'I'll see you tomorrow.' Tuấn winced again. His tone was too formal.
'Yeah, sure.' Phượng tucked her hair back into place behind her ear.
'Unless the Chinese drop bombs on us tonight.' Vân interjected sharply. Her arms folded across her chest. 'The Chinese army may have crossed the border up in the North, but jets can fly really fast. Just so you know.'
'It won't come to that,' Tuấn mumbled. 'I don't think so anyway.'
'Hey, Bro!' Vân spat, 'we're at war with China! If they want to bomb us, we're dead.' Her scowl made him uncomfortable.
Phượng looked up at him with her curved eyebrows raised, which made him think of a puppy begging. What did they want him to say?
'Hey, the cell phones aren’t working!' A boy shouted, shaking his phone in frustration. 'Signal’s dead!'
Other students were waving phones in the air trying to establish a connection. Tuấn took his phone from his pocket. The message he'd typed to Gran hadn't sent. The signal strength was reading as zero.
'I've no connectivity,' Phượng muttered, staring at her phone. 'Maybe it’ll be better away from the buildings.' She slipped her phone back into her pocket with a faint smile.
'No,' Tuấn said, frowning at the screen of his cell phone, 'it's cross network. First the internet. Now mobile phones. They're cutting us off from the world.'
Dũng
4th March, 15:40
'Before the phones cut out, my Mom told me to come back to my hometown,' Dũng said, raising his voice over the din of the traffic. Walking with hands in pockets beside Huy.
'Roads out of the city are too busy,' Huy said, kicking a stone along the pavement, 'stupid idea.'
'My Mom isn't stupid.'
Huy’s fist slammed into Dũng’s arm; a playful but firm jab.
Dũng cried out in protest. 'Damn, Huy! Why do you always need to punch?'
'Mamma, mamma!' Huy mimicked. 'Seriously, you're not going to run back to your mamma in Biên Hòa, are you?'
Nursing his arm, Dũng scowled. Cars and motorbikes crammed every inch of the four lane road moving slower than the two boys walked. Horns honked and drivers strained to see how far down the road the traffic jam stretched.
Huy walked with his usual swagger. Each stride a purposeful step that rippled from foot to shoulder as if he were about to burst into dance. His fists jabbed, his biceps tensed, bulging with each thrust. 'Pow! pow! pow!' He said, beating an imaginary opponent
'Why so happy?' Dũng frowned at his friend.
Huy's jaw dropped in mock shock. He held his hands cupped as if begging. 'Are you kidding? We're gonna kick some ass, man!'
'The Chinese crossed the border in the north... That's two-thousand kilometres. The Dean said we'd be safe.'
'Oh, my days!' Huy laughed. Removing his baseball cap he used it to swipe at Dũng. 'The Dean? Man! He doesn't know anything!'
Dũng scratched his temple. In his peripheral vision he could see Huy looking at him, waiting for some affirmation.
'Oh, man… Wake up!' Huy clapped his hands. 'We gotta be ready, man. We gotta get like... knives, fireworks, axes, whatever we can.'
Dũng swept his fringe from his eyes. He frowned in thought before responding. 'You're crazy, Huy.'
Huy laughed. 'I'm gonna get crazy on those Chinese ants. You’ll see.'
They turned into a two lane street. Food vendors lined the pavement and the traffic was much lighter. It seemed almost normal. The only notable difference being that street vendors listened to the news on their radios rather than old songs.
Huy stopped to buy a packet of cigarettes. Dũng thought about walking on but knew his friend would make him wait. Huy held the money between index and middle finger as he offered it to the elderly vendor. She snatched it, scowling. Dũng felt his cheeks redden. Money should be offered properly to an elder with both hands. Not like a playboy passing a tip to a minion.
They peeled off into another side road where the footpath narrowed, forcing Dũng to walk behind Huy. They passed narrow three-story houses with large gated entrances, then finally arriving at the large grey rectangular communist bloc era building in which they shared a room.
They ascended three floors on the old concrete staircase. Damp rusty coloured puddles collected in places. Music and voices could be heard from beyond heavy wooden doors on each level. Scents from cooking seeped under doorways into the stairwell mixing into a noxious odour.
