Chinaman's Chance

"Chen?" I was frantic. Was he hurt? Was he dead? My ears were ringing from the gunfire.

"Lihua?" I crawled toward the sound of my man's voice and found him lying face down near the mouth of the alley.

"Where are you hurt?"

"I don't think I am hurt," Chen said. "Where is Louie Fung?"

"He is dead."

"You killed him?"

"I did."

"We must leave now. The curious will be here soon." I helped Chen stand and I noted a pronounced limp when he walked.

"You're hurt."

"I think I just skinned my knee when I stumbled and fell. I'm a fool for putting you in peril when I can't even put one foot in front of the other without stumbling." My husband sounded disgusted with himself, but I breathed a sigh of relief. Chen didn't realize it, but that stumble probably kept him from being struck by one or more of Louie Fung's bullets. I knew telling him that wouldn't make him feel any better so I just kept my mouth shut.

We left without looting the bodies. There wasn't time to do that. We could already hear voices and lighted lamps were cutting through the darkness. I did retrieve the hatchet buried in the back of the dead henchman and also Uncle Louie's firearm. A quick stop at a water trough and I was able to wash off most of Louie's blood from my face and hands. We walked straight to the train station and purchased one way tickets to Sacramento. We didn't climb aboard the train until the last possible moment and then watched for any passengers boarding after us. We appeared to have made a clean getaway. I started to relax.

"When do we get to Sacramento?"

"We are not going to Sacramento." My heart fell. Chen had another plan to mislead our pursuers. I knew it was necessary, but I was already feeling weary. When would it all stop?

"The man who remained dockside will be able to describe you," Chen explained. "Louie Fung's successor will be searching for you and I don't think it will be too long before they learn a person fitting your description was seen accompanying a man who purchased two tickets to Sacramento. They will wire associates to meet the train there. We will be off the train before its arrival there."

"What is our eventual destination?"

"I will tell you that tomorrow."

We got off the train when it pulled onto a siding to let by a train that was heading in the opposite direction. Again, we waited until the last possible moment before climbing down and then watching for any other passengers who might have had the same idea. We walked silently and didn't stop until we were well away from the tracks. It was a moonless night and we seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. We climbed down a gully out of sight of any civilization and slept there until dawn. We washed up in a nearby creek and ate what little food we had with us.

"I changed my mind again," I said. "I've decided I'm through with killing. I hope I never have to do that again."

"What about Madame Bordeaux and the others?" Chen asked.

"I am not going to go hunting for them. I hope they all suffer gruesome deaths, but someone else will have to do the job. It won't be me."

"That is very good to hear. I am also sickened by the violence we inflicted. Yet, I cannot help feeling very pleased that Louie Fung is finally dead."

"He deserved it. Also, I don't think we would have made it out of Oakland otherwise." I sincerely hoped we would never have to kill again. That didn't mean we weren't willing to defend ourselves from any bad guys we ran up against. I had plans to trade in some of our arsenal, purchase more ammunition and a cleaning kit.

"You were going to tell me where we're bound for today?"

"We are going to San Francisco, of course."

"You're joking! Won't going there be too dangerous?"

"It will certainly be dangerous, but no more so than any other destination we might choose."

"Um, could you explain your reasoning? I mean, I know you have a perfectly logical plan."

"But it doesn't sound logical, does it?" Chen said.

"Exactly," I responded. I was glad my husband didn't sound offended for me doubting him.

"I'm hoping our pursuers, whether it's the tong, Madame Bordeaux or the San Francisco authorities, will think logically while we do the exact opposite," Chen explained. "The logical thing for us to do is to flee the area, journey to a city with another Chinatown and blend in with other Chinese. They will spend their time and energy looking for us where we are not."

"There's still the risk of accidental discovery. I mean with all the tong agents and the police around, we'll have to dig a big hole and cover ourselves up."

"We won't actually be in Chinatown or the city proper at all," Chen responded. "I have a friend who owns a farm a few miles south of the city. It's even in a different county off the main road and very few people have reason to go there. I have stayed with her a couple of times."

"Her?"

