The First Chapter

CHAPTER 1

WELCOME TO SOUTH AFRICA

The busy airport was noisy and full of people, much like Hong Kong…
Wen Hsiu was raised in the country, but he had been to the overpopulated city enough times to be accustomed to crowds. Yet, it all felt so strange. Wen Hsiu could not really say why he felt so strange in this foreign place. It was not the crowd. It was not the fact that he was carrying two suitcases, one in each hand, and a large, seemingly overstuffed backpack, on his back.
Not one to ponder anything for too long Wen Hsiu concluded that being in a foreign country was just supposed to feel strange and he left it at that- and continued his walk with the elderly Chinese lady next to him.

"It really wasn’t necessary to come along, Mom." Wen Hsiu said as his mother and he slowly searched the bustling airport for a familiar face. "You know I can take care of myself." Ling Hua smiled and shook her head. The bright Caucasian lad, who had never seemed to realise that he, with his brown hair and blue eyes, was not actually her biological son, was probably right, but somehow she couldn’t shake the feeling that it was not right to just leave the poor citizens of this country alone with him...
And besides, she had not seen Mr. Lu in a long time…

"Hi, Mr. Lu!" Wen Hsiu greeted excitedly and waved. Ling Hua turned her head to see where he was looking and saw the familiar face of an elderly Chinese man smiling at her from across the airport’s waiting area.
The elderly woman and young man, who was carrying all the luggage, rushed to greet their old friend. After exchanging brief greetings, regards from relatives and quick updates on current affairs Mr. Lu led his friends to his car. The grey Volkswagen Beetle’s hood was opened first to allow Wen Hsiu to place the two suitcases inside. There was no room for the backpack, though and it ended up sharing the back seat with him as they drove away from the Airport.
"So… " Mr. Lu ventured to ask. "What do you think of South Africa?"
Hua looked at the tall buildings outside the car’s window. In all her years she had never felt the need to travel outside her country. Now, she realised, she was witnessing just a small part of the many things this world had to show of which she had known nothing. Having been raised on a farm and living her life as a farmer’s wife while not travelling in all her life except for this time made the sight of a foreign city quite overwhelming to her. It was so much different from Hong Kong…
"The city seems very quiet…" she remarked.

Mr. Lu laughed softly. Yes. Compared to the bustling city and narrow streets of downtown Hong Kong Johannesburg seemed quiet. He himself had once lived in a house in Polokwane before moving to Johannesburg. The thought of one man owning so much floor space was something that did not occur often to somebody that had been born and raised in Hong Kong and who had been living there for a long time thereafter.

"So… Young man…" Mr. Lu said, looking in his rearview mirror. "You know English, right?"
"A little…" Wen Hsiu said, seeming oddly cheerful.
"Wen Hsiu had been doing so well in school. It is a pity we had to take him out of school so early to help out on the farm. Still- he remembers a lot of English words. I’m sure he’ll catch on quickly…"
Mr. Lu was of course surprised to hear this. He has heard about Ling Hua’s adopted son, but never heard that he had been found by her husband when he was just a baby.
"He grew up with us on the farm since Gao Shang found him." Hua continued. "He was just a baby then. We had no idea where he came from or why he was there. We had no children and neither of us could just leave him so…"

Wen Hsiu himself could only remember growing up on the farm a couple of kilometers away from urban Hong Kong. As a young boy he was constantly made aware of the fact that he did not look anything like his classmates. It was only the first couple of years that were troublesome, though.
Ling Hua was quick to notice the boy’s inner strength, and not to mention the tremendous external strength...Every once in a while some of it was revealed- whether it was eight year old Wen Hsiu chopping wood like an adult, ten year old Wen Hsiu almost single handedly winning a soccer game or just the sight of a young boy carrying two full buckets of water to tend to the crops like it was no trouble at all…

A seasoned martial artist, Ling Hua realised the boy’s potential and immediately began teaching him her family’s style of Gongfu. By the time the boy reached his teens he had developed skills far exceeding her modest expectations and now the most significant difference he had from his peers was an unusually muscular frame. By now the nineteen year-old lad could outrun a horse, leap over a grown person’s head and lift twice his body weight. In sharp contrast to all that the boy was known throughout the village for his gentle nature and kind heart.

"I’m glad you could come." Mr. Lu sighed. "Even though I don’t know how you’ll be able to help me." Ling Hua had read Mr. Lu’s last letter telling her about thugs terrorising his restaurant. Her husband, Gao Shang, knew her and their unusual son long enough to know that they would be able to help. Before they knew it friends and neighbours had the flight to South Africa arranged and wished Ling Hua and Wen Hsiu a safe trip as they set off to help their friend in peril far away. This, Ling Hua often reminded Wen Hsiu, was due to the most valuable thing they owned, a good heart. Ling Hua was never known to pass up the opportunity to lend a hand if it came to her attention. This was a trait that Wen Hsiu shared and the strong, yet compassionate youth was quick to find a place in the hearts of those who knew him.

