Victims of Mediocracy

By T. D. Penpakga

Focusing on Freedom is described the manner of living people desire in pursuit of their "American Dream", i.e., the willingness to do hard work for oneself and one's family while young and able, and to put some earnings aside to build a nest egg for retirement. They expect their efforts would come back to support them at retirement. Freedom cannot exist without responsibility. Freedom without responsibility leads to lawlessness illegality. If you want freedom for yourself, then you should be responsible for yourself, not to infringe your freedom over others.
There are many who without scruple or responsibility strive for their individual version of that "Dream" do so without restraint or concern for others. Many, by some device: fear, bribery, blackmail etc., manage to entice many others into being held captive, viciously controlled all in the name of Freedom and the "American Dream.". Many workers who struggled, worked hard, have had their savings taken away from them (sometimes by Acquisitions, Mergers, or bad investments, and/or flagrant corruption). Union organizations have been eviscerated so business' requirement to provide any retirement nest eggs to the workers has become severely undercut. The workers lost nearly everything. Further, workers have been told to be on their own to invest their savings money on something they don't even understand, IRAs, Mutual Funds, or bitcoins. They have taken advantage the workers' savings for their own self-enriching purposes while giving the impression that the workers' life's savings are secure. Those IRA, Mutual Fund or bitcoin retirement accounts have only provided meager returns to the workers' retirement investments. while the predators have used the cheap access to the retirement savings money to enrich themselves by investing for bigger profits. Inevitably, workers were left behind to struggle and fetch for themselves, seek additional work after expecting to retire, creating unsettled dissatisfaction, bitterness and resentment, hate and fear among the workers and making them ready to strike out in any direction or end up drowning in their misfortune. The rich and the greedy cannot stop themselves from seeking more wealth nor can they be happy with their own successes. They want more power and wealth; thus, they are drowning as well. Thus, mediocrity is exemplified by "ignorant fools" and the predators who end up being victims themselves.
Similarly, in their ego driven ignorance and greed, politicians, using all manner of media to win elections at any or all costs. A pendulum of political gamesmanship develops, swinging between the Politicians representing only limited numbers of people on the extremes of the Far Right and the Far Left. They cater to these extremes due to their more clamorous and boisterous demands. Meanwhile, to appease the vast majority in the middle, the Politicians only provide lip service to meet their needs. No care for the majority is extended to those in the middle ground between the extremes for fair and balanced policies, as neither extreme is willing to compromise. Consequently, the majority of the public and even their own supporters are left unhappy disenchanted, distrustful, angry and disillusioned about their hopes for the achieving the "American Dream". So, the question is who the winners are and who are the losers. Or who are the real victims in this struggle and vicious scheme. How we can get out of this tragic cycle.
The author, based on many true-life experiences in changing world events and from drama of real adventures, violence, romance, and humor, while travelling through various part of the world, showcases love and lust, the ordinary, simplicity; and the dangers of ignorance, fear, racism; and predators among all social classes, showing pain and suffering, and manipulation at all levels. The true happiness is the gold.

• Language: English
• Publisher: BookBaby
• Release date: Sep 1, 2022
• ISBN: 9781667855592

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Cover design by BookBaby

Cover photographs by Getty

The materials contained herein represent the opinions of the authors’ own reflection from the authors’ experiences and beliefs. Nothing contained in this book is considered as the rendering of legal actions. The book is intended for informational and storytelling purposes only.

Copyright © 2022 by T. D. Penpakga

All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system without written permission of the publisher, except were permitted by law.

ISBN: 978-1-66785-558-5 (print)

ISBN: 978-1-66785-559-2 (eBook)

…Let freedom ring from the curvaceous slopes of California. But not only that, let freedom ring… From every mountainside, let freedom ring…

…And when this happens, and when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, Black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual: ‘Free at last. Free at last. Thank God almighty, we are free at last…’

—Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Contents

Introduction

1—Home and Best Friends

2—Departure

3—A New Place in an Old Town

4—New Friends

5—Destiny

6—The Wedding

7—Honeymoon

8—New Beginning

9—The New Baby

10—The Mayor

11—Adventures - Ancient City

12—Adventures - Modern Days

13—Understanding & Reflections

14—Aim High with New Path

15—The Milky Way

Afterword: Coming Home

Updated Scenes and Events

Epilogue: Author’s Reflections

References

About the Authors

Introduction

The place I called home, California, the Golden State, is the third largest state after Alaska and Texas, with a total area of 158,706 square miles. It’s the most populous state in the United States.

Under bright, beautiful blue skies, California lies alongside the magnificent Pacific Ocean’s shoreline. The ocean’s waves crash or splash against 840 miles (1,350 kilometers) of beautiful sandy beaches, towering cliffs, and small boat ports or large ship harbors. Further inland majestic mountains reach to snow-topped heights. Below them are verdant valleys with Lots of farms and panoramic vistas of desert sands with scatterings of dainty desert flowers visible only to an observant eye. The geographical diversity within its borders, arguably unmatched by any other state, is typified by its four well-defined regions: the Coastal, the Central Valley, the Mountain, and the Desert, which differ in population, economies, wildlife, and climate. Their distinct climates and topography form the natural habitat for plants and wildlife unique to that region. It has suffered from periodic droughts, which have had an impact on agricultural production, and acreage has declined somewhat as more farmlands has undergone commercial and residential development.

California’s extraordinary geography permits basking in sunshine at one of its many beaches or driving two hours or less to snow-covered mountains for skiing—both in the same day. Or one can ski in the morning and surf in the afternoon. Alternatively, water rafting is popular on the Colorado River and many other rivers and lakes.

