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ESCAPE
FROM VIETNAM Page 12 I stayed on the dock to enjoy the fresh air and the cool, soothing breeze. My spirit was given a boost when I saw the cook started to cook some rice. At least, within an hour, I would have something to eat. Suddenly, I saw something white in the horizon that was floating toward our boat. I called out to the captain and other people on the dock to see if they could tell what it was. The mechanics went back into the main cabin to get a binocular. By the time he found the telescope and came out, the thing was pretty close to our boat already and we could make out what it was. As I realized what it was, I felt a chill all over my spine. It was the dead body of a woman dressed in white. From her clothes, I had no doubt that she was a Vietnamese, and a boat escapee just like us. She must have been drowned for a few days, for her body was bloated up to about twice the size of a normal human being. Her skin was turning into a ghastly gray color and the general appearance of the corpse was so sick that I thought I was about to vomit. I couldn't stand the sight any longer and quickly went back inside the engine room. The sight of the corpse would haunt me for the rest of the journey. I sat down, closed my eyes, and quietly prayed to Buddha to save us from the fate that has befallen this unfortunate woman. It was such a terrible sight that every time I thought about it, it brought a cold shiver all over my body. But our trouble was not over. A strange thing happened for the next two hours that to this day, I still couldn't find an explanation. The mechanics, who was much braver than I, still stood on the dock and looked at the corpse. Our boat was moving fairly fast and should be moving away from the corpse in just a few minutes. Yet, after the corpse drifted to the rear of the boat, it somehow managed to maintained the same distance to the boat for the next two hours. Everyone in the boat could hear the mechanic yelling out loud at this incredible phenomenon. The mechanics was not the only man on the deck. The captain and the crew men were also there watching incredulously. As the news of the dead corpse following our boat reached the main cabin, it sparked off intense speculations about the cause of this strange phenomenon. The most superstitious people on the boat theorized that the woman had died such a terrible death that her soul could not have salvation. The ghost of the woman must be trying to follow our boat to the shore of freedom. As superstitious as it was, it quickly gained the acceptance of almost everyone. Those people who couldn't accept this explanation was nevertheless unable to explain this supernatural occurrence. The boat owner, upon hearing of this strange phenomenon, quickly made an altar and find some fruit as an offering to the soul of the dead woman. Soon after, the sound of prayers fill the main cabin. People were praying for the salvation of the woman's soul and asked her spirit to leave us alone. The sound of prayers, the smell of incense on the altar, and the dead corpse of a woman following our boat, all created a scene that was so surreal, it was scary. I was not as superstitious as other people on the boat. Nevertheless the whole thing made my hair stood on its end. I closed my eyes to try to sleep, but I couldn't. It was not until 2 hours later that the corpse floated away from our boat. As the mechanics announced the news, everyone let out a sight of relief. As the cook distributed the rice she just made, I got a slightly larger share than most other people, which is just barely a handful. It was not well-cooked. In fact, it was half raw. The cook apologized profusely, but claimed that this was the best she could do because there was not enough firewood on the boat to cook with and the motion of the boat made it hard to concentrate the heat under the rice pot. As bad as the rice tasted, I nevertheless finished it within a few minutes. The rice pot was scraped clean before I finished. This was all I was going to get for today. The meal didn't relieve the hunger. Instead, it served to remind me that I was still very hungry. Nevertheless, there was no more food. I cuddled in the corner of the boat, trying to sleep and to save every single ounce of energy that I knew I would need later. There was no other unusual event for the rest of the day. I repeated the routine of throwing water out of the window for three more times during the day. Every time I finished, I thought I was about to drop dead. Amazingly enough, I was able to work through my shift every time without fainting. I never knew that I had so much endurance for pain, hunger and thirst. To me, the difference between night and day started to blur. Every time I finished my shift, I just passed out until my partner waked me up for our next shift. The
third, fourth and fifth day at sea The sea remained calm for the next three days. The scene around us seemed not to change at all. We didn't see any other boats nor sight of land. The rice supply, firewood, and water started to run low. The cook told us that the rice would not last us for four more days. The water was rationed. Everyone on the boat only got only a small cup for the whole day. The men who worked to keep the boat from sinking got twice the amount of water, which was barely enough to keep their throat from burning. By the fifth day, I pretty much concluded that we were going to die. It was now obvious that we were hopelessly lost at sea, as the captain, the crew men and the boat owner started to have many arguments among themselves as to what direction we should head to. The hunger and the painful soreness of my body didn't bother me as much now as the thirst. My saliva, which substituted for water for the past three days, seemed to run dry now. I seriously thought about saving my urine in a cup to drink. I found an empty cup and hide it in my coat. The problem was I couldn't urinate at all that day. So much for the plan. The plight of the people in the main cabin was even worse. They had less water than I did since they didn't have to work. My nephew and niece, who never left the cabin except when they have to go to shit or urinate, stopped crying by the second day. They, their mother, and everyone else in the cabin lie half submerged in water on the floor of the cabin. The 70 years old lady, who had no one to take care of her, was paralyzed after the storm. Her nephew was one of the men working to throw the water out. He hardly had any time to rest and look after his wife, who was extremely sick. The old lady couldn't move at all, and no one was willing or have the energy to take her up to the dock when she need to shit or urinate. She ended up shitting and urinating while lying paralyzed. Within two days, the water in the cabin was fully polluted by human waste. Every time I looked down at the cabin, I could see many pieces of shit floating around in the water. People simply pushed them away as they floated toward them. The smell in the cabin was incredibly awful. I was glad that I had a spot in the engine room instead of having to lie down in the main cabin. Every moment I was awake, I prayed silently and incessantly to Buddha to save us from the certain death of starvation and thirst. Reason told me that it was just a matter of time before all of us were going to drop dead, one by one. I probably would be one of the first, because the hard work was taking its toll on my battered body. Yet, deep down inside, some irrational faith in God told me not to give up hope. It was this faith in God, this will to live that give me the strength to pick myself up again every time my partner woke me up for the brutal labor. |