Yiu Yi’s father’s words were muffled with the sound of her mother’s heartbreaking lamentation. A loud, metallic voice announced, ‘Go to your own rooms. Get some rest. Our officer will talk to you when needed.’

The people slowly moved inside.

The senior officers sat down for a serious discussion with the register of names in front of them.

Six

Six

Another week had gone by.

The exhaustion had begun to fade.

They felt a little better after they had rested and eaten proper food. The sorrow lingered on but the frustration was diminishing. The care and concern of the officials had created an atmosphere of hope. They had started believing that they would be able to live in China comfortably. They had started to think that the bad days were over at last. Before, China had only been a land of tales. But in these seven days, the people started to feel a sense of closeness with this country.

The hotel rooms were filled with tears and laughter. Hearing about the Chinese from India, many people had come to meet them at the hotel, searching for connections with those who had left for India ages ago. They were entering the rooms in search of them. Old people with walking sticks came to find their brothers and sisters. Some found their nieces and nephews. They wept when they remembered their brothers who had died in India. They held them close and caressed them with all their love and offered them the home-cooked food they brought. Surprise, happiness and sorrow blended together.

‘You have all been asked to gather in the hall downstairs. Please come down quickly. Only the adults are wanted,’ the officers of the Receiving Committee announced.

They looked at each other with concern. They became worried.

What had happened again?

They put aside their joys and hurried down.

Mei Lin, too, walked down slowly with her father. She had grown thinner this past week.

As soon as everyone had assembled, one of the officers stood up to speak. Ho Chang Ho stood close to the officers as the interpreter.