Fragment 2 - Posted 26 Sept 2014

Fell asleep so quickly. Such an exciting day! White Ghost was pressed against my back. Something had been forgotten. My sleep was uneasy, trying to remember. The sound of the morning gong brought the erring memory back. It was the method to keep White Ghost docile, that O Mei told us at the courtyard gate. My heart chilled. My neglect would make White Ghost savage! No time for that now! Wash and dress and collect night containers, and set out latrine trays. White Ghost seems docile, and eager to help. It is funny how he uses the latrine, just like a person! He saw me looking at him, worried that he would suddenly become savage, and he nodded and smiled, just like a person! He has learned our names, and his own, which is so sweet! But then parrots and mynah birds speak just like people, so why not White Ghost, too? It is a thing I never heard of, but it seems less curious when I think of the talking birds. Breakfast was spring-rolls. We each got two, but I think Ma Chao gave three to White Ghost! She is making a pet of him! We should be jealous, but I think we are making a pet of him too. Today was laundry day, so after we had cleaned the rooms, we set out the big laundry-tubs in the big courtyard. Shrr Li and I were to do the treading, and White Ghost came and did treading too. If you've never seen us do the laundry, this is how it happens. We load the clothes into the big tubs with water and soap, and then we step into the tubs barefoot and tread the clothes to clean them. Then we empty the dirty water and rinse the clothes in clean water. Finally we wring them out and dry them on the roof. It takes time, and we sing songs to help pass the time and to keep a good rhythm. Meng Chu sometimes pauses in her work to come and listen to us. She likes to hear the songs, and is interested when we have a new one. White Ghost enjoyed the songs too, and seemed to sing along. Not with words, of course, but making the tune with sounds. The sounds he makes are much lower than a person's. In some songs they make the song worse, but in others they sound very good. Meng Chu was interested to hear this. Then she told us to make sure to walk White Ghost as soon as the laundry was finished. I think she was afraid he would make a nuisance in the laundry! She doesn't know about the latrine. White Ghost is very well trained already, it seems! It made us smile, but we must do as she says. We thought Ma Peng would be annoyed. She was, but she was annoyed that we had not walked White Ghost first thing. I said I was on Latrine Duty, but she told us that White Ghost takes precedence, and we were to exercise him once in the morning and once in the afternoon, whatever else was happening. This was great news! As politely as I could, I pointed out that White Ghost was very well trained, and asked if it was allowed for us to walk after breakfast. Ma Peng considered and agreed. Wonder of wonders! At a stroke our jobs are lightened. It was bad to work in the fields, and much better as a servant in a rich house, but this, this is a sinecure! What luck! Of course it will not last forever, but it is churlish not to appreciate good fortune. It would be a more difficult task if White Ghost was not so well trained already. We were merry and light-hearted as we slipped through the courtyard gate and into the narrow lane. When we reached the meadow, Shrr Li produced three steamed buns that she had begged from Ma Chao. We are quite the favourites, now! Shrr Li let White Ghost off the leash, and he sat and ate the bun like a proper person. Shrr Li and I lay and talked, while White Ghost wandered about the meadow. I worried that he might run off, but after exploring for a while, he brought back a coloured ball that some child had dropped. We tried to make him fetch the ball, but he had no enthusiasm for that, and instead of carrying the ball back, as we expected, he threw it. So we played a catching game. Catching games have songs, so we sang as we played our game. Now here is an odd thing. As we played our catching game, two girls and a White Ghost, I had a sudden vision, as if we were caught in a picture. The picture was in a stack of pictures, all similar, with tiny differences. In some the picture was a right thing, and in others it was strange and wonderful, or even strange and dangerous. It made me gasp and catch my breath, and I had to sit down. I tried to explain it to Shrr Li, but I don't think she understood. I'm not sure I understood, myself. Shrr Li said that perhaps this White Ghost was from a different picture. Sometimes I think I know what she meant. Sometimes it just makes my head spin. To distract us, I started to play pat-a-cake. Shrr Li knew three or four of these, just as I did, and we played them all. White