and pass it off as art.

Nowadays, there seems to be a prevailing acceptance of conceptual films with no solid groundwork on crafting solely because of the charm the work evokes out of the struggle of the filmmaker to put the film together. Again, the story behind the filmmaker's struggle to mount such work has overshadowed the merits of the final film itself.

We all know the limitations of film production in a Third World country such as ours. Without sounding elitist in the way I feel filmmaking should be done, the task of the filmmaker aside from just evoking emotions out of abstract images or poetic dialogues is to really push the form and the medium by which he is working with.

I was asked a week ago by a magazine what i think about "why films should reflect culture". My answer was cynical. Our local films, primarily Indie movies, nowadays, certainly reflect our culture. It reflects our culture of settling down on what we can do as a nation. Our films have lost all the wanting to explore the form and to push for excellence in craftsmanship to help evoke the emotions and the ideas the film material requires. Just like our Government, we have come to believe that to settle is acceptable and that what matters is the spirit behind it even when there really is no effort whatsoever to put out a work of excellence.

The last CinemaOne Originals have reflected that whole spirit of "making do". Movies that are unfinished, masturbatory and are loosely told are deemed "acceptable given its shortcomings". Don't get me wrong here. CinemaOne as a festival is something I highly respect given its bold choices of film subjects and styles. But the filmmakers now have mostly become self-indulgent and lacking in the foundations of film as medium and a good sense of storytelling. And they have become a breed of filmmakers who have come to believe their own glory.

It scares me that such kind of filmmaking and film appreciation seems to permeate in our film culture. We have now become, as a film viewing nation, accepting of badly crafted movies solely on the belief that anyway the idea of the movie and the spirit it moves along with is worth appreciating.

As a filmmaker myself and as someone who has done 8 shooting day movies, I see no excuse for filmmakers to do badly crafted movies using resources as an excuse. It is imperative that, just like painting, the story behind the subject and the execution of it is equally important in the appreciation of the work itself. Why make movies when your resources can't afford the vision in your head?

I am scared to wake up one day and see that we have become a nation of film viewing people who hail only the ineptly made and call it art solely because of the grand idea the film espouses and shoot down the ones that kill themselves to come up with a film work that tries hard to further the form and take crafting their movies seriously to tell their movie ideas using the medium by which it's working with.

I have a general feeling that our local film festivals now have given permission to anyone and everyone to just bring forth their ideas without really thinking hard whether it is really an idea deserving to be made into a film or whether the ideas equal the resources they are handed with. And the sad part is, these festivals have given birth to monsters who feel that they are God's gift to filmmaking.

To paint takes a lot of hard work to find your own signature, to manipulate the paint and the form to make it your own so that the painter can then render the subject that is personal to him.

Everyone can be filmmakers. But at least, take time to learn it first and don't do it on the fly. Filmmaking goes beyond than just grand ideas of indigenous tribes, black and white treatments, long takes, esoteric dream sequences, handheld shots and photographing Third World scum.

Though, I can't really blame the "filmmakers" who resort to all these trappings of a serious, meaningful film. The resources dictated the form. And since the form has been hailed here and abroad, it has become acceptable. But i just can't get over the idea of how unfair it is that other directors like Celso Ad Castillo, Peque Gallaga, Mike De Leon and Ishmael Bernal kill themselves to craft and tell their stories well using the medium when in fact, even critics only appreciate the merits of story and idea but never the painstaking design that a filmmaker puts into the film using the elements at his disposal to further flesh out the basic story on the written page.

But in any work of art, more than craft and the subject, the question is, is it honest? For the last few years of our indie film festivals, we have seen a prevalent mix of movies that have the same kind of form to it primarily to pass it off as "important". But then, where is honesty and integrity in the work in all these?

I apologize for sometimes looking or talking down on these indie works. That's why I haven't been to these festivals for years now (except of course watching only the works of my friends) because i refuse to see it and end up getting furious at watching these pretensions.

I wish to see a different kind of filmmaking soon. Something that appeals to how I was taught films should be made and appreciated. Then maybe I can start a collection of these local indies too. Until then, I think I can settle to just reading about them.

EAST OF THE HEART: CHAPTER FOUR

Chapter Four: The Discovery

1925 – George Town, Penang

As summoned by the formidable Mrs. Wong, the tailor came to the mansion on the following morning with his two of his best seamstresses. Mei Yee was very delighted to learn that the two seamstresses were the same Shanghainese ladies whom she had travelled on the steamer ship to Penang with. They were Jing Fei and Bao Hua. The two seamstresses were stunned to discover that Mei Yee was going to be the Wongs’ new daughter-in-law. They were ecstatic for her, as it was considered to be extreme good fortune for any woman to be married into a family of wealth and position. Mei Yee gracefully accepted their good wishes, and said nothing else.

Mei Yee also found out that Bao Hua was older than Jing Fei by 2 years. Bao Hua was good in embroidery work, where as Jing Fei was an expert in the sewing of ornate buttons for qipaos. In a traditional Chinese ‘qipao’, the buttons were as significant as the dress itself. It took a specific skill to sew the time-honoured qipao buttons, as they were truly delicate. An assessment of how well a ‘qipao’ was made, would be judged on its cut, embroidery and the buttons.

The qipao originated from the 17^th century, when the minority Manchus ruled China after the Ming dynasty. Together with their allied and conquered forces of Mongol, the Manchus created the “Eight Banner System” in China. Thus, the ruling Manchus came to be known as the “Banner people”. The one-piece dress that was commonly worn by the Manchu women came to be regarded as the “banner-quilt” or in the Mandarin language, the qipao. As the Manchus created elite classes within their social infrastructure, women of nobility wore “formal court” qipaos, and “common” women would wear everyday casual qipaos. Hence, even the qipao costume could represent the subservient relationship between the aristocrats and the ordinary folks.