As for economic opportunity, California’s economy is the largest of any U.S. state and is surpassed by only a handful (five or six) industrialized countries. The bulk of California’s population, 68 percent, lives in the coastal region and accounts for 80 percent of the state’s economy. The desert climate isn’t hospitable, and few people live there.

Two rivers drain water into the low-lying Central Valley, the 320-mile Sacramento River in the north and the 350-mile San Joaquin River in the south. These rivers meet at a break in the Coast Ranges and empty into the northern part of San Francisco Bay. They generate agriculture, which accounts for one-tenth of the state’s income and produces more than half of the country’s vegetables and fruits. The state’s fields and orchards yield hundreds of agricultural products of astonishing diversity from largely irrigated farmland. Its major cash products are cattle, milk, cotton, and grapes. About one-tenth of California’s workforce is employed in agriculture. The farm labor pool is made up of low-income laborers, including the many migrants and Mexican nationals who cross the border during harvest seasons. The Teamsters Union has organized the agricultural and industrial labor force to such an extent that California is now one of the most heavily unionized states in the country.

California’s industries are diverse. Some of the state’s main products include computers and electronics, chemicals, foodstuff, fabricated metals, and transportation equipment. California has also retained its dominance in the aerospace industry, in the film and television industry, and in agriculture and viticulture. Aircraft plants and shipyards were supplemented after World War II by branch plants of many eastern and midwestern industries. With the development of Silicon Valley in the late 1970s, by the end of the twentieth century, the state’s economy was attracting highly educated workers from all over the world.

California produces about four-fifths of its energy in state. It has hundreds of hydroelectric power plants scattered throughout the state. About one-tenth of California’s electricity comes from renewable resources, including wind and solar power. Most of the thousands of wind turbines in the state are on wind farms in Altamonte Pass, east of San Francisco; San Gorgonio Pass, near Palm Springs; and Tehachapi, south of Bakersfield. There are solar thermal power plants in the Mojave Desert. The state has become a world leader in the development of renewable forms of energy of all kinds.

Construction also has become a major industry, though it suffered during the early twenty-first century as a result of overbuilding, inflated real estate prices, and a nationwide economic downturn. California’s medical-research facilities lead the country in several branches of medicine, notably oncology, immunology, and gerontology. It also has a significant commercial fishing industry. Seafood from the Pacific Ocean includes tuna, mackerel, sole, squid, and sardines. Trout and salmon are almost entirely farm raised. The service industry is another dominant economic sector in California. It is strongly reflected in tourism’s consistent creation of revenue.

Community and culture: California has long been considered a liberal state in terms of its health and welfare statutes. California is oriented toward tax-supported public education. Only one-tenth of California schoolchildren and a slightly higher percentage of college-age students attend private schools. After state and federal aid, property taxes provide the chief source of local revenue for K-through-12 schools and universities. Rising income, sales, and gasoline taxes support state expenditures dominated by highway building, education, and welfare costs. State benefits offer aid to families with dependent children, to those with disabilities, and to senior citizens.

California is home to a diverse population. It’s really a mixed melting pot of different races, diverse national ethnicities, and varied religious backgrounds, which has brought about a friendly, thriving environment. The population comes from worldwide origins, which means no single race or ethnic group constitutes a majority of the state’s population: (39 percent Latino, 63 percent white, 15 percent Asian or Pacific Islanders, 6 percent African American, less than 1 percent Native American or Alaska Native). In religious terms, 63 percent of Californians are associated with a Christian-based faith, 9 percent are affiliated with non-Christian faith, and 27 percent of individuals are not affiliated with any faith or religious belief.

1

Home and Best Friends

In a medium size progressive community, a quiet young lady, Jane, was born and raised in a beautiful town. Growing up in a beautiful, happy, loving family, Jane had been the treasured love and joy of her father, Colonel Dr. Corelli, and her mother, Petchala. Her father passed away just after she turned nine years old. He had suffered for many years from the poison agents used when he served in the Vietnam War. After his passing, Petchala, who had immigrated with her parents from Southeast Asia, raised Jane all by herself while continuing her career as a professor at a nearby highly regarded university.

Home for Jane was a charming English Tudor–style four-bedroom single-story house built on a cul-de-sac in a middle-class community. A deciding factor for Jane’s parents when they had bought the house was her father’s preference for a house with a large backyard because he loved to grow vegetables for the family. Her comfortable home, with its well-designed floor plan, was attractively decorated with many finely appointed furnishings. Hanging in pride of place on the wall above the rough-stone fireplace were a number of pictures: of Jane’s father and mother, along with their wedding pictures. On the wall beside the fireplace was one of Jane: attractive, confident, calm, and reserved. Jane’s parents’ delight and pleasure over Jane’s pictures and achievement trophies was apparent as they were on display all over the house.

Living next door was an American family named Parker. They owned a family business in town. Griffith, their nosy underachiever middle teenaged son, was interested in Jane. He loved to sneak a peek at her and try to see Jane move about her house.

One late Saturday morning, in bright sunshine, Jane met with friends on their university campus. She was excitedly standing at a rotary near a campus bus stop waiting to be picked up by her friends for a camping trip to a not-too-distant northern state forest. She had packed boxes of food, pots and pans, and some camping gear. All were piled up next to where she stood.

