House of Trembling Leaves, The (13 page)

‘‘Meet you for lunch?''

‘‘The Pickerel at one?''

‘‘I'll have your Stilton Ploughman's ready and waiting for you.''

‘‘Ha! See you later.''

 

With Lu See out of the house, Sum Sum perched on the edge of her bed and stared at her hands.
Release the anxiety. Breathe. Fill the abdomen. Balance the chakra points.
She placed the middle finger of her right hand between her eyes. With her thumb she closed her right nostril and breathed slowly through her left. She inhaled and exhaled several times then, closing her left nostril with her ring finger, she breathed though her right.

I know, I know I must tell Lu See.
The distress grew inside of her. The yogic breathing wasn't working. Her anxiety threatened to swallow her up.

What do I do? What can I say? I've let everyone down, no? But I did it to help Lu See. To protect her.
Sum Sum felt a hard, prickly heat in her chest.

Hot like a secret.

A secret that made her feel fragile, a secret she knew that soon she would have to share with Lu See. And the more she thought about it, the more she wanted to return to Tibet.

She crinkled her nose. Was she imagining it, or was there a stink of camphor in the air? She peered out of the window and her sense of panic returned. A dark figure stood at the end of the cobbled street, hiding in the shade. The shock made her dart behind the curtains. When she looked again, he was gone.

 

On her return from the post office Lu See edged past the phalanx of people that had gathered on Regent Street. Up and down the junction, nannies pushed perambulators, barrowmen offered pipe tobacco and shag to passing gentlemen, carthorses crapped and knife-grinders whetted knives using wheels and a leather strops.

When she reached Park Parade, passing the soot-smeared chimneysweep who was hauling brushes up a ladder, she came across Mrs Slackford on her way to market. ‘‘There's a scary man come to visit yew.''

‘‘A scary man?''

‘‘Oi let him in just as oi was leaving. Usually oi don't allow gentlem'n callers. Cor blast me if he's not the size of a bus, like Fatty Arbuckle, all dressed in black and foreign-looking!''

Dressed in black? Like a blackshirt?

Lu See stomped up to the entrance of number 23; the colour high in her cheeks. As soon as she was inside the front door, she hesitated. The smell of a lit cigarette drifted across from the living room. She flinched at the sound of a chair scraping the floor.

A man's dark form was silhouetted against the window behind. Seated in one of the suede armchairs, clutching his hat in his hand, the figure's blimpish bulk shifted on hearing footsteps.

Thinking a blackshirt had stormed the house, Lu See plucked an umbrella from the stand and cocked her arm threateningly. ‘‘Don't you dare come any closer!'' she warned.

‘‘You damn-fierce rude, girl,'' came the low-throated reply. ‘‘I travel all day searching for you-lah and this is the greeting I receive? And nothing to read in this house but this old copy of the
Modern Screen
magazine, aahh!''

The voice was unmistakable.

The thick Buddha-like body rose slowly to its feet and turned to catch the mid-morning light. His greying hair was oiled and parted to the left. His eyebrows were formidably hairy. In profile he resembled a giant panda wearing a life preserver ring.

‘‘Uncle Big Jowl!'' Lu See cried. Lu See rushed across the room.

She embraced the man with the enormous belly, folding herself into his big open arms. ‘‘I never thought I'd be this happy to see you!''

Round shoulders hunched, cigarette in hand, the old uncle beamed with pleasure. ‘‘Now, you see, lah, this is more like the reception I was expecting.''

Lu See brushed a knuckle to wipe a tear from her cheek. ‘‘How are you, uncle?'' she asked as they drew apart.

‘‘I'm top-class, lah!
Ai-yooo
, my little niece is crying, lah! So happy to see me, is it?'' He chuckled, brushing the front of his trousers with the flat of his palm. ‘‘I remember your eyes would get all red like this when I used to take you swimming as a young girl. You remember too? It was me that taught you to swim in the river. I used to watch over you like a lifeguard.''

He wore a dark navy three-piece suit with a matching striped tie, an outfit Lu See suspected his Penang tailor had put together especially for this trip.

She looked at his face, noticed he had aged a little about the eyes. ‘‘When did you arrive in England?''

