This may get confusing as Jayne is referred to by another name. Just remember that Jayne is the main character and his name still starts with a “J” and you should be fine. :D

CHAPTER FIVE: TICKETS FOR THE EIGHT O’CLOCK TRAIN - PART II

"You’re what?!"

John’s mother dropped her chopsticks with a clatter, almost losing her rice bowl as well. The rest of the family, plus Feng, stared down the table at Maria.

"Moving to the capitol after the festivals." replied John. He spoke slowly, as though he was speaking to a small child rather than his mother. Feng looked down at the table, her rice, the platter of stir fried sweet peas between her and Annie Ju, anywhere but the end of the table where Maria sat.

"Watch your tone, boy." His father warned.

"No." Maria said firmly.

"What do ya mean no?" asked John. "Gong gong asked me to."

"Your grandfather asked..." Maria set her rice down with a loud thud. "Do you know what your father and I have gone through to keep you children away from all the trouble that man is going to bring down on our heads when he dies? Because that’s all you’re going to get if you go Johnny, a big steaming pile of gou shi."

She picked up her chopsticks again and stabbed them through the air in John’s direction. "You’re not going, young man. Keep working at the shop if you want to but you’re staying here in Winthrop and that’s final."

John looked beseechingly down the other end of the table to his father who simply shook his head. "Your mother’s got this one right, son."

"And what kind a trouble are you talkin’ about anyway?" demanded John. "You always say the city’s trouble but Vera went-"

"You leave Feng out of this." Maria snapped. Feng slid further down into her chair as though she wanted to disappear. "I didn’t say anything to her because they won’t touch girls as a rule and she’s seen enough ugliness in this ‘verse to steer clear of it when she sees it. Your grandfather’s business may be legitimate but he’s still no better than a gangster, the way he treats people."

"What do you mean?" John asked. He had put down his own bowl and chopsticks and crossed his arms over his chest. "What do you mean by gangster? Gong gong ain’t a street thug."

Maria stood abruptly and looked down the table at her husband. "Stacey, I think you’d better have a talk with your son."

John’s father sighed as his wife left the room. He looked at his youngest son slouching in his chair, staring sullenly at his bowl.

"Boys," he said, glancing over at Paul. "Best be gettin’ up early tomorrow. Deer ain’t gonna come to us."

The sun was just starting to rise when John woke to the sound of his mother knocking on his bedroom door, the smell of breakfast wafting up the stairs. Taking care to step softly because his sisters would throw a fit if he woke them up, he went downstairs to the kitchen. He sat down at the table opposite his father, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. His mother slid a bowl of xi fan across the table to him.

Paul arrived just as John finished his porridge. The three men loaded up and headed out into the misty morning. They tramped through the frost covered field that lay behind the house until they came to the forest. As they walked through the trees, their father motioned for Paul to take the lead, waiting for him to move out of earshot to speak.

“You’re near enough to a grown man now.” His father said, gruffly, keeping his eyes sharp for deer sign. “Your ma and I don’t have no call to tell you what to do with your life but if you go to Xi’an, you’re on your own, son.”

“I know dad.”

“We won’t be able to help you out of a jam like we can out here and that’s what your ma’s afraid of. Old Andolini’s nice enough but some of his friends ain’t so shiny.”

“I’ll be careful, I promise. Gong gong just wants us close is all, doubt he’ll let me get any where near anything interesting anyway.”

“Well good, see that you keep it so.”

“Yes, ba ba.”

The New Year Festival was in full swing a few weeks later. All the buildings lining the main street of Winthrop were decorated in red bunting while phrases wishing customers good luck and prosperity for the coming year plastered the doorways. Strings of red paper lanterns stretched from building to building while the taller ones had ribbons of firecrackers hanging from their roofs down to the snow covered street below.

John and Feng walked through the crowded streets hand in hand on their way to the Gunpowder Rose. His mother had told him to get something for his sisters to make up for the abysmal Christmas gifts he’d given them and Feng had taken it upon herself to help him. They finally decided on some fancy shoes Feng had convinced John would be appropriate gifts when she heard someone call out to her.