Soon, a big Ford Explorer SUV pulled up in front of her. Hitched to it was a small camping boat. The SUV’s cargo space and roof were loaded with all types of camping gear, with a few fishing rods sticking out of the top of the Explorer. Her handsome group of friends had varied ethnic and multicultural backgrounds. There was Mike, a handsome American, who sat behind the steering wheel looking ever-so-happy. He was a typical California surfer boy: strong, handsome, with blond hair, friendly, and kind. Jorgen (pronounced: yer ghen) was a tall, good-looking, blue-eyed blond Norwegian from Bergen, Norway. In his usual quiet, observant manner, he sat calmly on the passenger side of the SUV. He was very excited about everything he was experiencing in the United States. Jane’s close New Yorker friend, Apple, sadly came from a broken family and seemed to show more interest in women than men. It wasn’t clear whether her mother was Italian or French, but her father was a white American. Gabby was a light-skinned African American who sat next to Apple. Gabby came from a middle-class family. Her mother was a doctor, and her father a successful businessman. Though bright, naïve, and shy, she was strong, second to none. Lastly, there was Jose, sitting on the row behind Apple and Gabby. He was of Spanish/Mexican heritage and enjoyed everything about life. He could withhold nothing about his thoughts and feelings. Overall, he loved to have a lot of fun and enjoyed all sorts of foods.

Seeing them, Jane waved her hand, saying, Hi guys, how are you? It looks like you guys packed a lot of junk to bring along.

Jose shouted, It’s Gabby’s. She packed her own bed for her sleeping gear.

Apple waved back to Jane, and Gabby replied, I am well prepared. I don’t want to sleep with all the ants and bugs, eek!

Just then, Mike and Jorgen got out of the car to help Jane load her stuff into the few remaining spaces left in the SUV. Jane hopped into the car as Mike took the steering wheel. For about two hours, they drove, chatting along, until Mike took a turn off the main highway to head into the forest. Along the way, Mike pointed out several spots where he and his family had previously set up camp. They drove farther into the woods, trying to find a place near the river to set up the tent. Suddenly, Gabby piped up, insisting that the camp must be close to the restroom.

I am not going to walk about in the dark try to find a toilet. Absolutely a no-no for me.

Finally, they found a perfect location. A restroom was less than 100 yards across the street from the camping space. Soon they were busy unloading all the camping supplies and bringing them down to the riverbank, where they laughingly unpacked the supplies. Then, while Jane and Gabby set about unpacking the kitchen supplies and cooking materials, Mike, Jorgen, Jose, and Apple took the boat to the water and tied it to a small dock. They returned to begin setting up the tents, one for the guys, the other for the girls. Jose began by trying to read the instructions about how to set up the tent.

Apple, annoyed, looked at him and said, Jose, bring your ass here to help us put these poles in the ground.

Jose replied, Okay, okay, I am trying to find out how we can do that efficiently. Be patient!

While he awkwardly tried to hold the center pole, Mike was busy attempting to insert the pole’s center spike into the reinforced peak orifice of the tent. Once inserted, Mike proceeded to raise the pole to an upright position, while Jose, Jorgen, and Apple rushed to grab guy ropes at three strategic points to help Mike raise the tent upright. Once it was upright, they rushed to anchor the three remaining guy ropes to the long pegs that they had earlier pounded into the ground. It was wobbly work as they rushed to anchor one guy rope after another. Finally, the tent was up and steady even though the center pole was a little off kilter. They repeated the process with a little better success for the second tent. Setting up the sleeping gear in the tent followed suit. Gabby anxiously dragged her foam mattress into the tent to set it up in one corner along with all of her stuff. All the while, Jose, on his soapbox, kept pestering her with directions about depositing her things. Hearing Jose’s criticisms, Apple looked sympathetically at Gabby, shaking her head.

Catching Apple’s eye, Jorgen tilted his head, beckoning her to join him in launching the boat. Together they began rowing upstream to where they had heard the best fishing was in hopes of catching some fish for dinner. The chore of setting up the drinking supplies and bar fell to Mike and Jose, who brought out and set about pitching a small, tentlike decorated awning for the refreshment station. Jane meanwhile was busy setting up the cooking area. Later, Mike came over to help her build a fire spot for cooking.

At long last setting up their campsite was finished, and they were tired and hungry. None too soon, a highly excited Jorgen and Apple returned from their boating trip with the sounds of some fish flapping about in a pail Jorgen carried.

Apple, trying to catch her breath, haltingly yelled, We caught these fishes. Oh my god, we found so many of them swimming against the stream, jumping high above the water. It was so much fun trying to catch them. Thanks Jorgen. He has a lot of experience catching fish the Norwegian way, she said.

Lengthening shadows had them all sitting on folding chairs, joking and chatting happily around the bar enjoying sundowner drinks. Then it was time to prepare for dinner. While doing so, Jose, of course, remembered a box with treats his mom had given him.

Getting up, he said, I have to go get my stuff I left in the car.

Mike tossed the car keys to Jose as Gabby chimed in, I’ll go with you. I forgot my makeup bag in the car.

His arm causally draped over Gabby’s shoulders, and they headed up the hill to the car. Opening the car door for Gabby, he reached for a box from the back seat. She opened the box and smiled. Jose, in turn, picked up the package his mom had given him.

My sweet mom gave me this special honey with the large honeycomb. This is so great. It’s so, so good, he said, opening the honey bottle and sucking in a long breath, smelling the jar.

He handed the jar to Gabby. Here, taste it. It’s so good.

Ack! she suddenly shrieked again and again when they heard a grunting noise from the bush behind them. Their hair was standing on end with fear, their eyes opened wide, and as if in practiced union, they turned to yell, Bear! A bear! A big black bear.

They fled. Casting caution aside, they sprinted away seeking a place to hide. Gabby hid behind a big tree while, as quietly as possible, tiptoeing backward step by step to avoid being seen and heard by the bear. Jose followed suit, hiding behind a big tree, unknowingly copying Gabby’s moves.

Pow! Her butt bumped into something soft. They both jumped, turning around only to find each other.