He loosened his tie, plopped his hat on the coffee table, and sank into the chair. ‘‘As soon as your mother learned you were heading for Cambridge I got on the next boat. I arrived London on Tuesday. Everywhere protests, protests. Arrived here last night. Staying at the University Arms Hotel.
Ai-yooo
, this town is so bloody-hell expensive! London full of poor people now, not like this place,
hnn
? In London I can get discount at Grosvenor House, but not at University Arms – I pay tip-top rate.''

He swept a hand across the room to take in the entire house. ‘‘Nice home you have here, aahh!'' He cocked his head, toying with an earlobe.

‘‘Mrs Slackford makes us feel very welcome.''

‘‘Tell me. Little niece, what you have been doing?''

Lu See compressed weeks of activity into minutes, describing in turn the interview at Girton, the trip to London, the appearance of the awful blue cheese at the Pickerel pub. She decided to leave out the climbing episode.

‘‘You married yet, aahh!'' he went again, cocking his head. ‘‘To this Woo fellow?''

‘‘No.'' She waited a few beats. ‘‘I came to England to win a place at Girton not get married. But we have plans to wed some time in June, after summer term breaks up …'' She allowed the words to hang in the air.

Uncle Big Jowl's mouth remained stolid, as straight a line as a stingray's tail. ‘‘So, you are determined to be with him.''

Sum Sum appeared, standing dignifiedly in the hallway, fingering her prayer beads, alert and attentive in the presence of an elder.

‘‘Yes, uncle.''

‘‘Well, you are at a good age to be married, but who am I, an old man, to judge, eh? But are you settled here? Are you content?'' he asked.

Lu See considered the question. ‘‘I'll be content when I get into Girton,'' she replied, sitting down opposite him on the dark settee.

Big Jowl Uncle nodded sagely. He fetched a handkerchief from his pocket and dabbed at his forehead, gazing out of the window, following the rooflines of the adjoining buildings, listening to the voices floating up from the street. A pigeon cooed on the building ledge. ‘‘No lifeguard watching over you anymore, girl. You're now swimming all by yourself.''

Before too long Uncle Big Jowl looked at his fob watch, ‘‘Where is Mr Woo?''

‘‘He is at the library.'' They both sipped cups of tea which Sum Sum prepared.

‘‘Is he good to you?'' asked the big man.

‘‘Yes, he is,'' she said softly. She removed a metal clip from her hair and held it in her lap.

‘‘I ask this because you ran away from home for love.''

‘‘No, I ran away to further my education. And I didn't want to marry the One-eyed Giant.''

‘‘
Ai-yoo
, big scandal, lah. Have you heard from your mother?''

‘‘I received an angry letter this morning.''

‘‘Your father too is as angry as wild tiger, aahh! Not sure what makes him lose more face – you jilting Cheam Chow or you running off with a Woo!''

‘‘How is he?'' she asked after a time.

‘‘Under a lot of strain. The police keep coming back and asking him questions about the dam.''

‘‘Have the police decided who was responsible for the sabotage?''

‘‘No, bunch of useless boneheads.''

Lu See suddenly remembered Sum Sum's photograph of the man with the mole. She looked at Sum Sum as she spoke. ‘‘You know, Sum Sum took a photograph of a man with a gun and explo–''

Sum Sum turned pale. She butted in quickly. ‘‘I saw a man with a monkey. He was organ grinder and his monkey made me think of Malaya.'' She made a gesture to Lu See with her hands, zipping them across her lips.

The big man sighed. ‘‘Your father under too much strain. He is suing the Woos for sabotaging the dam. The Woos in turn are suing him for the same reason. And both are being sued by Hip Sing Rubber Processing Co. because neither could deliver the promised amount of rubber due to the flooding.

‘‘If this carries on we will all go bust from the lawyers' fees.'' He straightened his shoulders. ‘‘But he is also under strain because he is concerned for you. This is the reason why I am here. Your Ah-Ba wanted to come himself but with all the legal procedures and everything …''

‘‘He couldn't spare the time.''

‘‘
Nah
, don't put words in my mouth. He only wants the best for you. But he does admit now that he misjudged you. He should have listened to you when you refused to marry Cheam Chow. You are stronger than you look. I always knew you to be the solid type underneath. But Ah-Ba thought you were just going through a temperamental phase. I think he has not forgiven himself for what has happened.''

