“You can mark my words, when the situation in Japangets better you will see the Japanese are going to stir up troubles in thePacific waters. I hope the surrounding Pacific countries would be able toremember the painful history of the Second World War and be vigilant this time.That day will not be too far away, I believe.”
It is a freezing cold winter day in Beijing. Putting downtoday’s newspaper, I stand up from my armchair, walking towards the window onlyto find a heavy snow has silently arrived to visit us. Very heavy indeed!
China Daily reports that a top US diplomat has calledon China to clarify or adjust its territorial claims in the South China Sea inaccordance with international law. He said there were "growingconcerns" over China's "pattern of behavior"---China'simposition of an Air Defence Zone above disputed islands in the East China Sea.And also in this newspaper, Philippine President Benigno Aquino called forworld leaders not to appease China over its claims in the South China Sea inthe same way nations tried to appease Hitler before World War Two.
With a heavy heart, lookingup at the leaden sky for a while, returning to my table, slowly I pick up thenewspaper again. And it is at this precise moment that the lines quoted at thebeginning of this article pops up into my mind---lines I quotes from an Englishnovel, Love in the Pacific, one basedon true stories, which recently I have finished translating. At first sight, you arebound to think they must be the exact words from a Chinese, especially one whomight be damaged by Japanese during the World War Two. Of course, you haveevery reason to have such idea, considering the hatred the Chinese, elder generationin particular, harbors towards Japanese. However, this time, you are wrong. Thesewords are from an Australian, Michael of this novel, a soldier once fighting inthe pacific.
As for the Sino-Japanrelationship currently under strain over a separate territorial row, I do notthink it is appropriate for me, a layman (when it comes to politics), to saytoo much, but still in layman’s term I do have something to say after readingthis tear jerker. You know what, my feelings are just pent up during thereading process, and it is necessary to give vent to them and get them off mychest instantly. So a layman as I am, I have to express myself.
The moment I finished reading love in the pacific, I was immersed in contemplation. My dearfriends, do you think the Japanese have a contrite heart after the war? Do youreally think, my dearest friends, decades after, time and their unconditionalsurrender have done something to diminish its historic aggressive culture? A laymanas I am, upon finishing reading the novel, still I have already had my answers:no! never!
If here you shake your head, I earnestly request youto sit down in your study, with a pack of paper towel beside, open this noveland read it attentively. Take my words, the answer will manifest itself in theend and in the end you will not only nod your head but also hug me to showgratitude for me recommending such a wonderful story to you, my friends!
Written by Calvin Wang, Love in the pacific is about Japan aggression war of pacific, a warthat Japanese waged against civilization and humanity, a war that had inflictedon at least two generations of the involved countries both physical and mentaldamages; love in the pacific is abouta never fading love, none-the-less tragic, between a young couple(Roberts andJane), a sad one in which the former ended up with a disease resulting fromJapanese germ and chemical warfare years back in China during the Second WorldWar while the latter ended up with blindness and then missing whose whereaboutsever after nobody knows.
The hero Roberto was born in Tsinan Shandong Chinawhose mother died a few months after his birth. His father, Wu Han, foreconomic reasons then left for the Philippines to find a better chance ofearning a living. Since then, Roberto had been taken care of by his aunt Rose (hismother’s elder sister) and her husband “Bull Chen”. After the invasion of ShanDong, the Japanese troops carried out germ and chemical warfare there, whoseheadquarters,the notorious Unit 1875, was located in a muti-storey gay buildingwhere numerous Chinese civilians became victims of the blood extracting, andexperiments of germ and chemical warfare. Unfortunately, one day, “Bull Chen”was caught by the Japanese on the way to the bazaar and brought into the graybuilding for experiments. Though later managed a narrow escape, he had beensick ever since. The deterioration of his health and the fear that the germs hethen was sure inflicted on him during the days of captivity would passed on tohis family eventually prompted him to make the logical decision that it was thetime that Roberto(17 years old then) had to go for the reunion with his father.
