The Plantation Part 38

'Only for a time. After the war I went back there. It was great to catch up again with Roland. I took up my position again in the Civil Service, but once Malayanisation started, I found that there was no place for me, so I went back to the UK. No place for me there either and I couldn't take the blasted cold weather. I was married by then, and so Vera and I decided to emigrate to Australia.' He paused as if waiting for her to say something. 'You're probably too young to know about the ten-pound Poms,' he laughed.

'I do know. After the war, people from the UK could emigrate to Australia for ten pounds, right up till the seven ties, I think,' said Julie. 'A friend of mine's parents did that, too.'

'Some didn't settle in and went back to the UK, but most did, like Vera and me.'

'Why Goondiwindi?' asked Julie. 'It seems a long way for an Englishman to come.'

'Bit of luck, really. I'd been in the Civil Service in Malaya and when I got to Australia I saw an ad for a job in council administration in Gundy. I applied and got the job and moved here. Loved the place from the start. Raised our family here and never wanted to leave. When are you coming to see me, did you say? Friday, is that right?'

'That's right, Bill. Next Friday, if that suits you. Mum and I will make a long weekend of it. Is there something I can bring you? Are you allowed a beer?'

''Course I am. But I tell you, la.s.s, I wouldn't say no to a decent gla.s.s of red.'

'It's a deal. I'll see you at the end of the week,' said Julie.

Julie and Caroline cruised in to Goondiwindi the next Friday. The town was typical of Australian country towns, with palm trees dividing its broad main street. They drove past the cla.s.sic Victoria Hotel, its upper storey fringed with iron lace, and past the statue of the beautiful grey racehorse, Gunsynd, which was the town's claim to fame in the seventies. They found Bill's retirement village close to the Macintyre River, and pulled in to the reception area.

'You're friends of Bill's?' said one of the admin staff as she showed them the way to his suite. 'He still gets visitors because he has lived in Gundy for so long, but they're getting on, too, so there aren't as many as there used to be. Some of his family come by every few months, so this will be nice for him.'

'We won't tire him out,' said Julie.

'Oh, Bill chugs along like a steam train,' she said. 'He plays bridge twice a week, and takes his daily const.i.tutional around the garden. Wish I knew what his secret is.'

'He asked us to bring him some red wine. Is that all right?' said Caroline.

'Perfectly. Bill doesn't smoke, but he does like a tipple now and then. There's his room, number six. He has a bell in there to call for anything if he has a problem.'

They heard the scuffing of feet as Bill called out, 'Door's open.'

When they opened it, they found a sprightly, smiling man, a thin scattering of white hair over his pink scalp, bright blue eyes, a silver moustache and skin that sagged in folds but had few wrinkles. He was straight-backed, but moved with the aid of a walking stick. He smiled at both women and held out his hand in a friendly manner.

'Welcome, dear ladies, to my humble abode. Would you care to sit outside in the sun?'

'That sounds lovely. I'm Julie, and this is my mother Caroline.'

'Yes. I remember you, Caroline. You were just a little girl when I saw you last. A bundle of energy, as I remember. Kept that amah of yours on the hop,' he chuckled to himself. 'I can make us tea or coffee and I've ordered some sandwiches.' He led the way through the large bright room which served as the sitting room. It contained a little dining table, as well as a small lounge and two chairs, and it had a kitchenette in one corner. Folding doors evidently hid his bedroom and bathroom. There were no steps, and Julie noticed that where the sliding gla.s.s door opened onto the tiny patio with its seats and small table, there was no ledge or strip for Bill to trip over. The patio looked out onto the communal garden, while the unit next door was screened from Bill's by a hedge which was low enough to chat over. The area was decorated with flowerpots and a small bird bath. Through the distant trees, Julie and Caroline could see the glimmer of the river.

'This is pretty. Very peaceful.'

'Make yourselves comfortable. The birds are noisy. They love that bath. I feed them sc.r.a.ps. I shouldn't, but they entertain me. It's lovely to be visited by two such delightful ladies and to be presented with such a nice bottle of wine. I know I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but why are you here?' His eyes twinkled.

