Murders of Conveyance, page 12
“It was wonderful,” I said, leaning over the back gate. “Except for the minor issue of a man found shot to death in the hotel hallway, almost in front of our suite.”
“Oh, dear. I hope it’s not anyone you knew,” she said.
“I did actually. He was a very nice man. In fact, you’ve all met him. He was one of the Chinese professors on our infamous cultural outing last summer in Kawai Nui Marsh.”
“Oh, my goodness! Has his death been resolved?”
“No. So, don’t be surprised if you spot John Dias visiting,” I replied. Steering the conversation to a more pleasant topic, I observed that Miss Una seemed to be having a good time with the kittens.
“Oh, she’s quite the little auntie. They’re already plumping up from the diet we’re giving them. Looking ahead to adopting them out, I’ve been watching to see if she has a favorite.”
“I’m sure she’ll love whichever one you choose as her playmate,” I affirmed. “I have to go to a memorial this afternoon and Keoni is working with a client, so I don’t want to suggest a potluck supper we might have to cancel. What about tomorrow? Do any of you have anything scheduled?” I asked.
“Nothing we can’t rearrange. We’ve all been looking forward to hearing about your scavenger hunt adventures.”
“Great. Let’s say a sundown rendezvous at the hot tub,” I said. I then waved at Izzy and returned to the house for Miss Una’s lead. When I entered The Ladies’ yard a few minutes later, Miss Una came trotting over to me. I slipped on her lead and she pulled me toward her play group.
“My, she sure seems ready for an adventure,” observed Izzy. “You know, she’s had a great time supervising all of us.”
I chuckled at the image of Miss Una standing with a pointer at a chalk board. On this walk, my favorite feline agreed to go all the way to the beach. However, she kept to her established rules: I was allowed to take her onto the sand, but after a few yards, she sat down on a large rock. Not knowing how long I would be standing at Pearl’s barbecue, I did not mind a short walk. It felt good to sit alone with her at our neighborhood seashore and observe the birds calling to one another as they flew over distant boats.
Aside from showering and dressing, there was little I had to do before my engagement. Except for the riddle I wanted her to examine, Pearl had not asked me to bring anything to Jade’s memorial. When I was ready to leave, I went into the office to slip the note with the puzzling message into the Tao Te Ching. Keoni had re-written the fake clue so the penmanship would not resemble mine. I looked at my desk and found Miss Una sitting on the book. She was clearly reluctant to relinquish custody of it.
* * * * *
I walked toward the back of the courtyard at the Makiki Sunset Apartments feeling sorrow on several levels. Just as I was reflecting on the death of Ariel that had introduced me to Pearl Wong, the diminutive woman materialized and came toward me with a welcoming smile. When I expressed sorrow for Jade’s passing and apologized for Keoni’s absence, she surprised me with a hug.
Stepping back, I said, “This is the book I won as a prize in the Aloha Scavenger Hunt, and here is a card with the riddle that sounds like a Chinese proverb.”
“I look forward to examining them both. This should be an interesting project. I have glanced through my Chinese copy of the Tao Te Ching, but to be honest, I will be better off reading the English text first. What a shame that Jade is not here to assist, as she was fully literate in several Chinese dialects.”
“I can only imagine the many ways you must miss her. I truly appreciate your helping with my little mystery, Pearl.”
“It will be my pleasure. As I get older, I find there are not enough mysteries in life. I always enjoy learning something new, and this will be a stimulating exercise for my mind.”
I nodded, and she asked me to join the other guests while she took the book to her apartment for safekeeping. I was greeted like a returning friend by handyman Al Cooper and Maria Espinoza, a long-term resident. Other residents, like Cory Lowell were equally glad to see me. Excitedly, he asked his mother for permission to come over to me.
After giving me an enthusiastic hug, he asked, “How’s Miss Una? She must be very big now, like me.”
I laughed and held him out for a quick appraisal. “Yes, she’s a big cat now. And I can see that you’re going to be as tall as your mother before long.”