'If one of the ants came at me from behind, I'd tackle them like this!' twisting at the Hip, Huy jabbed his elbow toward Dũng's face which he followed up by a burst of air punches. It was at least the fourth fight move Huy demonstrated on their walk home.
'Yeah nice,' Dũng mumbled.
'A lot of fight moves can be learned from street dance moves. I can teach you,' Huy said, slapping Dũng's shoulder.
Huy stopped at the stained wooden door to their room. He leaned into it while jiggling the key in the lock. Damp had swollen the wood causing them to have to apply increasing amounts of pressure to open or close the door.
Inside, the thin frayed curtains were pulled shut, casting shadows across the room. The mouldy smell of un-dried laundry greeted them. Dũng wrinkled his nose. He'd get used to the odour after a few minutes. A single bed occupied either side of the room alongside pine desks. A television sat under the window, flanked by two wardrobes. Clothes, magazines and lecture notes were strewn about the floor along with empty plastic bottles. Posters- mainly of Hip-hop bands covered most of the wall space.
Dũng dived onto his bed, the mattress shifting from the impact. He flicked his fringe from in front of his eyes. Rolling onto his side he looked at Huy. 'Can I see what's on TV or are you going to put music on?'
'Yeah, music's good,' Huy grinned, pointing his index fingers like a pair of pistols. He plugged his mobile phone into a small pair of speakers on his desk. The boom of the bass reverberated throughout the room. Huy moon-walked to centre of the room and struck a few hip-hop poses, while making various signs with his hands.
Nodding and tapping his foot to the beat, Dũng unravelled the chord of his earphones and plugged them into his own mobile phone.
'Know what, bro?' Huy called, still popping moves with his arms and flexing his biceps. Most poses ended with him turning the peak of his baseball cap one way or another.
'What, bro?' Dũng said, slipping the right earphone into his ear.
'We should head to District five. I bet there's action there.'
'What?' Dũng sat upright.
Huy stopped dancing. He put his fists onto his hips. 'Chinatown, man! I bet folks are tearing that place up.'
'Why?' Dung scowled. He hated it when his voice came out as a squeak.
'Because they're Chinese!'
'No... They're mostly like third generation Chinese... It's not the same.'
Huy regarded him with a deep frown. 'Nobody's gonna care about that. If the ants come, who do you think Chinatown's gonna side with. Us or them?'
'I don't know.'
'The Chinese, bro!' Huy threw his hands up in exasperation. 'Let’s take my bike. Just for a look.'
Dũng’s involuntarily tut was met with a glare from Huy.
'I'm not sure we should go looking for trouble. It's not the same as at school.'
Huy grimaced, slapping his palm to his forehead. 'Don't be a loser, man. It's for our Country. Hey, maybe we'll get called up into the army.'
'You think so?' Dũng flinched, afraid his alarmed expression might've betrayed his dislike of the possibility.
'Sure. Why not? We do military training first week of each study year. This is what that shit's for, man.'
Dũng closed his eyes. Laying back down on the bed he rubbed his temples. Should he go to his hometown? Would Huy even let him? His thoughts were interrupted by Huy's cursing.
'Screw this phone. Still no signal!'
'Huy, we're graduating soon… I don't think the army will make us go to war if we have exams and graduation.'
/> 'Make us?' Huy's face snapped toward Dũng.
'I meant, let us. They probably won't-'
Huy closed the three paces to the bed in a second. Dũng crossed his forearms over his face then gasped as the air was blown from his lungs by the sudden impact of his room-mate’s knees landing on his chest. He squirmed but Huy's fingers clasped his throat. Huy moved his knees from Dũng's chest- pinning his forearms.
'You're not afraid are you?' Huy said softly.
'No of course not. It's just...'
Huy squeezed Dũng's throat, then releasing the pressure after second. 'So, if we can join the army you'll join with me, right?' Huy's eyebrows raised. He put his face inches from Dũng's.
'Sure, bro. I just meant I didn't think they'd let us.'
Huy winked. He released his hold on Dũng's neck and playfully patted his cheek three times. 'Sure they will. Don't worry, bro.' Huy climbed off and stretched his arms, flexed his biceps and drew his fists up to his shoulders. He looked at each of his biceps then back to Dũng. 'Nobody's gonna mess with me. Definitely no Chinese ants.'