Ghost was watching with great interest. Shrr Li tried to teach him one, but he could not manage it. He tried hard, and it made us laugh. It helped us to remember that White Ghost is not a person, and there are things we should not expect of him. Shrr Li had an idea, and had some scheme in mind. I could see it in her face, but she would not say what it was. Instead she slapped my arm and ran away. She was playing tag. I dashed after her. It is hard to run in long skirts. She feinted, and ran the other way. White Ghost looked on, and I saw he knew this game. He was closer, so I slapped his arm. He made to run after me, but he had no skirts and was much faster. I think he saw that it was no fun to catch an easy target, so ran after Shrr Li instead. She squealed and ran back, and White Ghost turned to chase me again. And we ran back and forth until White Ghost caught us both and we landed in a heap. I like White Ghost to chase me. I should be frightened, but I am not. It is only a game, but I like it. Shrr Li says the same. Maybe we just like to be chased. We were out of breath after running, so we just lay and watched the sky until we decided we had better return to the house. In the narrow lane, a shabby woman approached us and begged us for the use of White Ghost. I told her that was impossible. We were the guardians, not the owners of White Ghost and had no authority. If she wanted such a thing she should ask the owner, at the house of Meng Chu. She seemed to expect this refusal and slunk away. This shocked and frightened me. I had thought two of us to mind White Ghost was unnecessary, but now I see it is an obvious precaution. Perhaps we should take sticks with us. We were subdued and quiet as we entered the courtyard gate, and White Ghost peered at our faces wondering what had caused this change of mood. We felt guilty for our lazy morning, and went to help in the kitchen. Ma Chao is always glad of help. White Ghost we sent into the courtyard, but after he wandered aimlessly, he came and sat on the bench near the kitchen and watched us at our work. Once Ma Chao noticed this she dropped what she was doing and beckoned him into the kitchen. She checked his paws to see that they were clean, and gave him a knife and a basket of onions, and stood him at a counter with a chopping-board. He smiled and started to chop as if he was born in a kitchen. Ma Chao chuckled and slapped him on the bottom. She laughed to herself as she went back to her pots. White Ghost looked startled but not hurt or upset, and chuckled, too, as he looked around at Ma Chao. I thought that I would like to slap White Ghost on the bottom, but Ma Chao told me to get on with what I was doing. Ma Peng drew in her breath sharply when she saw White Ghost with a knife. Ma Chao rules the kitchen, and Ma Peng could only politely suggest. Ma Chao countered all her objections, and said she should raise it with Meng Chu if she felt that way about it. They both looked at White Ghost, who set down the knife and stepped back from the counter. Ma Peng blinked, and Ma Chao waved her arm and shouted at him to get busy. Ma Peng suggested that at least the Mistress should know what was happening, and Ma Chao agreed with a shrug. We had finished our meal, and the siesta gong was already sounding as we were summoned to the Mistress's study. Meng Chu wanted all of us there: Ma Peng, Ma Chao, Shrr Li and me, and of course White Ghost. Ma Peng briefly explained what she had seen, and Ma Chao confirmed it. She stated that an extra pair of hands was always useful, and that White Ghost was intelligent and capable. Meng Chu dryly said "Hands, or paws?" but Ma Chao was unabashed. Either one, she replied, if they could do the job. Meng Chu arose and studied White Ghost's hands, and peered into his eyes for a sign of intelligence. Suddenly she swept her arm at his head and snapped her fingers. White Ghost ducked back and blinked, but made no other movement. Meng Chu did the same with the other arm, and White Ghost stood his ground with a smile. Ma Peng looked white as a sheet. Ma Chao was smothering a smile. Meng Chu was smiling too, as she seated herself and gave her judgement. Ma Chao may use White Ghost in the kitchen. If there was any problem, Ma Chao would be held responsible. While White Ghost is in the kitchen, he should wear an apron, for hygiene and his own protection. If he was unable to wear an apron, he should not work there. Then she turned to us, and I trembled. Meng Chu is pleased with the progress that White Ghost has made, and formally appoints Shrr Li and Xu Xan as Full Custodians of White Ghost. Documents to this effect would be made out the same day. I thought my heart had stopped. What an honour! Shrr Li and I stammered out our thanks, and we were dismissed. We