“Maybe as tall as my dad,” he said with a smile. “He’s had to go away again, but we’re going to take a trip to the mainland to see my Grandma.”
“That sounds like fun. I hope you’ll have a wonderful time,” I said smiling as he ran back to his mother.
At that moment, Pearl returned carrying a shopping bag and a box of assembled Chinese wish lanterns. Everyone came forward to collect paper and pen to write a message for one of the biodegradable lanterns that would soon float into the sky. The activity gave us all the opportunity to feel involved in celebrating Jade’s life—and it was certainly better for the environment than balloons in the air, or paper boats with candles clogging waterways.
“While you write your thoughts for the wish lanterns, I will share passages from some of Jade’s favorite authors,” announced Pearl.
After we sat down at one of the picnic tables surrounding the two barbecues, Pearl cleared her throat and began speaking in the loudest voice I had ever heard her use. Without any reference materials, she recited moving passages from the works of Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson, as well as Lao-Tzu and the Dalai Lama. Listening to her gentle, almost lilting voice, I realized that she was closer to her Chinese culture than she sometimes indicated. After pausing for a moment of silence, Pearl urged us to follow her to the dragon fountain. There we released our wish lanterns into the shimmering heat of the late afternoon. As they floated upward, I thought of the lifelong love and support the Wong Sisters had shared.
By the time we returned to our seats, Al Cooper and Mrs. Espinoza had laid out dishes, utensils and all the food people had brought. Being a typical Island potluck, the buffet offered food for every taste, with a variety of salads, breads, meat, and seafood that smelled amazing. While we ate, I enjoyed stories of Jade’s generosity told by some older residents and a few young people I had never seen before.
While Pearl visited with each guest, I carried a glass of champagne back to the black dragon fountain. It is amazing how time and occasion can alter one’s feelings about a place. While this had been the scene for solving the mystery of Ariel’s death, today I felt all right with even the painful cycles of life. I looked over at the celebratory gathering and thought of the people I knew who had died in the last year and a half. They would all be missed sorely, but I was pleased that the joyful lives of Ariel, my Auntie Carrie and Jade would be appreciated for many years.
Suddenly Pearl was standing beside me. “I am sorry that Keoni was unable to be with us today, however I would like to invite you to join me in something, Natalie.”
“I’m pleased to do anything you wish, Pearl.”
“If you can spare an hour or so, we will take a short trip in the neighborhood. All right?”
“That’s fine. There’s no way of knowing how late Keoni may be, so I consider myself free for the evening. But before we leave, can I help tidy up after the barbecue?”
“No need for that, my dear. Al will take care of everything. If you will wait here for a moment, I will get my handbag.”
Walking across to the parking lot, I wondered which vehicle Pearl would be driving—her old Chevy Silverado, or Jade’s classic Mercedes. Momentarily, we were seated in Jade’s black beauty and driving downhill to Wilder Avenue.
“You’ve mentioned that you and your twin Nathan enjoyed playing in Makiki as children,” Pearl commented.
“Yes. Every day after returning from school, I played hopscotch while he rode his bicycle with training wheels.”
“That was the year Jade was your teacher at Punahou?”
“Why, yes it was.”
“We may not be next to the school where she worked, but it seemed ideal when we had the opportunity to buy the apartments. You may have wondered why we have remained here in the humblest of our properties. But you see, some of our tenants have been recipients of the scholarships Jade funded. By our being on the premises, we have been able to watch them grow in knowledge and life experience. And, except for the horror of your grandniece Ariel’s death, we could watch over them and try to keep them safe.”
I did not know how to respond. I merely nodded and continued to look out the window.
“With Jade’s passing, I have decided that it is time for me to leave the care of the apartments to someone younger. I think that with his awakened sense of humanity in the aftermath of Ariel’s death, Al Cooper will make an ideal manager.”
“Where will you go?” I asked.
