Monsoon (31 page)

Patricia bought a few groceries, then went into the phone booth next to the bus stop and took out a handful of coins. She spoke for ten minutes and emerged looking rather pleased with herself. She crumpled her shopping list, dropped it in the rubbish bin and walked briskly home.

Days and nights became blurred for Sandy and Anna as running the cafe swallowed their time and attention. Ho was becoming increasingly difficult and screamed at Carlo if he spent any time talking to Anna or watching him cook. Carlo maintained the chef was stealing food; Ho objected to being ‘spied on'. So Sandy and Anna were relieved when Carlo started disappearing for meetings and making connections with an eye to business opportunities.

‘Who's Carlo meeting with?' Sandy asked Anna as they carried out the tables and chairs one sunny morning.

‘No idea. People he met through those businessmen that came the first night. I think he's been over to Charlie's gallery. And he said he was taking Rick to lunch to pick his brains.'

Sandy didn't say anything but she couldn't see Rick having much in common with Carlo. He was the high-art end of the market whereas Carlo, with limited knowledge, was after flashy, fast-turnover merchandise.

*

Carlo returned after lunch and announced he was onto something.

‘And what might that be?' asked Sandy.

‘Ceramics!' He swept his arms apart with a flourish.

‘You mean bowls, pots, urns, garden tubs?' asked Sandy. ‘Or art pieces?'

‘You got it. Garden stuff. Costs peanuts here; sells for heaps back home.'

‘Is that going to be a big outlay?' asked Anna. ‘And who's going to buy it?'

‘C'mon, Anna, just about every landscaping place you can think of. Water features, statuary, marble stuff. I'm doing a deal. A couple of containers and I'll make a killing.'

‘Where are you sourcing all this stuff? Have you seen it?' asked Sandy.

‘It's around. I've seen samples. I'll be going to the factories though.'

‘Like the ones we saw on the way to Halong Bay . . . Bat Trung, Mr Thinh's place?' asked Anna.

‘Be prepared for the factories, Carlo. They're small backyard operations. Not big, slick, mass-production factories like at home,' said Sandy. ‘So you have to be sure what they produce meets the standard every time. Proper glazes and so on.'

‘Who put you onto this?' asked Anna. ‘It might be good. Don't you think, Sandy?' she asked.

Carlo butted in. ‘Listen, I know a good deal when I see it. I have big plans. There's furniture, you name it. These people make stuff quick and cheap. I should get some Italian designs for them to reproduce. Cheap but classy.' He headed for the kitchen. ‘I'll just grab a snack. I'm off to meet the woman who owns the two trucks I'll be using. She knows all about this stuff.'

‘Carlo, get something to eat from the kitchen up stairs,' called out Anna. ‘Ho is really touchy about you helping yourself in his kitchen.'

‘It is Ho's domain,' agreed Sandy, as there came a crashing and banging of metal pans and Ho's shouting above it.

Before they reached the kitchen to find out what was going on, Ho bolted out waving a large knife. He ripped off his apron, flung it on the floor and stabbed the knife into the top of the bamboo bar, all the while shouting in Vietnamese. He yelled at Sandy and ran from the cafe.

‘What's going on? Carlo, are you all right?' Anna raced into the kitchen.

Carlo was sitting at the small table used for food preparation, calmly slicing a cucumber over a salad. ‘The man's a nutter,' he said.

‘What happened?' asked Anna. ‘Why did he get so upset?'

‘I said I wanted something to eat. He said I wasn't to eat
his
food, so I told him I'd take something out of the box he was
stealing
from here.' He pointed at the plastic box Ho took home each night with leftovers and spare food.

‘God, like a pair of kids,' muttered Sandy behind Anna.

‘What did Ho say?' Anna asked Sandy.

‘He said he quit. Finished. No more. Mr Barney always let him take the box.'

‘It's no big deal, is it? Taking home food for his family. You shouldn't bait him, Carlo,' said Anna. ‘So what do we do now?'

‘That food isn't for his family. I reckon he sells it,' said Carlo.

‘Why do you say that?' asked Sandy, trying not to lose her temper and thump Carlo as he sat there unconcernedly munching through his salad.

