Papa and Sis's Sojourn in Di-Pai

(Right: Papa is sight-seeing in an old housing area in Di-Pai)

On the third day of travel, Papa and Sis finally treaded the soil of our place of origin, Di-Pai, Lung-Men Province, Gwang Dong, China.

Di-Pai is a very remote suburban town in Lung-Men Province. Most of her residents are Hakka, one of the majority tribes in China. My late grandfather came from a local village where all folks bore the same family name --Lo. His reason for leaving his birthplace had nothing to do with seeking a greener pasture, but because of a dramatic trauma.

 One fine evening when grandpa, a herb-gatherer, was on his way home after finishing his routine work in a nearby forest, he was attacked, overpowered and taken captive by a group of human trafficking syndicates. Along with many other would-be slave labourers, he was shipped all the way from China to Netherlands, being chained and tethered like an animal in the hold. Some had perished from starvation, tortures and illnesses before reaching the foreign grounds. 

Thanks to the providential martial art training received during boyhood, grandpa was able to endure the hardship with a tough mind and body. His life as a slave labourer at a construction site in Netherlands was even harsher. He was made to do all sorts of back-breaking jobs and had to suffer merciless beating and whipping when showing signs of exhaustion at work.

With a burning determination, he succeeded in making an escape one day after killing some Chinese human traffickers and Dutch guards. He stowed away in a ship to Hong Kong, where he worked in a Chinese restaurant as cook for several years. It was also where he met my future grandmother who was a local there.

 I have never asked Papa how they met and got married but their love story must have been interesting, judging from the way they bantered and how emotionally attached they were to each other as far as Papa's memories can carry him.

 After getting married, Grandpa was finally financially able to return to his village in Di-Pai and reunite with his family members. Grandma had to stay in Hong Kong to look after my eldest uncle and eldest auntie. 

My Pa and my youngest auntie were born in Borneo six years apart from one another after my grandparents had migrated there(My uncle and auntie were entrusted to the care of some maternal relatives in Hong Kong). Grandpa had by then been the owner of a Chinese drugstore(it is still in Miri but of a different ownership) and he would travel back to his hometown once a year bringing along money and some daily necessities for his family members.

When papa was twelve years of age, grandpa ever took every one in the family to Di-Pai. Unfortunately, all grandpa and granny could reach was the present suburban town. Grandpa had to leave them behind in a lodging house because it would take one a two-day walk to reach the Lo's Village(Luo Jia Juan).

Since both grandpa and grandma passed away, papa has totally been losing contact with our relatives in Di-Pai. Sister told me that Pa was euphoric when recognizing some landmarks in the suburban town. They were the nostalgic redolent of the blissful time he had had with his parents on that family trip. However, Papa's high spirit was dampened when a few policemen informed him that the village had been turned into a dam many decades before and that most of her residents had moved to various parts of China. Only a small number of the 'Lo' tribe had chosen to move to the town. Searching for them was like looking for a needle in the hay.

 Pa and Sis were planning to visit the dam but they could only get there by hiring two motorcyclists. Considering that mode of travel was notoriously unsafe in China, they had to drop the idea.

Papa got over his disappointment very quickly. He took the opportunity to go sight-seeing around the rustic town with my sister, sampling local foods and visiting mudhouses. Their presence had made many people curious about them. When learning that papa and sister were tourists from abroad, many were delighted. In excitement, they revealed that the town had never been visited by outsiders for long, long years. For safety reasons, Pa and Sis claimed that  they were from Hong Kong. Their impeccably fluent Mandarin is close to that of the natives.

According to Sis, the situation of the inn they were staying was beyond expectations. Except for the cemented floor of the grubby rooms on levels One and Two , the one in the lobby was gritty earth. The room rates were as low as RMB 30 something. The Hakka foods there were extremely cheap and delicious. Their order of a plate of bean curds, a bowl of stewed pork and a plate of fried spinach cost them only RMB 28.

 The whole town is surrounded by hills and lush green forest. The mud roads were deeply-rutted by wheels. It was also common to see cured ducks hung on iron lines for wind-drying at any turn and corner of the streets. My pa and Sis dared not buy any because the surroundings were too smoky, dirty and dusty. On almost every bus ride, they were constantly amused by the sight of people bringing long with them sugarcanes, clucking hens and bleating goats into the vehicle. They could also not believe their eyes when seeing a few young men get out of the coach  effortlessly through the windows! Oh, they had also experienced winter there. Though not as snowy as the northern part of China, it was still extremely cold at 4 to 5 centigrades.

One afternoon, Papa and Sis were taken aback by someone while heading to a market on a bus. Papa practically gasped when an elderly woman getting on board. He nudged my sister and told her in a whisper that she resembled my eldest auntie(She passed away ten years ago). She had the same, indisputable facial features and build. Papa's eyes were brimmed with tears when studying the striking similarity. Coincidentally, she chose to sit in front of them but pa decided not to ask her anything. Could she be a lost relative of ours? She alighted from the bus ten minutes later, leaving both papa and Sis still dazed in sheer disbelief.

Papa and Sis left the place after staying there for three days. They visited other parts of Gwang Dong and had enjoyed themselves very much. How I wish to have been with them on the travel.

Maybe all in my family will pay a visit to the same place some day and have more clues of where our relatives are. Maybe we will never see them again for the rest of our lives..............

Thank you Lord for making the trip possible for Papa and Sis. Please bless every relative of ours. Amen.