“Jade’s assisted living condo is paid for and while I may not require all the services available, it offers a lot of amenities I can use—and it has a lovely view. Of course, I have no intention of stagnating. While I still have my health, I am thinking of doing some traveling—beginning with the land of my mother’s ancestors. I need to learn what kept our papa there. I learned that after we left, our papa remarried and had three more daughters. Before I too pass on, I have thought they might like to meet someone from their father’s earlier life and learn about his family in Hawai`i.”
Maneuvering expertly, Pearl parked the large car. As we got out, she moved to the trunk. “Can you help me hold up the lid? There is something I need to get, but it takes more than one person to open it. We kept this car so long because it is so comfortable to ride in, but now that even the trunk lid is unreliable, it really is time to get a new vehicle.”
With my help, Pearl pulled out two large carryalls that smelled of incense and candles.
Stepping onto the sidewalk, I looked around and realized we were standing beside a segment of the fence of the Makiki Cemetery. “Did I tell you that Nathan and I used to play in the cemetery? We were quite proficient at getting in, even when the gate was locked.”
Pearl laughed. “It is funny you should mention that, Natalie. Jade and I used to sit on the balcony of her condo for hours,” she said, gesturing to a high rise above us. “We enjoyed watching people of all ages and backgrounds coming and going on holidays and during funerals—including children playing on the hillside around the headstones.”
Pearl reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. It looked worn but well-polished. By her familiarity, I knew she had used it for many years.
“This isn’t the main entrance,” I said, looking at a non-descript gate to our right.
“That is so. You might call it a back door for a few of us who have very long-term relationships with the cemetery.”
There were a couple of hours before darkness would fall and Pearl had no difficulty in leading the way through the headstones. Part way up the hill, she paused to look down toward the center of the city. We were standing near the point of my vision on that first day of summer when my grandniece Ariel had died. I realized that, in a way, this was where my relationship with Pearl had begun.
After glancing at me, she turned and continued uphill. Within a couple of minutes, we had reached her goal. In front of us was a crypt built of local stone and mortar, accented with black wrought iron fencing. A plaque on the gate announced that this was the resting place of Hiram Wong. This seemed at odds with what Pearl had originally told me. Should I remain silent, or ask what I was thinking?
“What a beautiful burial site for…for your father. But I thought you said that neither you nor Jade ever saw your father after you left China.”
“That is true. We had thought that with the escalation of war in China, he would soon follow us. But after December 7, 1941, we knew we would not see him before the hostilities ended.”
“Yet here is a crypt with his name on it,” I said in a neutral voice, looking around.
“Yes. Our amah always spoke of Papa joining us eventually.”
“So, is this crypt, mm, your father’s? Did he indeed rejoin your family, if only in death?”
“No. Although we planned for him, he never came. As I told you, we never again heard from him—or of him—after our departure from Hong Kong. Periodically Lee Chu-Hua—or Chu-Hua Lee, as her name is said in English—received mailings from Hong Kong. But she never told us what they contained, or from whom they had come.”
“I’m a little confused, Pearl. The crypt is your father’s, but neither your father nor his body ever returned to Hawai`i.”
“That is correct, Natalie. What I have not told you, or anyone, is that through the years this crypt has served as a private vault for a few of our keepsakes from our home in Shànghăi.”
“I don’t mean to be too personal but let me see if I understand all this. You and Jade never saw or heard from your father after you left China?”
“That is so.”
“And you and Jade brought things from your Shànghăi home that have been stored here since 1932?”
“Well, actually it was Chu-Hua who brought our family’s keepsakes aboard the ship in 1932. I don’t know where she stored them initially. I may have told you that she returned to China in the early 1950s, leaving only a letter and a key to this crypt for Jade. By the time I knew anything about these matters, the crypt had been in use for many years. When my sister first brought me here, the plaque with our father’s name was already showing wear. Of course, there are many families that buy such above-ground burial vaults in advance of anyone’s passing.”