‘Well, I know something you don't. He gives it to a young kid who has a mini van filled with food stuffs. It's some sort of scam. I've seen Ho handing it over.'

‘You mustn't accuse Ho in front of the staff: he loses face,' said Sandy. ‘Anna, you'd better start planning the dinner menu.'

‘So you don't think Ho will come back when he calms down?' she asked.

‘Not today. I'll find out where he lives and go and make the peace. And you'll have to apologise, Carlo,' said Sandy.

‘Bullshit.'

Sandy walked out of the kitchen as Anna tried to calm Carlo and get him to admit he'd done the wrong thing, but Carlo shrugged his shoulders. It was no big deal.

The two waiters crept around the kitchen as Anna started the meal preparation.

‘The special tonight is Aussie bubble and squeak and a Thai-fry,' she told Sandy.

‘Sounds hideous. What's in it?'

‘Bubble and squeak is bits of vegetables dipped in a tangy batter and fried and the Thai-fry is like stir fry but with lemongrass, coconut and peanuts. Chicken or beef.'

‘Whatever you say, chef.' Sandy smiled.

Halfway through the evening Ho walked in the front door of the cafe, eschewing the back door he normally used, sat at a table and picked up a menu. He was dressed in casual pants and a long-sleeved white shirt.

Sandy played along, greeting him and putting a tumbler of water on the table, asking him what he'd like.

Ho ordered three dishes including the special Thai-fry. Sandy went into the kitchen. ‘Anna, drop everything and get these out there as fast as you can. A fussy customer.' She didn't say who it was.

Anna had a cotton scarf knotted over her hair, her face was shining with perspiration, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. ‘Hey, right. I'm onto it,' she said, and chopped the carrots even faster.

Ho watched the meals and snacks come out of the kitchen noting the waiters were moving more quickly than they ever had before, as if they were competing with each other. Sandy watched him as the waiter put his food in front of him. Ho poked through the Thai-fry with a chopstick, breaking open a fritter and sniffing it. He tasted each of the dishes, chewing slowly, but left most on his plate. He asked to pay and for a bag to take the food away with him.

Sandy handed him the doggy bag and waved aside his money. ‘It has been an honour to serve you, Ho. I hope the food was acceptable. Anna is trying hard, but your presence in the kitchen is missed greatly.' She spoke in Vietnamese, trying to strike a balance between politeness, but not kowtowing to him either. ‘I have asked Mr Carlo not to offend you, or to upset you in the kitchen in the future should you agree to return to your chef duties.'

Ho looked mollified and announced he would think about it.

She smiled and said, ‘I will see you tomorrow, Ho. Good night.'

Outside on the street Sandy saw a young man standing by the mini van just as Carlo had described. Ho handed him the food bag. The boy gave a slight bow and drove away.

When the main rush was over and Anna came and joined Sandy for a coffee, Sandy told her about Ho.

‘Really! The cheeky old thing, sitting there and ordering my special. God, I hope he liked it.'

At that moment Carlo sauntered back into the restaurant. Anna told him what had happened with Ho.

Carlo shrugged. ‘Who cares.'

‘Well, what have you been doing with yourself?' asked Anna.

‘Babe, this country is ripe for the plucking and with the contacts I've made, I reckon I can do it.'

Sandy looked askance. ‘I don't think that's quite the right attitude to take, Carlo.' She thought how little Carlo knew about Vietnam and suspected that he was way out of his depth and she wondered if Anna thought the same.

10

C
ARLO WAS SPENDING LESS
time at the cafe, but when he was around he preferred to hold forth at the bar as mine host. Sandy asked Anna where Carlo was going and what he was doing but she knew little.

‘He says he is meeting people and being introduced to the way things are done, that's all I know,' said Anna. ‘Though he has said he wants to go to Hoi An. I hope he doesn't do too much without me.'

‘I can't see why he wants to go to Hoi An. Sure it's a big tourist town, but I can't see that it would send Carlo into raptures,' said Sandy. ‘Nothing in it for him.'

‘I'd love to show him some of the places we know about. Maybe go up to the hill country,' said Anna. ‘There's still so much to see here.'