Gabby pushed Jose away, yelling, My god…you are crazy…get away from me!

Jose shouted back, Why are you following me? Go find your own hiding place.

Grumfhumff…grunfhumff…grumfhumff…the noise came from behind Gabby. Jose’s eyes opened as wide big as lollipops. His face went sheet white face as he pointed his finger to a spot behind her back.

Gabby shouted angrily at him, Stop joking around!

This is very serious. We could get killed. I am not joking. Look, look! Jose exclaimed.

Turning around, Gabby saw the dreaded bear. Her leg trembled. Her feet suddenly felt ever-so-heavy as though cast in concrete and hard to lift. The giant bear stood glaring at them from about ten yards away.

Grabbing Gabby’s hand, Jose yelled, Run, run, run! as they headed toward camp.

On approaching the campsite, they pointed behind them, shakily shouting, The bear, the bear!

The huge bear appeared from the bush, ambling toward them. Everybody jumped up, shocked and scared.

Mike yelled, Get to the boat; grab the rowing oars.

Jane did not know why she had grabbed a lid from her pot and the pail full of fish that Jorgen had caught, as she ran to jump into the middle part of the boat. Jorgen got into the tail end, facing Jane; Apple followed Jorgen. Gabby jumped in behind Jane, just as Jose pushed Gabby aside to make room for himself to get to the other end of the boat. Mike pushed the boat away from the bank, then jumped in beside Jorgen facing Jane, when the boat was cleared to float. They looked at the bear. It had advanced to the bank at the river’s edge. Jose, realizing he was still holding on to the opened jar of honey his mom had given him, threw the jar at the bear, hoping that it would lure the bear to back away from them, but the jar felt short, landing in the water instead. Then, even without an If you please, Jose suddenly took off his brilliant red beach shorts.

Apple immediately snapped, What are you doing, Jose?

Shaking, trying to tie his shorts to the end of one of the boat’s long oars, Jose answered, I will scare him with my red pants. I saw in a cartoon movie that bears are afraid of fire. My red pants look like a flame. They will make him afraid and run away.

With pity, Gabby looking at him and screeched, Sit down, you moron, before the boat flips. That was a movie you saw. It’s not the real thing.

Disappointed, Jose replied, Okay, okay, I just wanted to help.

At that, Jorgen shouted, Okay, we all have to row the boat at the same time. On my mark, one, two, three, start.

They rowed as hard and fast as they could. Jane did not have an oar, so she used her lid to daintily paddle the water. They tried and tried repeatedly. The boat seemed to stay stationary, just circling round and round. Realizing that the rowing was leading nowhere because Jane, Gabby, and Jose facing him were causing the boat stay in the same spot, Jorgen said, Jane, Gabby, Jose, you all have to turn around first, then start to row.

They all promptly did as Jorgen directed. Then, remembering that Jane still had the fish in her pail, Apple thought she could use them to get the bear to leave them alone and started throwing fish one by one to the bear. It worked. The bear quickly went for the fish, ignoring the gang of friends.

Stop! Stop! Stop! Mike exclaimed. Let’s just see what he does now. He may go away since his mouth is stuffed with fish.

Anxiously, fearfully, they waited, hoping the bear would amble away into the woods. Their patience moment by moment was rapidly slipping away, as they wondered and hoped the bear would wander away. Just then, to their great relief, a man in an olive green uniform with a high-peaked, wide-brimmed hat appeared.

There! There! Mike quickly said. He is a park ranger.

They all in unison pointed and shouted, The big bear’s over there!

Oh, that is Bigsy, the ranger responded. He belongs to another camp. They are using him for a movie they are shooting at their campsite. They are looking for him right now.

Despite the many signs posted throughout the park urging campers not leave food in their cars, he asked, You guys don’t happen to have any honey with you, do you? It’s an invitation for bears.

Everyone turned to look at Jose. He just shook his head faintly while mumbling, Nope, no, no. I did have a jar of honey from my mom that I threw at the bear, but it landed in the water! he shouted out.

The ranger just smiled as he phoned to tell the others that he had found the bear and directed them to come get their bear. Everyone was quiet and tried to bring the boat back to the shore without saying a word. They still could not recap what just had happened.

2

Departure

As was customary, Petchala left early in the morning to prepare and teach her classes at the university. Jane, likewise, left to attend her classes, but they left at different times during the day depending on the day of the week. Petchala’s university work often permitted her to come home early but usually with a lot coursework to prepare for upcoming lectures. At home, she would start to prepare dinner with Jane’s help so they could have dinner together. They eagerly looked forward to dinner together as a time to chat and laugh while sharing their day’s experiences. Occasionally, on Sundays, Jane and Petchala would go to their favorite Buddhist temple. During the ceremony, monks would chant, then some ladies would serve the monks a food offering. Outside on the temple grounds, members of the Buddhist community would set up makeshift food stalls for people to buy and eat there, joining with others to chat and share food and stories of their lives while enjoying having fun eating together. Or they might buy food to take home.

One afternoon, about to return home, Jane phoned Apple asking, What are you doing?

I’m trying to finish my science report before we go on our trip to Death Valley, she replied.

Speaking of that, are you free tomorrow? Jane asked adding, Mike would like to meet with all of us to finalize our camping plans. He told me that he would call Jorgen, Gabby, and Jose about this get-together before the trip.

That sounds good to me. I am in.

Great, said Jane. I will see you in front of the Administration Building at about three o’clock tomorrow. Okay?

The next day on campus, before leaving for their classes, the whole gang of them met to complete planning their next trip. Camping in the desert, it was to be Death Valley of all places this time. Apple proposed bringing some of the food supplies they would need, while Jane said she’d bring camping gear. Mike promised to tow the canoe along, adding that because his dad had urged him to do so, he was taking his pistol with him as well to protect against all sorts of wild animals and bugs in the desert.

