Three Pennies
by
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Gently, the two tugs pushed the big troop ship against the dock. Leaning on the handrail, Rick was one of the many sailors watching as the Chinese dock men pulled the heavy lines from the ship. While tying them to the dock, Rick lit a cigarette and took a deep drag. His thoughts drifted back to the circumstances that had brought him to this faraway land.
As he was watching some of the prisoners play baseball, one of the guards walked over to him. "On your feet, Savage, the warden wants to see you in his office."
"Yes, sir," he answered, getting up from his seat on the ground. As he marched to the warden’s office, his mind was racing, trying to figure out why he was being sent for.
"Wait here," the guard said, when they reached the door to the warden’s office.
Rick stood at attention. "Yes, sir."
Finally, after what seemed like hours, the door opened and the guard motioned for him to enter. Moving to stand at attention in front of the big, oak desk, Rick waited as the warden sorted through a stack of papers.
"Well Savage, according to this report, it looks like you will be leaving us and going back to duty. What do you say to that?" the warden said, looking up from the report.
"Well, uh, thank you, sir," he managed to say.
Getting up from his desk, the warden walked up to Rick and stopped in front of him. Though Rick stood 5 feet 10 ½ inches and was well built, with black hair, brown eyes, and not an inch of fat on his one hundred and eighty-five-pound body, the warden was still able to look down on him.
Man, this guy is huge, Rick thought to himself, as he stood facing him.
The warden shook hands with Rick. "Congratulations! Tomorrow you will be going back to duty. I wish you luck."
"Thank you, sir," Rick answered.
Walking back to his desk, the warden stood behind his chair, his back to the big window with bars behind him. Rick could see the prisoners through the window still playing baseball in the courtyard.
"Savage," the warden spoke, breaking into Rick’s thoughts, "once you leave this prison, I don’t want to see your face again."
"No, sir, I mean, yes, sir, I mean – "
"Never mind, Savage. I know what you mean." A small smile crossed his face.
Rick had a healthy respect for this big man, with his neatly combed, sandy-colored hair and blue eyes of steel. He was very stern about running the prison, but he was also very fair.
"Good luck, Savage," the warden said, as he dismissed him.
The following day, at ten-thirty in the morning, Rick picked up his orders and was driven to the Naval Station. It was on the other side of Terminal Island from the prison.
After reporting to the officer of the day, Rick was assigned to a barrack, then given a weekend pass. It was a lucky break.
He made his way to the ferry that would take him to the San Pedro side of the bay. Stepping off the ferryboat onto the huge, floating dock with its four ramps leading up to the street level, Rick stopped. He took a deep breath as he reached the very top of the ramp. Man oh man, there’s no other waterfront like San Pedro, he decided. He could smell the fish from the canneries and hear the loud music blaring from the many bars along Beacon Street.
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About the Book
The year was 1945. World War II was over and humanity was trying to get back to the normal way of living.
Replacements for the men who were going back to the States were just getting off the troop ship that had brought them here to this faraway land from home. Little did Rick know that within a few days, his whole life was going to change.
The hawkers were on every block selling their wares. Every ten feet, a prostitute would stop you and ask you if you wanted to make love – there wasn’t anything you could not buy for the right price.
Tsingtao had the most European looking railroad station in China. It was built by the Germans, to remind them of their homeland. The city itself was like any other city, with its open storefronts and the smell of food cooking. But it was also known as the "Sin City" of the orient, with its opium dens and smugglers.
This story takes Rick down through the city’s underground highway, which was used by the smugglers in the old days. What he did to help the children, the old, and the weak led Rick to being the most powerful ringleader in the black market in China. He became the most hunted by all of the authorities, known by the code name "Qua-Ming."
About the Author
When asked, "What do you do?" Al Olguin replies, "I have been a seaman most of my life."
Growing up on the seaport of San Pedro, California, my dream was to travel the globe. I worked on cruise ships for many years in the capacity of Chief Steward, Chief Storekeeper, Head Waiter, and Auditor.
While I was in the Philippine Islands, World War II broke out. After the war’s end, I was stationed in China for about a year. Due to the suffering that I saw, gave me deep compassion for the people. Thus, trying to find a way to relieve some of the suffering, led me to the writing of Three Pennies.