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ESCAPE
FROM VIETNAM Page 6 II
Escape from
Vietnam Though I lived in Vung Tau, a coastal city where many escapes originated, I didn't escape from Vung Tau. Somehow, my mother contacted a boat owner who had a fishing boat in Can Tho, a city along the Mekong River, and got me a place on this boat. In May, I quit school and went to Saigon (Which is now called Ho Chi Minh City) to visit all my relatives for the last time. I was to escape with two cousins and a nephew and a niece. My nephew was three years old and my niece was only one year old at the time. I kept repeating these words again and again in my mind to build up my confidence and courage. After a sleepless night and a last tearful goodbye with my mother and grandmother, I went on a bus with my cousins' family and headed toward Can Tho. Before I got on the bus, my mother took out and gave me a US quarter (While it is an insignificant amount of money to anybody in the US, it was a very, very large amount of money to my mom at the time). She told me to use it only in case of emergency. It took her a long time to save and buy this American coin. Therefore, I should not spend it carelessly. We arrived in Can Tho at noon on May 18, 1978. As soon as we arrived, we checked in a hotel and my cousin told us to stay inside until night fall. She was afraid that since we were not local people, it would be very easy to catch the suspicion of the local security agents. She was told that at night fall, a contact from the boat owner will come to our hotel room to take us to the boat. It was best to stay in the room and out of sight of anybody. At 9:00 PM, the contact came. He told us to split and go in separate and smaller groups to avoid raising any suspicion from the local people as well as the security forces out in the street. I and one of my cousin would go first with him, and he would return later for my other cousin and her children. We carried our baggage and followed the man. Once out to the street, he called a cyclo and we all crowded on board. The cyclo took us to near the river bank where we got off, paid the driver and started to make our way toward the river. The night was hot and humid. The area was very desolate. Feeling extremely nervous, I kept looking around for sight of any policeman or security agents, ready to throw everything away and run for my life at the first sign of trouble. Things have gone very smooth so far but it could go sour at any time. I have heard of many people get caught as they board their boats just because their inexperienced and careless behaviors arouse the suspicion of other people and security agents. My mother had told me many times that if things go bad, I have to try my best to elude capture and make my way back home. Now, for the first time in my life, I knew how it feels like to be a hunted animal. Fortunately, there were no traps waiting for us. As we make our way toward the river, I suddenly found myself knee-deep in mud. The suction force of mud pulled my sandals right out of my feet and I was forced to wade on in the mud barefooted. At the same time, a small rowing boat in the middle of the Mekong river started to make its way toward us. It was a canoe from the boat that we were to escape on. A man stood on the canoe and used what appear to me a very long stick to push on the river bottom and propel the boat toward us. One by one, we climbed on board and the canoe silently moved outward. During this time, engrossed in our own fear, nervousness, and anticipation, none of us spoke. Half an hour later, the canoe docked next to a fishing boat. This was the boat that we would escape on. The boat is about 15 meters in length and 4 meters in height. It didn't look very different from the many other fishing boats around it. The strong smells of fishes, mud, and the river itself made me feel sick and nauseated. Slowly, we followed our guide and climbed on the fishing boat. There were two men standing and smoking on the deck. They motioned to us to move quickly inside the boat. Once we were inside, there was another man who show us where to put our baggage. We were told to find a place to lie down, keep quiet and wait till the morning. The conversation was carried out in whispers, as if everyone was afraid that what was said might be heard by the people on the neighboring boats and the omnipresent ears of the security forces. The inside of the boat was very dark. There were no light anywhere inside the boat. It took me about five minutes to adjust to the darkness and familiarize myself with the construct of the boat. It was essentially divided into two main parts: an engine compartment at one end of the boat, and a huge cavity that took up the remaining space. This cavity is where the fishermen stored their catch when they went on their fishing trip. It also became the sleeping place for most of the escaping people for the next nine days. |