Scarring Jasmine-Chapter Forty Six Homelessness

01/24/2025 Friday 15-32F Sunny

The world became silent again. Yu turned away from Jasmine. The Japanese aircraft had gone. He reached out his hand for her face: “Are you ok?” Jasmine nodded, buried her face on his chest and began to cry.

He stroked her hair, “Jasmine, don’t cry, let’s leave here, it is perilous!” He held Jasmine up. They were lucky because the short wall blocked the shrapnel; while the shops in front of them had entirely been destroyed, including Zhang’s. Someone half buried in the ruins was lying motionless on the ground where Zhang had stood. 

“Is that Zhang?” Jasmine asked, her eyes were full of fear. 

“You stay here, don’t move. I will go check!” Jasmine saw Yu run to that person, bend down, then run back. “He is dead,” he spoke in an undertone, “half of his brain is cut off by shrapnel.”

Jasmine’s face turned deadly pale from fright. “Jasmine, be strong! We must leave this area right now!” Yu grabbed Jasmine’s hand, picked up the little parcel she dropped and his briefcase under his arm, then they ran toward the main road. Somewhere behind them came another several booms. Jasmine was almost paralyzed by her fear. She begged Yu: “You go first, I don’t want to burden you!” 

“Nonsense Jasmine, you are a big woman, get grip on yourself!” He held Jasmine on his arm; partially dragging her and partially carrying her, finally they made their way to the main road. 

There was a massive queue of refugees on the road who came from various greater Shanghai areas heading for the concession settlements. Most of them were bearing big parcels on their backs; some were pushing wheelbarrows which were piled with pots and blankets; and some others were using shoulder poles to carry their stuff. Jasmine even saw a few men shlepping furniture such as tables and chairs on their shoulders; they were made with rosewood, chunky and heavy. Perhaps they were the most valuable things those households possessed thus they were unwilling to leave them in their abandoned homes, which the Japanese, the bandits, the thieves could enter freely and take whatever they wanted; then after these looters, what would be left? The burnt houses? Or the bombed yards? 

Jasmine thought of her four hundred fifty silver coins--They were all she had; they were the fruit of her three years’ day and night’s hard work; they had brought her a lot of dreams about her little independence and self-respect. But now where were they? 

She was frustrated: She had forgotten to return to her room to pick up her savings as well as the parcels she packed! Now she had nothing with her but the client’s dress; once again, she became penniless! She peeked at Yu who looked tired and anxious, somehow feeling guilty because even in this circumstance she still thought about her money. She held his hand tighter and used her other hand to press the outside of the pocket where the earrings were hidden.

Then she thought of Zhang—He died right in front of her. Just a few seconds earlier he was still smiling at her, while seconds later he was dead, half of his brain cut off by the shell of the bomb! How cruel it was! Last year when sister Gui proposed to her for him, she praised that he was a golden bachelor; he had his shop; he had his skill; he could live a stable long life. But what was his end? All of a sudden, everything was gone. Hell fell right on his head!

How fragile life was! How miserable the folks were! They all had nothing to rely on; they had to abandon their homes to escape from the nightmare. But who could guarantee that what they were going to enter next wouldn’t be another one?

They were grassroots; they were like ants and insects; they were helpless and weak and obedient thus their lives were cheap. This massive crowd, heading toward south, to cross Suzhou Creek, to cross the Garden Bridge, in hopes of finding a little spot where perhaps someone would shelter them a bit with mercy. It was always the way in every era, and it would continue to be the way! That was life!

The bigge fish ate small fish; small fish ate shrimps; shrimps ate mud. We folks are mud!

Jasmine and Yu crossed the Garden Bridge. At least now they were safer. “Jasmine, let’s go to my office and get the car; it will take us too long to walk to my apartment.” Yu suggested. So they turned to the bund and passed the Peace Hotel. Yu’s office building was empty; the bodyguards and lift men were all gone. Yu took his car key as well as some important files from the office, then found his car in the parking lot. The car drove out, but only after a few blocks, it had to stop—More and more people streamed in the same direction where Yu was going; and the streets had become so crowded that the car almost couldn’t move.

Yu honked his horn anxiously; however, it was no use because even if someone moved out of his way, someone else would fill in right after. The crowd moved as slow as snails, there was no end of it from both front and behind. “Jasmine, it seemed like we have to walk again; or else we won’t be able to arrive home today.” 

“Then how about the car?” Jasmine asked. 

“I will park it over there; hope it will have its own luck! Tomorrow I will try to get it back.”

They joined the big mass of humanity marching toward southwest. The closer they got to their destination, the slower the crowd moved. Someone in front shouted: “Queue up to enter the entrance!” Therefore, the crowd gradually became one line while heading forward. Someone from behind who wanted to jump the queue would be pulled out right away by others: “Go back to your queue!” They scolded. 

