“Well, here’s sad news!” Jimmy greeted us one afternoon when he returned from his daily wanderings.
“What is it now, Jimmy? More propaganda?” I asked, for the Japanese daily poured out a stream of allied disasters which, if believed, would have caused the poor people of Hong Kong to give up all hope of ever again seeing British or American ships enter the harbor.
“No, not propaganda, but proper trouble for us all,” Jimmy replied. “The Japanese are sending around papers to all the houses to say that the water is going to be shut off, and anyone that wants water must pay eighty yen to get it turned on again.”
That was indeed bad news for us, for we were then very low in funds, and eighty yen was too much for us to hope to pay.
Next day the coolie woman, who paid us daily visits to carry off the garbage, confirmed the news.
“Koh Shi Nai,” she said, “soon you will have no water. Japanese leave one tap on street three blocks from here. I glad bring you water in pails, but too many people wait there. Must wait all day get two pails, and must get for our own house.”
“But, A Mo,” my wife said, “even if you had the time to carry for us, we have not the money to give you for it.”
“I think I will have to carry some water. But with so many people waiting, I will have to do it in the late night, and that is very much danger,” Jimmy said bravely.
“We will wait until the time comes and see what happens. I am sure we shall find some way,” said my wife. “We have been so marvelously cared for up to the present, that we can be sure the Lord will enable us to get water in some way.”
During the next few days the water question was a burning topic of conversation with everyone that visited us, and it was also a constant subject for our prayers each day, but we did not get any bright ideas as to how we would overcome the trouble when the water really was cut off.
Each evening we would fill a large earthenware tub to the top, and each morning we would turn on the tap in the kitchen first thing, to see whether the precious fluid was still with us.
One day A Mo came in with a troubled face. “The water coolies and the Japanese are in the next block, and are turning off the water at each house.” she told us.
During the next two hours, we took frequent peeps down to the lane at the back, where the water pipes ran. About 11 a.m. we saw a coolie, accompanied by a Japanese in khaki approach our gate, and while we sadly watched, he opened the water trap and screwed down the valve, removing the key so that it could not again be opened.
“That’s the end of our water, I fear,” I told my wife. But she would not give up her expectation of getting a supply somehow, and out of curiosity went into the kitchen and turned on the tap.
Immediately a thin trickle of water began to flow. “Perhaps that is just what is left in the pipe,” I suggested, though I should have realized it would not have flowed like that on the third floor if there had not been some pressure behind it.
But the little trickle showed no signs of stopping, and we realized that it was likely to run thus as long as the tap was open.
“Evidently there was a defect in the valve and it does not sit closely on its seat,” I said. “All we have to do is to put one of those bed boards across from the tap, sloping down to the tub and let it run continuously, and we shall have all the water we need.” We did so, and by nightfall our big tub was full and running over.
Jimmy was delighted when he learned of this unexpected supply, thankful that he would not have to carry water from the distant street tap.
“Fine!” he exclaimed, “no need for eighty yen now!” But my wife’s conscience began to trouble her.
“Do you think that it will be right to use the water supply without paying for it?” she said. “Won’t that be stealing?”
This was rather a poser for me, but Jimmy had the answer ready.
“No! No! that’s not stealing. You prayed the Lord to give you water and He has given it to you.”
And the more I thought the matter over the more readily did I agree that it was indeed from the Lord, and that we need not have a conscience about using the water so marvelously provided.
Later when I was reading in Jonah that “The Lord prepared a gourd,” the thought came to me “Surely the Lord prepared that defective water valve, that our prayers might be answered.” And we gave Him the praise.