A+French+woman+that+own+s+a+rubber+plantation+in+Indochina1

Cécile Bonnefoy 25 years old Female Occupation: Rubber Plantation Owner 5'4, brown eyes and hair, tan, muscular from working at the plantation, Lives in a well to do plantation in Chon-Thaoh,Saigon, Indochina

Personality: A strong woman who works for what she had, cares for the people that work for the plantation, she has an extreme stubborn streak, and never wants to leave the home she grew up in. She likes poetry and tries writing it, and cares for her family above all. Beginning to think of remarrying to continue the plantation. Is christian and her patron Saint is Jeanne d'Arc

Family: Father (Michelle) still lives with her, she is a widow who's husband was killed working the plantation. I have a younger sister (Isabelle) and an older brother(Francois). The brother helps out at the plantation but lives in the town with his wife and two daughters. The youngest sister is studying to become a teacher, and she is engaged. Education:Finished high school, but then worked the plantation. Reads the newspaper and poetry so up to current events. Languages you speak: French, English, Vietnamese Your main concerns at this time and in life: My life and continuing the plantation without my husband, worried about my future. Portrait (an image that you and we can live with):

http://www.jeanneeagels.com

Diary, 11 Juillet 1937 Mon dieu, how could this happen... there have been tensions for years, but an all out war? Mon dieu, mon dieu.... I woke up this morning to Francois banging on the door, I was extremely angry, because I work hard and never like to be up early, but he never bothers me so I guessed it was serious.. and it was... The Japanese had just started a war... no a SLAUGHTER of China. I noticed that my brother had also dragged his wife and two daughter with him, and invited them inside, which was good because his dear wife Marie looked like she was about to faint. I brought out some of my best brandy, for this of all times was something that was needed, I also had suspicious feelings about my brother's actions of dragging his entire family and some of the more precious belongings down here. He took me aside and told me he was going to join the army, and asked if I could watch over his family. I didn't want him to ... but his stubbornness is at the same degree as mine... so I knew he would never give up this chance.... they are here now, in two of the free rooms in the back corridor. Marie had calmed down a bit.. and she was ready to help her husband in any way she could... after we had eaten breakfast, I went into town to talk to Isabelle. She seemed quite shaken up, but otherwise decided to continue working in the town. She has always been that way working hard until she needs to stop... it is a wonder she wasn't already married. I stayed in town for a while to talk with more of the folk their... but they only seemed a little concerned about what was happening. I went back home in time for un dejeuner, but I can't shake this feeling that something much worse is going to happen. Then again... it would be idiotic of Japan to try to fight a European power... I hope that the mainland is coming up with some kind of way to calm this thing down before it reaches too far. Marie and Papa are getting more of their belonging from Francois's town house, and the children are outside playing in the bushes. The workers are still working, the bees still buzzing, the birds chirping, the dogs barking- it almost seems as if nothing could ever go wrong here... and for that I pray to the great lady Jeanne d'Arc, let me have courage and try my best in these times of need.

Diary, 9 decembre 1941, These years have been too long... I can't contain it anymore. For about two years... we didn't have too many worries... but then we heard of a war in Europe... and suddenly work over here increased a lot in preparation. Marie was helping me in the plantation and her children were also working hard. Francois barely ever came home... he was always trying to make sure that Marie was all right. Isabelle stayed in town because she finally was able to teach... but she never did get married. However, even though the times were trying, we were still ready to go for anything, to try! However, in 1940... France was taken over by Germany, and our land was given to them. Papa couldn't stand the thought that France had been overcome... he just stopped eating and soon passed away. He was old but it still....then the rubber I was making was sent to the Germans, but even worse then that! Over the years America and many other powers had been blocking Japan from getting things like oil... and rubber. I just knew that would backfire, I KNEW IT. Soon... Japan and the Vichy government in France started to talk about the Japanese having this land. And what happened while they were still working?? They INVADED. Fine, they would have been able to anyway... but none of us were prepared for it. They went through the towns... killed a few... captured others... they took Isabelle. I...I don't know where she is. Francois is gone too, we don't know if he was killed... but I heard even death is better then being taken as a prisoner of war by the Japanese. We didn't have time to mourn... because... the Japanese wanted rubber... and a few soldiers came to my door. One of them spoke some english.. but I can't even pronounce his name.. gisea no sakasa... he asked if I was willing to continue my plantation... I had to agree. I had another women and her two children living with me! If I hadn't agreed, they would've taken all of us! They might have killed us! It is not like I was alone.. many other people did the same thing.. and if they didn't, they disappeared. That man then was sent everyonce and a while to watch over us... I say man but he was barely one.. he tried to translate his name in English, but it was very silly so I ended up just calling him Sak ..... I hated him... more then anything... It's not like I didn't do some stuff to mess up the orders! I really lowered the quality, and sometimes sent the worse batches possible.. but if I did that a lot I would end up killing the families that rely on me... even my workers! If my workers don't work... they would be taken... I am saving lives by doing this... and even if i did fight... what could I do? But yesterday... I heard news from Sak... America has declared war.... because those those bêtes! They fired on American territory. I am actually really excited.. I shouldn't be.. but doesn't that mean we can be saved?? America is powerful now... I just hope that they can finally move fast enough... I must stop here for the night... but I don't pray anymore... praying wont save me when I can try to do it myself.

