Monsoon (7 page)

‘Vietnam's answer to the Loch Ness monster? I can believe there's something down there – it's so eerie,' said Anna. ‘Beautiful, but mysterious.'

As the shore disappeared Captain Chinh cut the motor and, under sail, they glided between the strange monoliths. Leaving the steering to Hung he came up to the bow to introduce the other passenger.

The girls liked him immediately. He had speckled grey hair, an open friendly face and a well-modulated Australian accent. ‘I'm Tom Ahearn. Quite amazing, isn't it?' He nodded at the sheer grey sculptured walls rising out of the sea close to them.

‘Listen to the birds,' exclaimed Anna.

‘We were thinking you could get lost among all the peaks and islands,' said Sandy. ‘They look alike to us, but each peak is quite different when you study them.'

Captain Chinh smiled. ‘I know every place here. Lot of caves for tourists to see. Tonight we stop in special place. You see tomorrow, magic one. You take kayaks, okay?'

‘We're up for a paddle,' said Sandy, and Anna nodded.

‘Tomorrow you come with me, Tom. Hung watch boat.' Captain Chinh had everything arranged, it seemed.

‘The water is like glass, more like a lake. But then it's a really huge bay, and out there – the Tonkin Gulf,' commented Tom. ‘You two travelling around the country?'

Sandy answered. ‘I've been living here for four years. It's Anna's first visit from Australia. I'm due to move back there so we're being tourists. Your first time here?' How many times had Sandy had this conversation with visitors who crossed her path at popular spots in Vietnam?

‘I was here in the war,' said Tom. ‘Never got to the north, of course. What've you been doing here?' he asked Sandy. So she told him about HOPE and he nodded. ‘Bloody good outfit. NGOs do a terrific job. Young people like yourself getting in and mixing it with the locals. Achieves more than some of the aid bureaucrats, I reckon,' said Tom. ‘And, Anna, you have family ties here?'

Anna didn't really want to talk about her family, but he asked so gently, so sensitively, that she said, ‘My mother's family came from here. My mother was a refugee in Australia but she died when I was young.'

‘Sad start to a new life,' he said gently. ‘When you say “here”, you mean this province or just Vietnam?' asked Tom.

‘She was from the south, that's all I know. I don't know which village or anything. I'm just being a tourist with Sandy.'

‘Where're you from, Tom?' asked Sandy to shift the attention from Anna.

‘Sydney. Northern beaches. What about you?'

‘Anna and I grew up in Maroubra – we've known each other since kindy.'

‘Nice one,' said Tom, grinning and leaning back in his seat. He then turned to Captain Chinh. ‘How long have you been in the tourist business? Did you refit the
Harvest Moon
or take over a going concern?'

‘This boat been in my family long time. We fishing people, do many things, always live near sea. Hung, my nephew, he learning tourist business at university,' said Captain Chinh proudly. ‘His idea make this tourist boat. People better than fish,' he laughed.

The girls exchanged an amused glance at Tom's hearty burst of laughter.

‘You told me we're having fish for dinner. Fresh, I hope?' said Tom.

‘Hung catch this morning. He lives in fishing village over there, you see tomorrow.'

‘So he's on university holidays?' said Sandy. ‘Where's he studying?'

‘Number one university in Hanoi. He work with me, make money for next year study,' said Captain Chinh.

Tom excused himself to go to his cabin and unpack some of his gear. Captain Chinh went to the galley to prepare dinner. The girls moved to the stern to dip into the icebox near Hung.

‘Can I get you something, Hung?' asked Sandy.

‘No, thank you. Help yourself. I put your drinks in there to keep cold,' Hung added and Sandy opened the lid.

‘The white wine is chilling nicely. Looks like Tom brought some beer.' Sandy handed Anna a lemonade. ‘So what are you studying, Hung?'

‘I'm in my second year of economics and business administration. I work with Uncle when I come back here in the breaks.'

‘Where's your family?' asked Anna.

He motioned over his shoulder. ‘In the village. It's a fishing community; you'll see tomorrow. Tourists like to go and look at it.' He smiled.

‘It's a small village with floating houses,' said Sandy, thinking he'd come a long way from such a remote village to study at university and speak English as well as he did.