“Well, all of this must have been quite a surprise for you,” I observed.
She nodded and glanced around the cemetery before withdrawing what looked like the ornate key to a castle from her pocket. Reaching forward, she opened the gate that was topped by two cherubs holding a heart between them. Stepping through, she turned to beckon me into the small plot of perfectly trimmed grass. Once I was beside her, she turned to lock the gate. Together we approached ornate double bronze doors. Pearl then inserted the same key in the lock set in the right-hand door.
“As you can see, the size of the crypt is considerable,” Pearl said.
“Yes. It is,” I answered, trying to look politely at the expanse of the Wong Sisters’ miniature home.
“Please wait for a moment while I light our way,” Pearl instructed.
She then picked up one of the carryalls and walked forward. Soon I saw light coming from long slits of windows at the top of the structure.
“All right,” she called out to me. “You can come in now.”
I entered the single room. Even with several wall sconces lit, the corners of the interior walls were barely visible. I was amazed by the number of Chinese antiquities that greeted me on every side. The perimeter was filled with narrow cabinets and tables of rosewood in various shapes. Some of the tables were covered with silk cloths. Peeking out at the bottom of some were shipping crates and a couple of old wooden fruit crates. Facing a family altar were two chairs of carved mahogany set with mother of pearl. Their backs featured dragons whose talons reached down onto the chair’s arms. The seats were covered with white silk pillows stamped in gold with what I recognized as the Chinese symbol for longevity. They looked like the ones I had seen in a photograph in Pearl’s dining room featuring Pearl, Jade, and their mother Yüying.
On every flat surface in the room were beautiful vases, carvings and statues of cinnabar, cloisonné and jade. “There seem to be more keepsakes here than in your home.”
Pearl laughed demurely. “Many items have come and gone during the years. If I were to take inventory, I would have to decide whether to count some things singly, or as part of a set.”
She turned to me and took the bag I had carried in. She pulled out an orchid plant made of several shades of jade and placed to the side of the altar. “Many years ago, our amah began investing our seed money in properties. The first was our downtown bungalow. As I believe I told you earlier, after that she made a variety of investments for us in both residential and commercial properties. At some point, she decided that we should have a family crypt.”
As Pearl focused her attention on the altar, I felt honored by her obvious desire to have me share in this time of reflection on the life and death of her sister. I watched quietly as she drew out a beautiful urn of white jade with red veining from her bag. She placed it reverently on the altar and then lit the surrounding candles and sticks of incense. Finally, Pearl moved a Buddhist rosary to rest in front of the urn. She beckoned me forward and I saw that one of the sacred statues was a seated Kuan Yin holding a small incense burner in her lap.
The elegant figure perched upright on an open lotus flower in a garden of miniature flowers of rubies and sapphires, set among supporting leaves of emeralds held up by thin gold stems. From an article I had researched years earlier, I recognized the value of the artifact. It was fashioned from pure white jade with yellow-brown sucrosic crystalline accents on the edges. The sugar crusts made this a very rare piece of jade. The piece also featured layers of hollowed out images called Lou carving which became popular during the Song Dynasty.
Gesturing for us to sit, she said, “As you may have surmised, I am not a religious person, Natalie. However, I honor the beliefs of our Mother and Lee Chu-Hua by performing certain ceremonies, at what they would term auspicious times. Kuan Yin, known as the Goddess of Mercy, is worshipped by the women of South China more than those in the North. Like the Christian Santa Maria, she is believed to help women in times of trouble, especially those seeking to become mothers. She also watches over unfortunates who may be ill, lost, or senile. While this depiction of her is rather colorful for this somber purpose, I feel she will be a good companion for my dear sister.
“With Jade’s passing, I wanted you to share in my visit here today. Through the years, we allowed the plaque on this crypt to be viewed as announcing a truth. But as you now know, our father never returned to the land of his birth. I feel I owe it to the memory of your grandniece Ariel to acknowledge that this has been the repository of the wealth that Ariel’s killer sought in his sick quest for treasure.”
