Beginning A New Life

My father and I settled into our seats, buckled-up,  heaved a big sigh together; and prepared ourselves to began a new chapter of our lives. 
The plane started taxiing and taking off. 
My first airplane flight - I believe it was a Pan Am plane.

Those days, you dress up to travel. And, we did. We also tried our very best to stay calm and composed. I am sure, both of us were thinking about the security procedures that we had just gone through. Of course, our luggage had been carefully searched, we were repeatedly questioned by the officials, and, we were even been body-searched. 
It was common knowledge, smuggling forbidden items was par for the course. And people had ingenious ways of hiding contraband - inside their bodies even. I mean, Inside, as inside the stomach and other places.
If precious jewelry was not openly worn by the people, it was suspect. Remember I had said that Chinese gold jewelry was almost pure and could be traded as currency? We, refugees, wore what we could on us. Nevertheless, I would not be surprised if diamonds or other gem-stones were not sewn inside some coat linings or in hatbands; or hidden elsewhere. 
My family did not hide our jewelry. We wore them - on men, women, and children alike. There was no law saying that men couldn't wear jewelry. 
When my mother and my siblings left China, everyone of them wore gold bracelets, gold chains, etc., even my baby sister, who was only four at that time. The fact was whatever we could bring to Hong Kong would be part of our seed-money to start our lives over. Our lives depended on it.

Number Three Uncle had asked me to take two small boxful of carved jade pieces for him to Hong Kong - which I did. Of course, I had to hand the boxes over to the Officers at the check-in station. Two of the officers took the boxes, fingered the jade for a while, took the boxes and went inside some office. They were gone for a long time. I thought I would never see the boxes again. But what could I do? 

Eventually, they came out, and gave me back the boxes, and waved me through. Later in Hong Kong, I gave the boxes to Number Three and he thanked me, telling me to pick out a few of the jade for my reward. I did - I took three little pieces. 

I suspected that the number of jade in the boxes were a little less than when started out in Shanghai. Neither Number Three or I said anything. We were glad the boxes made their way to Hong Kong. 

We tried to forget the chaotic scenes at the airport - the mob trying to get inside the front gate. People were hanging on the gates, pushing and shoveling, elbowing the others, trying desperately to get to the front line. 
People were shouting, yelling, swearing, or crying. Some people were openly trying to bribe the gatekeepers, hoping to secure a seat on the few designated planes that were leaving Shanghai that day. Time was running out. People needed to flee.

Our flight was actually very comfortable, not very long, and quite pleasant. 
I had mixed feeling about leaving Shanghai. On the other hand, going to Hong Kong, a British Crown Colony, an exotic island in the sub-tropics, was very exciting. 

So with mixed feelings, my life as a person with no country started.