Before the 1920’s, the qipao was worn very loosely and wide. It was meant to conceal most of the woman's body, regardless of her age. In conservative China, women’s attire was meant to only reveal the ladies’ heads, hands, and the tips of their toes. However, during the 1920s, Shanghai became the fashion capital of China. Thus, the modifications to the original qipao were made popular. The new version of the qipao was more “exposed” with the famous slit at the sides that showed much of a woman’s leg. The new qipao was now made to fit the modern woman’s beautiful curves. Soon, this became the standard qipao, and everyone quickly started transforming their old qipaos to accommodate the latest style changes.

The Shanghainese have always been renown in China for their exceptional talents in making exquisite qipaos. The most luxurious of all qipaos would be the ones specially tailored for a bride to wear on her wedding day. It would have to be red in colour, as red was the colour that symbolized good luck and happiness in the Chinese culture. Then the master tailor and his team of seamstresses would spend hours, days or weeks working on the bridal qipao, depending on how complicated or elaborate the embroidery work was involved.

In Mei Yee’s case, her wedding qipao would have the motifs of a dragon adorned at the front of the dress. It would start from the right shoulder and flow down to the left bottom skirting of the dress. Here, the dragon symbolized the masculine qualities, meaning the groom or the husband-to-be. Mrs. Wong wanted to remind Mei Yee to always uphold her husband’s interests in her heart. The back of the bridal qipao would display an intricate emblem of the phoenix. The phoenix has always represented the female qualities in the Chinese custom, meaning the bride herself. Mrs. Wong had deliberately instructed the master tailor to have the phoenix embellished at the back of the dress in order to remind Mei Yee that her own identity would have little importance over her husband’s. Therefore, her husband’s welfare and happiness would always come first and foremost. Mei Yee would have to ‘put herself at the back’.  

This resplendent qipao would be sewn with gold threads, and decorated with precious stones such as jade, turquoise and rubies. Mrs. Wong had spared no expense in making a truly spectacular qipao for her soon-to-be youngest daughter-in-law. After all, the bride would be paraded in front of all the relatives and guests at the wedding banquet, like another priceless art acquisition for everyone to appraise.

Mei Yee and the two seamstresses became fast friends. Jing Fei was most envious of Mei Yee, as “marrying well” was her main purpose in coming to Penang. Jing Fei prayed hard that she too would end up as lucky as Mei Yee. As the ladies and the master tailor were measuring Mei Yee, Ah Ping stood silently behind squirming within herself. She has grown very fond of Mei Yee. For once in her life, she felt that she had found a friend in Mei Yee. It troubled her deeply that she was knowingly withholding some very pertinent information from her friend. She dreaded not being able to tell Mei Yee the truth about the Groom, Christopher Wong, and what Mrs. Wong had planned for her on the wedding night.

After the tailor and seamstresses have left the mansion, Ah Ping was directed by Mrs. Wong to deliver Mei Yee’s lunch to the attic. It was thirty minutes after one o’clock in the afternoon, and the other ladies in the household had already eaten their lunch. It was served at twelve o’clock in the formal dining room every day, without fail. Mrs. Wong had graciously excused Mei Yee from joining them that day due to her appointment with the tailor and seamstresses. It was more important for Mei Yee to get herself measured and sized properly before the tailor could start work on the opulent fabric chosen by Mrs. Wong.

As Mei Yee was eating her sumptuous lunch, she noticed Ah Ping acting very strangely. In fact, Ah Ping has been behaving rather oddly since yesterday. Without delaying a moment longer, Mei Yee stopped eating and confronted Ah Ping directly.

“Now, what is really bothering you, Ah Ping? I want to know. You have been fidgeting all day. And if I remember correctly, you started doing so right after yesterday’s breakfast.” Mei Yee spoke sincerely.

Ah Ping shuffled her feet and looked down. She did not know how to explain the situation to her mistress.

Mei Yee got up from the table and walked towards her personal maid. She had not regarded Ah Ping to be her domestic attendant, but more of the sister which she never had.

Gently, she took hold of Ah Ping’s hands and said, “You can tell me, Ah Ping. I treat you as my sister. So, I will do my best to help you. Don't be afraid to tell me. What is the matter?”

Ah Ping finally looked up and sobbed, “It is not I who will be afraid, mistress, but you. And I don’t know how to help you. I am so sorry.”

Mei Yee was taken back. She did not expect to hear those exact words from Ah Ping. Why should she be afraid, and what would she be afraid of? She was very confounded by Ah Ping’s statement.

 “What will I be afraid of, Ah Ping? Please tell me. I beg of you.” Mei Yee was disturbed, as Ah Ping looked most distressed.

“The night before you had arrived at the Wong residence, I over-heard Madam Wong’s private conversation with Sir Wong in the library. It was an accident. I was told by the Head Housekeeper to clean up some stains on the windows of the library. I did not know that both Sir and Madam Wong were inside. I was about to leave them alone when I heard your name. I was so curious about you at that time because they had already told me that I was assigned to be your personal maid. So, I stayed behind the closed door, and listened carefully to what Madam Wong was saying to Sir Wong.” Ah Ping explained while weeping, but another emotion was beginning to surface in her tone. It was fear.

The look on Ah Ping’s face alarmed Mei Yee even though she had no clue as to what Ah Ping had heard. She was determined to find out.

“Will you please share what they were discussing about me? I really need to know, Ah Ping, please.” Mei Yee pleaded.

“Before I tell you, I need to show you something. Only then you would truly understand.” Ah Ping said as she wiped away her tears.

Mei Yee felt very uneasy. As much as she was concerned about herself and wanted to learn what Ah Ping had heard, she did not like seeing the young girl cry over her.