As if reading her mind Hung added, ‘I live with Uncle's younger brother's family in Hanoi. They took me in when I was young. I have brothers and sisters but I am first son so I was chosen to be educated.'

‘Congratulations. You must have been a smart kid,' said Anna and they all laughed.

‘What is the word in English for too smart?' asked Hung.

‘Precocious? No matter, you made your mark early. What do you plan to do?' asked Sandy.

‘Tourism is big business in my country now. I would like to start my own travel company. For visitors coming here. But I would need much money. There are many places visitors never see. The national operators are good but I would like to make tours for small groups. Special trips to special places.'

‘For the niche market, you mean?' said Anna and Hung smiled, filing the phrase away.

For the next hour he guided the
Harvest Moon
past the more spectacular monoliths, occasionally passing another tourist boat with an exchange of waves and smiles. He pointed to the paddle steamer in the distance.

‘Those big boats cannot get so close, or go through some of the narrow passages,' said Hung. He pointed out one huge outcrop that had a small forest on top spilling down one side where soil had collected over the years. There was a scrap of rough beach with a sampan pulled up onto it.

‘There's a roof in the trees. What's that near the top?' asked Anna as she glimpsed the late sun shining on a flash of gold.

‘It's an old pagoda.'

‘Whose boat is that?' said Sandy.

‘Maybe there's someone visiting the old Buddhist nun who lives on the island.' Hung steered the junk around the outcrop, which came between them and the setting sun, and busied himself adjusting the big red sail.

Tom joined the girls, helping himself to a bottle of local 333 beer. ‘Magic, isn't it? Chinh says there'll be a mist tonight. Make it interesting, eh?'

‘Creepy maybe. You mean we're stopping round here?' said Anna.

Before Tom could answer, Hung and Captain Chinh began reefing down the sails and with a splash, an anchor was dropped from the bow.

Because it was a still evening they decided to eat on deck rather than in the small saloon below. Hung set up a table and put a heavy tablecloth over the flat hatch cover to use as a serving table. Lanterns hanging from the rigging were lit and, along with the red and green mooring lights, they splashed the glassy surface of the still dark sea with sparkling streaks of colour.

‘Is this very deep here?' asked Anna.

‘Very deep. Some places too deep to measure,' said Captain Chinh.

‘It has a mysterious air about it, doesn't it,' said Tom.

Anna shivered. There were no other boats or lights in sight, just the looming peaks encircling them, dark against the evening sky.

Captain Chinh served them fried fish and grilled eggplant with spicy minced pork topped with fresh coriander, followed by bananas dipped in batter, fried, and sprinkled with sugar. Dinner was praised by all.

Candles in glass jars threw a soft light on the table as Captain Chinh accepted one of Tom's beers. Sandy topped up the wine glasses as Hung took away their dishes.

Tom leaned back in his chair. ‘This is the way to appreciate a place. Chinh, you didn't finish the story you were telling me. Sandy and Anna might be interested.'

Captain Chinh pulled a cigarette from his top pocket and lit it, then took a swallow of beer, enjoying the anticipation on the faces around the table.

‘Long time, long ago in Vietnam we have famous ladies . . . they fight for our country, we honour them in stories. Most famous is Kieu, very beautiful story, very sad. Also famous Trung sisters, one husband killed by Chinese and the sister start big rebellion and send Chinese out of Vietnam. But some years later Chinese come back and so sisters kill themselves drowning in a river.' He took another drag on his cigarette. ‘And Lady Trieu, another very brave lady, she fight off Chinese invasion. She go to battle on elephant, all dressed in gold armour and white shoes made from elephant tusk – yes, ivory. Yes, she very brave lady, only nineteen.'

Only Nineteen.
It brought back the echoes of Redgum's song to Tom. He didn't mention it; Sandy and Anna were probably too young to know it.

‘I've heard of
The Tale of Kieu
. A very famous epic love story,' Sandy said to Anna.

‘Do tell,' said Anna.

‘The scene is medieval times and this young girl sacrifices her own true love to save her family. Her life becomes a procession of lovers, husbands and bad men but her spirit remains pure, so she is finally reunited with her first love and her family.'

‘So a happy ending?' asked Anna.

