“So Joe took Jackie Gee’s identity because he presumed he was dead?” Adam asked when Mr Lim had paused.
“Yes, he knew that Jackie had no family. They had been wiped out during the blitz in London during the Second World War,” Mr Lim answered.
“But why assume the identity of a known burglar? After all, he was only a getaway driver, and why did he feel he had to disappear?” Adam continued, enthralled by these new developments.
“I really don’t know Adam. Joe felt there were two separate groups after him, but he didn’t know why?” Mr Lim answered. It was obvious that he was getting very tired; it was mid-afternoon.
“There is something I must show you, Adam, but we need to take a little drive. If you come back this evening, Jin will take us. Now I need to rest.”
“Yes, of course, Mr Lim. I’m sorry. I do appreciate what you have told me, but there are many things that still don’t make any sense,” Adam said.
“Yes, Adam. There were many things that Joe could not work out.”
“Thank you, Mr Lim, I will return later. What time is good for you?” Adam asked.
“Come at six, Adam,” Mr Lim answered.
“Six it is, Mr Lim, and again, thank you.”
Mrs Lim showed Adam out; he returned to his hotel room, where he lay on the bed thinking about what old Mr Lim had told him and trying to make sense of it all.
Adam arrived at Mr Lim’s apartment at six o’clock, as arranged, but was surprised to see Mr Lim, his wife and Jin already waiting for him outside their block. After Adam had said hello to Jin, Jin then disappeared into the subterranean parking area, to get the car, Adam presumed.
Mr Lim could see Adam’s surprise. “Don’t worry, Adam. This won’t take too long. Then you can have one last drink with us in South Korea,” Mr Lim said with a smile.
“Okay,” Adam said, “I must say I’m intrigued.”
Jin then arrived with the car, a Hyundai Santa Fe, which was spacious and very comfortable. There was little conversation during the drive, which took them out of Changwon and into the surrounding hills.
They took a winding road and Adam could see that they were heading towards an old Buddhist Temple. Adam had visited several of these Buddhist Temples during his three months in South Korea but was totally unaware of the existence of this one.
When Jin had parked the car in the visitors’ car park, Mr Lim told Jin to wait for them in the car. The three, Mr Lim, Mrs Lim and Adam, then headed towards the temple, but just before the building, Mr Lim took another small pathway that led into a small field. He then led them to the far corner of the field where Adam could see a small wooden enclosure.
Just before they reached the enclosure Mr Lim stopped.
“The story that I told you over the past weeks is not yet finished. Your mother’s name is Jen, and your sister’s names are Sian and Rachel. Am I correct in this assumption, Adam?” Mr Lim asked.
“Yes, that’s right, but how did you know that?” Adam replied, sure that he had never mentioned this during their meetings and talks together.
“Joe had no idea of your existence. He didn’t know he had a nephew. You are very much like your Uncle Joe, who assumed the name of Jackie Gee and is buried here in this quiet part of South Korea. Let me show you,” Mr Lim said as he entered the small enclosure.
Mrs Lim had taken out a bunch of flowers from the bag that Adam only now noticed and was placing them on a grave. She had removed some old flowers and put them in the bag.
There was a headstone on the grave that said:
“Joe ‘Woodbine’ Watts 1925—1955, ’the finest man I ever knew.”
Adam was completely lost for words. Tears welled in his eyes – the uncle he had never known or even met, who had disappeared all those years ago and was now at rest in a remote corner of South Korea, the country he fought for in that bitter war fifty years ago.
Mr and Mrs Lim then left the enclosure to give Adam some privacy and to take in what had just been disclosed to him.
During the journey back to Changwon, Mr Lim explained that Joe had died of lung cancer in 1955. Those bloody Woodbines, Adam thought. But before he was diagnosed with cancer, Mr Lim continued, he was making plans to return to England. Unfortunately, he was unable to follow those plans through. On his deathbed, Joe told Mr Lim why he had assumed the identity of his friend, Jackie Gee.
When they arrived back in Changwon, Adam was invited into the Lim’s apartment for a drink, and after a few sojus and beer, Adam was about to say goodbye to Mr Lim and his wife and to Jin, but before he could, Mr Lim went into the bedroom and returned with a quite large, ornate, Korean box.
“These are Joe’s things, which I have kept. You should give them to your mother when you tell her my story. Tell her she should be very proud of her little brother. He was not a common thief. He was a wonderful man and a great friend. Goodbye, Adam. I have very much enjoyed our short time together and if you ever return to South Korea, make sure you come and visit.” Mr Lim handed Adam the box and shook his hand before he turned to leave the apartment.
“Mr Lim,” Adam called out as was about to enter the lift. The old man turned.
“My full name is Adam Joseph Evans,” Adam said.
Mr Lim then nodded and said, “Joe would have been pleased to have a nephew named after him, and also very proud of you, Adam Joseph.”
Adam then embraced Mrs Lim and said goodbye and that he would be sure to return to visit them. He and Jin shook hands and they said their goodbyes but before he left, Jin gave Adam a small card.
“These numbers are mine and my grandfather’s telephone numbers – if you need to call for any reason, it would save you the cost of an air flight,” Jin said with a smile.
“Yes, thank you Jin, and here is mine,” Adam said, as he handed Jin his own business card. “If your grandfather remembers anything, perhaps you could let me know?”
“Yes, of course, Adam! Have a safe journey home.”
Adam then returned to his hotel room, intending to pack the box in his suitcase, but before he went to the bar he decided to open the box. Inside was Joe’s Gloucestershire Regiment beret, with its crest on the back as well as the front, and a bugle. Adam sniggered when he picked it up; it was battered and dented. I bet Joe hated that, he thought. There were also three Zippo cigarette lighters, several un-posted letters, addressed to his mother and grandparents, and a tub of Brylcream that contained something that rattled when he shook it but was sealed with scotch tape. Strange, he thought as he shook it again. “I’ll open that later,” he said to himself.
There was also an old bankbook, in the name of Joseph Watts, from Lloyd’s Bank of Holborn. Adam flicked through it. There was a balance of a little over two thousand pounds. The last entry was a deposit of five hundred pounds on the fifteenth of December 1949.
He then removed two medals, one a bronze round medal with the United Nation symbol clearly visible, with blue and white vertical stripes and with KOREA displayed across the ribbon. The other was silver coloured, with the Queen’s head shown on one side and, on the reverse, a depiction of what looked like Hercules slaying the Hydra, with KOREA written at the bottom. The ribbon was yellow and blue. I’ll look these up on the internet when I get home, Adam thought.
The box also contained a pair of dog tags, bearing the name ‘Gee, J’, his service number, blood type, A1+, and C of E, his religion.
Adam sat for a few moments and stared at the dog tags. What had frightened Joe so much that he felt he needed to assume a new identity?
On the bottom of the box, he found a folded piece of paper now brown, torn and dog-eared. He opened it carefully not wanting to damage it further. It was a picture of a man in a suit and sporting a beard. It was done in crayon by a child and Adam could just make out the name ‘Joe’ at the top of the page and at the bottom of the page, ‘by Sian’, Adam’s sister.
Adam was somewhat taken aback by this and was overcome with emotion. He definitely needed a drink. He sat on the bed to compose himself. There had been so much to take in over the last few hours. Slowly, he managed to force the box into his suitcase.
“Just one more thing I need to do before I go to the bar,” he said to himself, as he took his mobile phone from his coat pocket.
He pressed the speed dial number and held the phone to his ear. The phone was ringing but it was a while before the call was accepted.
“Hello,” the frail voice answered.
“Mum, it’s Adam! I’ve found Joe!”