Forsaken Pastoral Women of China

By Sumant Barooah

A small-town girl from rural China grows up looking for a normal life of romance, love and family
Encounters hurdles at every step
In frustration she heads to the growing cities of the growing Megacities surmounting the greed, the comprises to find a place for herself in this World So far denied by fate.
When she does come across a man with empathy and love for her, she is confused and skeptical of what the future might surprise her with. So, confused foregoes the security offered. In consequence the opportunity is lost.
Finally, she configures the dream of her nascent years is only a dream and it is time for her to end it all.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sumant Barooah
• Release date: Aug 9, 2020
• ISBN: 9781005465247

Sumant Barooah

Sumant Barooah33 Fairview StreetVictoria 3122Australia.Mail: [e-mail]: 0415466008GCE. Univ. of CambridgeB. Sc (Honours)Associate, Clothing Institute, U.K.Diploma in Creative Writing. U.K.Photography Faculty.I have worked across the Globe in a different profession.Last I lived in China for 8 years.I was the Regional Director for a British company for all the Countries in the Pacific Rim.Written for Magazines in India and China.Have two Photo Books in Print1.Among, The Temples of China2.Assam. ‘Xunor Xophura’ The Golden ValleyA travel book on a National Expedition. I was part of an expedition driving all across the Himalayas, from Karakoram to China, across the countries on-route, a journey of 74 days.3.‘A journey of a lifetime-Riding the Himalayas’4.‘China A Chequered Life.At the moment doing two other books,5.Sexual Happenstances, A Guide to Sexual Adulthood6.An Inside View of An Outside World7. Sri Lankan Surfing Serendipity-Another one on Life in ChinaAll writings are fiction with a memoir background.

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Sumanta Barooah

2020-08-10

FORSAKEN

PASTORAL

WOMEN

OF

CHINA

Many a flower is born to blush unseen………

Thomas Gray

Dedicated to all the pastoral Chinese women who perished in the expansion drive.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents either are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events or locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

The story began…….

Sitting alone sipping draft on a corner stool in an empty English bar was quite daunting, yet the distant expression on her countenance was intriguing. It was unusual for Dongguan, a city overflowing with ex-pats constant cheer and celebration throughout the week.

It was early evening and the day had been hot, Mylan had dropped by to drain a pint of chilled Guinness on his way home. The Philippian Bar Maids at the Hollywood baby cheered one out of misery, anytime of the day or night. Sheila gestured Mylan to the newcomer who was possibly, engrossed in her own reverie.

Hello. Have not seen you in these parts before?

Outside hot. After driving I needed a very cold beer.

I mean I have not seen you here before.

My Engalish not very good. Outside hot, this Bar empty, the temptation was very inviting. He He!

I am Mylan, I stay close by here in the New World Garden, so I also come here when I am very hot.

Yes. It is nice here and the girls are very friendly. You live here long?

Yes. We come here to work for a few years. Sometimes here, sometimes Indonesia, sometimes Vietnam and so and so …Have to go wherever the business moves.

You look happy here.

I like it in China. The weather is good, so many festivals, the food is excellent. I love Hunan food.

She looked shocked, glanced at him keenly and laughed,

Really? I am from Hunan. My name is Nene. How did you know I am from Hunan?

I did not know. I actually like Hunan and Schwan food, hot spicy and fresh. Not many places in the World you get food like that. All over the world they sell Cantonese or Hakka food and call it Chinese.

How do you know all this? Are you in the food business?

"Miss Nene I am getting old and I have had to live in so many countries of the world. First the West and now the East.

You won’t believe it but, I am in the Shoe business. Xiezi."

Oh. Ya. There are many factories here for shoes. Are you American?

"No Nene, I am Indian. Indu Da. I work for an English company. We make it here and sell all over the world."

"The Country of the Buddha. We have a lot of respect for Buddha. My mother tells me, that at one time everybody in China used to worship Buddha. Everybody studied Jian Fujiao.Today, many people believe in many Gods."

She looks at her watch,

Oh! My. I have to go I am late.

Will you come again this way.

I am late, my God. Here take my number, you call me.

She took Mylan’s phone typed a number and was gone. He just sat there, totally confused by this lady’sjoshes. He was so amused, maybe smitten by this girl he let go the prospect of going home and kept on enjoying his beer.

She was not young, she was not old, yet she had the spirit of a young lass. She was not beautiful she was not staid but by all accounts, she was attractive, slim and had a wonderful impish smile. He thought she was enthralling.

What is wrong Mylan? Have you fallen in love or what, you are not acknowledging our presence or flirting with Patricia?

He got out of his reflection and smiled.

Chinese girls are good but somehow I felt she was different. Don’t worry Sheila, I think I am just getting old. It is time for my whiskey.

Hi Mylan.

That was Michael, one of the partners of Hollywood Baby who came it to prepare for the evening. He was followed by the Singer also called Mike and then the Bar started filing up slowly. It almost came to a crescendo about 11 o’clock at night. In between the bar girls would hop on to the Bar counter and do a localized Can-Can every hour. Sometimes when the sales were good there would be rounds of ‘Shots’ either Tequila or Vodka. That was the normal story of the Hollywood Baby Bar and the clients both old and new loved it.

The silent hum of drinkers was building and Mylan was on his second whisky, he saw an apparition walking towards him.

I guessed you might still be here so I came for a drink before I went home. It was Nene.

What will you have Nene? Another beer?

One of the girls must have heard, so a Bottle of Budweiser appeared.

