Mulberry and Peach by Hualing Nieh

Author:Hualing Nieh
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: The Feminist Press at CUNY
Published: 2011-11-18T05:00:00+00:00

Tonight there is no gnawing on the roof. Everything is black, inside and outside. The only light comes from the house at Number Three across the way. Chia-kang is asleep on his tatami mat. The clock, which is still being repaired, sits beside his pillow. In the dark I can’t see what time the clock says.

Sang-wa is asleep on her tatami mat.

I lie wide awake on my tatami mat, waiting for the gnawing noise to begin on the roof.

Suddenly someone bangs at the gate, shouting, ‘House check.’ The police often use the pretext of a census check in order to search for fugitives.

I sit up with a start.

The main gate is opening. Someone comes into the courtyard. He shouts at Old Wang. He is ordering him to wake up everyone in the house. Tell them to get out their census papers and identification cards.

Chia-kang suddenly turns over and sits up. He lies down again and then sits up.

They’ve come? They’ve come? Have they finally come? He can’t stop mumbling.

I nod and motion for him to be quiet.

We sit side by side. Each sitting on our separate tatami mats. Backs against the wall. Holding hands.

I hear them go into the Ts’ais’ house.

Chia-kang writes on my palm:TS’AI WILL TURN US IN

NO, MY FATHER SAVED HIS LIFE

OLD WANG?

NO

I DON’T TRUST HIM

HE HAS BEEN WITH THE TS’AIS

MORE THAN 20 YEARS

THE TS’AIS HAVE SAVED OUR LIVES

YES

THEY’RE QUESTIONING HIM

MAYBE

THEY’LL SHOW HIM THE WARRANT

MAYBE

THEY ARE COMING UP TO THE ATTIC

I’M READY

I’LL GIVE MYSELF UP

NO

WHY NOT

PERHAPS WE CAN ESCAPE

THEY’LL COME SOONER OR LATER

I’LL GO WITH YOU

YOU SHOULD BE FREE

FREEDOM WHERE

THEY’RE COMING

I’M LISTENING

IN THE COURTYARD

SOMEONE IS LAUGHING

LAUGHING AT WHAT

WHO KNOWS

ARE THEY COMING

WHO KNOWS

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