“All right. But please, do not cry anymore, Ah Ping. I am not worth your tears.” Mei Yee said and handed Ah Ping a handkerchief.

Ah Ping refused her mistress’s hanky and proceeded to wipe her wet eyes on her sleeves. “You have been most kind to me, mistress. You treat me like a friend and not a maid. I really appreciate that very much. So, this is why I feel so sad. I did not know how to tell you. You certainly do not deserve to be treated in this way. Please come with me now. I will show you what Madam Wong has been hiding from you.” Ah Ping added.

Mei Yee’s curiosity urged her to go along with Ah Ping. Whatever it was – be it good or bad, she knew she had to see it for herself. She was not going to take anyone’s word for it. She never did. She needed to witness the truth with her own eyes, and then she would decide for herself. No one else held the right to make any conclusions on her behalf.

Quickly, Mei Yee abandoned her lunch and crept out of the attic. Ah Ping walked ahead to make sure that the coast was clear. She took Mei Yee through the narrow corridors and opened a small door. The door opened to a series of staircases which led to various doors and corridors on different levels. This was the back of the house, where the servants would move about freely whenever they had to go from one place to another. In the Wong residence, no servants were allowed to use the main staircases or wander about in the main building. Only those who were sent for, or had to serve would make themselves seen. All of the household staff was restricted to journey around the mansion through the complex structure of stairs constructed behind the walls of the great mansion. Hence, they could swiftly get from one end of the house to another, without being spotted by anyone.

Ah Ping guided Mei Yee through an assortment of doors before they reached the North Wing attic of the mansion. They were fortunate that no one had seen them. As they emerged from a narrow aisle and into the main hallway, Mei Yee realized that they had arrived at the opposite side of the mansion. Her own attic room was located on the South Wing corner. However, this North Wing attic was much more spacious than hers. The living room had several big floor-to-ceiling windows but there was hardly any furniture. There was only a large hand-painted folded lacquer screen that was placed in a corner. In front of the screen were two sofas and a table. Ah Ping grabbed hold of Mei Yee’s hand and led her behind the large screen. She motioned her finger to her mouth and Mei Yee instantly understood that they had to be very quiet. The screen concealed the both of them completely and safely in the corner of the room. Then, Ah Ping pointed to the small gaps in between the screen and gestured to Mei Yee to peer through them.

There were some sounds of movement coming from behind the bedroom door. They could hear the doorknob turn, and it was opened. Mei Yee looked closely and saw that a lady dressed in all white was wheeling out someone from the bedroom. She could not see the person seated on the wheelchair as their backs were facing her. Gradually, the lady in white turned the wheelchair around, revealing their faces. Mei Yee gasped in shock at the sight of the man seated in the wheelchair. Ah Ping had to place her hands onto Mei Yee’s mouth quickly in order to silence her.

The man in the wheelchair had a severe physical disorder. His whole face had been disfigured. It did not resemble any human form. His fingers were curled up like they were permanently clenched. He kept shaking his head and hands uncontrollably as the lady in white wheeled him out of the room. The only limbs that did not move at all were his legs. They looked lifeless.

After the lady in white had left the room with the crippled man, Ah Ping and Mei Yee came out from behind the screen. Ah Ping ran to the door to make sure that they were not coming back. She could see Mei Yee’s horrified face waiting to launch a set of questions.

“Who was that man in the wheelchair and why is he like that? Who is that lady all dressed in white? I have not seen anything like this before!” Mei Yee asked.

Ah Ping cautioned Mei Yee to keep her voice down, and told her that she will explain later. She then took Mei Yee back to the hallway, through the narrow alleys behind the walls of the mansion and climbed the flight of stairs back to Mei Yee’s attic in the South Wing corner.

Once they were both in the privacy of the attic, she announced, “Mistress, that man in the wheelchair will be your husband in less than 2 weeks’ time. He is Master Christopher Wong.”

This revelation fractured Mei Yee into pieces. She was completely dumbfounded.

“Master Christopher suffered a terrible hunting accident almost a year ago. He nearly died. Well, he does look like a ghost of his former self now. They say that he is also damaged in the brains. Only a handful of the servants in the house know about this. I happened to know because I was taking care of Master Christopher before they got him a full time nurse. That’s the lady in white we saw earlier. This is the real reason why Madam Wong did not want mistress to be wandering about in the house. Madam Wong did not want you to accidentally see her son before the wedding. She was most afraid you would change your mind. There is no such thing about any bad luck to see the groom beforehand. Both mistresses Ai Ling and Sun Lee were formally introduced to the Wongs’ older sons after they had been selected for the purpose of marriage. They all met with one another at an arranged dinner in the house. Then it was up to Master Alfred to decide which of the two ladies he wanted, as he was to be the first to marry. Bernard would the marry with the other lady a year later.” Ah Ping clarified.

Mei Yee was astonished at the lengths Madam Wong would undertake in entrapping her to marry her youngest son. It started to make sense why the family had insisted on finding a potential bride from the Mainland, and not sought out a local Penang girl. The China-ordered bride would not have any opportunity to run back to her own family after finding out the truth, where as a local girl could stir up all kinds of trouble for the Wongs.

“However, this is not all. The worst will happen on your wedding night and the nights after that.” Ah Ping said gravely.

“What do you mean?” Mei Yee wondered what could be worse than being married to a physically and mentally deformed man.

“You know they will see to it that you will bear them plenty of grandchildren, especially grandsons. But Master Christopher is no longer capable of making any babies. His manhood was also impaired by the accident.” Ah Ping disclosed.

Mei Yee stiffened. She shuddered to think of what Ah Ping was about to say.

