Chapter 2

Mr. Strachan is very surprised by Jean's decision to go back to Malaya and dig a well, and Jean wants Mr. Strachan to understand her decision. Jean then goes on to explain how she lived with her family in Malaya until she was 11 and her brother Donald 14 years old. She moves with her mom and brother but her father, Arthur Paget, stays in Malaya for work. Jean's father dies in a car accident and the president of the Kalua Perak Plantation Company, which was where Jean's father worked, offered a position to Donald when he turned 19 years old because they liked Arthur since he was a very valuable and competent man. Time goes by and Jean and Donald grow up and eventually Donald goes to Malaya for his promised position. When Jean gets older, she also goes to Malaya to work at Kalua Lumper. The war breaks out but Jean is not worried. Eventually however, everyone has to evacuate Kalua Lumper since it was shutting down because of the Japanese advancement. Jean's boss tells her to go to Singapore but instead she goes to Batu Tasik to see the Hollands, a family that she was friends with. When she arrives, Mrs. Holland is in a panic since her husband, Mr. Holland, had not come back since morning and only returned later in the evening. The Hollands packed and were going to go to Kalua Lumper but after 2 mi on their way their tire burst and they had to walk back home, leaving behind all their bags in the car. Around 2 hours later an officer in a truck came to the Holland’s house and told them they needed to leave since the Japs were headed their way. The officer took them, along with many other families who had waited until the last second to evacuate to Panong. The officer had hoped they could take a boat to Singapore and with an affirmation from the D.C. he left the families at Panong and went to rejoin his unit.
The D.C. waited ashore for the boat but when it landed Japs came out of the boat and captured Panong.
Jean, along with the Hollands and the other families became prisoners. The men were separated from the women and children to be taken to prison camps. Jean and the Holland family had to say goodbye to Mr. Holland. Before he got taken away, Mr. Holland asks Jean to stay with his wife, Eileen, and his 3 children.
On their 35th day as prisoners at Panong, an 8 year old child named Esme Harrison died from dysentery.
Jean then goes on to tell Mr. Strachan that the remaining prisoners were moved from Panong to other villages. Their final destination was supposed to be Singapore but with no cars, they were forced to walk about 10 miles each day under the hot sun. Many women and children got sick and some even died. Eventually the guards started to need Jean's help to get directions from the Malayan people since they spoke little to no Malay and Jean is fluent in Malay. The soldiers aided the women by helping to carry their luggage and the children along the way. When they got to villages the soldier in charge let Jean go to the market to buy fruits for the other women.
Before the women got to Klang another woman had died of exhaustion. By then, Jean and another woman named Mrs. Horsefall, who had taken charge as their leader, had made an agreement with the soldier in charge to walk only every other day in order to prevent others from dying as well.
While in Klang, little Ben Collard, who had been bitten by a scorpion, died.