Where the Meadow Reaches the Sea

Part 1 Hong Kong cont Thomas Michael

~Thomas Michael~

Joshua held his wife’s hand as she continued to try and push out their third child. “Madam, I think maybe a different position might help. Maybe in the water Liling drew before she left” Dorothy shook her head in agreement. “Fine” she breathed out “Help me to the tub” She asked her husband. They made their way over as Dorothy’s water broke completely causing her to fall to her knees in pain. “ Dotty Love!” Joshua reached to support his wife “It’s fine catch her” Dorothy said to her husband as the baby came sprawling out. “It’s not a her Dotty, It’s a him” Joshua said cradling his son. “Thomas Michael, what a way to come into this world.” Dorothy said as she was given her son to hold. “He came in the way he wished, Madam Highly blessed and truly favored. As your husband says” The doctor bowed his respect to the couple. “I will have Liling check in on you in a couple hours then.” The doctor left with a spring in his step. “He will preach like his father and bring many to the one true heavenly Father.” The doctor said to himself as he walked out the door with a smile across his face.

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“Mir hurry up we need to get to Mr. Hung Chao to get the vegetables and fresh meat that papa wanted us to get. And Ms. Chen has cooked rice for mama she told me to stop by on our way home. It’s been a couple of hours hopefully the baby is here by now” Rebecca took her little sister by the hand as she picked up the pace going down a back alley towards the elderly gentleman who always had things for the small family he had adopted them as his own when they arrived at the house. “Becca look there is Liling.” the little girl pointed towards the midwife and Sunday school teacher who was walking towards them “ Ms. Becca Ms. Miriam you come this way come now come home Mama Dorothy has had a boy. Much joy and celebrating. Come now I take you home. My father send my little brother Jiao-long to get the vegetables, chicken and rice. He say big sisters need to be with mother and father and little brother.” Liling took Miriam up into her arms as she started back towards the missionaries house. “Liling it’s a boy!?” Miriam asked with delight in her voice. “Yes big baby why ma had so much trouble birthing him took ma standing up for him to budge. Uncle says he will be like his father big preacher for Heavenly Father.” Liling and the girls started up the great hill towards the house. “How is mom Liling?” Rebecca asked “she much tired but very happy. Uncle said she called little brother a her thinking she have another Becca or Miriam. Baba said we should give him a good chinese name too. Xing-fu Ning Baba and Uncle say he brings much joy and happiness to the Worthington-Kingsley family and he will be a man of peace like his Savior Jesus.” 

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Thomas looked up the drive to the old family estate he had, had the taxi drop him off with his and his wives things to take to the house and go back for his wife and their 2 grandchildren back at the train station. He started the long walk a suitcase under each arm and dragging to trunks. He was well toned for a man in his late sixties he never took it easy always being about his heavenly father’s business. Which is why he hadn’t met his wife to later in his life he was lucky she would tease that a woman 12 years his younger would even consider marriage to an old man with 4 adopted foriegn children. But Kimberly loved those 4 as if they were her own fiercely for God had sent them into the family’s path. All of the Worthington-Kingsley family had adopted or taken on wards. Thomas’ parents and both his sisters had large family because of that reason as did she and her husband 3 of their own the twins from China and the two sisters from Africa. Plus thomas had opened many an orphanage in his travels for all the kids he wished to take in but couldn’t which had broken his heart.

“Thomas!” Rebecca yelled coming up from the path to the sea flinging her flip flops in the air as her arms went up in pure joy. “Becca!” Thomas said in a sigh. His older sister ran to great him “Becca the Lord has been good to you!” he said embracing her “Where is my Kimmy and grandnieces you said you were bringing?” Thomas smiled he could never get anything past Rebecca “they are back at the train station I came on ahead with the luggage and sent the cab back for them.” Becca took a trunk and started to haul it up towards the house, “then let us walk and talk about the field as we go”

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Liling stood at the stove fixing dinner for the family she had been brought on as the family Nanny, after Thomas was born because the original one could not watch all three children plus take care of her own. Liling also did housekeeping duties on Sat. when her mother and Auntie were busy with their own house chores. “Lady Dorothy you let me do that take kids out in the sun much better for you.” Liling scolded the lady of the house as she tried to take vegetables to chop. “Liling Thomas is 6 months old and I am well enough now to help with duties you heard your Uncle I’m strong now.” Becca and Mir played with Thomas on the floor in the living room as the two ladies went about their normal conversation if not Liling then Liling’s Mother or Auntie would be on her from trying to take on too much. After having Thomas she had hemorrhaged quite a bit causing her to be on complete bed rest for the first three months and then limited bed rest for another two. “I am no delicate Lotus” Dorothey would often tell whichever of the women she was talking to at the time. Liling looked over to the woman who had just taken over chopping up the onions “Madam I know you can do anything you put your mind to but you still can’t do everything yourself. How do you say it persons is not an army of yi.” Dorothey looked up from her chopping “Liling lets go over the Mandarin numbers with the girls Rebecca and Miriam over here now. Rebecca put your brother in the crib and come over here. It’s time to work on your Madarin” Liling went to the ice box to get out the chicken to start preparing it for dinner “Come here girls. We’ll go over your numbers today from 0-10. Rebecca tell me how to say the odd numbers and Miriam tell me the evens opposite of last time. Miriam you go first today” 

“Er -2, si 4, liu 6, ba 8, shi 10. Right Liling?” Miriam proudly told her numbers “Ms. Miriam you need to work on your pronouncing shi is not spanish Si.” Miriam pouting a bit agreed. “Okay Ms. Rebecca it is your turn now.” 

