On The Home Front

Meantime, at home, there were changes.

Father 's fortune improved.

Mother had two servants helping her to run the household.   
   
My older brother, Fu, decided to return to China to finish up his last year at the University. Mother said that was because he had a girl friend back home. Fu graduated in Engineering and worked under the People's Republic of China. Under Communism, his life changed drastically. Our parents had communication with him, somehow. Mother would send him money, care packages, and medicine, when needed. Father told me not to write to Fu. Then we received word that Fu wished for mother to stop sending him any more packages, because he had to go for "confessions" whenever he received something from the family in HK. All letters were censored. Fu married later, had two children. Eventually, he and his family did find their way to HK in the 80s.. Fu was retired then and in poor health. His wife was bitter. The children, a boy and a girl, then in their 20s had little education. Fu never said much about what life was like in China. We did know that they had some extremely difficult times; the family was separated often; Fu had to go to the country for what they called "re-education" because he came from a "Western-corrupted" family. In HK, his son learned to drive a bus and did find a job. His daughter had no skills in any field and was not keen on learning. She, later, married an Overseas Chinese in Holland, and moved there. Fu's wife passed away some 10 or 12 years ago. Fu and his son and daughter-in-law still live in HK. Fu is in very poor health, but hanging in there. 

My hot-tempered and selfish younger brother Henry behaved for a while, knowing that there was not enough money for him to "throw away." Then when father started to do better, Henry reverted to his former violent self. However, he was afraid of HK law enforcements, so things were not nearly as bad at the house as before. He did take it out on our little sister, Winnie. I regret that I was away in school, and did not stand up for Winnie. Henry went to Flying School and got his license to be a pilot. He also learned to speak English quite well. He could be very charming, if you don't know him too well. (Henry's complicated life did not stop there.) 

My youngest brother, Michael, was about 9 or10 when he first went to HK. Soon after, he went to a public school. He did not give my folks much trouble when he was young, mainly because he was over-shadowed by Henry. Later he did stand up for himself and conflicts erupted between him and Henry. Michael's  short life was also full of drama and tragedy. He died young. I suspect he had AIDS.

My baby sister Winnie was not yet five when she went to HK. A year or so later, she entered a Catholic School. There she stayed until graduation from Form six (High School.) Being educated by Maryknoll nuns, she became a Catholic. However, she is not a practicing Catholic. Winnie made some beautiful drawn-thread table-clothes under the nun's instructions. I have the table-clothes still. She always viewed me as her Big Sister who had everything, social life, high education, and going abroad. If only she knew the truth!
She is a retired educator (Winnie has her degrees from HKU) and a proud grandma now - stilling teaching privately.

(Chong, my other younger brother, stayed in China with Grandma Kim for some years and did mange to go to HK in the early 60s. Just a note, he was a toymaker and worked for Martel making Barbies in HK at one time. Later, he also made Cabbage Patch Dolls. Remember them? He passed away a couple of years ago.) 

Michael was a teen and Winnie was only about nine when I left HK for Edinburgh, Scotland.