Rather distressed, Jane protested, quietly asking, Is that really necessary?

Reluctantly, she agreed to go along after Mike explained that he and his family had had more experience with camping than any of them. Everyone was so excited about the trip, especially Jorgen. It was to be his first time experiencing the California desert. Even though they had no climbing experience, they prepared to bring climbing gear along. They just wanted to climb the smaller mountain there since they did not have any experience climbing taller mountains.

Mike showed up at Jane’s house in the late morning the next day, with the firearm in a beautiful box of fine mahogany wood. Jane, though, was not home. She had gone to the temple with her mom. Mike had intended to leave the gun with Jane because she was to be the last one to get in the car, and her stuff would be put in a space left for her inside the car. However, seeing that Jane wasn’t home, he gave the gun box to their neighbor Griffith, with instructions to give it to Jane so she could pack it with her gear. When Jane and her mom retuned home later that day, Griffith gave Jane the beautiful revolver box and repeated what Mike had asked her to do.

That evening, after dinner, Jane was busy in the garage gathering up her gear for the trip, including a big can of kerosene for starting fires and for a few lamps at the camp. While she was doing so, Griffith tried spying on Jane by peeking through the window. Carelessly, he stepped on a gas line, which suddenly broke, spewing out gas. Unaware of the gas leak, Griffith climbed through the window into the kitchen. Picking up the weapon, he checked it, then loaded bullets into its sockets. As he pretended, he was shooting some object, the gun suddenly exploded. He immediately fell to the floor with blood gushing from him after a ricocheting bullet struck him. Continuing, the bullet hit the kerosene can sitting on a kitchen countertop, spilling kerosene toward a stove burner.

Hearing the explosion, Jane rushed to the kitchen to find Griffith on the floor bleeding profusely as blood in an ever-widening pool was spreading across the floor. Terrified, she rushed to kneel beside him to check if he was dying. Scared, out of breath, and crying, she picked up the gun, not knowing exactly what had happened.

Petchala, highly alarmed and agitated by all the explosive noises, came rushing into the kitchen. Seeing Griffith on the floor covered in blood, she checked his pulse and believed he was still alive. Shocked and not aware of the gas leak, Petchala gathered her thoughts, called 911, and told Jane to run to Griffith’s house to seek help from his father, Jim.

Sprinting out of the house, Jane ran to Jim’s house. She pounded on the door as hard she could, and Jim came out yelling, What’s the matter?

Suddenly, her house erupted in flames from a massive explosion just as she was explaining what had happened to Griffith.

Standing in stunned silence, they watched the flames curling out the window until Jim, with presence of mind, ran to phone 911. In a matter of seconds, the entire devastating event developed as neighbors tried futilely to save the house with a garden hose, but the fire was too dangerous from the gas leak. Jane and Jim had tried to run to the house to save Petchala and Griffith, but neighbors prevented them from running into the burning house. Horrified and in agony, they stood, hopeless, helplessly watching as Jane’s mother became engulfed in the flames as the house burned down.

Drenched in tears and agonizingly distraught, Jane hurriedly broke away from the crowd, half-trotting, half-stumbling to get away anywhere in any direction. She walked and walked, not knowing where she was going or how long she had been walking. Pounding on the door ever-so-hard, Jane realized she was in front of Apple’s apartment. When Apple opened the door, Jane, shaking and trembling uncontrollably and still crying, told Apple what had happened. Apple tried to comfort Jane to no avail. Scared, completely drained and weak, Jane told Apple that she had to leave. She could not face all the pending investigations and scrutiny from anyone.

Unable to convince Jane to stay, Apple, throwing caution to the wind, decided she would leave town with Jane. She packed some clothes in a suitcase, gathered some other belongings and money, and changed her clothes. She also packed clothes for Jane in a backpack. Apple also wrote a lease termination letter to her landlady. In the letter, she kindly asked her landlady to do as she wished to dispose of her few remaining belongs. With that, she dropped her apartment keys into an envelope and put it in the rental drop box downstairs from the apartment. Meanwhile, Jane used her online banking to transfer money from her bank account to Apple’s bank account. Then they went to the ATM and withdrew as much money as they could.

They had decided to get a bus from the Bakersfield Greyhound station hoping they could catch the first bus available to leave for the most distant destination. At the bus station, they left Apple’s clunker car in the vacant lot next door. Then they walked to the bus station, bringing Apple’s suitcase and the backpack she had given Jane with her clothes since they wore the same size.

At the ticket counter, Jane told Apple, Get tickets to a town as far away from this city as possible. Apple was told the first bus to be departing for the most distant location was one bound for a town near Houston, Texas. It was leaving in twenty minutes. After purchasing two tickets, they quickly gathered their bags and headed to the Houston-bound bus parked a few stalls down from the ticket counter. The bus driver helped them load their bags into the belly of the Greyhound. At that, they clambered aboard seeking a quiet spot at the back of the bus, far away from the other passengers. They soon settled down. Jane sat next to a window, eyes closed, trying to picture herself being alone in some other place. She was unaware when additional passengers boarded the bus. Mercifully, she later discovered they had all decided to sit in various seats at the front of the bus. With a sudden jolt, disturbing Jane, the bus backed away from the stall and turned to leave for the main highway.

