The Hills of Singapore (28 page)

“Captain Palmer is not an honourable man and is not to be trusted around women, you understand. I tell you this to put you on your guard and to make sure he goes nowhere near Isabel.”

Charles nodded and rose, taking Charlotte's hand. The gong sounded, and Isabel stopped playing.

Talip appeared, dressed in impeccable white, his brown and gold batik sarong around his hips. “Dinner, Tuan Rajah.”

“Dinner,” James shouted and gathered Isabel onto one arm and Hoddy Doddy on the other and set off for the dining room.

“Kitt, don't worry. I will not leave your side, or Isabel's, until the fellow has gone,” Charles whispered.

Charlotte smiled into his eyes. Charles stood by her, the strength of his body, the might of his sword, at her service. He had never been more attractive, and she rather wished that they were alone.

To her relief, Palmer kept to himself throughout the meal. He was seated with two of his shipmates, and after dinner they all took their leave.

Charlotte was so glad she agreed to several dances with the midshipmen and Ludwig Helms, a convivial and cultured man. Charles and several of the young men accompanied Isabel and herself back to their lodgings and Charles came to her door.

“Safe, dear Kitt. Helms is MacEwen & Co.'s agent here for the Rajah. He trades through them. Apparently Helms engaged Palmer's ship to bring him here, and Palmer is seeking to go into business with MacEwen & Co., or some such thing. The Rajah is intent on wresting control of the antimony mines from the Chinese syndicate. I'm afraid I understand little of this sort of thing. I've set a guard to keep watch on the ship. St. John tells me Palmer and Helms will go upriver to see the mines at Bau tomorrow. They will be away for days, rest assured.”

“Thank you, Charles, I am assured.”

They stood together before her door, and a small silence filled the verandah. Somewhere in the forest a night bird called. The silence lengthened into awkwardness, and Charlotte turned and put her hand on the handle of the door.

“A trip, Kitt. Would you like to come with me? See something of the country?”

He had blurted it out, and Charlotte turned to face him. A chance to be alone with him, far away from everyone else. As if this bizarre outpost on a headhunter's river were not far away enough. She sighed. Perhaps he needed this to declare the feelings he seemed to be having trouble acknowledging.

“Yes, Charles, I should like that.”

She saw the flash of his smile in the darkness. He took up her hand and kissed it, then turned on his heel and left.

Charlotte shook her head and locked her door. Really, Charles Maitland, you are hard work, she thought.

31

Lilin waited while the servant arranged the food into the porcelain containers and wrapped them ready to carry. She was taking lunch to Ah Teo and Zhen today. Noan was in bed, and Lilin had supervised the cooking. She had even made her own personal favourite dish,
assam laksa
, a spiced mackerel soup with thick noodles. She knew both men liked this dish, and just knowing she was cooking for Zhen gave her pleasure. Despite everything, she could not help herself. She hated him and she loved him, the two emotions so closely entwined she could not separate them.

She took her favourite
kamcheng
pot out from the cupboard. It was a deep turquoise, covered in a profusion of yellow, lime and pink symbols of longing. The symbols of beauty, wealth and status: the king of the birds, the phoenix, with its rainbow of trailing tail feathers and the luscious king of flowers, the rose-pink peony. Hovering above the peony were two bright-winged butterflies for conjugal bliss, the joys of summer, the spirits of the forefathers, a long life. Also, she knew, the butterflies near the peony meant the romantic desire of a man for a woman. She touched the two butterflies with her finger. A ring of magpies, the bird of joy, ran around the rim. The cloud-shaped
ruyi
, “as you wish” symbol of one's heart's desire, adorned the lid and the
fu
, the protective lion dog of the boodha, was its handle.

She ladled the soup into the dish with infinite tenderness. The cooks had looked in astonishment, for the sight of Lilin handling food in the kitchen was one they had never seen. When the dishes were ready, Lilin sent for Lian.

Lian was dressed in pink silk pyjamas covered in white flowers. Her hair was plaited and arranged under a rose-and-pale-lime hat with small beaded tassels that swung around her face. Lilin had made this little hat and covered it with butterflies and peonies. Lian looked lovely, as Lilin had intended. Lian came up to her aunt with a smile, and Lilin bent and kissed her cheek. Then she took her hand, and they went out through the elaborate carved swinging doors of the house and onto the street.