 “This will not be easy for you to hear, mistress. To all the relatives and everyone outside of the family, you will be marrying Master Christopher. But you and I know that Master Christopher will never be seen by anyone other than his nurse and Madam Wong. His condition will remain a family secret. So, at the wedding ceremony, you will actually be married to two men – Master Alfred and Master Bernard. Like all traditional wedding ceremonies, a red cloth will be covering the faces of the Bride and Groom. No one can see, and you will also not see who is the real person behind the red cloth. Everyone will think that the Groom is Master Christopher, but the role will be rotated between Master Alfred and Master Bernard.” Ah Ping described how the ceremony will be played out.

Mei Yee’s eyes widened at the implication of what it might mean on her wedding night.

“Therefore, on your wedding night and the nights after, you will be impregnated by the two older sons. They will take turns in being with you until you give birth to male children. This is the main reason why the other sisters-in-law do not like you from the beginning. They know about this, but they cannot do anything. Madam Wong’s decision cannot be overturned by anyone.” Ah Ping uttered the words as fast as she could in order to lessen the horror and pain to her mistress. 

Mei Yee could feel rage rising inside her like a flaming sword.

Did her mother know about how this marriage was to be arranged amongst the Wong sons? Had her mother also lied to her, knowing the kind of life she was condemning Mei Yee to live with the Wong family? How could all of them make her go through with this unspeakable arrangement? How could they proceed with such a sickening plan themselves?

The hostility that was directed towards Mei Yee by the other daughters-in-law was definitely called for. They had every right to be disgusted, she thought. Of all the terrible things that had ever happened to her, nothing came close to this. Mei Yee had held her emotions intact ever since she was first told to leave her family home and village. She did not want to create any problems for her family, especially her mother. Although she wanted to cry on several occasions, she did not allow herself to fall apart. She had wanted to represent her family’s honour in the best possible light. In all this time, she has fought back all the tears that were culminating behind her fiery eyes. This was the final straw that would breach the teary barricades. Like a dam, every fibre of her being wept unquenchable tears.

What could she do? What would become of her?   

The foundation of her being surrendered to an overwhelming surge of misery.

To be continued on Chapter Five…

EAST OF THE HEART: CHAPTER THREE

Chapter Three: The Introduction

1925 – George Town, Penang

Mei Yee settled quickly into her “pre-wedding” quarters. It was actually an attic located at south wing corner of the mansion. By every means, it was much larger than the tiny room in her village. The attic was generous in size and décor. There was a formal sitting area, a separate enclosure for the bedroom and dressing room. Most of all, Mei Yee was impressed to find that the room had an en-suite bathroom. It was complete with modern plumbing, a soaking tub, a washbasin and accessories. She never had a private bathroom before. It was a new experience for her. In the village, an entire household would share a common bathroom and the toilet would be located outside of the house. It was mainly a hole dug into the ground and a shed was built around it. Mei Yee had always hated going to the toilet in the night. She hated the darkness, and the long walk from her house to the external toilet. There were many nights when she would just endure the urge to go to the toilet, and had forced herself to go back to sleep. As for the bath, it was basically an outhouse built around a well. However, this was established right next to the house. Or rather, the house was built next to the well. Water extracted from the well would be used for a variety of things, and not just for washing. The same water from the well would be used for cooking and cleaning as well. Hence, Mei Yee began to appreciate having her own personal bathroom tremendously.

As the attic was located at the highest point of the mansion, Mei Yee had an unobstructed view of the city. She could see coconut trees, palm trees, shops, places of worship, and the streets leading all the way to the train station at the far distance. There were other houses around the Wong residence, but none could match its size and grandeur. Mei Yee also noticed that the Wong family owned two automobiles. In the whole island of Penang, there were but a few motor vehicles. Only the most affluent could afford to own one. However, to possess two vehicles under one roof would prove that one had not only the means to purchase; but also the authority to import. The Wong family was not only wealthy, they also held influential positions in the community. The family business extended from shipping, agriculture, land and property ownership to banking. Many other businesses in Penang were supported by the Wong family’s empire. No one would dare speak a word to injure the family’s reputation. Therefore, Mei Yee would have to think twice before voicing any disagreements within this particular family. The Wongs never forget, and would bear a long grudge against anyone who did not comply with their wishes.    

On the first day of her arrival, Mrs. Wong permitted Mei Yee to rest in her room. She was excused from joining them for all the meals. Instead, Ah Ping delivered her lunch and dinner to the attic. Despite Mrs. Wong’s lack of approachability, she was generous in furnishing Mei Yee with an abundance of food and drinks. There were canisters of snacks and biscuits sent to her room, in addition to the main meals of the day. Mrs. Wong was not joking about "fattening" her up for the wedding. It took Mei Yee some time to get accustomed to being served. At her own home in the village, Mei Yee was the one who helped her mother serve her father and brothers. Her family could only afford two domestic helpers – a cook and a cleaner. Actually, they were more like relatives than helpers. Mei Yee had to assist in the household chores, as well as, in serving the family on a daily basis. Here, it felt rather strange to be at the receiving end.

Mei Yee’s personal maid, Ah Ping, was about the same age as her – both of them barely eighteen. Ah Ping had joined the Wong residence when she was 7 years old. Ah Ping’s mother had given her to the Wong family because her family was too poor to feed another mouth. It was very common in Penang to marry off their daughters, and if they could not be married off, they would be given away to rich families to be incorporated as part of the household staff. Ah Ping’s fate led her to be a servant for life to the Wong family. It was sealed from the moment she had walked into the mansion. In this respect, Mei Yee felt that she shared the same predicament as Ah Ping. The both of them had no control over their lives, and there seemed to be little hope that they could change their fate. Mei Yee thought that the female race was given the rotten end of the bargain in life. It was a curse to be born a woman in this society, at this time - she lamented. Women were nothing more than commodities which could be sold, traded or disposed of. It did not take long for Mei Yee to bond with Ah Ping. They were different, yet similar in their dispositions of life. They both felt imprisoned by their circumstances, like a bird in a gilded cage.