So Caroline and Julie told him the story of Bette's book and how that had led Julie to visit the family plantation in Malaysia and meet Peter and Shane and then how they'd finally tracked down Bette, whom Caroline had not seen since she was a toddler.

'Mum and I are still sorting it all out in our heads. It's been quite a revelation to us. The more we learn, the more questions we seem to have,' said Julie as they reached the end of their story.

Bill nodded. 'I can imagine.'

'From my mother's point of view, she always ...' Caroline began.

'Ah, Margaret ...' interjected Bill.

'That's right, Mother told me about her life in Malaya before the war, but never wanted to talk about her sister, or about her marriage, after the war. And we know that Bette and Philip were in the POW camp in Sarawak, but Mother told me nothing about that at all. Now I wonder if maybe Roland changed as a result of the war, as well.'

'As so many did, but not Roland,' said Bill.

'So what happened after the war was a closed chapter. My grandmother seemed content in her big old house in Brisbane while grandfather Roland stayed on in Malaysia with my uncle Philip and contact between the two parts of the family has been rather spa.r.s.e, especially after Philip died,' said Julie.

'Now you must think that it's rather strange for me to want to know what happened between my parents after all this time. Until we met Bette and found out what my mother had told me about my aunt's marriage was not exactly the truth, I really hadn't questioned my parents' relations.h.i.+p. I had accepted that it was just the way things were. Now I want to know if you have any idea what the real reason was for my mother's return to Brisbane?'

'Yes, actually I do. It was all very unfortunate.'

'What do you know, Bill?' asked Julie softly.

'I kept in contact with Roland after the war, when we both returned to Malaya, and after I came to Australia, too, for that matter. We'd shared some experiences in the war, and we knew things that very few people knew. We were in intelligence, you know.'

Julie nodded. 'I've read Roland's account of his war service, so I have a good idea of the work you two did behind the lines. I know that it was very, very dangerous. But I can't see how that would affect Roland's and Margaret's relations.h.i.+p after the war.'

'Yes, I always a.s.sumed my mother wasn't happy in Malaya after the war, because of all the changes. It wasn't the grand life any more,' said Caroline.

Bill nodded. 'I suppose that was part of it. The communist insurgency made things uncomfortable for people living in the rural areas, but att.i.tudes were changing as well. There was talk of independence, which would mean a big s.h.i.+ft in political power. It was clear that things would not return to the way they were before. But I think, at the bottom of it all, was that Roland found it very hard to forgive Margaret.'

Julie stared at him. 'Forgive Margaret? For what? What happened?'

Bill paused as if deciding whether to say more. Then he s.h.i.+fted in his seat. 'Julie, why don't you make us some tea? All the makings are in the kitchen. The la.s.sie will be around with the sandwiches any minute.'

'Of course.' Julie got up. 'So you can get your meals provided, or do you make something for yourself, Bill?'

'I usually eat in the dining room, but I can make up a brew or a bit of toast if I want to. Never did get into the cooking caper. There's the doorbell. That'll be our sandwiches.'

A smiling young woman came in carrying a tray. 'You want it out there in the sun, Bill?'

Holding mugs of tea and triangle sandwiches, Julie and Caroline looked expectantly at Bill.

After he'd settled himself he turned to them. 'It's quite a story. I don't wonder that Margaret never told you the real reason she left Malaya, it doesn't surprise me at all. I know that she would not approve of my telling you what happened, but I feel I owe it to Roland to tell you, Caroline, the truth about your parents' relations.h.i.+p.'

'Thank you,' said Caroline. 'I would like to know, for better or worse, what happened.'

'I'm glad that you feel like that, la.s.s. I was there, as it happened, when the whole thing blew up. But it's so late in the day now I know I'm not breaking any confidences by telling you about it.'

'When this happened, was Bette married to Tony Tsang?' asked Julie.

'Yes, now that you mention it, I think she could have been, or the same year at any rate. Margaret told me that her sister had gone to Penang and had been seen with Tony. Roland and I thought that was wonderful, as Tony was a friend of ours, but Margaret didn't approve.'

