Thread by @JessiePang0125

Nearly a year after Henry and Elaine were first arrested, the newlyweds were tried on charges of rioting, an offense carrying a penalty of up to 10 years in jail. We followed them as they braced for a life apart and learned their fate today.reut.rs/30W88Hx#HongKo…

During the demonstrations, protesters gave Henry the nickname Fu Tong, which means “to go through water.” Elaine was nicknamed Dou Fo, which means “to go through fire.” Literally, the names mean they’ll go through fire and water together.

They didn’t know Natalie before the arrest. Police were firing rounds of tear gas at the time they found her. After helping Natalie to rinse her eyes with saline water, they tried to leave. The trio were arrested by riot police in front of a barbed-wire fence and were tried tgt.

After the arrest, they were kept in different cells at the police station in July last year, just four days before their wedding. “We couldn’t see each other. But if we yelled loud enough, we could listen to each other’s voices,” Elaine said.

“The scariest thing about the arrest was that I couldn’t get married on time. The police officers kept telling us that there was no plan to grant us bail,” he said. “The first thing I told my lawyer was to make sure we could be bailed out and get married.”

Waking up the morning after their release, they were nervous about appearing in court.“It had nothing to do with them, but they stayed put and waited for us under the tropical rainstorm,” Henry said, wiping tears away.“We stopped feeling nervous by the time we entered the court.”

Four days later, Elaine wore her white wedding dress at a tiny marriage hall of the Cotton Tree Drive Marriage Registry in the Central district. Henry vowed to her, “Not even a nuclear explosion could break us apart.”

“The general impression of Hong Kongers toward criminals is very bad, and rioting is a very serious charge, but they still came. It really showcases the love of Hong Kongers,” Henry said. “I am very touched and proud.”

Rather than exchange rings, they tattooed a pair of boxing gloves with Mexican-style bride-and-groom skulls on their toned, muscled arms linked by two strings to the tattooed bands on their left ring fingers. It symbolised how they fell in love until death do them part.

Early this year, Henry spent more than a month putting together the photo book in secret during the couple’s rare times apart. He wanted Elaine to have something to remind her of him in case they were separated again.

In the days leading up to the verdict, the couple counted down their time at the gym, where they spent most of their days building their dream together. They asked a friend to take over the company.

They also treasured moments like running and walking their dogs, whom they adopted three years ago.

The psychological pressure of the past year has left Henry plagued by nightmares. ”On the evening before the court ruling, he was gloomy. “Right now it’s like watching my own funeral, watching people watching my death,” he said. “Except I am not dead. It’s very hard.”

"We fxxking love Hong Kong!" Henry and Elaine said in tears.

Whenever they felt defeated, they took out the wedding gifts and cards they received and went through the messages inscribed on them.

As they stood in the court house, the judge announced the trio had been acquitted of the rioting charge.They were free to go. Everyone inside the court room wept and embraced. They raised their hands in the symbol of "Five demands, not one less" after being acquitted.

In the days before the verdict and sentencing, the couple had paged through the photo book that Henry made for Elaine.

On the last page, he had written, “happily ever after,” like every fairy tale.

To end this thread, I would like to share a line written by Henry from the book: "I don’t believe that our love will be defeated by reality. I hope our love can blossom in this chaotic world". I hope everyone can find love and strength through their story.

P.S. Please enjoy the story with the song "Galactic Repairman":
沿途在 修理著熄了的曙光
祝你在亂流下平安 真愛是任何形狀
對付百孔千瘡 誰能望穿我
這種堅壯非堅壯 形勢壞透只好對抗
由我硬撑著 使你心安

Fixing the dim light along the journey
I pray you are safe and sound in these times of chaos
Love is shapeless
As I tend to my wounds, I wonder who can who see into me

This toughness is not tough, it’s just that these times are so bad we can only resist
Let me bear it all, so that your heart can be at peace

And thanks @karihow, @phirschberg1, @a_roantree for editing this piece in such a short period of time, Tyrone and @GFonsecaJohnson for shooting and editing the photos, @ZXuhan for shooting and editing the video! A team work indeed!