“Oh, dear. I hope it’s not anyone you knew,” she said.
“I did actually. He was a very nice man. In fact, you’ve all met him. He was one of the Chinese professors on our infamous cultural outing last summer in Kawai Nui Marsh.”
“Oh, my goodness! Has his death been resolved?”
“No. So, don’t be surprised if you spot John Dias visiting,” I replied. Steering the conversation to a more pleasant topic, I observed that Miss Una seemed to be having a good time with the kittens.
“Oh, she’s quite the little auntie. They’re already plumping up from the diet we’re giving them. Looking ahead to adopting them out, I’ve been watching to see if she has a favorite.”
“I’m sure she’ll love whichever one you choose as her playmate,” I affirmed. “I have to go to a memorial this afternoon and Keoni is working with a client, so I don’t want to suggest a potluck supper we might have to cancel. What about tomorrow? Do any of you have anything scheduled?” I asked.
“Nothing we can’t rearrange. We’ve all been looking forward to hearing about your scavenger hunt adventures.”
“Great. Let’s say a sundown rendezvous at the hot tub,” I said. I then waved at Izzy and returned to the house for Miss Una’s lead. When I entered The Ladies’ yard a few minutes later, Miss Una came trotting over to me. I slipped on her lead and she pulled me toward her play group.
“My, she sure seems ready for an adventure,” observed Izzy. “You know, she’s had a great time supervising all of us.”
I chuckled at the image of Miss Una standing with a pointer at a chalk board. On this walk, my favorite feline agreed to go all the way to the beach. However, she kept to her established rules: I was allowed to take her onto the sand, but after a few yards, she sat down on a large rock. Not knowing how long I would be standing at Pearl’s barbecue, I did not mind a short walk. It felt good to sit alone with her at our neighborhood seashore and observe the birds calling to one another as they flew over distant boats.
Aside from showering and dressing, there was little I had to do before my engagement. Except for the riddle I wanted her to examine, Pearl had not asked me to bring anything to Jade’s memorial. When I was ready to leave, I went into the office to slip the note with the puzzling message into the Tao Te Ching. Keoni had re-written the fake clue so the penmanship would not resemble mine. I looked at my desk and found Miss Una sitting on the book. She was clearly reluctant to relinquish custody of it.
* * * * *
I walked toward the back of the courtyard at the Makiki Sunset Apartments feeling sorrow on several levels. Just as I was reflecting on the death of Ariel that had introduced me to Pearl Wong, the diminutive woman materialized and came toward me with a welcoming smile. When I expressed sorrow for Jade’s passing and apologized for Keoni’s absence, she surprised me with a hug.
Stepping back, I said, “This is the book I won as a prize in the Aloha Scavenger Hunt, and here is a card with the riddle that sounds like a Chinese proverb.”
“I look forward to examining them both. This should be an interesting project. I have glanced through my Chinese copy of the Tao Te Ching, but to be honest, I will be better off reading the English text first. What a shame that Jade is not here to assist, as she was fully literate in several Chinese dialects.”
“I can only imagine the many ways you must miss her. I truly appreciate your helping with my little mystery, Pearl.”
“It will be my pleasure. As I get older, I find there are not enough mysteries in life. I always enjoy learning something new, and this will be a stimulating exercise for my mind.”
I nodded, and she asked me to join the other guests while she took the book to her apartment for safekeeping. I was greeted like a returning friend by handyman Al Cooper and Maria Espinoza, a long-term resident. Other residents, like Cory Lowell were equally glad to see me. Excitedly, he asked his mother for permission to come over to me.
After giving me an enthusiastic hug, he asked, “How’s Miss Una? She must be very big now, like me.”
I laughed and held him out for a quick appraisal. “Yes, she’s a big cat now. And I can see that you’re going to be as tall as your mother before long.”
“Maybe as tall as my dad,” he said with a smile. “He’s had to go away again, but we’re going to take a trip to the mainland to see my Grandma.”