Dũng sat up, brushing down the front of his shirt. 'Sometimes I wish I had a different roommate.'
'I was playing. Don't be so sensitive. You got a phone signal?' Huy held out his hand, expectantly flexing his fingers.
Dũng dug his phone out of this pocket and handed it over.
'Damn. Stupid networks. I wanted to call my buddy… lives near Chinatown. See if anything's going on. Let's just check it out ourselves.'
Dũng groaned. 'I don't want to. We could get into real trouble.' He tensed expecting a reprisal for his lack of vigilantism.
Huy lurched forward snatching Dũng's wrist. 'Come on!'
Offering passive resistance, Dũng tried to make himself a deadweight, but was pulled from the bed and dragged a metre across the floor where Huy released him.
'Pathetic, man.' Huy said. He prodded Dũng's ribs with his toe.
Dũng pushed himself up from the dirty floor. His shoulders hunched and lower lip protruded stubbornly.
With a sigh, Huy put his arm around Dũng's shoulders and rested his head against Dũng's. 'Look bro. We'll just drive around and see what's going on. We won't get involved in anything, ok?'
Dũng blinked when Huy released him. He lowered his head to avoid his friend's eyes.
'Hey, you in there?' Huy tapped his skull. 'We'll just look. Back in an hour. I'll even buy pho on the way home, ok?'
Dũng closed his eyes and swallowed. 'Promise you won't get into any fights?'
Huy held up two fingers in a boy-scout salute. 'I promise.'
Timothy
4th March, 16:00
He could hear his own breathing through the receiver as he poked the digits on the telephone keypad. He glanced at his watch; 4pm here would make it 9am back home. Not too early to call. There was a click and a muffled hum as lines connected, then eventually a ringtone.
'The hotel’s landline still works,' he said.
Standing by the window, Nancy nodded with a faint smile before returning her gaze to whatever it was that took her interest in the street below. She wore her sunglasses atop her head like headband. A short sleeved chequered shirt was tucked into a pleated black skirt, its wide elasticised waistband clung tightly to her narrow waist. She pulled off the smart-casual look rather stunningly.
'Hello?'
Tim flinched, his fingers fumbled with the receiver. 'Gail... It's me.'
'Tim! I’ve been so worried!'
'I'm sorry. I've been really tied up.' He looked at Nancy. Her cheek pressed against the window, while her finger idly traced a line down the pane.
'You said you'd call every day.' Gail sounded more wounded than angry.
'Yeah, sorry. It took a day to get a sim card. Then I had to find the right time to call allowing for the time difference. Now most of the mobile networks aren't working.' He tried to sound casual. It had only been four days. Could he reasonably be put in the doghouse for the sake of four days?
'You should come home.'
That caught him off-guard. She couldn't be serious.
'Look...' he held the receiver with both hands, lowering his voice. 'You've heard what's going on right?'
'Yes. It’s on the news. Your parents were asking if you're coming home. I didn't know what to say… You should've called.'
Gripping the receiver more tightly he turned his back to Nancy. 'I know, I know. I'm sorry. Just tell them I'm fine. I'll be okay.'
'You're not coming home?' Gail's voice raised.
'Are you kidding?' he hissed, 'this is the chance of a lifetime! I'm here at the start of this thing. There are so few western journalists. I don't think you realise what an opportunity this is.'
'Oh, Tim!'
He closed his eyes. He ran nervous fingers through his scalp sweeping his sandy hair back only for it to flop forward again. 'Gail...'
Only the sound of her breathing told him she was still on the line. He swallowed. 'Gail. I'm not near any fighting. I'm at the opposite end of the country- hundreds of miles away. I just want to capture the raw emotion. The outrage, the anger, the fear...' He thought her breathing sounded harder. 'Honey, I'm staying. It's my job.'
'You're not paid a salary. You can leave whenever you want. Go take wildlife pictures in Africa. Wherever. I don't care. Just no warzone.'
He picked up the telephone base so he could pace the few steps the length of telephone cord would allow. 'I’m safer here than the rock climbing trips you took me on in Colorado.' He scowled in irritation as the stretched telephone wire dragged the bedside lamp to the edge of the bedside table, threatening to tip it off the edge.
