The Shattered West: The Tale of Colt Marsh - Chapter Five

Chapter Five: Brotherly Love...and Hatred

Sacramento, Alta California; May 7, 1869

Colt gave the man at the counter his key and went to the train station. He bought his ticket and boarded early, choosing a seat with ample view of people coming and going. Try as he might, he didn’t see him... but Colt wouldn’t see Hong until he wanted to be seen or it was too late.

April 3, 1869: China

Colt and Hong were on latrine duty. Colt didn’t have to, but he never made his brother take his punishments alone. Every time Hong acted out, he got extra chores and usually gross ones. Hong always appeared angry when Colt helped him, but the two had been inseparable and Hong was the only one who stuck up for him against the other boys.

While Colt was a foreigner, Hong carried a different mark that ostracised him from the other boys. Hong Zi was fatherless, a sī shēng zǐ, and his mother was of “ill” repute. The story goes she died giving birth on the steps of the school and it was Master Bai who delivered the baby. A few days later a messenger arrived with a letter from a benevolent town magistrate who had heard about the boy and asked Bai to take him in. Everyone could guess the true reason for his benevolence.

After that, Master Bai named him ‘Hong Zi’ or ‘Red Son’ - not as a birthright or shameful moniker, but Bai knew that Hong would be a force to be reckoned with, like how the sailors at port talked about a ‘red sun’ meant to take warning. Hong could never live his past down and was always getting into fights when anyone called him names. He had a fierce temper and it was getting worse.

They worked in silence until a local troublemaker and a few of his friends came upon them. They teased Hong, saying that a sī shēng zǐ deserved no other place in this world than mucking out everyone else’s waste. Laughing and taunting they started walking away and headed to the local market. Somehow, Hong had resisted the urge to fight again. Then the leader of their group said, “I bet your mother took one look at you and figured it was better to die herself than even to toss you in the river…”

Hong looked up and Colt was afraid of the look in his brother’s eyes. It was more than anger and hatred. All Colt saw was death.

Passing him, Hong flew after the man. He caught up to him in the marketplace, busy and crowded with people as usual. Colt ran after him but was too late. Hong had charged up, already killed two of the man’s friends, and was now crushing the man’s face with blows from his fist.

A crowd gathered, horrified at the brutality, preventing Colt from getting to Hong. A few people stepped in and tried to stop Hong. One man struck him with a staff, breaking it across Hong’s back. Hong barely flinched, picked up the broken half and stabbed the man with it. The carnage continued. Even people trying to flee were grabbed and cut down.

Finally, Colt was able to get to Hong and put himself between Hong and his next target. His words were useless. He couldn’t bring himself to fight his brother, even with all the people he’d killed already. Dodge as he might, Hong still landed blow after blow, hurting Colt severely and knocking him down.

Hong stepped over Colt and grabbed a small boy, frozen in fear at all that had passed. “Where’s your father, little one? Nowhere to be seen, not here to protect you? Well then, I shall end your suffering so you need not endure a lifetime of agony as I have.” And he brought back his arm to strike the child.

Hong’s legs flew out from under him, sending the child into the air, and Colt caught him. He set him down safely and sent him off. The crowds stopped screaming and running. The foreigner, the butt of so many jokes all these years, had struck down a savage threat.

“Stop it, brother, please!” Colt begged.

“You’ll have to kill me, Hǎishǔ,” Hong replied already on his feet.

And Colt shed a tear for the brother he had now lost. Hong swung, Colt caught it and struck him back. Hong swung again and again and each time, Colt was able to deflect and return blows that landed. Hong grabbed a cleaver from a nearby stand and tried hacking at Colt and still he evaded him. A blow came at Colt, impossible for any man to dodge or deflect, and Colt caught the blade, slapping his hands together on it as it came to strike him. The crowd gasped. Hong tried to wrench it free and couldn’t.

“Please!” Colt begged once more.

“Never.” Hong answered.

Colt felt defeated and lost his grip on the blade. Hong brought it back to strike but before he could he went limp and fell to the ground. Master Bai Hu stood there in tears.

And so it was, Master Bai was shamed, having had a student who would act out in such anger and kill so many. He had also taught a foreigner the secret arts and was stripped of his school and title. Hong was spared execution. A benevolent town magistrate saw him exiled instead.

Back on a train leaving Sacramento…

Colt had lost himself to memory and shame and not heard anything the woman standing before him had said. She was young, dark skinned, and looked very annoyed. “I said, may I have that seat?” she asked, pointing to the seat next to Colt where he’d placed his bag.

“Yes, yes, of course...I’m so sorry, I was...lost in a memory,” Colt replied, moving his bag.

“Well I’m glad we found you,” she replied with a grin, “There aren’t many seats left open on the train and no one seems keen on allowing me to take one. I bought a ticket like anyone else, so I should be allowed to sit anywhere I like, don’t you agree?”

“Of course. Why wouldn’t anyone else?” Colt asked, confused.

“You aren’t from around here, are you?” she asked back. Colt simply shook his head in reply. “Well, people don’t see many with my particular skin tone around here or most anywhere outside of the East Coast. Seems like unless I’m back in Boston, people seem to think I should be back on a plantation or should have gone back to Africa after 1776.”

“That’s a mite close-minded of them, isn’t it?” Colt asked.

“You’re definitely not from around here,” she said with a chuckle. “I’m Gabriella, Gabriella Aloaye,” and she extended a hand.

“Hai Háizi...I mean, Colt Marsh,” he replied, taking her hand.

“Well that’s a funny way to answer and I bet there’s a great story that goes with it. And seeing as how we’ve a very long ride to Salt Lake City...how about you tell me yours?”

Colt was so surprised but so intrigued by someone taking such an interest in him he let it all just sort of spill out. It wasn’t until the train stopped for water a few hours later that he realized just how long he’d been talking.

“I’m sorry...I...I haven’t really had someone to talk to in a while,” Colt said sheepishly.

“Oh, don’t you worry. If I was bothered I’d of told you to stop or just gotten up and moved away,” she said with a smile.

“And what about you? I’m guessing you have an equally impressive tale,” Colt asked.

“If you insist…,” she said with a great, big smile.