Small Bamboo (10 page)

Mum was immediately worried about Dad but Uncle Five assured her that he would be at the park soon. She explained how the family had split into groups in the park. Uncle Five was very pleased that the family had followed his instructions and were all safe; he could only hope the organisers would find them, as he was no longer able to speak to the family directly. Nor was Mum able to return to the aunties’ group in case it created suspicion.

‘I don’t know who else could be watching us now,’ Uncle Five said.

The streets were becoming chaotic and there were people everywhere. Night life in Vietnam, even in those days, was busy with people gathering, eating, shopping, doing business or just out for the evening. As the park filled with people and activity, the family groups lost sight of each other.

Meanwhile, Dad had ridden back to the eating house and discovered, thankfully, that all his family had left safely. There were more police in the area now and he was getting really worried. He suspected they knew something was going on. With so many people trying to leave the country, the police were always looking out for potential escapees, and Dad had caught their eye. Even though he had tried to dress like a local, not like a Saigon Downtowner, he must have stood out. Dad left the eating house and rode around until he was sure he wasn’t being followed, then found a dark and quiet area. He parked the scooter and walked away. He left the keys in it—hopefully, they would not need it anymore and someone would appreciate the gift.

Dad arrived at the park at about 9.30 p.m. but there were so many people around he couldn’t see anyone he recognised. For the first time, he started to panic. What if Uncle Five hadn’t found the organisers? What if the organisers had been caught? Or, perhaps worse, what if they’d already left without him? Dad had to keep his cool. His eyes darted around the park; he had to calm himself down. Then he spotted Uncle Ut and Uncle Tinh with two others from the group. They were with the brothers of Uncle Five’s sister-in-law. Dad was so happy and relieved to see them. The brothers spoke for a while, explaining to Dad what had happened, then they all decided to go for a walk.

As they made their way around the park, the group still did not see any other family members or anyone who looked like an organiser. Suddenly, a stranger brushed past Dad and mumbled something without speaking directly to him. Dad thought he heard the words ‘Brother Five’, so he stopped and looked at the man.

Without making eye contact, the man asked, ‘Are you with Brother Five?’

When Dad quickly replied that they were, the man slowed his pace so he was momentarily walking alongside Dad. The man just kept looking straight ahead.

‘We need to go now,’ he said to Dad. ‘Follow me.’ Then he strode ahead as if they had never spoken.

Dad and the rest of his group tailed the man through the park. Dad was worried about Mum and the rest of the family, but he couldn’t go back to look for them. He just had to hope that they had been found, like his group. The man led them to the river at Long Xuyen on the Mekong Delta, only about 2 kilometres away. There were so many boats at the dock. Dad and his brothers looked out over the water, wondering which boat was theirs. There was one terrible old fishing boat that already had people on board. It was dirty and the wood was deteriorating; Dad was surprised it was still afloat. As they reached it Dad saw the crew members preparing for departure. He didn’t know any of the men who were directing him to get on the boat. Another bout of panic hit him. He hesitated.

The man who had led them there tried to reassure him. ‘Don’t worry, this is only the boat that will take you to a bigger boat further out on the river.’

Dad and his brothers looked at each other but none of them moved.

‘You need to get on now,’ the man said, scanning the dock nervously.

One by one the brothers climbed on. It was around 10.30 p.m. There were about thirty people onboard but none of them were Dad’s family. The brothers waited together, quietly discussing the situation among themselves. A few more groups arrived but they were all strangers. Then, about half an hour later, Aunt Five, her three children, Aunt Sixteen and Aunt Twelve boarded the boat. They all looked so worried and scared, as if they too were wondering if this was the right boat. Dad rushed over to them straight away and he saw Aunt Five’s face lift with relief.

‘Tai! We’re so happy to see you,’ she said, hugging him. ‘We didn’t know who would be on the boat. Have you seen anyone else?’

‘No, Sister Five.’ Dad explained how he’d found his brothers at the park. ‘Have you seen Brother Five? Where is Lien?’

Aunt Five told him that she last saw them together, but the park became so busy she had lost sight of them. ‘I lost sight of everyone,’ she said tearily. Dad comforted his sister as best he could. ‘At least we’re together now,’ he said. ‘Let’s pray they get here soon.’

The organisers had concerns of their own. The group was becoming too noisy. Children were screaming, people were crying. Without telling anyone, the crew decided to move the boat from the dock further out onto the river. The engine started.