After some 15 days on the stormy seas, Roberto arrivedin Manila Philippines where his father had achieved a successful business inthe tobacco plantation. In manila, Roberto became bosom friend of a lifetime witha young man, John Jackson, working in the office of MacArthur, a bright, cool,collected person more than ten years older than him. To welcome his arrival, thewealthy father gave Roberto a party, one in the lap of luxury. It was at thisparty that Roberto met his lifelong lover, the heroine Jane Ricardo, a mestizawith a Spanish father and a Filipino mother, whose house was only two blocksaway from his. Their encounter that evening was like a fairy tale. He, ahandsome lusty and consummate young man, she, a pretty cheerful-spirit ingénue---theywere brought together for a loving affair like no other. They fell in deep and formonths eagerly, passionately pursued each other. Days they spent together inManila were happy, free, and sweet.
Slowly as time went by, the international news comingfrom Europe was getting worse and worse, the situation in China had beendeteriorated. Adding to that, news from China that his aunt had moved with hertwo daughters to Tsingtao and his uncle had disappeared from his house inTsinan reached Manila. From that time onward, worry began to reign over thefamily. Immediately following was the news of the Japanese attack on PearlHarbor and the landing of troops on Philippine soil. Manila was facing a bitterbattle. After the fall of Manila, then was the fierce battle of the BataanPeninsula. A few days before MacArthur’s headquarter withdrawal to Bataan, JohnJackson appeared in Roberto’s mansion, bringing with him radio communicationequipment, binoculars and cashes of weapons and asked Roberto to help to stashthem in a location on a beach near a suburb of Manila. Though successful instashing the equipment, however, he was not able to hide to evade beingcorralled together by the Japanese wanting to snare guerrillas. The followingwas the rescue operation of Roberto.
After the rescue operation, on the way to the beachwhere the pickup boat was, the rescue team was accidently chased after by theJapanese soldiers. When they reached a junction where two footpaths laid infront, John made a quick decision: his wife Anda with the three other men wentthe first path with Roberto to pick up the radio equipment; he took the otherfootpath with the rest to the beach--- then would meet there again. They,however, were not able to meet on the beach; instead, parted for the years tocome. From that time onward, mornings would never be the same for both Jane andRoberto again. Life was not as it had always been.
Jane first fled to Malaya, Singapore. After the fallof Singapore, then on a vessel she went to Sydney. Since she could play piano,later was asked by an army officer to perform merry form piano music to welcomethe boys returning from the front, who were injured. Then she was transferredon board a hospital vessel sailing some distance behind a combat fleet andserved there until the end of the war. Years had passed, still no message fromRoberto. But she strongly believe they were meant to be together and relishedagain and again their unforgettable moments in their loving days. Time had donenothing to diminish the love for him. It was hope and faith that gave herstrength to keep on living through the harsh war days.
Together with the team headed by John, Roberto reachedthe Head Quarter of Bataan Peninsula where they were given a training forinformation gathering before sent to other islands to perform tasks. Later theteam set course to the Midway area where the Famous Battle of Midway, theturning point of the Pacific War was fought on the 4th June 1942. Duringone mission, Roberto spotted a Japanese official and sent the message to theintelligence ship. He turned out to be the infamous Japanese Admiral Yamamoto,the planner of the Pearl Harbor Attack. The intelligence and the confirmation thatYamamoto was stationing on Truk island, and his subsequent trip to spur up themorale of the pilots, sailors and soldiers had led to his death afterward.
After Japan’s unconditional surrender, Jane returnedto Manila. The minute her feet landed on Manila, she was raring to obtainRoberto’s information but in vain. To make a living, she then played in ManilaHotel. The arrival of the victory’s dawn, however, saw John Jackson’sunfortunate death by the Japanese the day they returned to Manila. After hisfuneral, Roberto went to find Jane but nobody knew where she was. Nowhere tolive, Roberto finally moved into a vacant unit underneath Anda’s apartment. Theytook care of each other in their daily life. At Anda’s birthday, they got togetherto celebrate. The past years flashed before their eyes, sadness then crept intotheir mind and overtook them. They clung together and it soon changed topassion and want. What followed was just the course of natural behavior……
Anda got pregnant. The responsibility, the want of twolonely people finally brought a marriage, hastily before a baby girl was born.
