THE HOUSE OF CHEN Chapter 2

Asian Child
courtesy photobucket.com

 

After working out an agreement with the grandmother; the house maid returned to the house of Lady Malborne and told her of her progress.

Martha (Lady Malborne) was beginning to question her reasons for bringing Cheri into her home.  After telling the maid of her uncertainty about the decision the maid assured it would be all right.  

The maid suggested they would treat her as a house cleaner, and if she didn’t please Martha they would send her back to the streets.

This relieved Martha’s mind and told her maid to proceed, but she didn’t want to be involved with the girl until she had proven to be acceptable.

The maid went down to the waters edge and found Cheri and told her to say goodbye to her mother and father.  She bowed before them briefly but was clinging to her grandmother.  

The Maid Lo Mei pulled her away from the grandmother and said, “Stop your crying or I will leave you with her.”  

 

With that Cheri began to control her self and according to Martha’s instructions she took Cheri to the bath house and bathed her and checked her for lice.

She had bought two outfits for her to wear that would look acceptable in the house where she was going.  

The last stop was to the doctor who after a complete checkup said she was healthy except for some parasites that some medicine would clean up in a few days.

All this had taken most of the day and the maid with Cheri hurried home. She still had to get Cheri settled in her room and report to Martha.

Martha said you have done better with her than I expected for I figured she would have to be isolated for awhile until she was given a clean bill of health.  

Lo Mei said, “There is one other thing and that is she speaks English better than I do.

 

She has been dealing with English speaking people on the docks since early childhood, and has learned how to communicate at least with the common language of the docks.”       

Martha said, “She sounds like a jewel.  How did you find her?”

Lo Mei said. “It wasn’t easy for you wouldn’t have allowed most of the straggly street urchins near this house.  

Martha said, “If she is what you say she is, I may want to see her tomorrow, but for now get her fed and put to bed.  I don’t want a stranger wandering around the house at night.”

Lo Mei went to Cheri’s room and took her to the kitchen where she said, “Can you cook?”  

Cheri said she could, so she was told to cook some food for the two of them. The house cook had left for the night so they were on their own.

Cheri had never seen so much food, and there were things she had only seen in the better stores.  Lo Mei laid out some vegetables and chicken, and Cheri quickly cooked their meal.

While Cheri wasn’t used to the kind of foodstuffs Lo Mei laid out, as far as Cheri was concerned, cooking was cooking.  After their meal Cheri quickly cleaned up for Lo Mei said the cook would be angry if they left a mess.

Lo-Mei then showed her where the helps toilet was and asked her if she knew how to use it.

She said that she did, so then Lo Mei said. “Now go to bed and tomorrow I will show you the rest of the house, and go over all the rules you must obey.

Cheri went to her room and she couldn’t believe all that had happened.  She had never seen such luxury and her room was unbelievable.  Living all her years on the Sampan and now the contrast of where she was now was breath taking.

Tomorrow, tomorrow! 

 

It was going to be the time she would meet the lady of the house and she didn’t know what to expect, but her days on the docks had taught her to adapt to the situation, and she thought her skills would see her through no matter what was ahead.      

 

To be Continued