Sitting quietly, Jane had no interest in looking out the window or in where they were headed. Suddenly, she felt a sharp chill grip her spine, leaving her in shock. She shook uncontrollably, with tears pouring down her cheeks. She felt so alone, imagining a picture of her mother in the fire and her house burning down. Brokenhearted, she realized her mom would no longer be in her life. She would no longer be there to give her gentle understanding and comfort. They would no longer be able to share good times and bad times together. She kept thinking it was her fault her mom had burned to death. She felt guilty, ashamed, and devastated. She cried, Oh God what can I do now? The question kept repeating over and over in her mind. It hurts so bad. She cried until she had no more tears to shed. She felt she was gasping for air; her heart seemed to stop beating, her body going stiff and rigid.

Alarmed, Apple, who was sitting across the aisle, exclaimed, Jane, Jane…what is going on? Are you okay?

Leaning over, Apple tucked Jane in with a blanket she got from her bag. Then, sitting closer, Apple tried her best to comfort her friend. Continuing their journey, they would stop at various bus stations for about fifteen minutes. Some passengers would get out to stretch their legs and to get a quick snack or drink. On other occasions, the bus would make longer stops to give people a chance to get a meal at a restaurant at the bus station. Simply unable to move or face anyone, Jane stayed huddled on the bus at those stops. Distressed over Jane’s heartbreak and distress, Apple would hurry out at some stops to buy some food and drink for them to share on the bus. Feeling unable to eat or drink, Jane had a nasty knot in her stomach. She quietly whispered to Apple that all she wanted to do was sleep for the whole trip.

3

A New Place in an Old Town

Late in the morning after the next couple of days, they reached their final bus depot in Beaumont, a small town ninety miles east of Houston, Texas. Disembarking and gathering their luggage, they looked around. Seeing nothing familiar, they felt rather disoriented. Then Jane saw a group of older men and women walking nearby who looked Asian. They carried containers with food and gifts. She remembered going with her mom to temple, where she had seen other people carrying similar containers of food. She guessed those people might be on their way to a temple. Suddenly feeling hungry, she told Apple they needed to eat. Realizing they did not have much cash left, Jane remembered she and her mom had been able to get food at temple after the ceremony. Suggesting they should follow the group of people, she explained to Apple that they had been able to buy good food at stalls adjacent to the temple or joined people with free meals after the monks had finished chanting and had been served their daily meal by women attendants.

Jane said, Let’s follow them to the temple. Maybe we can find something to eat there. They tried to walk faster to catch up with the group. They followed the group, and Jane was right. They saw a Buddhist temple at the corner of a street a few blocks ahead. At the temple, with Jane and Apple tagging along, the group entered a large room arranged with kitchen appliances and dishwasher stations. Seeing an empty corner in the room, after being assured it was okay, the girls proceeded to stack their luggage there. Meanwhile, the other ladies began to unpack the food they had brought with them and to attractively arrange it on serving platters. Afterward, they took a generous amount of food to another room where a few monks sat, in preparation for feeding them later, and left the remainder on big tables. Jane and Apple followed an older lady to sit along with the others in the room where the monks were about to address a large audience of Buddhist congregants. As the girls sat down, they heard quiet greetings being exchanged along with muted chatter from members of the audience. The monks began to chant. They listened to the chant being repeated by other monks following the lead of the main monk, who led the chanting.

Apple whispered to Jane, Do you know what they are saying?

Jane said, No. They chant in the Bali or Sanskrit language. I don’t understand those words. I guess they are giving prayers, thanking God for blessings, and giving some kind of Buddhist life lessons. They may also be blessing the people for their kind giving of alms. Another important prayer is to give thanks for their giving deeds to benefit their ancestors. Something like that.

That is so enchanting, Apple whispered. I feel good already.

Once the final chant was over, several older ladies, on bended knee, quietly served each of the monks’ bowls of food. A little later, after the monks had eaten, Jane and Apple helped the older ladies bring the monks’ bowls back to the kitchen. Then the ladies worked on setting up the leftover food in serving containers, separated and assembled them as group, and served them in a circle on mats on the floor. A kindly older lady gestured for Jane and Apple, telling them to help in setting up. Then the men came in to sit in various spots of the circle, after which the ladies joined them. The older lady looked at Jane and Apple again and gestured for them to join a table of younger ladies in the room next door. The two friends smiled their thanks, walked over to the table and sat on the vacant chairs, joining them for the big feast.

As they all sat eating and chatting, the girls realized the others were speaking in a strange language, with some English words mixed in with their native tongue. As far as Jane could tell from what little she knew of their language, it seemed like they were exchanging news about their respective lives, families, and daily routines and events. Some made jokes, getting huge laughter from the others in the circle. Everybody seemed to be having a happy time.

Because they were starving after the long trip, the two friends ate so fast, they suddenly felt stuffed and overly full. By that time, the older ladies had started clearing away the empty dishes to be washed at the kitchen sink. Jane and Apple quickly jumped up to help with cleaning up. Looking at Jane and Apple, the kindly older lady noticed that Jane seemed to have been sobbing, so she asked, You are new to this town, aren’t you? I see you have your suitcase here. Where are you coming from?

Jane, with a lump in her throat, felt tears starting to burst from her eyes. She recalled the images of her mom burning in the house explosion. She was so choked up and distraught, she couldn’t open her mouth to respond. Her clenched fists pressed her fingernails deep into her palms. Seeing her distress, Apple grabbed Jane by the shoulders and said, We came from far away, from the West Coast.

Do you plan to stay in this town? the lady asked.

Jane nodded in response.

Apple continued: We are looking for a hotel, or we’ll try to find some place to rent and see if we can find some kind of work here.

Uhm…it’s not so safe for young girls like you to travel alone, you know? the woman cautioned.

Jane nodded again.

The older lady turned away to talk in her native language to a young lady standing nearby. Then she turned back to Jane and Apple. ‘‘I know my brother has a place for rent in town. If you are interested, I will ask him to meet with you tomorrow. For tonight, if you like, you can stay with my daughter, Jessica. Here is Jessica."