The reunion with Jane at the Manila Hotel was abitter-sweet one. The fact that Roberto was married broke Jane’s heart. Regretoverwhelmed Roberto. Heart-broken as she was, Jane still stayed loyal toRoberto like always, refusing the courting of Roberto’s good friend Don evenafter his death. Burying deep inside his love for Jane, Roberto maintained aresponsible husband and father. He died of an unknown disease which couldprobably be the infection from his uncle “Bull Chen”, a victim of Japanese germand chemical warfare. The death of Roberto was a heavy blow to Jane, and notlong after, she lost her sight. Then she was missing. In spite of Don’srelentless effort of searching, she was nowhere to be seen ever after……
This is a true story. Both Roberto and Jane arefriends of the author Calvin Wang, a loyal patriot who moved from Hong Kong toNew Zeland 26 years ago. He told me that after reading his story, a very famousAmerican film investor was willing to buy its copyrights at a price of 3.5million US dollars! But for fear that the film maker should falsify the historyand change Roberto a Chinese to an American, he gently declined his request. “Historyjust can never be tampered with,” he says. He brings the story to hismotherland, cherishing a sincere hope that the true story can be known to morepeople. We should remember it, both the Chinese people and the people whosecountry once was trampled by the Japanese! Because, my dear friend, probablybeing the only Chinese who had ever taken part in the Pacific War, Robertoturns out to be the one who spotted the infamous Japanese Admiral Yamamotowhose death afterward might have spared the hardship and millions of civilianlives of their countries. We should bear in mind this national hero!
History cannot be falsified, it can never beenforgotten too. The physical and mental damage inflicted on the Chinese peopleare devastating and will reverberate in the years to come. Actually, one of theauthor’s friends met Roberto’s daughter last year in Los Angeles, only to findthat she gave birth to a son with cerebral palsy. It is really tragic. Everytime, Mr Calvin tells us this story, tears will well up into his eyes. I know, onthe one hand, he misses his friends very much, on the other hand, maybe he alsofeels a little bit guilty for not having done something for his dear friends.
It is a wonderful novel. As for the novel itself, I donot want to say too much. After all, as a Chinese saying goes, if there are athousand readers, there must be a thousand Hamlets. But the author’s skillfullydealing of both the large-scale and small-scale structure of the scene doesstrike me as brilliance. You know there are so many descriptions of war scenein this novel. In addition, its language, simple and plain, is easy for readersto understand; its plot is fascinating, so fascinating that I almost finishedthe reading without pausing to rest.
Trust me, my friends, this is a really good story. ThisAugust, Mr Calvin went to Longkou, Yantai, Shandong and told Roberto’s story tothe local residents there. More than 20 people present were all moved to tears.We, as a Chinese, have responsibility to help this old overseas Chinese to fulfillhis wishes---to make Roberto’s story known to the world. Once made into film orTV program, I strongly believe it will strike a sympathetic chord among theaudiences worldwide. Up to now, love inthe Pacific both in Spanish and English has already been issued abroad.
So my friend, earnestly I request you when time isavailable to sit down and read this novel, slowly and carefully. Then you willknow the history better; you may agree with me that the long historicaggressive culture of Japan is still deep in their people’ mind. We, not onlyChinese people but also those whose countries once was involved into thePacific war should be vigilant anytime.
A knot in my throat, I abruptly put the newspaperdown, take from my book shelf the daft of Lovein the Pacific Mr Calvin sent to me months ago, then slowly walk to thewindow again. Outside, the snow has stopped. The colorful world has all beencovered by pure white snow, solemn, tranquil and clean. It is darkening but notblack yet. With the glittering reflection of the white snow, the world looksbrighter than it should be for the time. Leaning against the pane, folding myarms, silently and sincerely I pray “may the world enjoy peace and harmony!”