On the following morning, Ah Ping came to the attic and delivered the morning tea to Mei Yee promptly at 8am. This was Mrs. Wong’s unique way of training Mei Yee to be ready by this hour every morning onwards. Then, Ah Ping would help Mei Yee get dressed for her breakfast with the other ladies in the household. Mei Yee would be meeting them for the first time. Ah Ping had kindly enlightened her with a brief history of the Wong family, and the other significant members living in the mansion.

Mr. and Mrs. Wong had come from generations of power and wealth in Penang. Otherwise known more commonly as the “descendants of old money”. Each of their families had immigrated to Penang during the time of Captain Francis Light in the 1790s. Mr. Wong’s family had owned most of the rubber plantation, and Mrs. Wong’s family were the owners of tin mines. Their families had witnessed the island's main town being named as “George Town” when Captain Light had christened it in honour of King George III of Great Britain. Over the centuries, the two families have prospered immensely. However, in 1867, the island was caught in a bloody massacre between two feuding Chinese secret societies - the Cantonese-speaking and the Hakka-speaking groups. Their brutal fight worsened to the point that the British commanding army had to bring in additional forces from Singapore to regain control of the murderous situation. Cannons and guns had to be fired. Later, it was discovered that the hostility between the two Chinese factions stemmed from opposing interests in the tin mining industry. Hence, it had affected Mrs. Wong’s family business a great deal. Then and there, the two great families decided that it would be wise to merge their “mutual interests” by the form of a marriage. Each side had only one child, but jointly, they would come to own a large part of Penang.

The union of Mr. and Mrs. Wong brought about three sons and a daughter. They had given all their children English names, in addition to their Chinese names. Penang was still very much a British colony in every sense of the word. So, it was important to the Wongs to present themselves as forward-thinking liberals to the community, despite how deeply entrenched they were in their own tradition. Their sons were named Alfred, Bernard, and Christopher. Their daughter was named Jasmine. It was Christopher, their youngest son, whom Mei Yee would be marrying in two weeks’ time. The entire household had been busy making preparations for it.

Ah Ping pointed out that the wives of Alfred and Bernard did not get along. Everyone in the family knew. Both Ai Ling and Sun Lee started as rivals competing for Alfred’s affections, as being the Wong's eldest daughter-in-law had its own perks and benefits. Alfred was the heir apparent to the Wong dynasty. Naturally, the coveted throne of Mrs. Wong would also be passed onto the eldest daughter-in-law. Thus, one could imagine the powers that came with the title of “Eldest Daughter-in-law”in the Wong estate. As soon as Ai Ling had won Alfred’s heart, Sun Lee had no choice but to steer herself towards the next best thing – marrying Bernard. In Sun Lee’s opinion, some wealth was better than no wealth at all. In any case, these two daughters-in-law would never tire of out-scheming and plotting against each other. It had become a vicious routine around the house, with one trying to win the approval of Mrs. Wong over the other. There would be no shortage of collateral damage of innocent bystanders. Even Jasmine Wong had resigned from spending any time with her two sisters-in-law. She did not have much care for anything or anyone in Penang. All she longed for was to leave Penang as soon as the wedding ceremony between Christopher and Mei Yee was over. It had all been arranged for Jasmine to study music in England. Secretly, Jasmine was planning to marry a British gentleman so that she would not have to return to Penang ever again.

Before leaving the attic, Ah Ping gently cautioned Mei Yee to stay away from the two devious sisters-in-law. When they both arrived at the breakfast room, Mrs. Wong was already seated at the head of the rectangular table. Everything had been laid out. Ai Ling and Sun Lee were seated at her right and left, respectively. Jasmine was running late, as her personal maid came to inform the ladies in the room. Mei Yee quickly greeted Mrs. Wong first, followed by the two daughters-in-law. Then Mrs. Wong directed her to sit next to Sun Lee. No personal orders would be taken, and no one was allowed to ask for anything else unless they had already discussed it with Mrs. Wong. All the meals in the household were planned and decided by Mrs. Wong, and her alone. Everyone would eat whatever that was served before them.

That morning, they were having an English Breakfast with bacon, sausages, eggs and toast. Mei Yee had never seen anything like it, and was not quite sure how she was going to eat her breakfast without chopsticks. Neither Ai Ling nor Sun Lee bothered to offer her any help. They did not even look at her. It was not until Jasmine’s arrival that she finally had some assistance. Jasmine took her usual seat next to Ai Ling, and showed Mei Yee exactly which utensils to use in eating their English breakfast. From across the table, Mei Yee slowly learnt how to use a fork and knife for the very first time. She found it amusing that the Westerners would take the time and effort to invent various utensils for eating different foods. All they ever needed in the village were a pair of chopsticks and a spoon. They ate everything under the sun with just that.

The breakfast area was a charming room that faced East, where the morning sun would rise and cast a brightly coloured glow through the stained glass windows. It held the views of the gardens. Mei Yee was told that the gardens were landscaped according to a typical British garden in England. It was definitely a stark contrast to the flowerbeds in Mei Yee’s village. No one spoke at breakfast unless Mrs. Wong questioned the individual directly. Mei Yee could see that Mrs. Wong was very fond of her daughter. Jasmine was the only person in the family who was allowed to go as she pleased, and spoke whenever she chose. Jasmine was also the only one who wore Western clothes at all times. Initially, Mei Yee thought Jasmine looked quite obscene with her hands and feet being so exposed. A traditional Chinese dress would have ensured that the ladies’ arms and ankles were covered up gracefully. However, the western “flapper dress” was way too short, and it had hardly any sleeves. It was not something that Mei Yee could imagine herself wearing, but she could not deny that Jasmine did look very lovely in them.