'What if they start shelling cities? That's what they're talking about on the news.'
'What?' He stopped pacing.
'There's satellite footage of Chinese warships off the coast.'
He shook his head. 'They've been there for weeks. They're just guarding oil rigs and harassing fishermen.'
'No, Tim,' it sounded like she spoke through gritted teeth. 'They're saying there's a huge fleet. Battleships, aircraft carriers... I don't know. Lots. They could bomb any city in Vietnam.'
'Holy shi... No, they won't do that. They're just here to assert rights to oil fields under the sea. They won't risk all-out war with the USA, Nato...'
'Tim, have you been watching the news?'
'Sure.' He looked at the flat-screen TV on the wall. The news was on with the volume muted. He was tired of seeing the same reports; Chinese vehicles crossing the border, shots of distant explosions and of various Vietnamese authority figures condemning the attack and stating their resolve to turn back the invaders. 'It’ll fizzle out in a few days. They’ll get their oil and whatever else they want then pull back.'
'I don't think so. They're saying the Chinese army can be in Hanoi tomorrow. The Chinese are saying they need to protect their interests and Chinese nationals in Vietnam. I don't think they're going.'
Tim sat on the bed. His brain scrambled to make sense of the information. Vietnamese channels were showing constant coverage, but he knew it wasn't likely to be impartial or even accurate. 'Well... if they take Hanoi the war will be over.'
Nancy turned, their eyes met. Her mouth formed an 'o' her eyebrows raised questioningly. Tim shook his head.
'What if you’re wrong?' Gail's voice softened, 'the FCO is advising against travel there. Tourists and expats are being shipped out.'
'Of course the bloody tourists are leaving.' He winced, it sounded harsher than he'd intended. 'Look… if things get hairy I'll get out. Right now it's ok. Really.'
Gail sighed. 'Can call me on Skype? It’s better if I can see you. Call your parents too.'
'Sorry honey. Internet’s out. Most of the cables run from Hong Kong. Seems the Chinese cut those cables. Knocked out satellites too I think. All the foreign TV channels are out. Mobile networks too.'
'Where are you now?'
'The hotel. Seems most landlines still work. It's just
a nightmare getting through. The lines are clogged.'
'I miss you,' her voice was almost a whisper.
'I miss you too, honey.'
Again just the sound of her breathing. He glanced at Nancy. She had turned her attention back to the window. 'Gail, I'm going to be busy. I want to get good pictures and pen a couple of decent articles. Can you tell my parents I'm safe and I'll be back as soon as I can?'
He heard her sigh, then silence. He dared not speak.
'You want me to make excuses for you,' she said finally.
'Not excuses,' he chuckled, hoping it didn't sound too forced. 'I just don't want to answer a barrage of questions from a pair of stubborn old Scots.'
'If you’re staying I want you to call every day. If the phones stop working, you come back before it's too late.'
'Ah... I'll be travelling for a couple of days. Then we'll talk daily.'
'What? Travelling where?'
'Oh, my Vietnamese guide... she's organised a few things. Some people to meet for interviews. That kinda thing. I'll call you as soon as I can.'
Nancy turned toward him. Her arms crossed over her chest. She regarded him with one eyebrow raised.
Gail groaned. 'You're not getting into trouble.'
'No, no, no. I swear,' he knew he sounded suspiciously defensive. He let out a long breath, 'I promise no Peter Parker stuff, ok?'
'I love you,' she said in a small voice.
'I need to get going. You can caller-ID the hotel number so you can phone when I get back in a couple days. Bye.' He lowered the receiver. Hovering the handset over the base for a few seconds before carefully replacing it.
'Don't worry,' Nancy soothed, 'she angry now, but happy when see you again.'
'I need to get to Hanoi.' His eyes remained fixed on the telephone.
Nancy walked to him. He noticed how large her pupils were. Perhaps her dark brown eyes made them seem larger.
'I was thinking you want to go to the action.'
'You don't have to come.'
'I will come,' she placed her fingertips on his shoulders. 'I will come if you promise you never leave me alone.'
The March of the Dragons Page 6