CHAPTER NINE
Ferry Building, San Francisco
April 19, 1906
Thursday morning, 6:00 a.m.
As the sun moved higher in the sky, the crowd of people surrounding the wharf also grew bigger.
“How are we going to get on a boat?” I said. “Everyone wants to do the same thing.”
Mr. Quan tapped his finger on his chin. “It will be difficult,” he said. “I overheard people offer money or help loading cargo. I know you all can’t lift heavy things, but maybe if I offer our labor they can take all of us.”
Jade looked doubtful. “Why would they take us in Oakland? No one in San Francisco wants us here.”
I caught her eyes. “I want you here.”
Jade looked at me. “Thank you,” she said.
Mr. Quan slapped his knee. “We are Chinese. We are strong people. We have made it this far and will continue to go farther. We will get to Oakland.”
He turned to me and Lee. “Your father is probably finding us work there right now. I’m sure your mother is resting at your cousin’s home this very moment. They are probably preparing for you both to arrive.”
I could picture Mother. She would be sitting in a chair, with June in her lap. June would be sucking on her fingers and drooling from her brand-new teeth. I couldn’t wait to see my baby sister again.
We packed up our meager belongings. I placed my book in the basket. It would be good to get to Oakland and have a better meal. I wanted to take a bath, then sit next to my parents and read my new book.
I understood what Dorothy meant when she said there was no place like home. It was sad to think our apartment was probably ruined by now—either by fire or by people tearing it down to create a firebreak. But I knew that it didn’t matter where we lived. I just wanted us all to be together again. That would be home enough for me.
We made our way across the park. Several boats and ferries lined the shore of the harbor. There were many more people than there was room on the boats.
A crowd swelled around the shore. People waved money in the air. Some held out sparkling jewelry. Mothers held their children up. “Save my baby!” they cried.
“Take us, please!” someone else yelled.
“We need to get out of here!”
“Help us!”
Somehow Mr. Quan led our group through the crowd to the front of the line. He waved to a man on the boat.
“Hello!” Mr. Quan said in English. “We would like to help load cargo if the captain could take us all across to Oakland.”
The man looked at us. “What do they have to offer?”
Jade took a silver comb out of her hair. She handed it to the man. “For you,” she said in English. “For freedom.”
The captain turned the comb over with his fingers. He seemed satisfied. “It’s a pretty thing, isn’t it?”
He looked at my brother and me. “Well?” he said, pointing at us. “What do you both have to offer? Any more Chinese trinkets?”
Lee looked at me. I looked at Lee. We both knew we didn’t have much. All we had was our clothes we’d packed in the laundry basket. Our food was gone, and the basket was worth practically nothing.
Then I saw my copy of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. I swallowed. With dirty fingers, I picked up the book. It had only been mine for two days, but it felt like a lifetime. I had read to Lee from it on my birthday. I had used it to dig out from under the table. The book had given me strength during my journey. I’d remembered each character as I followed my own yellow brick road.
I felt sad knowing I was about to give up my most valuable possession. But being with my family again would be even better. That was worth more than all the stories in the world.
“I will give you this book,” I told the captain. “It’s my favorite story.”
The captain frowned. He lifted up his hand and swatted the book out of my grip. “What am I going to do with an old book?” he asked.
My book tumbled into the crowd. “No!” I yelled.
My shout caused a stir in the crowd. Suddenly, they all began to push.
“Get out of my way!” people shouted.
In one huge surge, hundreds of people swarmed the deck. I felt hands on my back and elbows in my sides.
I reached for Lee’s hand, but it was too late. My brother was swallowed up in the crowd.