The Chinese Dry Cleaner's Daughter
Nina Varghese
22 January 2008, 02:43Suzy Wong was late. A rare event, as Suzy was never late for anything. She walked fast and with her head down, up the slight recline through heart of the town. The town was still asleep as the weak morning sunlight touched lightly on the shuttered shops and the old Vauxhall taxis. The air was fresh and fragrant with the smell of eucalyptus and pines. Most shops in Bedford Circle did not open till half past eight, the one exception to the rule was The Royal Bakery which opened at 7.30 with its supply of bread for all the big houses on Gray’s Hill. As Suzy sniffed the lovely smell of freshly baked bread, she wished that for once she could also have toasted bread with plum jam like her friend Francis. But Francis was English and her mother said that the English ate bread all the time.
Thinking of Francis made her smile and look up. The smile froze on her face as she saw the man outside the Madras Café smiling and wiggling his finger at her. The man had been there most days and Suzy never looked his way. He frightened her. She hurried past and banished all thoughts from her head except the fact that she had to lead the assembly in school that day. She rehearsed her speech again in her mind and walked faster. As Suzy reached the school gate the bell rang and she had just enough time to run to the class room, dump her books and take her place with the prefects.
When all the children had filed in, Suzy went up in front of the mike. She led the school through the ritual of prayer, school song and homily with flair. But before she could finish, the Principal signaled to her that she would like to speak. Miss Thomas came up to the stage and told the school that though it was the middle of term, 60 new children would soon be their class mates. She explained how these children were Tibetans who had to flee their homeland and come to India. Miss Thomas then asked the assembled children whether anyone knew why these children had to leave their homeland.
“Because of the war ’’ said Arjun Matthew, Suzy’s classmate before anyone could answer. Miss Thomas looked at him and smiled. “Yes, you are right.’’
The Principal explained that India was at war with China and then prayed for the soldiers who were fighting the war and for their families.
As the children filed out of the assembly hall, Suzy ran to join her class mates and slipped into line with them. The boys as usual were pushing and shoving from the back. As the class prefect, Suzy turned and glared at them. As she suspected it was the 3 AMs again. The 3 AMs were Arjun Matthew, Arun Metha and Arthur Mellow.
“Arjun Matthew, stop it’’ she said. In response, he made a face at her. Then he came up close, stuck his face in hers and said
“Do you know my father is on the border fighting the Chinese.’’
Suzy looked puzzled but made no response. But there was a feeling of disquiet in her. She glanced at her friends Mollykutty and Usha but they looked away. The disquiet grew till it became a small heavy stone in the corner of her heart, which she carried with her for the rest of the day.
At noon, three buses with the Tibetan children arrived at the school gates. Miss Thomas and the other teachers were there to welcome the visitors. When the recess bell rang, all the children charged out of their classes to gawk at the newcomers who stood huddled in sullen groups as the teachers ran around with lists on clipboards. The children watched the newcomers until the bell rang again.
The afternoon passed slowly and then it was time was PT. As the children ran out into the playground, Suzy found herself near Arjun, again. “My country is at war with yours,’’ he said. The other two AMs stood behind him, stony faced. Suzy was puzzled. “My country?’’ she said “I am Indian”.
“No, you’re Chinese’’ was the reply.
“I am of Chinese origin but I was born in India, stupid, so I am as Indian as you.”
Arjun stared at her for some time, turned abruptly and walked away with the other two AMs trailing behind him. Suzy sat down on a stone under a tree. Her legs left very weak.
“Suzy, Suzy come and play’’ Her friends were calling her. With an effort she stood up and ran to join them.
Soon it was time to go home. She had to pass the Silver Queen, the silver coloured bus which transported the army kids to the various schools in town. Arjun stood with his cronies near the Silver Queen. As she passed the bus, Arjun called out to someone in bus. “Arre, dek, that’s the chink’’.
Suzy felt a shudder run down her back. Her friends who were walking along with her stopped but Suzy walked on with her head down. She was quiet all the way home.
Suzy lived with her father and mother at the back of the dry cleaning shop, which they ran. She picked her way through the heaps of soiled clothes on the ground.
She put her books away and sat down at the table. Her parents hardly noticed her; they were busy reading a letter. Suzy knew the contents of the letter without reading it. It was from her uncle in England who wanted them to join the rest of the family there. But the family in England was having a tough time while the Wongs were doing quite well with their dry cleaning business in Annur. Mr Wong hoped to open another shop in the next town, soon.
Her mother put her evening meal in front of her and said “Eat fast an’ go study.’’ She dipped her chopsticks into the steaming bowl of rice and crab soup, hardly tasting the food. Her mind was empty, she couldn’t think. She wished Francis was there to talk to, but Francis was away at boarding school.
The next day dawned bright and cheery. Suzy forgot her troubles as she walked to school, listening to the bird song. The man at Madras Café was at his post and with his transistor radio blaring behind him on the ledge. The voice of the All India Radio newsreader cut through the still of the morning.
“There has been heavy fighting in the Western Theatre, late, last night, an army spokesman said. Chinese patrols have been ambushed by Indian Army scouts. The Prime Minister said……’’.
Suzy looked at the man and he winked at her. Frightened, she walked fast.
The Tibetan children had been assigned their classes. There were five of them in Suzy’s class. After Assembly, Miss Thomas called all the class perfects and asked them to take care of the new students. In class, Suzy helped to distribute some books, pens and ink to them. She smiled at them but they glared back at her with no expression on their young, old faces.
“I am your friend,’’ she said to them
Suddenly one of the girls screamed “No, no, you Chinese. Not friend’’. With tears streaming down her face, the young Tibetan girl banged her head on the desk and cried.
The whole class was shocked, Suzy more then the rest of them. The teacher ran forward and put her arms around Suzy who was shivering and the sobbing Tibetan girl. She made soothing noises as she patted them on the back. “Call Miss Thomas’’ she mouthed. One the AMs was out like a flash and within minutes the Principal was there.
She soothed the Tibetan girl while she held Suzy’s hand. She said “It is not Suzy’s fault, so we must not blame her ’’ she said. “In fact, Suzy’s family fled persecution in China and came to India in the early part of the century. It is foolish to blame a young girl who has never left India for some thing that is happening far away.’’
The rest of the day passed in a daze and it was time to go home. Suzy was quiet as she walked with her friends out of the school gates. The Silver Queen was there as usual, there was a small crowd which included the AMs near the bus. As Suzy passed, one of them shouted “Go home, chink’’. Then something soft hit her head.
It was a paper ball. Suzy looked back at the crowd near the Silver Queen; their faces were tight with anger.
“Watch out’’ Usha shouted and pulled her roughly to the side, as a stone whizzed past. After that the stones came fast, Suzy was so frightened that she started running. She ran down the road with her head down and tears streaming down her face. Some of boys ran behind her. People walking on the road stared. Then one of them stepped in front of the boys and stopped them. It was the man from Madras Café.
Suzy Wong did not come to school for a few days. When she did, it was as if those ugly incidents never happened.
Postscript: Suzy Wong never told her parents what happened. She was very sad to leave Annur when they decided to immigrate to England, eventually. Arjun Matthew’s father died a week later on the disputed Indo-Chinese border. The Tibetan refugee children found a safe haven in the little school in the Blue Mountains. The man at the tea shop, it was rumoured, was an intelligence officer posted to keep an eye on the Chinese family in town.
Brilliant work ! my memories go back 40 years i guess, known her and eaten in her reaturant as a kid.I guess shes in Canada now.
this story brings back fond memories…, well done.
— Jude Thaddaeus · Jan 23, 21:30 · #