    

After breakfast, they were allowed to return to their individual chambers, or join Mrs. Wong in the sitting room. The sitting room was another area in which the ladies of the house would be allowed to gather. There was a gramophone, a grand piano, stacks of magazines and some newspapers organized neatly in the room. The sitting room faced the views of the water fountains. When the windows were opened, one could hear the calming sound of water flowing through the fountains and into the ponds. Each lady found her own preferred seat, and made herself comfortable in the sitting room. Ai Ling read the newspapers, while Sun Lee chose some magazines. Jasmine would go through the collection of records, and took one out to play on the gramophone. Then she guided Mei Yee by the hand to a nearby two-seater sofa. Jasmine informed Mei Yee that the ladies would have their afternoon tea served in this room as well, and it was usually at 4pm everyday.

“This is also a visitors’ room. If any of us had visitors such as family members or relatives, we would receive them in here as well.” Jasmine explained.

However, it was very rare for any of the ladies to have visitors – except Jasmine. She was allowed to invite her friends and cousins over to the house at any time of the day. Only weekends were strictly reserved for family time – whereby the men in the family would take their wives out to town, and make their formal appearances at the country club. 

“Mei Yee, I have arranged for the tailors to come over tomorrow. They need to measure you and start making your wedding costumes. I have already chosen all the fabric. There will be two sets of formal wear. You’ll be wearing the traditional “qipao” for the wedding ceremony, and then change into a modern evening dress for the wedding banquet. Since we would be inviting some important British guests for the banquet, a western gown would be most appropriate.” Mrs. Wong announced.

Mei Yee swallowed hard.

She could not bear to bring herself to wear any of the Western apparel. She glanced at Jasmine, who happily turned the pages of a fashion magazine to show her what Mrs. Wong meant by a “western gown”. It was a long dress which showed much of the women’s bare shoulders and arms. Mei Yee was panicking inside. If her parents or anyone from her village were to see her in that kind of clothing, they would have her beaten to death. It was most indecent. How could any woman walk out of her room in that flimsy thing, much less the house?! Suddenly, the room began to spin. Mei Yee had trouble breathing. She begged to be excused. Ah Ping was summoned to accompany her back to the attic room.

Once she was safely hidden in the privacy of the attic with Ah Ping, Mei Yee stuffed her face into the pillow and let out a muted scream. Ah Ping was taken aback.

“I am going to be completely humiliated and disgraced by the time the wedding is over!” Mei Yee exclaimed.

Ah Ping turned away from Mei Yee and gave a sorry look. Underneath the personal maid’s demure appearance there lurked a conscience that was stricken with guilt. Ah Ping struggled internally, contemplating on whether she should tell her mistress the truth of what she would inevitably uncover on the day of her wedding. 

To be continued in Chapter Four….

EAST OF THE HEART: CHAPTER TWO

EAST OF THE HEART

Chapter Two: The Arrival

The groom’s family had sent two chaperones to escort Mei Yee from her village to Penang. One of the chaperones was an older woman, and the other was a younger man who basically took orders from the older woman. It was the chaperones' job to ensure that the “bride-to-be” would arrive safely into Penang. Mei Yee later found out that the older lady chaperone was actually one of the Groom’s aunts. She told Mei Yee to address her as “Aunty Bee Yoke”. 

Aunty Bee Yoke had come to the village at the request of the Groom’s family in order to inspect the “bride-to-be”. She had to make certain that Mei Yee was of childbearing age, and was healthy in every sense of the word. With her approval on sight, Mei Yee then left with them. Later, aunty Bee Yoke also explained that Mei Yee’s mother had been corresponding with a distant relative in Malaya, and arranged for this marriage. The relative in Malaya had convinced her mother that the Groom was from a wealthy reputable family in Penang, and Mei Yee would be well taken care of. Aunty Bee Yoke asserted that Mei Yee had nothing to worry about from here on.

Their journey to Penang from Shanghai would take more than a week by sea, depending on the weather. Aunty Bee Yoke had secured a “third class” cabin for Mei Yee and herself. It had four bunk beds and a washbasin in the middle. There were no windows. They had to share the tiny room aboard the steamship with two other ladies from Shanghai. The two ladies were also traveling to Penang to start their new jobs as seamstresses at their mutual relative’s shop. They also hoped to find better marital prospects in Penang. Mei Yee was the youngest amongst them.

During that week onboard the vessel, Mei Yee became rather ill. She had not been on a boat before this, much less a ship. She found the motions of the sea extremely nauseating. She had to rest in the cabin for the most part of their journey. Aunty Bee Yoke did not improve the situation by “educating” Mei Yee on what she was expected to do in the Groom’s household. In addition, she informed Mei Yee that everything had been arranged – from Mei Yee’s “pre-wedding” room, to the wedding ceremony itself, to the “wedding-night” room, and to the “after-wedding” official residence. The Groom’s family had their own peculiar traditions, and it was imperative for Mei Yee to assimilate herself with them. Aunty Bee Yoke gave her a list to recite and commit to memory.

THE LIST:-

1)    Upon arrival, Mei Yee would be presented to the matriarch of the family, Mrs. Wong. She must greet Mrs. Wong appropriately, as she would be her daughter-in-law soon.

2)    Then she would be shown to her “pre-wedding” room. This would be temporary residence for two weeks before the actual wedding ceremony.

3)    Prior to the ceremony, the bride must not be seen out and about - especially by the Groom. She should only stay within her own quarters. She must not venture about the house freely without a servant, or suitable escort. There were only a few rooms within the household which the ladies in the family are permitted to gather or meet.