‘Why are we moving?’ Aunt Five whispered to Dad.

‘I don’t know,’ he replied. He wanted to ask the crew what was happening, to say,
Don’t leave, not everyone is here yet
. Aunt Five burst into tears again.

Then the boat stopped not far away from the dock and one of the crew members stood up. He explained that they were being too noisy and they had to move further out. ‘You need to keep quiet or we will get caught,’ he said. The passengers were silent after that.

When Dad saw a small water taxi approaching their boat, at first he thought it was the police. But to his immense relief, it was a load of passengers—and not just another arrival but a group of his family: Uncle Five’s brother and his wife and daughter, and Anh Tuan, Uncle Five’s friend’s son. But there was still no sign of Uncle Five and Mum. Time was running out and Dad was really worried about them now.

At the park, the hours went by and Uncle Five and Mum were still sitting on the bench. They had lost sight of the other family members in the crowd, and while hundreds of people had passed them, no one had stopped to speak to them. There had been no signal, no contact from the organisers. By 11.30 p.m. the streets were becoming empty and Uncle Five was becoming alarmed. He kept looking around the park, which was much too quiet. It was no longer safe for them to stay there. The police would notice them and ask why they were still around so late.

‘We have to try to find the boat ourselves,’ Uncle Five said to Mum. ‘We can’t wait any longer.’

Mum knew that something was wrong and the organisers weren’t coming for them now, and even though she trusted Uncle Five, she started to feel frightened. There were hundreds of boats at the dock, as well as the constant presence of the military and police. To find the boat themselves seemed an impossible task.

On the boat, all Dad and the others could do was wait. The crew knew they were missing two people, but it was already midnight and they needed to get further out onto the river to wait for their next signal. The crew looked at Dad and his family. Their expression was not comforting—it was obvious they intended to leave without Uncle Five and Mum. Dad’s heart sank. He didn’t want to go without his older brother, the head of their family and the one who had organised their escape. And, even more, he didn’t want to leave without the woman he loved.

Dad looked down at his left hand and stared at the ring on his finger. About a month before, there had been discussions between the two families, approving a marriage between my parents. However, with Vietnam the way it was after the war, Mum and Dad and their families knew they would never have a proper wedding ceremony. So Mum decided to be prepared in another way and before they left Ho Chi Minh City she bought two wedding rings. She gave one to Dad, who kept it in his pocket until just before he jumped on the boat. For him their union was already official from the moment Mum agreed to escape Vietnam with him, but wearing the ring made him feel complete. Now, though, he was about to be separated from her and he was devastated.

The crew looked out over the water one last time; they didn’t want to leave anyone behind but they’d already waited too long and it was time to go. Shaking their heads in disappointment and regret, they prepared the boat to depart. The engine clicked over several times but wouldn’t start. Everyone looked at the crew with concern as they continued trying, with no success. The engine wouldn’t start.

From the park, Uncle Five and Mum took a
xic lo
down to the dock, where they were confronted with the sight of many boats, most of them empty. They walked along the jetty but had no idea what they were looking for. Uncle Five could not see any of the crew or organisers.

Mum felt deflated and thought they had missed the boat. She especially felt bad for Uncle Five—after all he had done for the family, everything he’d sold, and all the effort he’d put into organising the escape, he was going to be left behind. But Uncle Five wasn’t done yet.

When a small water taxi drew up to a nearby jetty, Uncle Five waved at the driver then grabbed Mum, saying, ‘Come on, Lien. Get in the taxi. We need to get out onto the water.’

Mum didn’t think they’d find the boat among the many vessels out on the river, but they had nothing to lose by trying.

‘Take us out to those boats,’ Uncle Five said to the driver, pointing at some fishing boats further out.

‘Which one do you want to go to?’ the driver asked.

‘Just take us out there.’

They went from boat to boat but they were all empty or had only local fishermen on board. Then Uncle Five and Mum heard some children crying, and knew it had to be coming from their boat.

Uncle Five told the driver to take them to the boat and as they got closer he heard the engine ticking over. He realised they had made it just in time. The crew were both relieved and surprised to see Uncle Five and Mum, and stopped working on the engine so they could help them on board. The water taxi sped off immediately: the driver had realised what the boat was for and he didn’t want to be caught anywhere near it.