. Diary,

I am still here, and Marie and here daughters are still living with me... but truthfully nothing has changed. I have heard neither hide nor tail of Francois or Isabelle ... but each day I get more and more news. Sak is always proclaiming about the victories... but it is sort of nice to know that we aren't the worst off. In fact only very few people died here compared to the other territories that were forcefully overtaken... that is horrible of me to think, but I need to at least think that their is some good in this captivity. Marie is having trouble dealing with her two children, because she tries to keep them inside and teaches them herself. I help out sometimes, to teach them english and history... but it is doesn't have anything on a real school. Oh let me stop blathering.... I am scared... very scared.... so many places have been taken over, and so many people have died. I can't live like this... I can't... I can't keep just making rubber... I am a murderer.. an accomplice... equally guilty. I can no longer hide behind my idea of protecting people... but what can I do... just hearing about all these other places that were taken over just takes the heart out of me. The Americans, I hear have started to take over islands.. but the amount of deaths is a lot, but I can not tell how many because Sak only comes by every once and a while, and he won't talk about it. Marie is a bit surprised that I can actually talk with him... but I guess I look like I have adapted, in fact my neighbors probably think I am fine having to collaborate with them. As if I am.. my workers have barely enough food to give to their families. The Japanese soldiers are eating all of our food, and we just do not have enough to keep us all fed. Lately, though, I have heard of a group that is lead by a man named Ho Chi Minh, he seems to be trying to get people together to fight the Japanese, but I am very worried because he is communist, and I am worried about how he might change this country even more then the Japanese did. Well I best be going, I still have much work to do today. I hope that this war ends soon, and that my siblings will be all right.

Diary,

This is such a joyous day, yet it is so horrendous as well. The war is over, but not everyone has returned. Francois will never return... I was given notification that he was killed as a P.O.W. I pray that his passing was not as painful as the ones I have heard of. Marie seems as good as she can possibly be after not seeing her husband for so long, and then finding out he is dead. Her daughters have grown up without a father, so it is very hard for them to even remember his face. But even though that has happened, Isabelle has returned! She is very pale and sickly... and she seems to be hiding something from us, trying not to worry us. But I have heard rumors, of these places called Comfort Station, and I do not even want to write down what she has heard. She also brought a friend that she made in the station, a Korean girl named Park Kum-Joo, she is very young, and doesn't have enough money to go home, so I decided to let her live in this house. She can only speak Japanese and Korean, but I have learned a little Japanese so we can communicate a little bit, she is teaching me Korean, and I am trying to teach her some Vietnamese. Though the war is over, the way it ended has scared me almost as much as the war itself. Two bombs destroyed two entire cities, two bombs killed so many people! The fighting here has not really settled down, now that the other nations are busy trying to fix everything, many different groups are trying to gain power here. That Ho CHi Minh, I have no idea what he is trying, but it seems to be he wants to rule. I really do have to wonder how this country will end up. Too many nations want this area, to many fights are already starting. It is all the Japanese's fault, the screwed everything up. But... how can I say that... I did nothing to try to make the Japanese leave... and it is not like I could have done something, is it? I am just one person, it should be impossible... too much guilt, I can not face it. Well that is all I can write for now I have too much to think about, au revoir.

Work Cited http://members.multimania.co.uk/Indochine/hist/begin.html http://belleindochine.free.fr/Caoutchouc.htm http://www.quanloi.org/ABattery14OneandOneSite/RubberPlantations/OriginsOfFrenchRubberPlantations.htm