'And was Philip there?' asked Julie.

'No, he'd gone to boarding school by that stage. He was a fine boy. I heard that when he finished school and university, he came back and worked with his father on the plantation. After Roland died I didn't hear much about Utopia, but I did learn, via the grapevine, that Philip and his wife were killed in a car accident. That upset me, I can tell you.'

'Philip's sons Shane and Peter are running the plantation now. They are certainly committed to making it a modern operation. They're doing a great job. But Bill, we are dying to find out why Gran brought Mum back to Australia,' said Julie.

'As I said before, I know what happened but I don't suppose anyone else ever knew the story. Maybe it's time, Caroline, for you and your family to know the truth.'

Utopia, 1950 Margaret was clearly pleased at the welcome distraction of Bill d.i.c.kson's visit. 'Bill, I'm delighted to see you. It's always so dull around here these days a friendly face is a cheery sight. I know that you and Roland want to spend time reminiscing about the war and your adventures, so I'll leave you two here on the verandah with your whisky and water so that you can talk.'

Later that evening, while Roland was dressing for dinner, Margaret joined Bill and asked him his views on the present Emergency.

'Roland doesn't like to discuss it with me. But what are these communists doing? The war is over, the country should be grateful that the British are back in control. These Chinese are troublemakers,' said Margaret. 'All these murders, arson attacks and strikes. You know we were all nearly killed on the Fraser's Hill road, don't you?'

'Roland told me about that. You lost your driver, didn't you? The experience must have been very frightening.'

'I never thought we'd see the day when people would try to push the British out of Malaya. What I can't stand is the disloyalty from some of our workers, after all we've done for them,' said Margaret. 'Several of our staff have disappeared and haven't come back. It's shocking that there are still communists in this area. I worry about our safety.'

'I wouldn't worry. Utopia seems to be quite safe,' Bill said soothingly.

'And,' continued Margaret, 'that Ah Kit is one of those communists. He was our houseboy. I think I've seen him around the district, but Roland won't talk about him.'

Bill seemed quite interested in Margaret's claims. 'You saw Ah Kit? Whereabouts?'

Margaret smiled at Bill. At last someone wanted to listen to something she had to say. 'I was driving back from Slim River a couple of weeks ago. We have a new driver, of course, although he's not as good as Hamid, and there was a young Malay police constable in the front seat with him. He's been a.s.signed to protect us. We pa.s.sed a rice field where there were several farmers in large straw hats talking to a man with a bicycle. I know that the car was speeding past, but I'm sure that the man with the bicycle was Ah Kit. It shocked me.'

'Are you sure that it was Ah Kit? You couldn't have been mistaken?'

'No, Bill, I'm convinced that it was Ah Kit!' she exclaimed. 'The new driver told me that he's often around, talking to the villagers, asking them questions, helping them. Bill, those communists killed Hamid and they nearly killed me and my children. They're getting very brazen,' said Margaret.

Bill was shocked by how angry Margaret was about the communists, but he supposed that under the circ.u.mstances it was understandable. At least Philip was safe in England. Both Margaret and Roland had told him how happy Philip was at school, enjoying the company of other boys his own age, although Margaret said that she missed him.

'I do wish he could come home for holidays, but Roland says that it's too dangerous at present. He thinks that Philip is better off in the UK. I expect that he's right. He visits Roland's mother, or stays in Scotland with some people that he knew in the POW camp.'

'Have you thought of going away for a while?' suggested Bill. 'You could take Caroline to your parents, and you would probably feel more relaxed in Australia.'

'Roland made the same suggestion,' said Margaret non-committally.

'So you're happy here?' asked Bill.

Margaret paused and looked away. 'Sometimes I miss my home in Australia. Nothing here has been the same since the war. Many of my friends have gone and we can't get about very much. I wonder how much longer this guerilla war will go on for. No one seems to be winning.'

'How do you occupy yourself?' asked Bill, thinking Margaret sounded lonely.

'I spend a lot of time supervising the gardeners.'

'I noticed. The grounds are looking very spectacular,' said Bill.