"She's an older woman and not Chinese," Chen said with a smile. "I have no past with her. Actually, I think you two will like each other. We can give her some income and help out at the farm. If we stay out of sight long enough, I think other events or crises will distract our enemies and end any active efforts to find us. In the meantime, you can go back to being a full time woman and let your hair grow out. Did I mention she has a real bath tub?"

"You've convinced me," I said. "I'm looking forward to meeting your friend."

Being safe was first and foremost in my book. Being able to bathe in a real tub was an extra-added bonus and I was definitely tired of being a skinhead. We still had to get there first in one piece. Walking straight back would have taken us all day. Instead, it took us three days. We stayed off the main roads and mostly avoided people whenever we could. Sometimes we hid behind bushes while traffic passed. Chen ventured into a town only once to buy food and drink from the general store.

It was while at the store that Chen overheard men gossiping about the news of the bodies of Chinese men discovered on the streets of Oakland and on the ferry-boat. The authorities believed this was the opening salvo of a tong war.

"Let the tongs go at it with each other," I said. "I hope those crooks wipe each other out."

My husband nodded. "I am not so certain it will come to that, but Louie Fung's tong has been humiliated and they must respond or they will appear weak. They will need someone to blame and retaliate against. The tong will probably dust off an old grudge and go from there."

Chen finally told me of the plans that had been derailed when I came into his life. "I was going to rob Madame Bordeaux. It had taken about two years to learn the combination to the office safe when I was cleaning her office on occasions when she was there also. I was waiting for the opportunity to open the safe, take the receipts and disappear. I was going to sail back to China from Seattle or Vancouver."

"And I messed up your plans," I said.

"It's the best thing that could have happened to me," Chen responded. I blushed and remained quiet. I loved that man so much.

We approached the farm that belonged to Chen's friend late at night to avoid any possibility of being observed. Chen said it would be wise to stay just outside the property until daylight so we wouldn't take her by surprise. He said she kept a loaded shotgun at her bedside. We sheltered under a tree and fell asleep in each other's arms.

I felt a presence nearby the following morning. I opened my eyes and saw a tall angular woman studying us. She was holding a pitchfork, but not in a threatening manner. I nudged Chen and he awoke with a groan.

"Maggie," he said.

"Chen?" the woman responded. "Is that you?"

"It's me all right."

"You come by for a visit?"

"It might be for an extended visit if you can tolerate us," Chen said.

"Are you in some sort of trouble?"

"We are in trouble with the law, the tongs, my former employer and probably numerous others that I can't think of right now. There is even a price on our heads." I looked at my husband uncertainly. I was wary of Chen telling this woman all our troubles and putting us at her mercy. I sure hoped she could be trusted. We could be turned away or even turned in for the reward.

"Well, in that case you can stay for as long as you like," the woman declared. "Get up and give me a hug." I breathed a sigh of relief as Chen helped me up and then embraced his friend.

"Who's your companion?" Chen stepped back and placed his arm around my shoulder.

Miss Maggie Hooper, I would like to introduce my dear wife the former Miss Jennifer Yang." The woman gasped.

"You dog! You sailed to China to bring back a wife and you never told me your plans?"

"Nothing like that, Maggie," Chen said. "Jennifer and I met here in San Francisco under the strangest of circumstances."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Miss Hooper," I said.

"Oh great! You speak English. None of that Miss Hooper stuff for me. The name is Maggie. I hope you let me call you Jennifer. You know, I'm sort of relieved. At first I thought you were a boy and I was surprised Chen had that preference, but then I don't wear my spectacles outside. Still, you look kind of boyish with all your hair shaved off."

"I was trying to pass as a boy."

"Of course you were," Maggie responded. "You were doing a good job, too, I might add. Say, you two look like something even the cat wouldn't bother with. I bet you both could use a hot meal, a bath and a real bed so, come on in. I want to hear the story about how you two met and how you wound up in your current mess. You wouldn't mind if I gave you a hug, would you?"

"I'd love a hug from you, Maggie."