4)    She would be expected to join the ladies in the family at all meal times - that would mean breakfast, lunch and dinner. On some occasions, she might be invited to tea with the other ladies in the household when they hold an audience with Mrs. Wong. She must be suitably attired at all times. Mrs. Wong had already arranged a wardrobe of “approved” clothing in her room. The men in the Wong household never dine with the ladies unless it was a festive occasion, such as weddings, Mrs. Wong’s birthday, Chinese New Year reunion dinner and so on.

5)    A list of protocol and guidelines would be explained to her during the first week of her stay. She would be wise to remember them well.

6)    At any time of the day, Mrs. Wong may summon her for whatever purpose and reason. Therefore, she must always be prepared.

7)    Under no circumstances would she be allowed to issue any instructions to other maids and helpers in the household, other than her own.

8)    If she should require anything in addition to what had already been provided for, then she must seek counsel with Mrs. Wong and obtain her approval.

9)    She would not be allowed to go out of the house on her own unless she had received explicit permission from Mrs. Wong, and a fitting escort would be provided.

10) She must learn and adhere to the duties of a daughter-in-law together with the other daughters-in-law of the household. There would be daily morning prayers to be made, as well as evening prayers. In addition, there would be monthly prayers to the ancestors, and annual prayers. A calendar would be given out every year with all the important dates marked.

11)  She must never gossip. Mrs. Wong absolutely detested females who indulged in idle chatter. 

12) Proof of her virginity on the wedding night would be of utmost importance. This was to be carried out in the special “wedding night” room.

13) If she had failed to provide the family with any male child, then her husband would have the complete right to take on another wife to do the job.

14) After the wedding night, she would move into her husband’s formal residence. This would become her permanent home.

Aunty Bee Yoke had made Mei Yee read the list every single day. It made Mei Yee feel much worse each time. Mei Yee was beginning to worry about how she would cope. Nothing in her life had prepared her for this. The list gave her the impression that she was not getting married, but receiving a prison sentence without any hope of a reprieve. Above all, she was very apprehensive about her “soon-to-be” mother-in-law. Mrs. Wong was obviously the matriarch of the whole family, and her words would be LAW in the household. Mei Yee began to suspect that the likelihood of her getting along well with Mrs. Wong, would be as sure as “the porridge turning into rice”. This was part of a common Chinese proverb in her village. Once rice has turned into porridge, it would be irreversible.

When the steamship had finally docked at the Penang port, Mei Yee felt queasy again. The sight of her future looked bleak and utterly confusing. A set of trishaws took them from the port through the streets, and nothing looked familiar. There were buildings, schools, churches, temples and shops. Penang was not exactly as progressive and modern like Shanghai but it was definitely more advanced than her village in Fujian. Houses were very different in Penang, especially the Wong Mansion. It was a huge masonry building with three stories, and a large surrounding garden.

Cautiously, Mei Yee alighted from the trishaw and followed Aunty Bee Yoke through the imposing main entrance doors. The visitor’s hall was truly impressive with a huge crystal chandelier hanging in the middle. Wealth was evident from every corner of the room. There were many corridors that led to various rooms. It was like a maze. The two ladies weaved their way through a long hallway and reached a small sitting room where an elderly lady sat, dressed in all her fine silk and jewelry. Mei Yee had only seen brides on their wedding day dressed with such regalia in her village. It was not everyday attire from where she came from.  The elderly lady was addressing a group of household staff, while waiting for Mei Yee’s arrival. When she finally saw Mei Yee, she did not rise or smile. She only acknowledged aunty Bee Yoke and Mei Yee after she had spoken with her servants.

“Big sister, I trust you have been well. May I introduce your “soon-to-be” daughter-in-law, Lim Mei Yee,” Aunty Bee Yoke said with reverence, laced with a little fear.

This was the first time Mei Yee witnessed how very polite and timid aunty Bee Yoke behaved. Aunty Bee Yoke was visibly afraid of her elder sister. Then she tugged at Mei Yee’s blouse. That was her cue to greet the grand older woman.

“Good morning, Mrs. Wong. It is an honour to meet you. Thank you for allowing me to become a part of your great family.” Mei Yee said nervously and bowed.

Mrs. Wong looked at Mei Yee closely and motioned for her to come forward. She started to inspect Mei Yee for herself.

“A little on the skinny side, I see.” Mrs. Wong remarked.

“Believe me, big sister, she is the best from the village.” Aunty Bee Yoke added.

Then Mrs. Wong introduced Mei Yee to her personal maid-in-waiting, “Ah Ping”. Ah Ping would be attending to Mei Yee throughout her stay in the Wong household. Apparently, it was customary for every mistress and master in the household to have their personal maid or manservant. These personal servants would follow and serve their assigned mistress or master till they die. In fact, all the servants in the Wong household belonged to the family, and would not leave until it was the time of their death. Mei Yee began to realize that her fate was no different from theirs. 

“Ah Ping will take you to your pre-wedding quarters. This is where you will stay for the next two weeks until the wedding ceremony. We have strict rules and traditions in this family. We consider it very bad luck for the Groom to see his bride before the wedding. And besides, we need to prepare you before the wedding. It would not do at all if our guests saw how scrawny you are. They would think that we did not feed you enough. By the day of the wedding, you’ll have to be a lot heavier than you are now. Only manual labourers are thin in Penang. Portliness and prosperity go hand in hand.” Mrs. Wong explained sternly.

It was then Mrs. Wong noticed Mei Yee’s feet and her eyes widened in shock.

“Your feet…were they not bound when you were young?” Mrs. Wong was appalled.

“I did not like how they had restricted my mobility. So, I had refused to have my feet bound.” Mei Yee answered earnestly.

