THE HOUSE OF CHEN Chapter 20

This is the conclusion of "The House of Chen." 

A new story will begin soon.

Mother and Son Reunited
courtesy photobucket.com

 

The next years were stressful due to the participation in the war effort.  

The government put a great deal of pressure on Cheri’s company, which abruptly came to an end when the war ended.  It was so sudden that they couldn’t prepare for it.  

 

Within just a few days all contracts were cancelled and most of the workers were let go.  Just enough people were retained to shut everything down and the office staff was reduced down to a few.

Morley called Cheri in and said it looks like we are both out of a job shortly. I have plans for the future and would like you to be a part of it but it will take a year or to before we can be up and running.

Meanwhile if you want to stay and wait it out I will keep you on salary but there will be almost nothing for you to do except attend a few meetings.

In any case I want you to take a ninety day vacation and when you get back you can let me know what you have decided.

Cheri said, “It will be good to have some time off for the last years have been tiring and my entire focus has been to produce what we contracted for.  It won’t take ninety days, but I would like thirty days to decide on the future.”

Due to her contacts in Washington she found out what was going on in Hong Kong.

The Japanese’s rule was over and the British had moved quickly to reassert control of the crown colony.  Much of the colonial restrictions no longer applied.  

She made the decision to return to Hong Kong and help in the restoration of the colony.  She had made many contacts with the British in the past which were a great deal of help in making the transition and setting up her corporation there.

It took a few months to find her niche in the new economy but as usual she quickly became involved with the higher ups.  The military was replaced by the politicians shortly and to her surprise Brian was one of the top officials.

When she was introduced to him he looked a lot different.  His belly had begun to protrude and his hair was thin.  In fact had she not been introduced to him she wouldn’t have recognized him because he was so different.

A little later she met his wife who was still beautiful and thin as ever.  She still had the same pleasant personality.  

Cheri asked her if she had children and she answered I have two girls and one son. She said the girls are here and my son will soon be transferred here and is in service.  

Cheri thought about Reggie and wondered what he would look like.  He had been told he was adopted and he often wondered who his birth parents were.

He was told no one knew for the records were destroyed by the Japanese during the time they occupied the city.

Cheri had to get permits from the British officials in order to establish her export businesses and that meant having to deal with Brian part of the time.

While he was physically different he still hit on the women.  

 

He tried to use his authority to interest Cheri in having a tryst with him but Cheri said, “I can’t for I am a close friend with your wife, and I would have to tell her what I had done and the details of how it happened.”

Brian backed off and didn’t try that again.  The time came when Reggie came and took up his position in the ruling force in Hong Kong.  

Cheri met him at work and asked him some questions about his past.  She said she would like to hear more about his past so let’s have lunch tomorrow.  He agreed and met her for lunch at a restaurant that was quiet.

She asked, “What do you remember about Hong Kong since you were born here?”  He said, “Not very much.”

Then she asked some more probing questions and direct questions about his past while living here.  He said, “My earliest remembrance was I had two

    
Nursemaids one of which, Lo Mei is still with my grandmother, Lady Malborne in England.

It seems so strange coming back here and each day remembering something new.  If something else occurs to me perhaps you could help me with it.”

He never called for two weeks and when he did, he said he wished to see her for lunch.

She agreed and when they met he said, “I remembered something else.  I remember the name of the other Nursemaid I had.  It was Cheri like your name, and for some reason I called her Mama.  You were born and raised here do you know any of the people I might be talking about?”

Cheri didn’t answer but tears began to run down her cheeks.  Then the questions began to gush out from Reggie not giving her time to answer.

It was as if a light was turned on, “It was you. You were the one weren’t you?”  

Cheri still wasn’t able to answer for this was a moment she had lived for but realized it probably would never happen.  

 

Finally after they both were quiet for a while she admitted that she had worked for his grandma and had taken care of him.  He said, “Why did I call you Mama?  Are you my mother?”

She couldn’t speak, only to nod “yes.”

It would be intruding to go on with the story of the House of Chen, except to say that the account came out in its fullness.

Of course Brian tried to deny having anything to do with this, but Reggie confirmed the whole story with his grandmother for she was tired of hiding the truth from Reggie.  

In the days that would follow, Cheri and her reunited son, Reggie had a lot of catching up to do.

The End