From what Chen told me beforehand, Maggie Hooper could best be described as a free spirit. Financed by a small inheritance after graduating college in New York, she traveled in Europe and studied painting in Paris. Returning to the U.S., Maggie traveled around the country and took up with various lovers, both male and female, along the way. Finally weary of traveling, she purchased the property south of San Francisco. The house was on two acres so it really couldn't be called a farm. She did grow fruits and vegetables for her own use and sold the excess for a small income. Her current pastime was photography. I found her fascinating.

We spent the morning getting acquainted and resting up after our journey. I got to soak in a tub full of hot water. It was heavenly after weeks of sponge baths with cold water. I knew Maggie was interested in getting the full story on me, but I didn't know how to edit it so she didn't think I was a total nut and kick us out.

"She will want to know everything," Chen said.

"Everything? She'll think I'm an escapee from a looney bin. She'll start having second thoughts about you too."

Chen shrugged his shoulders. "I trust her. Also, I think she deserves to know the risks she is taking by shielding us."

"Yeah, but...okay. Don't say I didn't warn you though."

Maggie didn't push us to hear our story and we had a pleasant supper and shared a bottle of wine that evening. I kind of lost my nerve when I did begin my story. I started with telling her that Madame Bordeaux had forced me into prostitution, the rapes, my escape with Chen's aid, and everything that happened after that.

"That is quite an adventure you two have had so far," Maggie said after she opened a second bottle of wine. "I have read the newspaper account of the policeman's death. They made him sound very heroic. Fortunately, there was no mention of any possible Chinese suspects. In fact, the only witness describes the person the policeman was chasing as a white man and his age was impossible to estimate."

"That witness must have been Mrs. Crabtree," I said. "She told me she wasn't going to cooperate with the police investigation."

"Frankly, I can't think of anything that I would have done differently. Still, I can't help feeling that you're holding back on something." She lifted her wineglass as if in a toast and smiled before taking a sip. I flushed and looked over at my husband.

"Maggie is a very good judge of character," Chen said.

"I won't insist you tell me if it's upsetting to you, Jennifer," Maggie said.

"It's only upsetting because I know you won't believe me," I responded. "I told Chen and the next words out of his mouth were 'You belong in an asylum'."

Maggie glared at Chen. "I can't believe you said that to the woman you love."

"It was a natural and expected reaction, Maggie," I said. "I think you'll probably say something similar. If you don't say it you'll probably think it."

"Try me," our hostess said.

"I'm a time traveler," I responded. Maggie's eyes widened.

"I'm not sure I understand."

"Somehow I was sent back to 1882 from the year 2013."

"But that's impossible," Maggie exclaimed. She took a gulp from her wineglass.

"I know it's impossible. I concede that. And I know it's something I can't prove, but I swear it's the truth. The most logical explanation I can come up with is that I'm having this strange dream sort of like 'Alice's Adventures in Wonderland' by Lewis Carroll."

"I read that book," Maggie said. "It's a wonderful story."

"The only thing I haven't figured out is how I've roped Chen and now you into my dream."

"Maybe we're all dreaming the same dream," Chen said.

"Perhaps that's it," Maggie responded. "It's getting a little late, but I wouldn't mind hearing what the future has in store for the world. Maybe tomorrow?"

Over breakfast the following morning, we talked about some of the same predictions I discussed with Chen. Maggie said she probably wouldn't be around for the San Francisco earthquake and fire. She knew about the efforts to limit Chinese immigrants led by Senator John Franklin Miller of California, but she didn't think the proposed legislation would ever become law. It was opposed by big business. A similar measure had passed the Senate, but had been vetoed by President James Garfield. After Garfield's assassination, the legislation had again been vetoed by his successor, President Chester Arthur.

"We'll see," I replied. I still thought I'd be proven right.

There was a small barn on the property. Chen had converted part of it to living quarters on a previous stay. This was where we would live during our stay. There was no livestock with the exception of some chickens and two mules for the buckboard. We paid rent for room and board even though Maggie kept insisting she didn't want or need our money. Chen also worked in the garden and I helped out with the cooking and housekeeping. The work wasn't strenuous for either of us and it was therapeutic, relieving all the stress we had recently been through. It also gave Maggie a break and allowed her to pursue more of her photography hobby. She even had her own dark room in a shed she had built on the property.