The walk from Market Street to the riverside was short, but Lilin sent the servant ahead with the dishes. She and Lian wandered slowly along, and the heads of several women turned. The sight of Lilin with her niece was one which was rare on the streets, but they had heard that her sister was unwell. It was good to see her taking care of the family. There had been gossip about her for a long time, for she did not come to temple or attend the usual round of social functions. There had been malicious talk of her carrying on with white men, but no one could say for sure, and no word of this had reached her mother's ears. The husband had taken a second wife, when his first was still young and fair. Well! But then she had lost a child, and no pregnancies since. It was quite understandable. Bad luck for her to be barren, a pall on the family. They nodded as they passed, and Lilin nodded back, unsmiling.

Lilin had chosen this day and this hour to come to the quayside. She knew that the white whore had left Singapore in her ship weeks ago. She had set spies to tell her if Ah Soon or the English boy came to the river, but for a long time there was no news. She began to be worried, for she did not know how else to show Lian to this Ah Rex, as she now knew he was called. This was merely the first step in her plan. She wanted Ah Rex to see Lian, and she wanted Zhen to see Ah Rex and Lian together. Finally, today, the boy had told her that the English boy was at the river with the Malay cockle-shell boys and with his Chinese friend.

Lian skipped ahead of her, and they emerged onto the riverside. Lian knew the way to her father's godown and turned, following the servant. Lilin followed, keeping her eyes on the boats.

Then she saw him. He stood out, a European child in the crowd of Chinese, Malay and Indian coolies. Next to him she saw Ah Soon, Qian's son. She knew he was Zhen's friend and that there was talk of Lian being betrothed to Ah Soon. Not from the men, of course, but the servants heard everything.

The boys were practising guiding the cockle-shell boats with the Malay boys, all laughing together. The servant disappeared into the godown further along the quayside to deliver the food. Lian was about to follow him, and Lilin called to her. She came skipping back, and Lian took her hand and gazed at this boy, this Ah Rex who was Zhen's son.

He was very handsome, well built, his long hair swinging around his face as he manouevred the boats. He was skilful, she could see. He was concentrating on his task of bringing the boat to shore, but suddenly he struck one of the
tongkangs
, and the boatman shouted at him and threw out a string of curses. Alex looked up and answered him in kind. Everyone burst out laughing. Alex laughed too. He did it purposely.

Then he felt eyes on him. Ah Soon was busy tying up the cockle-shell boat and trying not to get wet, and Tarun was helping him. He looked away from his friend and up towards the quayside. A woman was standing there. She was a Nonya, he knew by her clothes, a pretty woman, and next to her, holding her hand, was a pretty girl.

When his eyes met hers, he was somewhat surprised to feel a recognition, as if they knew each other. But he did not know this girl at all; they had never met. Then the woman bent and said something to the girl, and the child waved her hand at him. He smiled and waved back, and then she, too, smiled. It was a smile of radiance so brilliant that he was struck. Then he turned as Ah Soon came to his side and looked at the woman and the girl.

“That is Lian. I know her. My father and her father are great friends. That is her auntie.”

They both started to make their way through the boats and up the quayside. It was time to go home. Tarun had moved off to chat with the Indian boatmen. They had been allowed to cross the river. Alex had come to Ah Soon's house for lunch with him and his father. Alex liked Ah Soon's house, so different to his own, and he liked Ah Soon's mother, who always made delicious dishes for them to eat in the quiet, shady courtyard with chopsticks, which Alex had now mastered. Afterwards they had begged to be allowed to go into the town.

Since his mother had left, he had not been to the Chinese town, and he missed it. He enjoyed the kite flying of, course, and being on the river at the Bugis kampong, but now he wanted to go over the river. Qian did not mind, for he knew that Tarun would take care of them both, and he had business himself over there with Min and later at the graveside of his father-in-law.

The festival of Cheng Beng was almost here, and he was going to the cemetery on the hill. In the tropics, plant life took over a gravesite quickly, and he wanted to see how many men would be needed to clear it, repaint the headstones and do whatever else was required. On the day itself he would come with his wife and sons, with food and drink, paper money, candles and incense. He would give money and make offerings at the temple which stood on the hillside for prayers to be said throughout the year. His father-in-law had paid for this temple, and Qian continued to be its benefactor. He wanted to show the boys how to be good, filial sons, to pay their respects to their grandfather and grandmother who were watching over them in the afterlife.