descended the staircase in silence, but as we stepped down, Ma Chao congratulated us with tears in her eyes and hugged us. She even hugged White Ghost. To our surprise, Ma Peng congratulated us too, with less emotion, but with sincerity. She said we would do well, and the honour was well deserved. It was strange to hear her speak to us so politely. She said she was going to lie down for the noonday heat, and suggested we do the same. Shrr Li had already slung the leash across her shoulder like a bandolier, to mark her new position. When we were given our documents, I could do the same. I was so excited I thought I would toss and turn, but I was asleep as soon as I shut my eyes. When the gong sound for the end of midday heat, I felt as though I was in another world. Ma Chao called us into the kitchen. Shrr Li had made herself scarce. I tied an apron around White ghost. The change made my eyes pop. All at once White Ghost looked, not like a person exactly, but more like a person. This made me wonder what makes a person. Is it no more than clothes and speech? White Ghost was nearly the same shape and size as a person. What if he was a person, really? It made my head spin. I thought of the stack of pictures in my vision, and thought that maybe White Ghost was a person in one of those pictures. Perhaps in many of those pictures. It was as if the earth shook beneath my feet. Then he turned and I saw his bare back and was a little reassured. My mind had taken the seed of an idea, and this would take time to grow. For now it was time to chop ginger. Ma Chao had given White Ghost fresh chillies to chop. I thought this was mean of her. Then I saw that it was a test. Ma Chao really is a very clever woman. I hope someday I will be as clever as her. White Ghost smelled the chillies, and took great care not to touch his face after he chopped. When he was done, he moved to the basins and washed his hands very thoroughly. White Ghost is really very clever too. I have never heard of any White Ghost behaving with such thought and understanding. Shrr Li appeared, with a new leash for me. Ma Chao was content, and waved us away. I helped White Ghost out of his apron, and hung it up. This was disturbing. For a moment he was a person without clothes, and then he was no more than White Ghost. Shrr Li was keen to go out, and I could tell she had something up her sleeve. She clipped her leash onto White Ghost's collar, and I wore the other over my shoulder. She refused to speak until we had reached the meadow. Once there, from her skirts she produced a bran-new ball, a skipping-rope and a small kite. "Where did you get those?" I asked her. "From a pedlar in the square, " she said. "How much did they cost?" I asked immediately. We did not have much by way of pocket money. "Nothing at all!" she beamed, "I asked Ma Peng for permission, and she gave me money out of petty cash! And I was good and haggled the price down. All for White Ghost! Aren't we lucky?" "What shall we do first?" We decided to use the skipping-rope first. Shrr Li and White Ghost turned the rope and I jumped as we sang a skipping rhyme. Shrr Li and I changed places, and then we turned the rope for White Ghost. He was not very good, but was doing better after a few goes. He didn't get to the end of the song. That would have been too much to expect. But we felt like schoolgirls again. We were out of breath by the time we got the kite up. We thought it best not to give the kite to White Ghost until we had it in the air. He followed us obediently and ran when we ran, and stopped when we stopped. When it was steady in the air, Shrr Li passed the string to him. He tugged the string gently, to assess the pull, and moved sideways so the kite shifted into the wind. We were impressed. I reflected that he could feel the wind much better than we could, as we could only feel it on our faces, so it was not so surprising. He played out the string, and the kite went higher and higher until it was hard to see. It was only a small kite. It puzzles me that the string curves. I don't know why it doesn't go straight. The sun was getting low, now. We had to reel in the kite, and there was no time to play ball. Shrr Li tucked the toys into her apron, and we climbed over the stile and into the lane. I took the leash and we plodded along slowly. The evening was drawing on and the lane was in deep shadow. We turned the corner and moved aside to avoid some people coming the other way. I felt a sudden pain in my arm and cried out and dropped the leash. Someone had hit my arm with a stick! I turned in astonishment, and saw that a woman had snatched the leash and was pulling White Ghost away with her. Another woman was waving the stick at us, in case we tried to follow. White Ghost did not want to go, and pulled