A Thread Unbroken (29 page)

Jun sighed and then began telling them everything that had happened since the night he returned home to find them missing. He told them about Ruju and her grandmother, the sighting of the woman leading them away, and their trek to Sandu’ao and to the little village.

“I even spoke to a fortune-teller earlier today, and he told me I would find peace where I found refuge.” He laughed and threw his arms up, looking around. “This is what he was trying to tell me—he showed me a card with a church on it. He was telling me I’d find you, Chai. He is real—he’s not a fake!”

“A fortune-teller? Baba, are you okay?” Chai asked, winking at Josi. She knew that her father had never had patience for that type of thing. He had even told her the story about how he’d dropped the second character of his name when he’d turned eighteen, even though without it
Jun
alone meant
unlucky
. He was determined to lead his generation in the abolishment of old myths and superstitions.

“Okay? I’m wonderful!” He shook his head. “But I thought the old man was a crackpot. My stubbornness almost cost me finding you, Chai. If not for the storm and the hotel being closed, I would have missed you. I can’t believe my luck—or whatever it was.”

Chai smiled at him and thought how amazing it was to see his familiar face again. She loved every wrinkle and sun spot
on it, and she couldn’t wait to be home and snuggled beside him reading a book together again.

His face suddenly went blank and he grabbed his bag. “Oh my, I can’t believe I forgot. Chai, we have to call your mother! We have to tell her you’re okay.”

“Mama?” Chai began to cry just thinking about her mother. After so many months of striving to be strong, she suddenly felt younger than her years.

Jun pulled his phone from the bag and turned it on. He waited for a signal, and when he found none, he got up and began holding the phone up, trying to find the best location in the cavernous room.

“What about Luci? Is she okay?”

“Oh, she’s fine. She’s been very quiet since you left, though. She has refused to play outside since you were taken. But she’ll snap back when she hears that I’ve found you.” He held his hand up. “Oh—I have a signal.”

With the signal came a series of messages of missed calls. Jun flipped through them, studying the numbers.

“Your mother’s been trying to call me. I guess the storm stopped all incoming service.” He dialed the phone and put it to his ear. The girls waited quietly.

“Wei?” Jun smiled at the girls, telling them she had answered. He paused, listening at the phone for minutes, the expression on his face turning thunderous.

“Baba? What?” Chai asked, sure there was something wrong. Jun waved her away and walked to the corner of the room.

“When? How do you know? Who told you?” He belted out questions, becoming angrier at each pause.

Chai watched her father, silenced by the look on his face. She had never seen him so angry.

“I will squeeze the life from him with my own bare hands.” He snarled into the phone, then walked farther away from the girls and continued in a low voice.

Chai reached across the table and held Josi’s hands. They waited for her father to finish his conversation.

Finally Jun hung up the phone and turned to the girls. “Chai, your mother will talk to you in the morning. She is too upset to talk anymore, and the signal was very bad, but she’s relieved I’ve found you.”

“Okay, Baba. But what’s wrong—tell me. Is it Luci?”

Jun looked at Chai and then Josi, his eyes filling with tears.

“What, Lao Jun? It’s about me. What is it?” Josi asked, panicking that something had happened to her mother or father.

“Wei said she has been trying to reach me for over a day. Josi, your mother went to her two days ago after she had a fight with your father.”

“A fight? Is she okay?” Josi asked, clutching Chai’s sleeve. “Is she okay? Answer me.”

Jun nodded his head. His energy looked to have disappeared, leaving behind only a tired old man. “Your mother is fine, dear girl.”

Josi sighed and Chai could see the relief on her face. She squeezed her hands again for support. She still felt something terrible was coming.

“Then what, Lao Jun?” she asked.

“I’m sorry to tell you this, but your mother said your father was involved in the kidnapping of you and Chai.”

Josi paled under the blue tinges of bruises across her face. She seemed to want to say something but couldn’t get the words out.

“But Baba, I don’t understand.” Chai stood, too upset to stay sitting. She felt sick to her stomach. She had heard of girls and women being trafficked, but she didn’t quite understand how it could be done by their own families.
Could Josi’s father really be that cruel?

“I don’t see how it can be hidden, and you girls have been through enough that you deserve the truth. Josi, your father took the family out of town that day and set you both off on an adventure he knew would end up with your disappearance.” He put his hand on Josi’s shoulder. “He sold Chai. He told them exactly where to find her, but you girls threw them off when you came to me first. The woman followed your trail until she found you.” He looked down at Josi’s foot and then back up at her. “You weren’t sold, but they took you, too. You were taken so that Chai would cooperate.”

Josi shook her head from side to side. “No. That can’t be true.”

Chai got up and went around to Josi. She put her arms around her and rocked her back and forth as she cried.

“I’m so sorry, Josi. Your father made contact with a trafficking ring from the city and made the arrangements. He was told you both would be placed with a rich family and treated well—at least that’s what he told your mother. He claims he thought it would be an improvement over your current chances of a future. They paid him a bride price and he bought a car and planned to start a new business.”

Josi looked at him and shook her head. “No, Lao Jun. This can’t be true. Please tell me this isn’t true.”

Jun held his hands out. “This came from your own mother’s mouth. It is true. That’s everything. I’m sorry, Josi.”

Chai hugged Josi as she sobbed into her shoulder. It was so unfair. Josi had been through so much in her life because of not living up to what her father thought she should be. They had discussed it before; Josi had known she would never be good enough in his eyes. And now he had proved it once and for all. He had shown his daughter that she meant nothing to him.

Josi raised her head and rubbed at the tears running down her face.