The young lady smiled. I am Jessica.

I am Apple, and this is Jane, Apple responded. The two looked at each other and nodded. It’s very kind of you to do that for us. We thank you very much, Apple added.

We want you to be safe. You can go with Jessica after we finish here then, the older lady explained.

Thank you very much, the two pals said in unison.

Much relieved, they continued helping as much as they could with the cleanup job, putting away plates, pots and pans, and serving utensils. Then quickly began to gather up their stuff to put into Jessica’s car. At her car, Jessica directed them, You can put your suitcase here on the left side of the trunk. They quickly complied. Jessica then began driving for about twenty to thirty minutes through a village before they reached her house.

A well-built strong man came out. This is my husband, Dan. He is a policeman, said Jessica and turned to tell Dan, This is Jane and Apple. They are new in town. They are looking for a place to rent, maybe at Uncle John’s place. Mom will talk to him tomorrow. In the meantime, they will stay with us.

Dan looked awkwardly at Jessica. He looked as if he had only just awoken—he had worked the night shift the night before at the local police station.

Jessica added, They can stay in Kim’s old room for now. Kim, their daughter, was away from home, attending a university out of state. The girls carried their bags from the car, and Jessica showed them the room, and bathroom, where they were to spend the night. Sitting on the bed after Jessica left, they suddenly felt so tired they could hardly move or keep their eyes open.

Jane said, Let’s take a shower first. We have not had a shower for three days, then we can sleep.

Apple replied, You go first. I have to look in my suitcase to find stuff for you and me to wear until we can go buy new clothes for you.

Jane agreed, so she began stripping and tossing her clothes aside on her way to the bathroom. The warm water hit her head and body real hard. After feeling she could stand in there forever, she ran out of energy, got out of the shower, dried herself with a towel, and wrapped it around her body.

When Jane left the bathroom, Apple handed her a sleeping outfit and said, ‘‘I think this will fit you."

As Apple left to shower, Jane put on her friend’s pajamas. Apple came back, changed into her sleeping outfit, and hung her towel up to dry. Exhausted, they sat on the bed and leaned back, until Apple said, Let’s sleep. As they were bone weary, it didn’t take long before they drifted off to sleep. Later, at dinnertime, since they had not yet appeared, Jessica went to check on them. She opened the door slowly. Seeing they were still sleeping; she closed the door. Knowing they were desperately tired, she let them sleep some more so they could fully recover.

Late the following morning, Jessica went to check on them again. Worried that they would be starving, she shook their shoulders, trying to wake them up. Jane opened her eyes but she was so disoriented, she did not know what time it was or where she was. She looked at Jessica. At first, she did not know why this woman was in her room. Then she started to remember. Oh hi, good morning, Jane said.

Jessica answered, It’s about noon now. You guys slept for a long time. I got worried. Besides, my mother will bring my uncle John here to meet with you this afternoon.

Waking up, Apple said, Wow…what time is it now?

It’s about noon. Y’all should shower and come join us for lunch, Jessica answered.

In one voice Jane and Apple said, Thank you very much for your kindness.

Jessica just smiled and left the room. After the girls took turns in the shower, Apple looked for outfits for them to wear. Then they went to join Dan and Jessica at the table. Dan had been in a cooking mood that morning. He had cooked up a storm.

My mother and my uncle decided they would come to join us at lunch. So please help yourselves to the food here, Jessica urged.

Life seemed to be so simple here, Jane thought. They did not need a plan. Everything appeared to happen whenever the occasion arose. Everyone seemed to be not very uptight about anything. Jessica’s mother and Uncle John arrived and joined them at the table. Jessica introduced everyone. Dan, being a policeman, started to ask Apple and Jane many questions, as he did when he investigated a crime scene.

Give them a break. They are just visitors, Jessica said.

Giving a guilty smile, Dan quietly agreed.

At that John interjected, I understand that Y’all want to settle in this town, right? May I ask what Y’all plan to do here? It’s a small town.

Apple provided a straight response: We want a complete change of surroundings, to get new experiences. We want to live here awhile, find a place to stay, look for jobs. We don’t have much money. We just want to find an affordable place to stay and find jobs close to it because we don’t have a car. We will start from there.

John nodded his head. You are all so brave to take these kinds of risks. He did not want to intrude any further. As my sister told you, I happen to have a vacancy in one of my apartments in town. It’s an okay neighborhood, not that fancy. Since you seem to be nice young girls, I’m willing to rent it to you at a reasonable price and easy lease. You all want to see the place?

In unison Jane and Apple quickly almost shouted, Yes!

A little later that afternoon, John drove the pals about twenty minutes to his fourplex apartment building. The two-bedroom with bathroom apartment he showed them was upstairs. It had a kitchen with a four-burner gas stove and a living room. The dark yellow carpet was not so exciting, but it easily hid dirt. Jane felt shocked when she looked at the gas stove. It reminded her of what had happened in her kitchen at home. She walked away from the kitchen. Apple glanced at Jane and tried to change the mood. Are there a lot of young people in this town?

If you mean the young children, yes. There are a lot of families here. But for the grown-up kids, most of them left town to attend university, John replied. He added, They come back home from time to time. What do you think about this apartment?

Jane and Apple looked at each other and nodded. It’s looks good for our needs. How about the rent? Jane asked.

John smiled. For you two, I will just ask for the market price, and you don’t need to put down any deposit. You all look like good tenants. I won’t have to worry that you will trash the place. The rent is eight hundred dollars per month. You can pay me once you have settled in .

