Where the Meadow Reaches the Sea

Part 1 Hong Kong Con't Love Knows

Jiao-Ling sat down at the big table in the dining room. “Mr. Jack Ma Dorothy taught Big Cousin Liling to make the dumplings like you have in the United States. Liling says it taste good but no soy sauce so it white.” the boy said as Liling put some in his bowl “cha Jiao-Ling we do not talk like such you like it yeah?” she waited for her little cousin said answer “well yes but…” he started to say but she cut him off “then we do not make a big deal over anything you can add da soy sauce if you wish it” Liling smiled at the young man sitting next to her cousin as she dished out some of the savory food for him as well “Liling don’t crush the boy he was just making a comparison to the dumplings he has had all his life.” Dorothy gently corrected the young girl. “ That reminds me Liling. I got a response from the college back in the states for you if you’d like to go back for more medical skills they do have a spot open. My uncle tells me he can get you in by the beginning of the new season.” Liling smiled from ear to ear “Uncle Cook was able to get my application in after all?” she asked “ Yes he was, did I forget to tell you that child I apologize. Jack brought over the letter with him so it would get here sooner. And the good news is Uncle Irwin said that his local church has raised the funds to bring you over! and you will be staying with him and Aunt Nancy while you attend.” Jiao-Ling watched his older cousin. She was excited to go to the United States to learn more about being a nurse and midwife; such a thing here was a luxury few could afford. And it would raise his family in status a little to have a member that truly knew how to heal people. “Mr. Jack you will go with my cousin back to the United States like you brought the letter here to keep her safe.” Jack nearly choked on the bun he was eating when the boy asked this question he looked from his older brother to his sister in law “ Mr. Jack can not take me Jiao-Ling I must go by myself. Mr. Jack here for a year first.” Liling took her seat on the opposite side of her cousin sitting next to their uncle the dr. “ I will take my niece if no one else can. But I feel God will rise up another.” the kindly old man chuckled “ It seems our Baba God is working much among us. Our story will be a great one intertwined and so very colorful. I should be ashamed to have a daughter that wants to go to medicine school in the west but I am far from it. God did not bless me with a son but with seven daughters. There was one among my children destined to make me proud weather they were a daughter or a son!” the old man spoke. Just then the phone in the office

 began to ring. . . “I’ll get it. . . sit back down Dottie '' Joshua headed  towards his office. “Hello Missions of Mercy House. This is The Rev. Joshua Worthington-Kingsly.” Joshua waited for a moment for the reply “Hello sir there is a Naomi Ruth Kingsly on the line from the states. Will you expect this call” Joshua stared at the receiver in his hand why was his oldest sister called him “Of course I will '' he stated into the receiver. “Madam sir your free to talk.” when she heard the click Naomi spoke first “Joshua Father is very ill Mama and I feel perhaps you or Jack should come back and take over for a while. It’s his heart JD he’s had another attack.” 

“Naomi I will speak with Jack and make the arrangements needed” Joshua blinked back the tears threatening to spill “Joshua” Naomi spoke “Yes Ruthie dearest” a childhood nickname “ Don’t tell Jack right away he’d be devastated knowing he left paw right before hand I don’t want him blaming himself for something that was out of his control.” Joshua smiled “of course I won’t tell Jack”. . . 

Joshua placed the receiver back on it’s holder and turned around to see his wife Dottie behind him. “Jack and Liling went out for some tea and a walk. I think God is truly pulling them together. They have become good friends over the past few weeks that Jack has been here. and “ Dottie stopped when she saw her husband face “ What is it Joshua” she asked walking up to her husband “ It’s my father Dottie he’s suffered another attack of the heart. We may have to go state side for a month or so.” Dottie nodded her head “I’ll start packing for the trip” she said as she walked out of the office to put Thomas to bed and get a game plan together for the coming days ``Dottie” Joshua called after her “ Yes JD” Joshua took a deep breath as he walked out of the office “Don’t tell Jack until Sat when I’ll let everyone know let him have the rest of the week to enjoy.” Dottie gave a small smile. Joshua and his seven siblings had a rough life; the children of the good Rev. Worthington-Kingsley they had moved around a lot as kids Rev Joshua Sir had three children with his first wife Naomi being the oldest then Sarah and finally Joshua. When Joshua was 3 years old their mother passed of the fever. Joshua Sir remarried when Joshua was 13 to a good, kind, fair and Godly Widow Kathrine Irwin-Cook whose family came from Virginia and Tennessee. The good widow had 2 children of her own, both boys Jonathan and Vernon. And together they had 2 more children, another daughter Beatrix and not even a year later a son Jack. As a child both Beatrix and Jack had been sickly after turning 10 Beatrix had started to get stronger with Jack following not too long after. Dorothy met her husband when she came up for the summer to visit with her Aunt Kathrine when she was 16. She had met the children when she first got there but Joshua had been on a mission trip out west with the Cheyenne, Arapaho, and Lakota nations. He came back home 2 weeks after her arrival. Her Aunt Kathrine had asked her to go along for the ride to the train station to pick him up. Her aunt had been singing his praises and Dottie knew something was up from the git go. “Aunt Katty come on he’s my cousin. . .” she didn’t even finish her sentence when a 17 year old Joshua came around the corner carrying his bags in one hand and a trunk dragging from the other “Mom” Joshua dropped his things and ran and embraced his step mother. “Now Joshua David enough” she smiled as she straightened out her dress. “ Aunt Katty” Dottie pointed to Joshua with her eyes “Oh Joshua dear this is my niece Dorothy Rebecca Irwin-Cook.” Kathrine looked between the two of them she grabbed for a couple of the bags on the platform noting they both seemed smitten “I’ll let you two talk while I and Vernon and Johnny take these bags to the carriage.” The two talked until Vernon came over to say they were ready “ Tell mom we’ll walk back to the church from here. Is that okay Dottie?” 