“Jie jie!”

Feng whirled around to see her youngest brother Andrew run up and throw his arms around her.

“Andy? What are ya doing? Where’s dad?” she exclaimed, hugging him anyway. “Do ya wanna get in ta trouble?”

“Ba ba’s home. He ain’t gonna see me. Are ya gonna come and visit?” The twelve year old bounced up and down excitedly. “John, ni hao ma?”

“I’m alright little man. Xin nian kuai le.” John reached out and mussed Andrew’s hair. Instead of being annoyed, the boy grinned happily. “Let’s keep walkin’ Feng. Andy can come with us to the Saloon. Zeta won’t mind.”

Feng sighed as they continued up the street. “Oh Andy, ya know I can’t visit. Ba would kick me out faster than ya could blink.”

“But we miss you! Charlie’s never around anymore since he started workin’ in the fields after school and neither’s Cam.”

Feng narrowed her eyes. Her second oldest brother had always been a handful. “Why? What’s Cam been up ta? He been gettin’ himself inta trouble again?”

Andrew shook his head. “I dunno. He’s just never around.”

“And what about you, Andy? Been gettin’ enough ta eat?” She looked him over with a critical eye. His clothes were a bit worn but he didn’t look like he’d lost any weight.

“Charlie always makes sure we’ve got somethin’ fer school and I try to make dinner fer him when he gets back at night. Don’t always turn out so well, though.” He said sadly.

Feng smiled fondly. “You’ll get better, just takes some practice and I’m sure Charlie appreciates it all the same. I suppose I can try ta come around sometime when dad’s not home. He still on Old Man Jenkins’s payroll?”

“Yeah. He’s always gone though. Maybe ya could come anyway.” Andy suggested excitedly.

“We’ll see. Now come on, let’s go visit the fortune teller.”

It was late afternoon a few days later when Vera knocked tentatively on the back door of her childhood home. After a minute, Andy threw to door open and threw himself against her in a bear hug.

“Jie jie! You came!”

“Is ba ba here?” she asked as she squeezed him back.

He shook his head. “He’s out. Probably be gone all night too.”

“Well good. Cuz I’m gonna make y’all dinner tonight.” She held up the bags of vegetables she’d brought with her and the pheasant she’d shot and dressed earlier that morning. “Wanna help?”

Vera set Andy to washing the vegetables while she fired up the old cast iron wood stove. As they worked, Andy chattered on about school and where his brothers were working and the snow fort they had built a few weeks ago. The familiar sounds and smells of cooking made the time fly and soon enough, the other boys began to return home.

“Hey hey! Somethin’ smells good!” exclaimed Charlie as he closed the front door behind Cameron, Jeffry and David. “What ya cookin’ Andy?”

“Ain’t me da ge.” Andy called as he scampered out to meet his oldest brother. “Look who’s here!”

The two younger boys rushed over to hug their sister but Charlie and Cam stopped short in the kitchen doorway when they saw Vera, Charlie unsure if he should enter. When his only sister had left in the fall, they had exchanged some unkind words. But Vera surprised him and welcomed them with a smile.

“Andy told me he’d been tryin’ ta do all the cookin’ since I’ve been gone. Decided ta give yer poor old stomachs a break. It is New Year’s after all.”

“Almost thought you’d forgotten all ‘bout yer little brothers.” Said Charlie. Cam said nothing, crossing his arms sullenly.

“Not a chance. I kept thinkin’ the world were gonna end when it were all quiet while I was studying.” Vera laughed. She pointed to the cupboard and told Charlie to start setting the table. Cam began scooping food into serving dishes without a word but his silence had turned amiable.

Dinner was a lively affair. The boys enjoying the first good meal they’d had in months and Vera simply reveling in the feeling of having her family around her. They were just beginning the process of washing up when they heard the front door slam against the wall of the front entryway with a loud bang.

“Gorrammit!” There was a sound of shuffling foot steps heading towards the kitchen followed by slurred cursing. “Where da hell did dem rotten kids git ta?”

Everyone in the kitchen froze as their father stumbled in to the kitchen. He leaned heavily against the door way, squinting around the room.

