No River Wide Enough, Volume I: Escape
As the Revolution sweeps across China, Wang Kat Hing hides up 3000 years of family history against the communist purge of traditional ancestor worship. Betrayed by his brother, Wang escapes to British Hong Kong where he is befriended by American businessman Paul Graham. As Red victory separates Kat Hing from his family in the foothills north of the colony, Wang makes a frantic bid for their freedom by sneaking back into China.
Excerpt:
Capitalist running dogs! Wang Cho Tong screamed. He threw the torch through the rice shop window, then led the frenzied mob out through the village gate.
Ah-Kat! Wan Chan panted as the bedroom door burst open. They have burned my shop! Our brother leads them!
Kat Hing came fully awake. Where is your young wife?
She and our mother have used the secret door prepared against this night. They wait outside the wall.
As the murmur of the mob grew louder, the older man moved toward the stairs as his brother turned the other way. Where are you going? Wan Chan growled.
To bring our father.
Because of the opium, we all will die!
Ah-Kat shook his head. But he is our father. We ARE Chinese!
Kat Hing ran to the bedside. My father! He shook the frail old man by the shoulders. Father, we must go now or we die!
The Old Head's eyes eased open. Prepare...my pipe, he moaned.
The communists come. They will kill us all!
My...pipe, Bo Chai whispered hoarsely.
As the son heard the angry individual voices of men he knew, he lifted the old man, who seemed as light as a goose feather, over his shoulder.
Some of the men led by Cho Tong clawed and pounded on the door of the house as others tore the tablets from the walls of the Temple shrine and smashed them on the ground outside. As two jumped up to wrap their arms around one of the ceiling rafters, the log separated from its groove at the top of the wall. They pried the other end away, then lugged the beam out through the door
The battering ram men picked up momentum to crash the beam against the great door that splintered and burst open.
As Kat Hing stumbled down the stairs, an expertly-thrown brick hit a glancing blow at the back of his head. The body of Wang Bo Chai did a somersault and the brittle bones of the old man's spine crumbled like chalk against the floor.
As his brother ran through the house, Cho Tong joined the others in raining frenzied blows on the lifeless body of their father.
As Kat Hing ran, he felt the burning in his chest.
Ah-Kat! the voice whispered hoarsely.
Wang Kat Hing turned and stumbled into Ah-Wan's arms, then the two brothers waded into the water under the bridge.
As the sound of the mob faded up the road, Wang Wan Chan led his wife from the stream as Kat Hing urged their mother from the water. When they had traveled for an hour, Ah-Wan looked down at the ground. Where will we go? he moaned.
Kat Hing stared into the darkness. There is only one place.
As the mob came wearily back, one of Wang Cho Tong's peasant cousins moved up beside the boy. Where are they are hiding?
Ah-Cho stared down at the dark path as they crossed the bridge over the stream that had been his special childhood place. They could be in a thousand places.
Then we must search a thousand places! Where do they think they can escape the wrath of Peoples Revolution?
Cho Tong looked over at the peasant. Have you forgotten your own grandfather? Surely there is only one place.