The first thing Maggie wanted to do was purchase clothes for us. It was a good idea because we didn't have much more than the clothing on our backs and they were worn out. Since we couldn't go to town, she took our measurements and became our personal shopper. I expected to get a replacement for my black coolie outfit and a new pair of sandals. I got that, but also dresses with matching bonnets and aprons. I got so excited, I tried on each dress and modeled them for Chen and Maggie.

"I'm beginning to feel like a woman again."

Speaking of modeling, Maggie started using Chen and me as models, both for sketching and photography. Her previous works had been mostly landscapes and very little portraiture.

"I could stay here forever," I told Chen. "Why did you ever want to leave here in the first place?"

"Why did you leave your privileged existence for the uncertainties of show business?" Chen responded.

"Point taken," I said. "How did you two meet?"

"Maggie caught me stealing a box of her apples."

"Oh my gosh!"

"She had me covered with her shotgun," Chen continued. "She made me keep picking apples until the wagon was loaded and then unload them when we got to town. I thought I was going to die from exhaustion."

"What happened next?"

"She paid me for my work and asked if I'd like to continue working for her. That was the beginning of our friendship."

With Chen and I taking care of things on the farm, Maggie was able to make more frequent trips to San Francisco. She became our eyes and ears in the city and always made a point of picking up copies of the local newspapers, mainly the San Francisco Examiner. As we had hoped, other crimes and crises made the front page. The murder of a San Francisco cop faded from the headlines. Chinese men were murdered, but that seemed like it was almost a daily occurrence and wasn't blamed on any tong war.

We had been staying with Maggie for a little over six weeks when she came back from a trip to the city and showed us the newspaper headline. The Chinese Exclusion Act had been signed into law. From the tone of the article it appeared the entire populace of California was celebrating. Perhaps they were, with a few exceptions.

"I'm beginning to believe your time travel story," Maggie said. It didn't matter to me any more. I had met the love of my life and was adjusting quite nicely to living in that era.

A couple of weeks later, Chen asked me to marry him and be his wife.

"But we're already married," I responded with a giggle.

"I would like us to do it properly." He opened a small velvet-lined box containing a beautiful gold wedding ring.

"Where did you get this ring?" I gasped. "It's lovely."

"Maggie shopped for me in San Francisco. I hope you like it."

"I love it. Of course I'll marry you." I burst into happy tears and hugged Chen to me. I embarrassed the poor man because Maggie was standing nearby with a Cheshire Cat grin on her face. I thought, that will show him for springing surprises like that on me. San Francisco was still too dangerous for us so we got married in front of a San Mateo County judge. Maggie acted as our witness. As a wedding present, Maggie presented us with matching gold lockets with our portraits painted in miniature, done by herself.

We had a celebratory dinner back at the farm and then spent the next three days in our quarters fucking like bunnies. The only times we took breaks were for eating or sleeping. It was an ideal honeymoon as far as I was concerned.

Life at the farm was lovely, but Chen and I started to get restless. It was time to move on. George's murder had long faded from the headlines and the tongs were unusually quiet. Chinese community activists had filed suit against the United Sates government claiming the Exclusion Act was discriminatory and unconstitutional. I knew the federal courts would be unsympathetic. We started making exploratory trips back to San Francisco after dark and heavily disguised. It was a long, but pleasant walk. Entering the city was like coming home to Chen and me. Despite the dangers, we wanted to find a way to go back to living here. We still had quite a bit of money so we could even afford a small house. Unfortunately, it had become unlawful to sell real estate to anyone of Chinese descent.

We made several visits without incident and started to relax. More to the point we got careless, unarmed and thinly disguised. We were sightseeing at the end of one of the busy wharfs when we heard a familiar and chilling voice behind us. "What luck! I knew I would meet up with you two again sooner or later," Madame Bordeaux said. "Kill him and take her."

"Get ready to run," Chen whispered before we turned around. I nodded. The brothel madam was standing about ten yards away with an armed thug on either side of her. We were pretty much trapped on the narrow wharf. Chen pushed me away from him and lunged toward one of the men. The thug fired. The bullet's impact drove my husband backwards, over the end of the wharf and into the water.