'I wish I could travel around more, but it's not safe, although I always travel with a policeman. I meet my friends in Ipoh every few weeks, and Slim River isn't too far away. In fact I'm going there tomorrow to do some shopping.'

'Perhaps you and Roland could take a trip when things settle down,' said Bill comfortingly, though he doubted that would be any time soon. He felt sorry for Margaret, the current situation had made things difficult for everyone, but especially for people on isolated plantations.

When Margaret returned from her outing to Slim River the next day, her cheeks were pink, and she seemed quite buoyed, almost agitated. She came straight out to the verandah where Roland and Bill were settled, and called Ho to bring her a drink. Almost as an afterthought she asked, 'May I join you?'

Roland and Bill jumped to their feet as she collapsed into a rattan chair.

'You look somewhat frazzled, dear. A big day?' asked Roland solicitously.

Margaret opened the sandalwood fan she always carried and fanned her flushed face. 'It's been quite a day of excitement for a small town,' she began. Ho placed her gin and tonic beside her and Margaret took a sip before continuing. 'I met Anne Farquar in Slim River, and she brought along another friend, s.h.i.+rley Fielding, who is staying with her. s.h.i.+rley was still quite shaken up. Her husband manages an estate in the north and it was set alight a week ago. The communists, of course.'

'I've met Thomas Fielding,' said Bill.

Margaret ignored the interruption and continued her story. 'We had a pleasant time in the little shops and the bazaar, then Anne Farquar insisted on going to those smelly markets. Anyway, after that, we went for a nice lunch at that Tip Top Tea House.' She took a sip of her drink as the men waited politely for her to continue. 'My driver and the Malay policeman were right outside, waiting for us, thank goodness.'

'Why was that?'asked Roland.

'I'll tell you,' continued Margaret. 'I said goodbye to the other women, then I decided to pop into that small general store next to the tea house for some items, and when I came out, there was a man looking at something at the front of the shop. I had to squeeze past him, you know how cluttered those little places are, and then he turned around, so we came face to face. Do you know who it was?' She looked at them in horror. 'It was Ah Kit. When he saw me, he was as shocked as I was. He turned away without a word. But it was too late. I'd seen him. So I shouted to the Malay policeman, "Quick, quick, that man's a communist!"'

'And what happened then?' said Roland curtly.

'I told the policeman to arrest Ah Kit.'

Roland leapt to his feet. 'Margaret, what have you done? Where is Ah Kit?' he demanded.

'Goodness, Roland, there's no need to get upset. The man is a communist. You told me so yourself. Anyway they took him to the police station in Slim River for questioning.'

Bill and Roland exchanged a look.

Margaret stared, wide-eyed, at her husband. It seemed that neither Roland nor Bill were sharing in her triumph. 'Really, Roland, I know that you fought with him in the war but he was a Chinese houseboy! Is he more important than your family, your friends, your country?'

'I'll go and telephone the station,' said Roland, hurrying from the room.

'Whatever for? Why on earth do you care so much about Ah Kit?'

'Margaret, it's not just that Ah Kit fought with us in the jungle, but he saved your husband's life saved your husband's life!' said Bill. 'Mine too, if it comes to that. Neither of us would be here, sitting on the verandah, if it had not been for Ah Kit.'

'But he turned against us once the j.a.panese were defeated,' said Margaret. 'I have no sympathy for him, or any communist.'

'That's unfortunate,' said Bill tersely. 'Because not only did Ah Kit save our lives but I believe the reason there have been no communist attacks on Utopia is because Ah Kit has prevented them out of respect for Roland. Ah Kit has made this place safe for all of you.'

Margaret shrugged. 'I don't believe that. And even if it's true, it's the least he could do, after all Roland has done for him.'

'Margaret, Ah Kit could be in a lot of trouble.'

Bill turned as Roland walked back out to the verandah. Roland's face was set and his eyes were cold.

He spoke to Bill. 'They got him.'

'You mean they arrested him?'

'No, shot him.'

'Shot him? How bad?' asked Bill.

Then Roland looked at Margaret and said quietly, 'He's dead.'