When We Were Young & Brave by Hazel Gaynor

Author:Hazel Gaynor
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: William Morrow Paperbacks
Published: 2020-07-16T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 23

Elspeth

Our worst fears had been realized. Along with some fifteen hundred other souls, we were to be interned at Weihsien Civilian Assembly Center. It was almost impossible to comprehend, impossible to accept that we’d been taken somewhere so primitive and so far removed from the comfortable lives we’d known not two years earlier.

From the outset, it was clear that life behind the high compound walls would be a very different experience from that which we’d left behind at Temple Hill. In addition to the hostile stares from the new guards, and the menacing barbed wire and strict rules set out by Mr. Tsukigawa, Weihsien was far bigger, and populated by a bewildering variety of people.

“It’s all rather . . . mixed, isn’t it,” Minnie remarked as we reorganized our sleeping arrangements.

“That’s one word for it, yes,” I agreed. I made no attempt to conceal the sarcasm in my voice. “No wonder the children gawp and stare.” I gawped and stared myself. I’d already noticed several morally questionable women hanging around the men’s shower block, and Minnie had discovered empty bottles of alcohol in the dustbins. “When I think of all the effort we went to at Chefoo School to shelter the children from external influences. What a pointless exercise that was. Now they’ll be exposed to goodness knows what.”

“At least the camp committees seem to have everything well organized,” Minnie said as we swept the floor and washed the windows to make our room a little more hospitable.

In a small way, I agreed that it was a relief to find routines already established, and elected chairmen and monitors in charge of the various committees.

“Yes. I suppose there is that to be grateful for,” I agreed, albeit half-heartedly.

There was really very little to be grateful for, but searching for positives in our situation had become as much of a habit as searching for bedbugs. They weren’t always easy to see, but we knew we would find them eventually, if we could just summon the energy to keep looking.

After twenty-four hours, we’d experienced the full Weihsien schedule of roll call, breakfast, tiffin, supper, and curfew. Meals consisted of a millet-type porridge for breakfast, inedible stew for lunch, and a watery soup for supper, and everything was served with dry bread and black tea. Fresh milk wasn’t available, and we’d quickly discovered that the food committee kept any Red Cross supplies of Carnation powdered milk for the very young and elderly, who needed the calcium the most.

We were all very worried about the lack of calcium in the children’s diet, aware that they needed calcium to develop strong bones and teeth. While they kept themselves reasonably clean and well presented on the outside, we couldn’t always tell what was happening to them on the inside; what damage their poor diet was doing to them, or what long-term emotional toll their prolonged separation from their parents would have on them. The children in our care had been brought up to believe that it

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.