Rebecca who had been learning Madarin since she was Miriam’s age and her parents were missionaries to mainland China began persicely “Yi is one, San is three, Wu is five, Qi is seven, Jiu is 9. Liling can we work more on sentence structure instead later the numbers are too easy.” Liling noded her head at the child “Ms. Becky has been working on hers since she was little, But Ms. Miriam has not so we do our numbers. Together we all learn.” Rebecca sat patiantly until her mother called her to help with the baby. “I want to help too.’ Mir protested “help Thomas by learning your numbers then teach him” Rebecca said soothingly as she walked out of the kitchen where they’d been learning. “Liling please keep an eye on her she has ants in her nickers lately” Dorothy called from the livingroom “I make her stomp them outs we go practice numbers order food for big church family meal later after we get dumplings on” Liling called back “Liling how will that work? I mean I just say the numbers and you say the rest” Miriam asked as she danced about the kitchen saying her numbers in mandarin “ yi is one we use yi big pot to cook in. We use er big white onions in the brooth and san stalks of celery, mama likes using lui carats but sometimes she increases everything Liling this wasn’t a good idea. . .” Liling chuckled to herself as she moved about the kitchen “and why is that little one?” “Ms. Liling mama changes how many she uses like sometimes she uses shi carrots or onions and ba celery.” Miriam babbled on using her numbers as she picked up spices and ingrediants and handed them to Liling to put in the pot for dinner. Qiuckly the two of them went about fixing the food that would not just feed the missionary family but also workers of the house. 

Joshua Worthington-Kingsley made sure none of his staff and workers as well as his own family where well fed sometimes skipping meals himself. They had come to Hong Kong and been blessed and highly favored of the Lord. Never lacking for much of anything their small church family always made sure the church had what it needed as well as it’s members. Where one lacked and another had the one that had made sure the lacking had as well. Recently Joshua had been helping a member of the church rebuild their house after it was set on fire for the ocupants being christians. “ Jack have the boards come in yet for the roof?” he turned to his younger brother who had come out to visit the family and help were needed after graduating from seminary. What better way to get his feet wet then helping his older brother in th field “Joshua we didn’t get the regualr lumber but the Li’s brought up cured bamboo boards from their family’s mill on the main land and Mr. Li said they had more coming over in a day or so.” Jack wiped the sweat off his face as he and a kid not much older then his niece Rebecca, Jiao-Ling for being so young still worked much like any of the other adults weather it being hauling boards or ruble he was right in there. “Mr. Jacks you teach me how to speak good english while we work yeah” the child asked. “ Mr. Lou you give me part of your energy?” Jack asked tussling the kids hair. “I can try” Jiao-Ling said his head tilted sideways trying to understand the question better. “Mr. Jacks?” the boy asked the young man “Yes Jiao-Ling” Jack asked alighting on his feet after desending the latter he had been on laying the frame work for the roof. “Mr. Jacks why you not have a wife like Ma Dorothy? Do not all of you missionaries come with these women?” Jiao-Ling kicked at a stone in the road as he asked this “Well you see Jiao-Ling that’s the thing I’m not sure if that is what I want to be yet.” Jiao-Ling tilted his head sideways again as he matched the young preachers strides as they walked back towards his brother’s house “So you not be a missionary then what you be?” he asked Jack paused for a moment before turning to the boy “ I was feeling called to preach Jiao-Ling in the states where I grew up right at my own papa’s pulpit” “ what is papa” Jiao-Ling asked. Jack looked down at the boy “I believe you call them Baba it’s what I call my father.” Jiao-Ling nodded now understanding “Mr. Jack maybe you find a good woman here in Hong Kong take back as wife maybe that why God Baba bring you to China he bring you good wife that can cook and care for you from here” Jack chuckled as the boy continued to babble on as they went to eat dinner. “Mr. Jacks?” now almost home Jiao-Ling paused at the door after having bounded up the steps “yes” Jack asked “My big cousin cooking today with Ma Dorothy yes. You meet her don’t say how early I get to Fey-Hung for bulding I was supposed to be in the english school but they say I not smart enough not good enough to be taught.” Jack now understood why the boy had asked before for his help learning english. “Not a word to her” Jack said as they entered. 

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Liling Joyous Song Worthington-Kingsley hestitated at the door she could not wait to see her cousins again and to see her partner in crime Thomas. “Thomas who is at the door?” Miriam asked having heard Liling come up onto the porch “ It is just me big Cousin I got here early” Liling says as Rebecca swings open the screen door “Liling Joyous Song!” Rebecca embraced her younger cousin “what how long have you been here.” Miriam asked following her sister’s suite hugging Liling. “I hopped a flight from Hong Kong earlier then I thought I could get one Auntie told me to go that her younger sister would be there today so I could leave yeasterday. And here I am. Where is cousin Thomas?” she asked looking around the sisters “right here” he said coming up behind her giving her a big bear hug “Ahh you always been the naughty one Thomas! Always getting little me in trouble” she said as she swatted at him. “Me how so I remember a little girl who got herself into a good many a bind all too well.” he said chuckling as they walked into the kitchen. “Never bad till you join in perfet angel for Ma and Baba.” Laughter rang through the house as the four of them reminced.