Benworden by Neal Davies Read Free Book Online Page A

prospecting in Australia he decided that this was his opportunity to bring wealth and honour to his family. In January 1852 Fei packed his bags and headed off, leaving his wife and two children behind.
    The people of Fei’s village believed that he was a dreamerand would never make anything of himself. They told him the only way to accumulate fortune was through hard work at home and that if he wasn’t successful with his quest he would bring terrible dishonour to his family. But Fei enjoyed adventure and nothing could change his mind. He imagined himself returning with great wealth, all the time believing his family would never have to worry about money again.
    When Fei reached Australia he wrote to his family constantly. The letters told of the hardships and how he had entered into a partnership with an Englishman. Together they had made enough money to buy an old abandoned mine. For once his luck had begun to change and Fei wrote how he and his partner had dug deeper and found a small vein of gold running through the mine and the further in they dug the larger the vein was growing.
    Not long after this discovery the letters ceased. Fei’s family thought that he had deserted them after striking it rich, and when the news spread throughout the province his family were ridiculed and dishonoured because of his actions.
    After his father didn’t return, Fei’s son was teased throughout his school days and like his father the taunts made him more determined to bring honour to his family name. The Chinese government created powerful positions for those who showed exceptional promise intellectually and Fei’s son was one of those students. He became one of the most influential men in his province and with his power came financial opportunity and gain.
    He bought thousands of acres of land and grew and exported some of the finest tea the world has ever seen. All the people of the district bowed whenever he walked past but the whispers and rumours about his father never went away. The family’ssadness carried all the way down to Harry’s parents.
    Harry could cope with his own personal torments but he had trouble dealing with the emotional pain he saw his mother going through, so to escape these thoughts he was often seen with Bonnie in our monitoring room going over the previous day’s recorded security tapes to see if there was anything that the club might be interested in.
    Bonnie “Brain” Bartlett was our other year 10 club member. Whenever any of the younger kids had trouble with school work, Bonnie was always happy to help out, and this probably originated from her being raised in a large family where everyone was taught to help each other. It wasn’t hard to tell that she had her mother’s Italian blood running through her veins with her coal black hair and beautiful complexion, and although she wasn’t overweight she had a stocky build. I guess the Italian characteristic that stood out most was her over-emphasised hand movements, particularly when she was frustrated with someone: she would hold her head with one hand while indicating her feelings with the other.
    She had three older sisters and three younger brothers. Her mother Anna was born in Italy and her parents migrated to Australia when Anna was only four. Although Mrs Bartlett saw herself as a true blue Aussie there was no doubt that her wonderful Italian heritage had never left her.
    Whenever visitors went to Bonnie’s house they found her mother welcoming them at the door with sweeping hand motions beckoning them to enter and warmly welcoming them with her smile.
    â€œCome in, come in. You look hungry. Let me get you something to eat,” she said. And as you took your first step into the house the aromatic smell of garlic and herbs such ascoriander and oregano pleasantly filled the air. Those fragrances would ignite your senses and entice you to the confines of the kitchen where you’d be held