“Waddaya wretches thin’ yer doin’?” he demanded. “Ain’t I told ya ta wait fer me ta get back?”

“We did save you some.” Andy said in a small voice. He pointed at a covered platter on the counter.

“You little ingrate.” He growled, advancing on his youngest son. “’s bad ‘nough that I have ta work all day ta pay for ya lumps ta sit around on yer pi gus all day, ya can’t even wait fer me ta get home.”

He reached out to smack the boy but Charlie darted between the two, the blow glancing off his jaw. What followed happened so fast that Vera would later have a hard time recalling the events at the sheriff's station. Her father lunged at Charlie with a snarl but he stepped to the side, shoving the larger man from the back. Unable to stop his momentum, he continued forward, crashing through the kitchen window and out into the yard. The children rushed to the broken window, gasping at what they saw.

“Oh Buddha,” breathed Vera as the younger boys flinched in horror. “Charlie, you stay in here. David, you call the sheriff.”

She threw open the back door and ran outside. He had flipped over as he’d gone through the window, landing on the fence that protected their small vegetable garden. A metal stake had impaled him through the chest. When she reached her father’s side, she saw that there was nothing she could do except turn and vomit into the winter melon patch.

Hours later, John walked out of the sheriff’s office with a comforting arm around Vera, her brothers following obediently. His Uncle Reeb was waiting with a large van, having volunteered to drive the siblings home. They clambered in and took their seats with a minimum of fuss, too emotionally drained to squabble as they usually did.

Vera sat next to John in the middle bench, sitting up rigidly in her seat. “What do ya think’ll happen Johnny? I can’t just leave my brothers here on their own.”

“I know what you’re thinking, Vera.” John said, rubbing her shoulder reassuringly. “And don’t you worry.”

“You’re practically family now, Miss Feng.” said Reeb from the driver’s seat. “We always take care of family, just like you do.”

“Thanks.” Vera said, wrapping her arms around John’s neck. He pulled her close, enfolding her in his solid embrace. “It means so much to me. I don’t know how we could ever repay you and your grandfather for all this.”

“Well I’m sure we’ll be able to find something for the rest of the boys to do down at the plantation.” said Reeb.

“I don’t want a pity job.” Cam stated in a petulant voice from the backseat.

“Who said anything about pity?” asked the man who ran Qingdao Brewery’s entire hops plantation. “We can always use extra hands on the farm, right Charlie?”

“Yes, sir.” Charlie mumbled without lifting his head.

The rest of the ride was passed in sober silence. When they returned to the house, John went to close the shutters on the broken kitchen window while Vera sent her brothers to bed. When she was sure they were tucked up safe, she curled up on the shabby couch next to John’s steadying presence. Unable to sleep, they talked for a while about the arrangements she would have to make for her father’s body before she returned to New Xi’an. Eventually, she was able to fall into a fitful rest as the cold grey of dawn began to creep across the worn floorboards.

Translations: Gou shi – (dog) shit Xi fan – rice porridge Ba ba – father Bai hua le qien – Waste of money Jie jie – older sister Ni hao ma? – How are you? Xin nian kuai le – Happy New Year (Mandarin), the Cantonese say "Gong hey fat choi". Hao ma? – alright? Da ge – big brother Pi gu - ass

Fun Facts: New Year Festival – Formally known as the Lunar New Year Festival. The celebrations begin before the actual date, usually in late January or early February. Traditionally, it is a time for people to go visiting, splurge on food and new clothing and just have a raucously great time. It’s like all the American holidays rolled into the span of a few weeks. Everything is done up in red and gold and other flamboyant decorations. Lots of concerts, theatrical and dance performances are held, lion and dragon dances are the most well known. In Asian countries, there are also lots of fireworks displays, though I’ve never seen one in the US. One of my father’s favorite childhood memories was the string of firecrackers they had every year, long enough to stretch from the top of their three story house down to the street.

Winter Melon - is a vine grown for its very large fruit, eaten as a vegetable. It’s waxy outer shell allows it to be kept through the winter, hence the name.

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