“That sounds like fun. I hope you’ll have a wonderful time,” I said smiling as he ran back to his mother.
At that moment, Pearl returned carrying a shopping bag and a box of assembled Chinese wish lanterns. Everyone came forward to collect paper and pen to write a message for one of the biodegradable lanterns that would soon float into the sky. The activity gave us all the opportunity to feel involved in celebrating Jade’s life—and it was certainly better for the environment than balloons in the air, or paper boats with candles clogging waterways.
“While you write your thoughts for the wish lanterns, I will share passages from some of Jade’s favorite authors,” announced Pearl.
After we sat down at one of the picnic tables surrounding the two barbecues, Pearl cleared her throat and began speaking in the loudest voice I had ever heard her use. Without any reference materials, she recited moving passages from the works of Walt Whitman and Ralph Waldo Emerson, as well as Lao-Tzu and the Dalai Lama. Listening to her gentle, almost lilting voice, I realized that she was closer to her Chinese culture than she sometimes indicated. After pausing for a moment of silence, Pearl urged us to follow her to the dragon fountain. There we released our wish lanterns into the shimmering heat of the late afternoon. As they floated upward, I thought of the lifelong love and support the Wong Sisters had shared.
By the time we returned to our seats, Al Cooper and Mrs. Espinoza had laid out dishes, utensils and all the food people had brought. Being a typical Island potluck, the buffet offered food for every taste, with a variety of salads, breads, meat, and seafood that smelled amazing. While we ate, I enjoyed stories of Jade’s generosity told by some older residents and a few young people I had never seen before.
While Pearl visited with each guest, I carried a glass of champagne back to the black dragon fountain. It is amazing how time and occasion can alter one’s feelings about a place. While this had been the scene for solving the mystery of Ariel’s death, today I felt all right with even the painful cycles of life. I looked over at the celebratory gathering and thought of the people I knew who had died in the last year and a half. They would all be missed sorely, but I was pleased that the joyful lives of Ariel, my Auntie Carrie and Jade would be appreciated for many years.
Suddenly Pearl was standing beside me. “I am sorry that Keoni was unable to be with us today, however I would like to invite you to join me in something, Natalie.”
“I’m pleased to do anything you wish, Pearl.”
“If you can spare an hour or so, we will take a short trip in the neighborhood. All right?”
“That’s fine. There’s no way of knowing how late Keoni may be, so I consider myself free for the evening. But before we leave, can I help tidy up after the barbecue?”
“No need for that, my dear. Al will take care of everything. If you will wait here for a moment, I will get my handbag.”
Walking across to the parking lot, I wondered which vehicle Pearl would be driving—her old Chevy Silverado, or Jade’s classic Mercedes. Momentarily, we were seated in Jade’s black beauty and driving downhill to Wilder Avenue.
“You’ve mentioned that you and your twin Nathan enjoyed playing in Makiki as children,” Pearl commented.
“Yes. Every day after returning from school, I played hopscotch while he rode his bicycle with training wheels.”
“That was the year Jade was your teacher at Punahou?”
“Why, yes it was.”
“We may not be next to the school where she worked, but it seemed ideal when we had the opportunity to buy the apartments. You may have wondered why we have remained here in the humblest of our properties. But you see, some of our tenants have been recipients of the scholarships Jade funded. By our being on the premises, we have been able to watch them grow in knowledge and life experience. And, except for the horror of your grandniece Ariel’s death, we could watch over them and try to keep them safe.”
I did not know how to respond. I merely nodded and continued to look out the window.
“With Jade’s passing, I have decided that it is time for me to leave the care of the apartments to someone younger. I think that with his awakened sense of humanity in the aftermath of Ariel’s death, Al Cooper will make an ideal manager.”
“Where will you go?” I asked.
