The Chinese Contract

A traumatic year awaits the international team with Moa Zedong needing engineers and opening the door to let in his paper tigers. Barney and Allie Smith of the United States arrive in Peking at gunpoint and finally make their way south by rail to the friendship house in Tsangchow, the duplicate of Mao’s compound. Allie is a proverbial whipping boy, not only for the face-saving Chinese but also for internal squabbles such as intended sleeping quarters and special orders of food from Hong Kong. She uses her background in psychology as well as Jung’s dream interpretation to iron out some dissention. Ch’in, her childhood land of dreams has become a grown-up nightmare. She must tolerate the negative side of the typical entrepreneur leaving his troubles at home but dumping his emotions onto foreign soil. A loud-mouthed drunk named Charlie has arrived on New Year; his ranting recorded, and replayed at breakfast for an embarrassing lesson. His recorder in turn suffers a broken leg from more toasting, but his mending lies beyond Chinese herbal medicine. Alley must explain a Dutch procurer’s black book and a list of expletives for Barney’s interpreter, Ma le and her class of interpreters. Tours are unplanned surprises...blessings in disguise. Allie is an artist as well as a history teacher in a land that does not fully pay the engineer-bourgeon until he returns home. Although secrecy seems the best way to resolve differences, her stalker gets his just due after the May Day Parade in this reconstructive year of the dragon. Massive earthquakes bisect the ground once divided by foreigners of the infamous Boxer Revolt. Jobbers demand another form of construction--tent city! Outdoor life is another blessing in disguise. After letting off liquor-barrels of steam, true confessions are therapeutic. The corporate develops a respect for communism and the communist becomes more democratic upon the demise of Chairman Mao Zedong. This unforgettable year of the dragon is 1976. Achievements: Creative writing courses at the University of Houston and Long Ridge Writers Group. Scholarship poetry as well as short stories have been published in various magazines and anthologies with honors won in national contests