The Silk Merchant's Daughter by Dinah Jefferies

Author:Dinah Jefferies [Jefferies, Dinah]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin UK
Published: 2016-02-25T00:00:00+00:00

3

* * *

MISTS AND CLOUDS

November 1952 to September 1953

25

Northern Vietnam

The journey north during early November was not as arduous as Nicole had expected; rather, she enjoyed the sense of freedom, and loved the evenings when the countryside, softened by the gold of the setting sun, cast a spell that made anything seem possible. These were the months when it was good to walk. They walked at night when they could, ducking bats flying haphazardly between low trees. When they glimpsed a black bear in the blue light of the moon, Nicole froze. Trần’s wide-eyed look warned her not to move. The bear passed by. When they tried to sleep during the day, it was snub-nosed monkeys who woke them, pulling their hair and sniffing their bags in the hope of finding food.

It might only be an interlude before the hard work began but, determined to make the most of it, she was content to sleep rough, thrilled by the wilderness, and took each day as it came. There were moments when they drew too close to French troops and the sharp feeling of danger coursed through her blood, but being out in the open with the wind, the rain and the birds for company created a kind of exhilaration that fizzed and bubbled inside her. She felt as if she was starting to discover something new about herself, and she was relieved that Trần wasn’t expecting to have sex again.

The early days with the theatre troupe passed quickly. She felt strange at first, but followed Trần’s instructions and managed not to give herself away. She had learnt to watch for signs, little facial giveaways and the like, and was good at spotting what people were thinking. She hoped none of them could see into her mind. Hospitable and ready to share, they tried to engage her, but she kept to herself, sang her songs well and made sure she never uttered a word of French. She made one particular girlfriend, a musician called Phuong, and they’d usually smoke together at the end of a show before striking the stage and moving on.

The show was a form of Chèo, previously a satire showing vignettes of everyday life and performed by peasants in a village square; a simple drama with songs that suited Nicole, who found all her work with O-Lan was paying off brilliantly. Traditionally the action had shown people dealing with ethical quandaries and religious issues, but now the narratives were more frequently modern Vietminh versions, riddled with the theme of self-sacrifice. Intended to reinforce the spirits of the rural supporters and persuade drifters to join the resistance, the stories showed men and women heroically defending their country against the French.

The songs were performed accompanied by traditional instruments: zithers, lutes, fiddles and bamboo xylophones. And the drums beat to the eight-rhythm structure of the military.

At first Nicole felt roused by the music and content with her new world. And so the days turned into weeks, and the weeks into months

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