Both boys climbed up onto the quay now. Lilin moved forward, holding Lian's hand. She knew Ah Soon, who stopped and bowed to her. The English boy, too bowed, like a Chinese boy. Lilin was fascinated with him. She could see immediately that he was Zhen's son, could see exactly what Noan had seen.

Lian stood looking at them quietly. Then Lilin jumped slightly. Zhen had appeared at her shoulder. He had seen his sister-in-law with his daughter, and so little did he trust her that he had left off his work and come to the edge of the river. Now he picked his daughter up into his arms, and she smiled and turned into him and leant her head into his shoulder. Lilin took a step away, and the two boys did not move.

Zhen then recognised Ah Rex and Ah Soon, who bowed to him. He spoke to them in Hokkien, “Where is your dad, Ah Soon?”

“At the cemetery,” Ah Soon said very quietly. Zhen was his father's friend, but always rather overawed him.

“Yes, yes, of course. Cheng Beng is in a few days.” Preparations were under way for the Tan family gathering at the gravesite of Tan's mother and father, who were buried on the hill. The coffins Zhen had ordered for Tan and his wife had arrived. They were in the godown being prepared with tung oil. Zhen knew that this filial act was one which gave pleasure to his father-in-law. He had ordered ironwood, the hardest wood he could find.

As he was thinking of this, he contemplated Alex. Lilin watched him from beneath her lids. How could he not see? she thought. Men were entirely blind. He had said nothing to her, had not even acknowledged her presence. She knew he was testing her. She did not mind. She would be obedient, like these men wanted. It meant nothing, this outward show. She kept her eyes down. She toyed with the idea of telling him but dismissed it. Not yet. Much later, when it would be disastrous, that was the time.

Zhen was thinking very hard. This boy was Xia Lou's son. She was far away, he had learned from Qian. This was not pleasing news. Now here was her son, and such a good boy. He cast about for a way to engage him, to seek an avenue for them to meet again. “Can you play
wei qi
, Ah Soon?” Zhen asked.

Ah Soon shook his head and slipped a glance at Alex. Alex, head down as decorum decreed, smiled slightly.
Wei qi
was a game for old men. Zhen realised his mistake. This was very hard. He had no idea how to engage this boy.

Lilin moved slightly, and Zhen glanced at her but said nothing.

“May I speak, brother-in-law?” Lilin asked very low, her eyes down.

Zhen remained unmoving for a moment then nodded curtly.

“Crickets,” she said. Ah Soon looked up quickly, then down again, and Alex looked at Ah Soon, frowning.

“Fighting crickets,” Lilin added and both boys now looked at her.

Zhen saw it, the flash of interest in the boys' eyes. He had kept crickets too, when he was a boy. There were crickets in the market here in Singapore, but he had not thought about them before.

Zhen put Lian down and motioned to Lilin to take care of her, dismissing her. Lilin smiled very slightly.

“Shall I buy some crickets for you, good fighting crickets?” Zhen asked the two boys. They both looked up now and smiled.

“Yes please, uncle”, they both said in unison, and Zhen nodded.

Tarun had noticed the conversation and approached the group. He was not afraid of the big Chinese man. His duty was to Iskandar and his friend. Zhen saw him out of the corner of his eye, knew that he would drag the boys away. Quickly he said,” Ah Soon, tell your father I will bring them to your house. Ah Rex, you will come too.”

Alex and Ah Soon bowed to Zhen. He turned, taking his daughter by her hand. Lilin followed behind.

Alex watched them depart. He thought this man was magnificent. His stature, his looks, his deep calm, made him stand out from everyone on the quayside. He was happy, very suddenly, that he would meet him again. When Tarun came up, Alex took Ah Soon's hand, and laughing, they skipped over the bridge. They were chattering excitedly in Hokkien, talking of crickets and cricket fights, and Tarun could not understand. He remembered what Iskandar's mother had said about going to the Chinese town. She was quite right. All this Chinese chatter was utterly annoying. He would not allow Iskandar to come again.