"Those thugs sound like nothing but a bunch of bullies that need to be taught a lesson…" Ling Hua assured Mr. Lu.
"It has been getting worse." Mr. Lu said. "At first they would show up and threaten me after the restaurant had closed, but now they even show up during business hours and scare away my customers! And all of that because I don’t want to move out!"
Wen Hsiu listened quietly while he looked outside.
"Why don’t you call the police?" he asked.
"It’s no use here." Mr. Lu complained. "The police do nothing about it and usually demand money before they even show any interest. Besides, it is more likely for you to get locked up if you call the police here…"
"Why don’t you come back to China?" Wen Hsiu asked.
"Heh Heh!" Mr. Lu laughed. "I have not gathered enough money just yet. Besides, what will my family say if I traveled all the way here and go back with nothing to show for it?"

Ling Hua shook her head. She did not understand how people could trouble themselves so much over money. On their farm they had all they have ever needed and never wanted anything else. Life is so peaceful and the people are all easy going. There was no need to take whatever another had by force. Mr. Lu, on the other hand, had always dreamed of making lots of money and Ling Hua could clearly remember the day he had proudly announced that he was going to leave China to open a restaurant in South Africa. Many of the people envied him for being able to do that. Ling Hua, however, was more worried about the risk in which he would be placing his wife. Still, she knew very well, Mr Lu was not the kind of man that would be content with living the simple life that her family had known for all these years…

When they eventually arrived at the Chinese Dragon Restaurant Mr. Lu’s wife Su Jen came out to greet them, accompanied by two staff members who helped them unpack.
The cheerful short lady was introduced by Mr. Lu and welcomed them inside. She greeted Wen Hsiu with her best English "Hello."
Wen Hsiu gave her a surprised stare before asking politely in Mandarin: "Please say again."
"Oh!" Mrs Lu laughed- this time being her turn to be surprised. "I didn’t know you speak Chinese!"
Ling Hua intervened. "This is my son Wen Hsiu. His English is still not very good."
Sujen’s jaw dropped. "So you are Wen Hsiu! I’m so pleased to meet you. My friends in Hong Kong told me about you…"

Mrs. Lu prepared lunch for their guests and happily sat around the table. Wen Hsiu was uneasy about the Restaurant being so quiet during this time of the day. He knew that they were not closed.
He could also not see any waiters in the front shop.
"With it being so quiet the waiters have decided to take up Taekwondo. Now they use all this spare time to practice. Hopefully it will help us deal with the thugs." Mr. Lu explained.
"Why does it have to be a foreign martial art?" Ling Hua scolded. She frowned to show her disapproval. "If they are Chinese they must learn Chinese Gongfu…"
"I hear Chinese Gongfu is not really effective for self defence." Mr. Lu replied. "Besides…" he added before Ling Hua could reply. "If it helps you to take care of yourself in a fight you should use it- foreign or not."
"I’ve never seen Taekwondo before." Wen Hsiu interjected. "May I go and see?"
"Sure" Mr. Lu replied. "through that door over there, into the kitchen and through the next door."

Wen Hsiu was soon behind the Restaurant in the delivery area. It was a large enough open space that was fenced. A gate, which was opened only for deliveries, provided access from the outside.
One of the waiters, dressed in a white Taekwondo uniform, was counting loudly. Four other waiters were lined up in front of him. On each count they kicked in unison. Wen Hsiu watched how they repeatedly performed side kicks this way and then roundhouse kicks.

The instructor noticed Wen Hsiu watching them and stopped the class.
"Can I help you?" the instructor asked in his best English.
Wen Hsiu gave a puzzled look and then decided that whatever the man was trying to say, it would probably be best to introduce himself.
"Hi!" he greeted in Chinese. "I’m Wen Hsiu."
The five men now gathered around him in disbelief.

"You’re Wen Hsiu?!" one asked in clear disbelief.
"From Hong Kong?" another followed.
"Are you Chinese?" another one asked.
"I guess…" Wen Hsiu replied, knowing that he could definitely not speak enough English to match his Western looks.

"So…" Wen Hsiu ventured to change the subject. "This is Taekwondo, huh?"
"Yeah…" the instructor said. "We are training to take care of the thugs."
"Why do Chinese people practice a foreign martial art?" Wen Hsiu asked.
"What do you think we should practice?" one of the younger men asked.
"Chinese Gongfu, of course!" Wen Hsiu replied in disbelief.
"Chinese Gongfu?" a young man laughed. "Are you serious?"
"Of course!" Wen Hsiu replied, still not believing their response.
"Well…" the instructor said. "Gongfu looks nice in movies, but it’s no use in a real fight."
"It’s only of no use if you are a beginner..." Wen Hsiu said. "…, but it contains thousands of years of experience and has a response for every conceivable attack."
"Would you like to show us?" one of the young men asked, readying himself in a fighting posture.
"You’ll get hurt." Wen Hsiu replied.
"Hey!" Mr Lu’s voice came through the door. "We have customers!"
"Quick!" the instructor called. "Let’s change!"

Within moments the waiters were dressed in their uniforms- red Chinese shirts with black trousers. They attended to their first table without delay. Wen Hsiu sat at one of the vacant tables, quietly observing the people walking outside. The restaurant’s glass windows provided him with a good view of the street outside. Music played softly and Mr Lu and Ling Hua sat at another table, playing chess and chatting idly.