It gets exciting here, eh? Look at all the people. I like the mixed crowd.

It was nice talking to you earlier so I came back to talk some more. Were you surprised?

Pleasantly, Nene. I have never met anybody like you in China.

She stayed for another drink and then she had to go. Again, the same rush.

Nene I am having some friends coming for dinner on Saturday. Would you care to come?

Call me, she smiled and left.

He sat there sipping his drink reflecting on the chance meeting of the afternoon. This was one lady very different from the Asia good-time crowd of Dongguan.

Presently the Bar started filling up and his acquaintances appeared and the evening regaled as usual; drinking, flirting joking. He did not meet any interesting girls so he went home had his normal shower and slept.

Lucy the maid came in the morning made him a coffee and started her cleaning routine. Lucy used to come very early which did not bother Mylan as he was an early riser. She left by 8 o’clock went home made lunch for everybody and then went to her Government job for the day. In the evening she cooked the meal and then moved out to town with her hand cart selling wares till quite late at night. That was her entrepreneur zeal. She had three jobs, saving money for her old age.

It was a Saturday so Mylan skipped his walk around the lake in front of his house, just sat there at his Study window looking at the various residents performing their morning constitutionals.

He picked himself up as he had to go and shop for the Dinner with friends at home that day. The friends were looking for some spicy food, so he had decided to make some Thai Salad, Goa Pork Curry, Sri Lankan spicy chicken accompanied with coconut rice. A Tutti-Fruity ice cream would be the dessert. The backpack on, he walked down to the wet market to procure his fresh ingredients. The advantages of living in Asia.

The market was just down the road about a Kilometer away. In the early morning it has fewer shoppers, only the self- proclaimed Chefs and house wives. His Chinese was frugal so he patronized shops who could understand him and had a pretty owner. Shopping done, he walked back to the apartment and set about washing and cutting the ingredients to be cooked in the evening.

To familiarize you with his living premises let me detail the surroundings. It was a 3-bedroom apartment in a gated community called the New World Garden. Mylan had a ground- floor location a green patch in front and further down a man-made lake with boating facilities. The front Bedroom which overlooked the lake and the walking path encircling it, he had converted it into his study. There was a comfortable living, activity and romancing room alongside. Down the passage was the kitchen, the guest bathroom on the left and a guest bedroom in the right which opened up to a small backyard. Further down the passage was his ensuite bathroom, master bedroom, in China the activity room. This remained his home for a long time.

He skipped breakfast, had a shower put on his walking shoes a pair of slacks, a T-Shirt and decided to have a brunch in the Mongolian Restaurant near the Dong Chen Hotel. A walk away to the further side of his house. It was small place but their Lotus Stem Salad and the fried pork knuckles were his favorite. The owner was known to him and asked,

How come you are all alone today?

I wanted to eat more, he said and laughed.

He sat there sipping his ‘Snow’ beer watching the street wondering if he should call Nene. In China, if you are a good soul, there is no dearth of women. Dongguan was a growing metropolis in a mega growth country. Girls from the various corners of the country came to this city to make a fortune. He had met so many of them in his years in China. Most of them were good for drinking with and some for afterhours. This was prevalent even in the remote villages where the ex-pats it was a novelty. But the priority was always MONEY! His thought returned to the present as the aroma of food aroused his hunger. As usual the food was fresh and delicious and he enjoyed the meal.

He walked back to the house checked his mail and decided to take a nap. His neighbors Pam and Ron came to help him with the meal. Pam used to make a killing spicy ‘chutney’ and Ron decided to help me get the salad going. Then I got down to make the Sri Lankan chicken and the Goa Vindaloo. As the evening progressed, they started on beer. All done, Pam and Ron went back to change and Mylan had a refreshing shower.

Greg, Emma, Melanie arrived first followed by Pam and Ron and then Sunny came with CK and Cindy. Everybody was there and the drinking began, chatting and settled. There was a knock on the door.

Hi Mimi come in. You not working today? It was Mimi from the Hollywood Baby bar."

I came to drop a friend of yours. She did not know the way to your house and requested me to drop her.

There was a white car and guess who emerged. It was Nene all dressed and smiling,

You did not call me, so I just came.

Mylan rushed to welcome her and Mimi.

Please come we have just started.

No, I will drop Mimi and then come back. Okay?

Now who is that Mr. Mylan? You have been naughty courting nubile Chinese girls. Greg started off and then everybody got inquisitive.

Hey Guys it is nothing like that. I just dropped in for an early drink on Thursday and found this girl drinking on her own so I had a polite conversation.

How come she is coming for this party of close friends, Sunny demanded.

Mylan was blushing, but by the time he could make his excuses Nene was back.

I am Cham Phu Yeun, you can call me Nene. My Engalish not very good. She uttered as she entered. She was flustered. Everybody was a foreigner, including Sunny who was an Australian Chinese, so she strolled to Mylan,

Why did you not call me?

Now that you are here, I have a cold Beer for you.

Then Mylan introduced the others, Pan and Jon from Mizoram in India, Emma from Ireland, From England, Greg from South Africa, CK from Hong Kong and Cindy from Guilin. She was blushing, probably she had never been to an ex-pat party before but she stuck to Mylan for a while and then edged into the group. Apparently, she knew Cindy from the Bar and found Pan sympathetic.

After a couple of drinks Nene got into a mood of her girlish self and entertained everybody.

My birth sign is ‘Monkey’, so I entertain everybody.

She regaled the friends with her stories and actuated acting of her village