back. He seized the leash and pulled the woman back towards us. When her partner saw this, she hit White Ghost with the stick. He sprang at her and seized the other end of the stick, which was long. As they struggled for possession, Shrr Li pummelled and slapped the woman. The other grabbed at the leash. My arm hurt like fire, but I ran to block her movement. We darted from side to side like fighting fish. Behind me there was the sound of a blow, as White Ghost had taken the stick and struck the bandit. This was enough to make both the women turn and run. They ran in different directions and were out of sight in a moment. We were too shaken to follow. Ma Peng sent for the Police. Ma Cao tended my arm. It was not broken but badly bruised. I got a poultice and a sling, and some bitter tea. A policewoman arrived very quickly. She was a big woman with her hair cropped short. She wore boots and trousers, and a sword. Meng Chu came to the servants' hall to hear us tell our story. The policewoman examined the stick, but it was a plain stick, with no mark of any kind. She looked at my arm, which was already beginning to discolour. She asked to see the licence for White Ghost, and checked the dates carefully before handing it back. Then she asked if anything unusual had happened before the attack. Shrr Li and I remembered at the same time and looked at each other, and we told her about the beggar woman. Meng Chu twisted her face in disgust. When we had finished, the policewoman nodded. She said, "That is the usual way of these things. They acted quickly. They will go just as quickly. The girls are brave, and the White Ghost is faithful. You saw them off in short order and I do not think they will try again. In fact, it is the way of things that this story will go about, and bandits will be wary of you. Despite that, it would be simple prudence to take this stick with you when you go out. " Meng Chu asked if there was any hope of catching the bandits, but the policewoman sadly shook her head. "Without descriptions, without identification, it cannot be done. But I know those who would try such a contemptible thing. They have no respect for the law. They will offend again and they will be caught." Meng Chu smiled politely but I could see disbelief in her eye. She asked if we needed a girl to help us while my arm was bad, but I said no. Evening meal was uncomfortable. I had to eat left-handed. We were heroines, though, and we had to tell the story over and over. No one complained when we were given second portions. Our pipes were prepared first and we were given first entry to the washroom. Shrr Li had to help me wash. White Ghost did his best to wash himself, which helped. As we climbed up to the roof I thought it had been a very long day. Suddenly I remembered O Mei and her advice. "You will have to do it," I told Shrr Li. "Do what?" she asked. "The thing to keep White Ghost docile." "He is docile now!" "He struck the bandit with the stick. He is strong. What if he were to turn savage?" Shrr Li pulled a long face and asked what she had to do. I told her what O Mei had told me. She was to kneel before him and place his hands on her head. Then she was to take his interest in her mouth. "His what?" Shrr Li asked. "It will be right in front of your face," I explained. "Oh, that!" she replied. Shrr Li twisted her face and said that at least she knew he was clean as she had washed him herself. I pointed out that I would do it but for my arm, and promised I would do it the following night. It seemed only fair to take turns. I sat and watched as Shrr Li knelt. I couldn't see what was happening. I don't know what I expected. It took longer than I imagined, although I suppose it was not long. Shrr Li moved her head around, and White Ghost seemed to tremble. She choked, and White Ghost sat down suddenly on the bed, which made me jump. I thought she had bitten him and looked closely at him. It was big! He was showing a great deal of interest! It seemed to shrink as I watched! I looked at Shrr Li, who was wiping her mouth. "He spent his chi," she smiled, with glee. I stared questions at her. "I swallowed it," she shrugged. "Was it bad?" I asked. "No," she reflected, "it was quite nice, really. And look, White Ghost is docile!" It was true. White Ghost seemed very languid, and on the verge of sleep. "You stole his chi!" "I'm sure he will make more. He has lots of chi. Think of it as milking." That made sense. "What happened to his interest?" "It went hard, like bone. It has a different taste when it is like bone. Like a metal spoon." "Oh well. My turn tomorrow." "It's easy. You'll be fine. That was helpful of O Mei to tell you." "Now we can be confident that White Ghost will not turn savage in the night." Shrr Li giggled, and we went to sleep.