There was a moment of tensed silence. Mrs. Wong stared at Mei Yee. She was tempted to say something, but refrained herself. Mei Yee could feel the matriarch’s eyes slicing into every limb of her body. 

“You’d be most wise to embrace every single tradition of this family. This family owns you now. You’ll live here, as a daughter-in-law of the Wong Family, and you’ll die here to become a ghost of the Wong Family. See that you do not forget.” Mrs. Wong declared her first and only warning.

A tight knot churned inside Mei Yee’s stomach. She neither replied nor nodded her head. She simply looked at Mrs. Wong with dread. This would be the beginning of an agonizing ever after.

(To be continued in Chapter Three)

EAST OF THE HEART: CHAPTER ONE

EAST OF THE HEART

Chapter One: The Departure

1925 – Fujian, China

The rain had subsided into a light drizzle. One could hardly see the tiny drops of water, trickling down the roof tiles and onto the muddy grounds. Outside was as silent as the interior of the small courtyard house, with its somber grey bricks and red faded tiles. The rain had left the unattended clothes pegged on the lines soiled and dreary. All the flowers appeared limp and melancholy. It was morning, but with the dark over-cast sky, it could have been mistaken for evening. In the middle of the room, a nervous seventeen-year-old girl knelt before her mother with her head bowed down. She dared not speak nor look up. Her mother was explaining to her that the situation had turned out to be for the best. 

“You are the lucky one, because you get to leave this place.” The elderly lady said, as her voice hid an undercurrent of sadness.

Was she really lucky to leave, the young girl wondered? Had she been born a man, she would not have to leave at all. She could have continued living in her home, and not be evicted from the village. However, fate had not been as kind and she was born a female child. Therefore from birth, she was already condemned as a liability, and not valued as an asset to the family. In a household blessed with five sons, she was the daughter that every family in the village shunned.  Her mother had taken the liberty to remind her several times a week that she was more fortunate than others. For every baby girl that was allowed to live, many more had perished without a trace, and without anyone knowing of its very existence. From the second these babies were delivered unto this world, they were bundled quietly into the night, and drowned in the river that ran through the village. Over the centuries, the river had consumed countless baby girls. Yet, life continued as it always had - as if nothing was lost or missed.  One might even think that it was the most natural act to perform – to have one’s daughter submerged into oblivion.   

“Mei Yee, we have made a grave mistake by allowing you to study with your brothers. This has filled your head with ideas that will not be of any use to you at all - at least, not in this lifetime.  Therefore, this is the best solution for all of us, and you.” Her mother added solemnly.

As a woman was regarded ONLY to be useful as a reproductive vessel in her village, an educated woman was a design against nature. Women with any amount of education were regarded with suspicion in their village because they were corrupted and damaged by all accounts. There was no real glory attached to a woman's intelligence, only shame. Every ounce of acquired knowledge would have rendered her most unfitting to obey any man, especially her husband. Hence, she would be branded as ghastly unsuitable for marriage. And if a woman were not of “marriageable material”, then she would be totally worthless. However, Mei Yee’s education happened merely by accident. She was allowed to study along with her brothers in order to help them with their homework. All her brothers had made her stay in-doors every single day to finish all their work before their next lesson, while they went out for some mischief. Invariably, it made Mei Yee the most cultivated among them all. She had not asked to be educated in the first place. She was educated by default.

“Now, I have nothing to give you except this jade bracelet. It was given to me by my own mother when I left my village to marry your father. So, I give it to you as you leave us today to marry someone in Malaya.” The elderly lady said, as she took out the jade bracelet from the silken pouch and placed it in her daughter’s hand.

“They do not know that you are educated and they do not mind if you are. So, you are very lucky indeed.” Her mother assured her.

Again, the word: “lucky” appeared in the mother-to-daughter dialogue. No matter how many times her mother had told her how fortunate she was, Mei Yee knew the truth. Luck was never on her side since the day she was born. Even as she knelt before her mother, she knew that "luck" would not come to rescue her from the situation. She was just another female-child, and undeserving of all the trouble that "luck" would have to recruit in order to help her. 

"Listen carefully, I want you to forget about all the books and everything you have studied. They are of no use once you are married. When you are married, your most important task is to serve your husband. And the second most important task is to give your husband and his family, many sons.” Her mother said grimly. 

Mei Yee wondered if this was the same reason that kept her mother from showering her with much affection as she was growing up. At the end of the day, it seemed that her mother would not truly own her. Her mother’s job was simply to deliver her into this world. When Mei Yee had come of age, she was to be married off and would never be welcomed home again. In this respect, her family and home were a place of transit. Mei Yee was never meant to stay with them for long. Thus, why would her mother lavish her with so much love and attention when she already knew that she would have to give Mei Yee away eventually? It was beginning to make sense. It would have been easier for her mother to feel less pain when the time came to let Mei Yee go. Finally, Mei Yee understood her mother, and forgave her for the seventeen years that she was denied of any real warmth and tenderness from her mother. 

Without allowing her emotions to spill, Mei Yee looked up at her mother’s face. She wished her mother long life and good health, as it was customary for a child to say such things to her parents upon parting. Her father had not bothered coming out of his library to see her off. Then again, he never did while she was living in the house. Mei Yee knew in her heart that it was to be the last time she would see her mother, or any of her family. She knew she would not be returning to the village ever again. With her small suitcase, she left the house for the pier.  She was to take a boat from her village to the city of Shanghai. From there, she will board a large ship that would take her to a place called, Penang, in Malaya.

With her right hand, she clasped onto the jade bracelet tightly. With her left, she held her baggage uneasily. Everything she had owned in the world was inside that bag. Hidden neatly in a secret compartment, laid all her shattered sensibilities.

(To be continued….in Chapter 2: The Arrival)