“Of course” 

Vernon ran off to tell their mother. 

By the end of the summer Joshua and Dorothy were married and headed off to seminary. Dorothy, the daughter of a wealthy southern family just like her aunt, did not bat an eyelash when God sent her in a whole other direction. She was blessed to cme from a family that knew God’s calling could take a person anywhere and were willing and happy to head that call wherever it might take them. 

“What are you thinking about my love ”Joshua came out  and placed his arms around his wife's waist. She had been watching for Jack and Liling’s return. “Just remembering our first summer together how we met and by summer’s end we were on this great adventure. Aunt Katty knew even before inviting me up we should be pushed together as she would say. She had a holy spirit feeling” Dottie chuckled, remembering the conversation they had had a few months before leaving for China for the mission field. “Are you telling me you have a holy spirit feeling that Jack and Liling are meant to be together mother dearest? '' he kissed her on top of her head as they stood watching the main road area. The sound of laughter rang through the air as the two in question came into sight “well papa I’m saying I have a hunch. Maybe Liling should go with us and stay a month with your family before going down to my Uncle Irving and Aunt Nancy.” Joshua pondered this for a moment “I’ll talk to her mother and Aunty in the morning then my dear.” 

“I say let her go I already know my daughter is meant for this” her father said coming out of the house after having spend bible story time with the children “I sent Jiao-Ling home with his siblings and cousins and I tucked my adopted granddaughters in. Thomas is still snoring from his crib. Good night Rev and Mrs. Rev. My wife and sister will prepare things for Liling to travel to the states with you.” they had forgotten today had been a bible stories night with uncle. “Thank you Uncle Chen” Dottie touched the older’s man’s arm gently “for everything you have done for our family” Uncle smiled at Dorothy “ for just as i have blessed you so have you I. Make a better life for my Liling Give her what she deserves” he said taking the steps down to the walkway below the house as Liling and Jack came to them “Good night Liling” Jack said his jacket slung over his shoulder as he leaned against the light pole “Goodnight Jackie” she smiled sheepishly “I’ll see you in the morning for breakfast then” Liling said walking over to her father to walk home. 

------------------

“Oh come on Thomas you couldn’t remember that summer you weren’t even a full year old yet.” Rebecca teased “ that was the summer we came back to take care of grandfather after his heart attack” Miriam came back “I remember Auntie Liling came with us before going to Virginia for nurses school.” she smiled to herself “ he pined away for her until she came back for first break before we went back to Hong Kong.” Miriam laughed wholeheartedly “They ran down that aisle that Sept before we returned. Uncle Jack was so happy and so was Auntie Liling. And Miriam made a cute flower girl and Thomas you in that outfit as the ring bearer.” Rebacca said getting up she went to the office where they stored the photo albums were stored and pulled out an album entitled 1934. Thumbing through she found the picture of Jack in his little ring bearers outfit. “ see look Thomas and his chunky self.” she said showing them all he picture. “ Thomas look how chunky you were and you used to make fun of me for being a chubby baby.” Liling laughed. “Look you were chunkier than me chubba cheeks” she in jest poofed out her cheeks “mama and baba always said the Irwin-Cook and  Worthington-Kingsleys made bigger babies” “but definitely cuter too” Miriam said. Thinking of her recent granddaughter. “Do you think Mama set Uncle Jack and Auntie up?” Miriam asked thinking back to those years. “ I know she knew what she was doing and then there was God” Rebecca stated “ but lucky for you lot they did get together because Tada here I am and my 3 other siblings” Liling said twirling around the kitchen. 

