Two Peasants and a President (68 page)

Senator Baines, who had been the driving force behind the confront
a
tion with China as well as the battle against big government and soaring debt, now found himself dealing with the many collateral issues.  Unemployment was still high; the fact that it was gradually moderating put little food on the tables of the unemployed.  The challenge was not simply to create more jobs,
but to foster a spirit of self-reliance that had been eroded by a system that had increasingly rewarded all the wrong behaviors. 

Furthermore, China had in no way experienced a change of heart.  They had not simply decided to do the right thing.  They had acted upon the same two principles that have always governed their actions: self-interest and naked power.  They had been forced to back down from a confrontation b
e
cause it was negatively affecting their bottom line, not to
mention their sense of face,
but they had certainly not rolled over.  They would resume a more aggressive posture in the future and Baines knew it.  Therefore, it was i
m
perative to monitor and address issues as they occurred and not allow them to slide.  The days of one side playing hard ball while the other side played cream puff were over. 

On a Saturday afternoon, an event that had been postponed for months finally came to pass.  Molly and Ping scurried around the kitchen making last minute preparations while Virgil set up the back yard.  They had never seen Ping happier; her friends from China had all accepted the invitation and Holly and her extended family would attend as well.  Several news organizations had requested invitations but were politely declined.

Numerous toasts would be made during the course of the afternoon and eve
ning, t
he two most notable being the announcement of Virgil and Molly’s engagement and one to their fallen comrade, Jun.  The Seals had clipped several locks of his hair which they reverently placed in tiny, embroidered boxes and presented to his friends.  One was given to his family.  He would not be forgotten. 

In a separate remembrance, Doris and Gladys were honored, innocent souls caught up in an international showdown not of their making. 

The piano tuner refused to implicate anyone and now resides in Kansas, where his abbreviated digestive system is rumored to be curtailing his e
n
joyment of prison food.  Holly’s Paris assailant was never identified.  Jimmy and Grace were apprehended while attempting to escape on their yacht.  They have since been ‘volunteered’ by the Chinese government, in secret, to become organ donors at the PLA No.
1602
Hospital, where
convict
transplants are rumored to continue, though this is emphatically denied by the Chinese
government.  Tianjin Hospital #77
, as a result of damage sustained from the explosives planted by the dissidents, has been condemned and is due to be demolished.

Many dissidents either lost their lives or simply disappeared during and after the unrest.  Their ranks have been replenished by Chinese citizens who will not rest until they are allowed to speak freely in their own country and accorded the right to vote for their representatives and leaders.  Their cause is
supported by free people everywhere. 

Author’s Note

Two Peasants and a President
is a work of fiction.  The n
ames, characters, places and incidents described in the story flow from the author’s imagination or
have been used fictitiously.  Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, businesses
, companies, events or locales
is pure coincidence.  

The kidnapping of foreigners for the purpose of organ transplants is solely a novelistic device and in no way an assertion
or intimation
that such a practice ex
ists
either in Tianjin or anywhere else in China. 

I should add that I have spent many amazing hours in Hong Kong.  I cannot think of any city I like more, and I would recommend visiting it to anyone.  I have also enjoyed many cities on the mainland.
There is so much history everywhere you look.  Regarding personal safety, one should always exe
r
cise caution and good judgment when traveling anywhere, especially abroad. 
Oh, and by the way – d
on’t break the law – anywhere!