‘Yes. Now you can decide for yourself, whether you want to live in Hua qiao Nongchang or not. If you wish to stay, you can. If you wish to leave, you’re free to leave. These days we are permitted to work outside. There are no daily meetings like before. No one rebukes us for little things nowadays. I now work in a leather factory nearby.’

‘Do you work in the factory too, Wang ako?’

‘No. I had come to see Lee.’

‘Where are you working?’

‘I slaughter and sell beef in a shop run by a Chinese Pakistani,’ Ho Wang laughed.

‘What do you mean by Chinese Pakistani?’

‘The Muslims of China!’

‘Pakistanis of China!’ Lao Thien Lee burst out laughing.

Lee Chang and Liang did not laugh. Their minds were too preoccupied.

‘Do you get news from Nongchang?’

‘We do. I went there two months back. I’m afraid I have bad news – your parents are not well, Lee Chang,’ said Lao Thien.

Lee Chang kept silent. Instead, Liang asked slowly, ‘Are they sick?’

‘They are sick; they are despondent. There’s lots of suffering. Many of their children were left behind in India. Now Lee Chang is not with them either.’

‘Tung Chin is also with us, Lee ako.’

‘Really? How did Tung Chin come to be there?’

‘We don’t know. He doesn’t say anything if we ask. He works silently. He has almost lost his mind.’

‘He was such a fun-loving guy. What happened?’

‘Yes, ako. Akong has the same sorrows. But he is a little better than Tung Chin.’

‘I will let his father know about Tung Chin and Mei Fung. He’ll be very happy to hear about them. Akong’s father is very old now. Everyone else is alright. But there is some bad news. Akong’s younger brother joined the Red Guards. No one knows where he is now. We heard that Akong’s other brother will marry C Hoi’s daughter.’

‘Oh is that so? And how is C Hoi doing?’

‘He is no longer in Nongchang. We don’t know where he went.’

‘And what about Hong’s parents? And Ming?’

‘Hong’s father is very ill. His mother is fine. Ming has gone to work in a factory. Mei Lin’s uncle died almost a year back.’

‘Really? What happened?’