“Jade’s assisted living condo is paid for and while I may not require all the services available, it offers a lot of amenities I can use—and it has a lovely view. Of course, I have no intention of stagnating. While I still have my health, I am thinking of doing some traveling—beginning with the land of my mother’s ancestors. I need to learn what kept our papa there. I learned that after we left, our papa remarried and had three more daughters. Before I too pass on, I have thought they might like to meet someone from their father’s earlier life and learn about his family in Hawai`i.”
Maneuvering expertly, Pearl parked the large car. As we got out, she moved to the trunk. “Can you help me hold up the lid? There is something I need to get, but it takes more than one person to open it. We kept this car so long because it is so comfortable to ride in, but now that even the trunk lid is unreliable, it really is time to get a new vehicle.”
With my help, Pearl pulled out two large carryalls that smelled of incense and candles.
Stepping onto the sidewalk, I looked around and realized we were standing beside a segment of the fence of the Makiki Cemetery. “Did I tell you that Nathan and I used to play in the cemetery? We were quite proficient at getting in, even when the gate was locked.”
Pearl laughed. “It is funny you should mention that, Natalie. Jade and I used to sit on the balcony of her condo for hours,” she said, gesturing to a high rise above us. “We enjoyed watching people of all ages and backgrounds coming and going on holidays and during funerals—including children playing on the hillside around the headstones.”
Pearl reached into her pocket and pulled out a key. It looked worn but well-polished. By her familiarity, I knew she had used it for many years.
“This isn’t the main entrance,” I said, looking at a non-descript gate to our right.
“That is so. You might call it a back door for a few of us who have very long-term relationships with the cemetery.”
There were a couple of hours before darkness would fall and Pearl had no difficulty in leading the way through the headstones. Part way up the hill, she paused to look down toward the center of the city. We were standing near the point of my vision on that first day of summer when my grandniece Ariel had died. I realized that, in a way, this was where my relationship with Pearl had begun.
After glancing at me, she turned and continued uphill. Within a couple of minutes, we had reached her goal. In front of us was a crypt built of local stone and mortar, accented with black wrought iron fencing. A plaque on the gate announced that this was the resting place of Hiram Wong. This seemed at odds with what Pearl had originally told me. Should I remain silent, or ask what I was thinking?
“What a beautiful burial site for…for your father. But I thought you said that neither you nor Jade ever saw your father after you left China.”
“That is true. We had thought that with the escalation of war in China, he would soon follow us. But after December 7, 1941, we knew we would not see him before the hostilities ended.”
“Yet here is a crypt with his name on it,” I said in a neutral voice, looking around.
“Yes. Our amah always spoke of Papa joining us eventually.”
“So, is this crypt, mm, your father’s? Did he indeed rejoin your family, if only in death?”
“No. Although we planned for him, he never came. As I told you, we never again heard from him—or of him—after our departure from Hong Kong. Periodically Lee Chu-Hua—or Chu-Hua Lee, as her name is said in English—received mailings from Hong Kong. But she never told us what they contained, or from whom they had come.”
“I’m a little confused, Pearl. The crypt is your father’s, but neither your father nor his body ever returned to Hawai`i.”
“That is correct, Natalie. What I have not told you, or anyone, is that through the years this crypt has served as a private vault for a few of our keepsakes from our home in Shànghăi.”
“I don’t mean to be too personal but let me see if I understand all this. You and Jade never saw or heard from your father after you left China?”
“That is so.”
“And you and Jade brought things from your Shànghăi home that have been stored here since 1932?”
“Well, actually it was Chu-Hua who brought our family’s keepsakes aboard the ship in 1932. I don’t know where she stored them initially. I may have told you that she returned to China in the early 1950s, leaving only a letter and a key to this crypt for Jade. By the time I knew anything about these matters, the crypt had been in use for many years. When my sister first brought me here, the plaque with our father’s name was already showing wear. Of course, there are many families that buy such above-ground burial vaults in advance of anyone’s passing.”
“Well, all of this must have been quite a surprise for you,” I observed.