Sandy heard the wistful note in her voice. ‘Listen, if you want to take off for a bit with Carlo, we'll manage. Ho is back and we can get one of the waiters to do a double shift,' said Sandy.

‘No, no. I like working in the cafe. Ho is letting me watch now and I'm learning heaps. I'm going to the market with him tomorrow morning at some ungodly hour. It's just that, well, a short romantic break with Carlo would be nice,' sighed Anna.

‘Listen, why not take a couple of days and whizz down to Halong Bay? He wanted to see the factories in Bat Trung. Take him to see Mr Thinh; he will know who are the more reliable pot people,' suggested Sandy.

Anna laughed. ‘Pot people. I never thought Carlo would be into making his fortune out of garden pots.'

‘Maybe not a fortune, but it's a start. Anyway, I never thought he'd make a fortune out of importing pasta and olives,' said Sandy.

‘It's not just the food side of the business. The wine side of it is lucrative,' said Anna a little defensively.

Sandy knew Carlo's father really ran the business and so far none of Carlo's big schemes had ever come off. But if he was smart, maybe he would do well exporting from Vietnam provided he found the right merchandise at the right price. ‘Okay, whatever. But go down to Halong. Kim has some good contacts down there too. He's coming in at lunchtime – we'll pick his brains.'

Kim bowled in with a flourish of roses and gave both the girls a quick hug. ‘Put them by the cash register so you see them a lot,' said Kim, then scanned the room and smiled. ‘Say, business is booming: not a spare table. Barney will be pleased.'

‘Yeah, we hope so. We've saved a spot for you in the back courtyard if you don't mind sitting in the B section,' said Sandy.

‘Hey, I'm not going to quibble. Can you sit and chat a minute, Sands? Haven't seen you since you took over. How're you enjoying being in hospitality?'

‘The flow of good coffee is nice,' said Sandy and led Kim to the rear of the cafe. ‘To be honest, Kim, this experience has cured me of wanting to run a food place, if ever I did. But Anna seems to be loving it.'

‘How's the Italian lover-boy doing? He's noticeable by his absence.'

Sandy looked at Kim's sympathetic face and thought what a good pal he had become. Then it occurred to her that Kim hadn't talked much about his personal life since she'd left HOPE and she wondered if he'd found a new girlfriend after his last ill-fated love affair with a Brazilian volunteer. He was such a nice person, attractive in his mix of Korean and Hawaiian blood. Stocky, olive skinned, a great smile and dark warm eyes. ‘I have to confess, life is smoother when Carlo is busy. He's hooked up with some business people.'

‘Didn't take him long to make contacts.'

‘He says they do business here and in Saigon too, I believe. Tentacles everywhere.'

‘What sort of business?'

‘You name it,' said Sandy. ‘Construction, transport, import, export and they seem to have lots of fingers in lots of pies.'

‘Sounds like people Carlo would find useful. Sorry, I don't mean to be rude about Anna's boyfriend. But he just has a manner . . . well, you know what I mean.'

‘I do. Don't worry about it, Kim. Actually it's nice to share thoughts with you. I don't like to upset Anna, as she thinks the sun shines out of him. I've always thought she could do so much better, but there you go. We all know couples and wonder what one sees in the other.'

‘That's for sure.' Kim gave her a quizzical look. ‘And what about you, Sandy? No one on the horizon?'

‘Not even looking, Kim. I don't want to get into a relationship when I'm about to leave the country.'

‘Are you?' He wondered about Sandy's hanging around in Vietnam after her contract with HOPE had finished. Most staff took off home or went for a holiday. She didn't seem in any rush to leave, and the visit from Anna gave her a reason to stay on longer. Sandy was so capable, efficient and compassionate, and he suspected she didn't appreciate how beautiful she was in her casual blonde Australian way. If Sandy tried she could have any man she wanted, he thought. Even me. He knew Sandy liked him as a friend and colleague. She would probably be quite shocked if she knew how easily he could fall in love with her. But rather than lose her he stayed in the role of close confidant. ‘What about the Frenchman? Heard from him?'