“He might have been tired of being a simple farmer, but to me he’ll always carry the stench of pigs. I have no father any longer.”

Chai and Jun walked down the hall arm in arm, still nibbling on the deep-fried pumpkin squares they had swiped from the kitchen pastry box. It was almost dawn, but they were both so excited about finding each other that neither could rest. After Chai had comforted Josi for a few minutes, Baba had told the others they’d be right back. He’d grabbed his daughter’s arm and then guided her out of the room so they could be alone.

They strolled until they found themselves back in front of the nursery, looking through the window at the content faces of the sleeping children.

Chai pointed to a child curled up in a bed near the corner. “See that tiny girl covered up with the blue quilt? That’s Lin. Besides Zee, she’s my favorite.”

Jun nodded. “Those are some really beautiful children in there, aren’t they?”

“Yes, and even without families, the sisters make sure each and every child here feels loved and protected.”

“Chai, that is all I’ve ever wanted for you, too. I’m sorry I let you down. You’ve been through so much in the last year, and I can’t tell you how very proud of you I am for holding it together, as I know your mother is, too.” He shook his head from side to side and sighed.

Chai beamed up at him. “Baba, I could not have been strong for myself or for Josi if not for the way you prepared me. All of my life you’ve taught me that in this world, even though I am only a girl”—she made a face and rolled her eyes—“I still have a right to speak my mind and follow my own path. You’ve always told me stories of strong women, and you encouraged me that I could be like them. Because of you I know I am capable of accomplishing anything I set my sights on.” She thumped herself on her chest, then continued. “I remembered all that you taught me and knew that Josi and I must keep our minds ready and our spirits strong. When the right time came, we were going to run. I was going to get us home. But you found me, Baba, you came. I
told
Josi you’d never stop searching; I just knew you wouldn’t give up.”

Jun stopped her and turned her to him. He put his hand under her chin and tilted her face up at him.

“Chai, I would say that you are my most prized possession, but that can’t be true, as no man can own another. Instead I’ll tell you that nothing—and I mean nothing—could have stopped me from searching for you. Surely you know, our house has not been a home without you in it.”

Home.
The one word that, when she had allowed herself to dwell on it, could put a chink in her carefully constructed invisible armor. It meant so much to her—love, acceptance, and protection. It brought to mind her mother’s face, her sister’s laughter,
and her father’s stories. So many things, all wrapped up in one tiny word.

Chai’s lip quivered. She didn’t want to cry again. All this time she had been the one to dry Josi’s tears and stand up for their rights. She didn’t want to end her battle with a weak display, even if they were tears of joy.

Her baba smiled down at her and cleared the lump from his throat. “And it’s okay to cry, daughter. Sometimes tears are not a show of weakness but rather a display of love and loyalty. It’s time for you to relax your warrior stance. Tomorrow, Chai—we begin the journey home.”

A
s the storm raged around them, the two families came together and began to try to mend the damage of the last year. Alternating between tears and smiles, Baba introduced Ruju to everyone and told them how with his determination and her assistance, he’d finally found the girls. Ruju proved her cleverness with another suggestion. She challenged Tao’s mother that if she was really as sorry as she claimed and wanted to avoid prosecution, she would bring her husband in to talk about making restitution for the grief they had caused.

Keso died down the next morning, and Lao Chan came, though grudgingly. Sister Haihua worked as a mediator to settle things without involving the police—especially since Baba insisted they would be of little help anyway. Before Jun could change his mind, Lao Chan agreed he would sell his fishing boat and give the money to the girls for the trouble he had caused.

By that time most of the people had left the church and nunnery and immediately set to work to put back the pieces of their homes. Luckily, Sandu’ao never took a direct hit from the hurricane, though damage from the edges of the storm was serious enough that many of the mainland families lost everything.
The fishing village was hit hard, but only some boats were lost. Others were saved, and those families were relieved not to have lost their livelihoods.

Chai planned to return home immediately. She longed to see her
mei mei
and even share their bed together again and fight for leg space. Most of all she wanted to wrap her arms around her mother—hug her, smell her, and eat her amazing concoctions of anything that wasn’t fish! She was excited to get back to school to begin preparing for a higher learning than her family had originally thought they’d be able to afford. With Sister Haihua’s promise to help guide her, she felt like she’d been given a new chance at life and a way to reach her dreams. Even before she left the church with her father, she started making notes for the memoir she planned to write. She wanted the world to know about her and Josi’s abduction and the life they were forced into, all in the name of grooming a future daughter-in-law. She felt strongly that their story could help other girls in China who were living the same nightmare they had, as well as families who were dealing with the mystery of lost daughters.

As for Josi, being the compassionate girl she was, she begged Baba not to leave her family without security by turning in her father for his part in their abduction. He told her that Shen would have to find another place to live, but he’d respect her by not prosecuting him. However, Josi refused to return to what she now knew was the despicable man who had arranged their nightmare. Chai was proud of her for standing up and taking control of her future. Josi pleaded with Sister Haihua to let her stay and help care for the babies, telling her that she felt at peace there and never wanted to leave. The sister told her she was welcome to stay, but they’d have to contact her mother and look into a plan for her future. She also agreed that she would hold Josi’s share of
the restitution money from old Chan until Josi decided how she wanted to use it.

With her usual generosity, Sister Haihua offered an administration position to Ruju. Jun recognized a chance for the girl to live another kind of life and promised to talk the girl’s grandmother into a move to Sandu’ao. Jun convinced Ruju that her grandmother might just be ready to trade her hectic city life for the peaceful setting of the nunnery.