The line moved slowly; Jasmine was tired out and almost couldn’t stand. Yu held her up and encouraged: “Once we pass this entrance, we will be home soon!” 

At last, there were only five people lining in front of them for the entrance, the gate of which was shut. Behind the fence on the other side some uniformed policemen yelled out: “No more, we can’t take any more refugees!” 

Those words brought up a big stir. The one-line queue immediately exploded; desperate people rushed to the gate, shouting: “Let us in!” “You can’t leave us outside and let the Japanese bomb us!” “My mother is ill! She needs water!” Someone tried to climb over the fence, but the police prodded them off with long sticks. More people came to shake the gate trying to force it open or hit the fence in order to break it down. Before the refugees turned into a mob, one policeman fired a warning shot. In an instant the crowd quieted down. People were stunned, gaping at each other.

Yu seized this chance. He pushed through the crowd and took Jasmine to the fence, begging: “Sir, I am not a refugee; I live here. This is my watch, you can check it. Please let me and my wife in, she can’t stand up anymore!” 

The policeman who took Yu’s watch scooted a suspicious look at him, then shook the watch at his ear. After that he handed it to another policeman, said: “It seems like a genuine Swiss one! Let him in!” The latter put the watch into his own pocket and opened the gate. Yu carried Jasmine in; while some others who wanted to take advantage of this opportunity were blocked by the police. 

“Why can they pass?” A man shouted in anger. 

“They are residents! You’d better shut up!” The police threatened.

Yu helped Jasmine walk a few steps further, then put her down at the stone curb. He sat next to her and breathed out: “What a day!” But they were lucky enough. Outside the gate and fence, a massive crowd was still gathering there, joined with continuous newcomers from different directions. Thousands of pairs of eager eyes were begging the police silently, hoping that they could open the gate for them as if behind it was a paradise. Yu and Jasmine looked at them and sighed. They wished that they could have done more for them, but in fact they barely could help themselves.

They rested for a while, then continued with the rest of their journey. There was only about one mile left yet that day it seemed like one hundred times farther. Yu’s clothes were sweaty and dirty; his leather shoes were covered with dust; Jasmine’s hair became messy, and her feet were swollen. But these were the least of their worries; they only longed for one thing: Going back home, right away.

Inside the concession, the sidewalks and streets were occupied by the luckier refugees. They unrolled their straw mats or cloth sheets and laid on them; some families even had set fires and started to cook with the pots which they brought with them—Just like sister Gui had said to Jasmine: “Sleeping on the street in the concession area will be far safer than sleeping at home. The Japanese won’t dare to attack those white devils’ place.” So this would be the way these refugees could live until the war was over.

Everywhere looked miserable, crowded and deadly hopeless. Shanghai had transformed into a city of hell. Yu held Jasmine on his arm and carried his briefcase under the other one. They both had no energy to talk. Suddenly, a woman’s voice called: “Jasmine!” It sounded like sister Gui. Jasmine looked around and found sister Gui had run to her. “Jasmine, I am thrilled to see you here! I was just worrying about you! We saw the damn Japanese drop bombs!” Then she glanced over at Yu, “Is this the friend you were waiting for?” 

Jasmine blushed: “Yes, his name is Yu. Yu, this is sister Gui, my landlady. She has always been taking care of me since I came to Shanghai.” 

Yu put down his briefcase and wiped his hand on his clothes intending to shake hands with her; then he realized his mistake right away and bowed to her: “Nice to meet you, sister Gui. I appreciate everything you have done for Jasmine.” 

Sister Gui held Yu up: “Don’t be social, young man. Jasmine is a good girl and lives alone; I am glad if I can lend a hand to her.”

“Where are the children?” Jasmine asked. 

“There! The ones sitting on the mat.” 

Jasmine shot Yu a quick glance but didn’t say anything. Yu got her point at once, “Sister Gui,” he offered, “if you don’t mind, I would like to invite you to come to my apartment. It has two bedrooms and should be ok for us to settle in.” 

“Thank you, but it will be very inconvenient for you; and we don’t know how long the war will last, we don’t want to bother you too much. Here there are so many people staying on the street, we shall be fine.” 

“Sister Gui, don’t worry, it won’t be an issue for me at all.” Yu persisted, “My apartment isn’t far, let’s go together! If later you don’t like it there, then we can think about some other ways.” 

The disagreement was solved. The five of them headed for Yu’s apartment, which was in a French style three-storied building with white walls and vaulted balconies. The first floor were shops, none of which were open. Yu lived on the second floor. Upon arriving home, Yu threw his briefcase onto the floor and himself on the couch; he was so exhausted. But meanwhile he also felt happy and grateful because he found Jasmine. So all was worth it!