Captain Chinh and Sandy shook their heads.

‘No, some call her a prostitute, but, despite preserving her own spiritual honour, she can't go back to the way it was before. Only in her heart and memory,' said Sandy.

‘Loss and nostalgia for what was. There'd be a lot of that after the war, wouldn't you say?' Tom asked Captain Chinh, who grasped the meaning of the question but struggled to find words to express his answer. Finally he summoned Hung, who translated the older man's explanation.

‘
Que huong
means the village you come from,
ky niem thoi tho au
means young memories before bad times. These are things wished to go back to after the war. Vietnamese people are very family and community people, and being displaced and losing their home and relatives make them very sad,' said Hung, looking at his uncle.

‘I'm thinking Kieu's story sounds very contemporary,' sighed Sandy. ‘There are a lot of lost young people in western society who have made choices that haven't worked out but can't go back.'

Captain Chinh rose and excused himself to check the boat then bunk down. ‘Hung stay here and watch the wind and the sea. But it will be safe. Very calm,' he assured them.

‘Anyone for a cuppa? I brought some tea bags from home with me,' said Tom.

‘I'm happy with the wine for now. But I'd love one in the morning, thanks, Tom,' said Anna. ‘I can't come at green tea for brekkie.'

After Tom bade them good night, the two friends sat on the deck watching the light of the rising moon glimmering behind what they'd named Pagoda Peak.

‘What's that?' Anna pointed to a faint drift of moonlit white swirling between the smaller peaks jutting from the sea around them. They watched it waft down and across the sea, blurring the crevices and intricately weathered cliff face closest to them, like a distant sprite.

‘It must be mist like Tom said. I feel the temperature dropping. I think I might hit my bunk,' yawned Sandy.

‘This is looking scary. I remember years ago some old black-and-white movie on TV,' said Anna. ‘There was a ghost ship, covered in moss and wispy white stuff floating in this weird fog; no one was on board. I think aliens had got them. This does seem like we're on another planet.'

‘Oh, for god's sake,' laughed Sandy. ‘There's probably a dozen boats around the corner. Most of them moor out here for the night. It's a two-day excursion, remember.'

‘You'd think we'd hear noises . . . sound carries across water,' said Anna.

‘Come to bed.' Sandy put down her glass. ‘Good night, Hung.' She waved at the dim outline of Hung sitting cross-legged on the deck. He lifted an arm, the red glow of a cigarette in his hand.

Anna woke wondering what time it was, aware of the gentle swing of the old wooden junk on its anchor chain. She lay there for a short time but felt wide awake. She listened to the unfamiliar noises, a slow symphony of creaks and slapping water. It was as if the old junk was wheezing in its slumber. A metal clink, a soft thud, and was that a footfall? Hung in the galley making tea? Anna waited a few more minutes but, knowing she wasn't going to get to sleep, decided to go up on deck. She went through the main saloon with its dining table and built-in long seats that doubled as storage. A small wall lamp glowed. She quietly climbed up the wide ladder, but before stepping out onto the deck she glanced around. There was a soft breeze; the moon was high but filtered through the light mist that drifted low above the surface of the water. She glanced to where the green light hung on the starboard cross arm and suddenly imagined that the nearby craggy peak spearing out of the sea was wavering. At first glance it seemed that the monolith might crumble and fall but it looked more like it was swaying, an illusion caused by the sea mist.

It was eerie and she was about to turn and go below when she heard the soft murmur of voices. Was Captain Chinh taking over his shift from Hung? Dawn seemed a long way off.

Anna poked her head above the raised cockpit, looking through the rigging, and saw the slim outline of Hung, but the other shape was not Captain Chinh or the Australian man, Tom. Snatches of conversation came on the wind but she didn't understand what they were saying and wished Sandy were there to translate. There was something about their body language, the lowered urgent tone of voice, that seemed conspiratorial. Had this other man been on board since they left Halong? Softly Anna moved down the port side of the boat towards the stern, leaving the men amidships.

It was then she noticed a wet rope fastened to the railing and saw a wooden boat tied to the side. A large cane basket secured with rope was in the bow of the small boat and she wondered if it contained supplies to be hauled aboard the junk. But why so late at night?