---------------

“Dottie look” Liling said twirling around the mission house kitchen. Her skirts twirling up as she did so “Baba gave me new clothes for coming back Mrs. Worthington-Kingsley” Liling stopped in front of the huge fireplace in the kitchen “Dotiie mama how did you do it” she asked holding her small stomach “ Well I didn’t twirl around I knew I’d be sicker than a dog if I did that” Dottie laughed looking at the young woman “ you think I’ve been to school for this I would know.” she said taking a seat before the fire. “You’ll learn” Dorothy teased. “Making a baby is fun having one different story” Liling said a little disappointed “no not really it’s getting passed those first 5 months then smooth sailing till it’s time to birth them” Dottie stated matter of factly. “We maybe  going to Australia Jack says we can no longer stay here it’s to dangerous here.” It was the beginning of WWII and Jack and Liling had been married for 5 years now and they were expecting their first child. “ Liling we walk by faith and are protected by heaven's armies.” Dorothy said as she stood to stir the pot over the fire “ I was thinking name for the baby. Jack says if it’s daughter she have her mother’s name it’s too pretty to not pass down.” Liling looked down “but I think it’s a boy I like Gideon Li for a name.” Dorothy smiled at the name choice “ and what does little Jackie say?” she asked the bouting pregnant woman “Baba says it’s good name Jack says first baby boy should carry his mother’s culture be giving good Chinese name. I like Gideon Li it chinese enough for baby mama should be good for Jack” Dottie sat back down next to Liling “Jack will like whatever name you choose. And your father always said his first grandson would have a good christian chinese name and that is what his baby girl picked and good christian and chinese name. I still find it funny all he has is granddaughters so far a good dozen of them.” both women laughed. 

“Dottie I love it here but is it wrong I want to go home to Chatham. I have come to know everyone at Baba Kingsley’s church. I am a family there. They can not wait for Jack to take over after the baby is born. Neither can I. Dottie I love Hong Kong and my family here but I feel God is calling me to Chatham.” Dorothy watched as Liling rocked in the rocking chair by the fire. She was thankful her father in law had not taken a turn for the worst those 5 years ago when they had all gone to the states after his heart attack but it had set in motion a fire in both Jack and Liling to take over from the older Joshua Sir. “in time Liling in time” dottie said, patting her on her shoulder as she went to the back door to look out and see her children playing with the neighborhood kids. “Dottie, has Joshua learned his next station yet? Wasn’t he due to know by now?” Liling asked “ yes God willing we go to Africa in 2 years. Where yet we have not learned.” 

Just then Jiao-Ling now a young teenager came running up the street “It’s happened!” he shouted to the two women on the front porch “ calm down now Jiao-Ling what happened?” Dorothy asked the young man “England went to war mama” Rebecca said walking in the back door. “ Mama they want to send us all home in the next year. Mama what about our family here what about the church?” she asked, throwing herself into her mothers arms. “I don’t know baby that is in God’s hands.” Liling held her belly cradling it as if she could protect the growing baby from all of this “ What am I bringing you into Gideon Li?” she asked softly.

---------

Gideon Li surveyed the path to the old family home in Chatham Massachusetts.  He knew this place well; it was where he had grown up and left for seminary and then to join his Uncle Joshua and Aunt Dottie in Hawaii where they had gone to plant a church before retiring .  Gideon smiled as he could smell the fresh things baking in the kitchen. He knew his cousin Miriam was fast at work baking up a storm for the weekend ahead . “Here Kimmy let me help you up and the girls up the path” he said, taking her hand as they walked. “I bet you dollars to donuts the three of them are sitting in that kitchen eating sweet buns and remembering when my mama taught them how to make them in that very kitchen!” Gideon proclaimed to the girls “ many moons ago my Ma and baba had brought them up from Africa for the summer and she taught your Aunties how to make all kinds of sweet treats for us boys and your great uncle Jack had rotten teeth from all the sugar we ate.” Gideon smiled as they walked up the path “Oh Thomas Michael, Rebecca Aliza, Miriam Hadassa I think you all forgot some people!” he yelled out. The front screen door flew open and Bert came bounding out to greet Kimberly and the girls Alica 10, and Brianna 5. “ Auntie Mir Gideon said that you made his teeth rotten when he was younger from baking too much.” Miriam smiled at the child and with a hint  of mischief said “me bake too much I think Uncle Gideon forgets who he’s talking about or mayhaps he does not want his  ma’s sweet honey buns?” Gideon threw his hands up in defeat “you cut me dear cousin” Bert started barking excitedly on the porch ready to go back to the comfort of his house and the laughter it was filled with.