Gratefully, Jane and Apple thanked John for his kindness. Then he drove them back to Jessica’s house. Before he drove off, he said, I will have the apartment cleaned for you so you can move in tomorrow afternoon. My son will bring you a key to the apartment this evening.

Thank you. Thanks very much, John, they said before they went inside to tell Jessica and Dan about the agreement.

Jane added, But it looks like we still need a place to stay tonight.

You all are welcome to stay here tonight, Jessica responded. It’s no problem for us. Dan has the night shift again. I hope you won’t mind that he comes home late in the morning hours.

No, not at all. We thank you very much, they replied.

In their bedroom, the girls sat down to count their money. Apple said she had about a thousand dollars. While Jane countered with saying she had fourteen hundred. She added, I have some jewelry here that I don’t need. We can find a place where we can sell it later. We have enough to pay the rent and find ourselves secondhand bicycles for rent to get around.

Apple agreed. Lying down on the bed, not realizing that they were still exhausted, they fell asleep again.

The next afternoon, after Jessica gave Apple a key for the apartment that her cousin had brought to her the evening before, she drove them to the apartment. Jessica had brought along a box full of pots, pans, and serving items and another box full of bedding items and towels. After the boxes had been unloaded, Jessica explained, Here’s some stuff you will need to start getting settled. If you want, I will drive you around to show you nearby shops for you to buy items you may need.

Feeling overwhelmed by Jessica’s generosity and hospitality, the girls were at a loss for words. They said, We cannot thank you enough for your kindness. We are deeply grateful. We would appreciate it very much if we could do a little shopping if you have the time.

Believing that they had been extremely lucky to meet this family, they kept marveling at their good fortune. Shortly after, Jessica drove them to a supermarket, where they stopped to buy some food, drink, vanity items, a map of the town, and a few hometown newspapers and magazines before she drove them back and dropped them off at their new apartment.

That night, they studied the map of the town and checked the newspapers and magazines that Jane had bought to get familiar with the town, its layout, its popular places, and the wanted ads for places they might find work and a place where they could rent bicycles. From the map, they found that they lived in an area called Port Arthur, Texas. Beaumont happened to be thirty to forty-five minutes from the beaches of the Gulf Coast and close to the casinos and gambling in New Orleans, a four-hour drive from Austin, five hours from San Antonio, and four and a half hours from where they were. Beaumont had three counties: Hardin, Jefferson, and Orange. (Note: The fourth one, Newton County, was added to the MSA in the February 2013 delineation).

The city of Port Arthur was in extreme southeast Texas, in Jefferson County, adjacent to the Sabine River, Neches River, and the state of Louisiana. The city was a point on the Golden Triangle with Orange and Beaumont. The Rainbow Bridge across the Neches River connected Port Arthur to Bridge City, located just nineteen miles inland from the Gulf of Mexico, and less than two hours from sea buoy to dock was North America’s premier breakbulk and bulk terminal. The port of Port Arthur was positioned to efficiently handle any type of cargo, from forest products to steel to military.

Jane suddenly pointed out, Look, here is a place where we can sell my jewelry. The question is how we can get there.

Apple replied, I still have my phone. I think it will work here too. I can try to find it on the map. Continuing, she said, Here we are, and here is the shop, about seven blocks away. We can walk there tomorrow.

Pleased about that, Jane continued to circle a few places in the wanted ads. She added, We can start applying for some positions from these advertisements, but I first must buy myself some clothes. I cannot keep on wearing your clothes.

Apple smiled. I know. They make you look like a boy. They giggled for the first time.

Looking at Jane, Apple felt so sorry for her. Thanking her lucky stars, she wondered how she would have been able to cope with the situation if that tragedy had happened to her. She felt warmth rise up in her throat and pain in her heart at the same time. She wanted to give Jane a big tight hug but did not, fearing it would remind Jane about her sadness. Instead, she kept on pretending she was reading the newspaper, but her fingers kept shaking; her stomach kept thrashing about. She abruptly got up and walked to the bathroom, letting her tears pour down.

A little worried, Jane knocked the bathroom door. Apple are you okay? You have been in there for a long time. Are you hungry? I will cook something for dinner now.

Wiping her tears away and gathering her composure, she said, I am okay now. It may be some effect of the water here. My stomach felt queasy. It happens to me all the time when I travel to a new place.

Okay then, Jane said as she walked away.

After dinner, they spent time working out how they would each arrange their bedrooms. Needing to buy new beds later, they each set up temporary beds on the floor. They would be going to bed separately for the first time since they had left California. Jane felt so lonely. This was the first time she was by herself. She missed her mom so much. She still could not picture her being without her mother. Her spine got stiff and chilled on the hard floor. Her head kept ringing nonstop; her tears, what few were left, came tumbling down from her sore eyes. Her mouth was dry. Pain was everywhere in every muscle in her body. She tossed and turned. Though bone weary, she could not sleep for a long time. She could not help it. She could not stop feeling choked up in her throat. She could not breathe. She got up and drank a full glass of water but could not go back to bed. Crawling into a corner of the room, she sat, hugging her knees so tight to her chest as if it they were her mother. She did not know how long she sat there before finally falling asleep.

The next morning, after they got up, Apple gave Jane another set of clothes to wear that day. After a breakfast of cereal, they set off to carry out their planned activities. Jane grabbed the newspapers that she had marked showing where they planned to go. The jewelry shop was the first stop to try to sell her jewelry. From the map, they calculated they needed to walk about three or four blocks to get there.

While they were walking, they saw many tourists on bikes, saw a lot of bike stations and advertisements about bicycles available for rent. There was a big broad sign stating, "You can rent a bicycle now at the Convention and Visitors Bureau at 505