She nodded and glanced around the cemetery before withdrawing what looked like the ornate key to a castle from her pocket. Reaching forward, she opened the gate that was topped by two cherubs holding a heart between them. Stepping through, she turned to beckon me into the small plot of perfectly trimmed grass. Once I was beside her, she turned to lock the gate. Together we approached ornate double bronze doors. Pearl then inserted the same key in the lock set in the right-hand door.
“As you can see, the size of the crypt is considerable,” Pearl said.
“Yes. It is,” I answered, trying to look politely at the expanse of the Wong Sisters’ miniature home.
“Please wait for a moment while I light our way,” Pearl instructed.
She then picked up one of the carryalls and walked forward. Soon I saw light coming from long slits of windows at the top of the structure.
“All right,” she called out to me. “You can come in now.”
I entered the single room. Even with several wall sconces lit, the corners of the interior walls were barely visible. I was amazed by the number of Chinese antiquities that greeted me on every side. The perimeter was filled with narrow cabinets and tables of rosewood in various shapes. Some of the tables were covered with silk cloths. Peeking out at the bottom of some were shipping crates and a couple of old wooden fruit crates. Facing a family altar were two chairs of carved mahogany set with mother of pearl. Their backs featured dragons whose talons reached down onto the chair’s arms. The seats were covered with white silk pillows stamped in gold with what I recognized as the Chinese symbol for longevity. They looked like the ones I had seen in a photograph in Pearl’s dining room featuring Pearl, Jade, and their mother Yüying.
On every flat surface in the room were beautiful vases, carvings and statues of cinnabar, cloisonné and jade. “There seem to be more keepsakes here than in your home.”
Pearl laughed demurely. “Many items have come and gone during the years. If I were to take inventory, I would have to decide whether to count some things singly, or as part of a set.”
She turned to me and took the bag I had carried in. She pulled out an orchid plant made of several shades of jade and placed to the side of the altar. “Many years ago, our amah began investing our seed money in properties. The first was our downtown bungalow. As I believe I told you earlier, after that she made a variety of investments for us in both residential and commercial properties. At some point, she decided that we should have a family crypt.”
As Pearl focused her attention on the altar, I felt honored by her obvious desire to have me share in this time of reflection on the life and death of her sister. I watched quietly as she drew out a beautiful urn of white jade with red veining from her bag. She placed it reverently on the altar and then lit the surrounding candles and sticks of incense. Finally, Pearl moved a Buddhist rosary to rest in front of the urn. She beckoned me forward and I saw that one of the sacred statues was a seated Kuan Yin holding a small incense burner in her lap.
The elegant figure perched upright on an open lotus flower in a garden of miniature flowers of rubies and sapphires, set among supporting leaves of emeralds held up by thin gold stems. From an article I had researched years earlier, I recognized the value of the artifact. It was fashioned from pure white jade with yellow-brown sucrosic crystalline accents on the edges. The sugar crusts made this a very rare piece of jade. The piece also featured layers of hollowed out images called Lou carving which became popular during the Song Dynasty.
Gesturing for us to sit, she said, “As you may have surmised, I am not a religious person, Natalie. However, I honor the beliefs of our Mother and Lee Chu-Hua by performing certain ceremonies, at what they would term auspicious times. Kuan Yin, known as the Goddess of Mercy, is worshipped by the women of South China more than those in the North. Like the Christian Santa Maria, she is believed to help women in times of trouble, especially those seeking to become mothers. She also watches over unfortunates who may be ill, lost, or senile. While this depiction of her is rather colorful for this somber purpose, I feel she will be a good companion for my dear sister.
“With Jade’s passing, I wanted you to share in my visit here today. Through the years, we allowed the plaque on this crypt to be viewed as announcing a truth. But as you now know, our father never returned to the land of his birth. I feel I owe it to the memory of your grandniece Ariel to acknowledge that this has been the repository of the wealth that Ariel’s killer sought in his sick quest for treasure.”