‘‘Really?'' she added with a hint of sarcasm, ‘‘I didn't know he cared so much.''

‘‘Would I be here if it were not so? Now, I ask you again, lah. Three straightforward questions: Are you happy? Do you need anything? Do you wish to return to Malaya? No pulling wool on eyes now, tell the truth! There is no room in life for counterfeit happiness.''

Lu See looked down and smiled at her hands. ‘‘Uncle, everything is sweeties and sunshine.''

‘‘
Ai-yooo!
'' He guffawed. ‘‘You used to use that expression when you were a little girl, lah!''

Sum Sum appeared at his side with a plate of digestives. Uncle Big Jowl took a biscuit and patted his stomach, proud of his girth. He raised a hirsute eyebrow and finger-combed his hair, cocking his head. ‘‘So, you are happy here. Aahh!''

She leaned forward in her chair. ‘‘We are happy,'' she said, smiling. ‘‘Sum Sum and I are fine.''

Uncle Big Jowl grew solemn. ‘‘There is a Malayan folktale,'' he said, ‘‘about an old fisherman living on the pirate coast. When this fellow was young, his daily haul of sea perch and moonfish brought him much respect in the market. But now, with his arms weak and his back stiff, his day-to-day catch dwindled to the extent that there were some evenings he took nothing home to his poor wife but the odd mackerel. One morning he woke before dawn and saw a large star in the sky. He prayed to the star and asked that he be granted much luck. Galvanized, next morning he took his skiff out further than he'd been before, to a hidden cove along the coastline, and came across a long-abandoned stone hut he'd not seen before. Drawn by curiosity he knocked on the heavy door of the hut but there came no reply.''

‘‘Does this story have a point to it?''

‘‘Quiet, aahh! I am getting there. So when the fisherman tried the handle it would not budge, lah. He looked through the keyhole and was struck by a heavenly yellow glow. ‘Pirate gold inside!' he cried, picking up a rock to smash the lock. But his weak arms hardly made a dent. Disconsolate, he returned to his boat. That night the star appeared once more to him. He dropped to his knees and prayed for a key to fall from the skies. A key that would open the stone door.

‘‘The following day he caught only one miserable fish in his net. A curious looking thing he had never seen the likes of which before. As he handled it, he gave it a squeeze. It coughed up a key. ‘My prayers are answered!' he exclaimed and sure enough when he got back to shore and pressed the key to the stone door of the hut it opened. ‘Gold!' he cried damn-fiercely. But as soon as he was inside he saw not pirate gold but only super-bright sunlight pouring through the cracks in the roof, reflecting off the copper-toned shingles. And when he tried to leave he found the door had shut and locked itself from the outside. There was no way out. He was trapped forever.''

‘‘And the point being?''

‘‘Be careful what you wish for, lah.''

‘‘I still don't understand.''

‘‘Sometimes love is not what it pretends to be.''

She got to her feet. ‘‘I don't have to listen to this.''

‘‘Okay, okay,'' he said, gesturing apologetically. ‘‘Sit down, sit down.''

After several moments he stretched out his legs and cracked an ugly face. ‘‘
Ai-yooo!
Bloody arthritic knees! This fifty-year-old body's no good, lah!''

He glanced at his fob watch and sighed. ‘‘Now that I've seen you, I'll be off to London tomorrow. I'll sail back east next week.'' From somewhere inside his jacket he pulled out an
ang pow
, a red envelope. ‘‘In case you need help,'' he said, bulging his eyes for emphasis. ‘‘Two boat tickets to Penang. For you and Sum Sum when you need it. I have also put some money in here. Only use for emergency.'' His knees crackled as he got up to leave.

‘‘Uncle, please, I have ample money.'' She tried to hand the
ang pow
back.

‘‘You dare refuse my goodwill?'' His eyes continued to bulge.

She decided to keep her association with Second-aunty Doris quiet. She dipped her head. ‘‘Thank you, Uncle, for your generosity.''

He straightened his tie, glanced at his watch chain and cocked his head. ‘‘Tickets valid for one year.''

It was still dark. The night air remained ice cold. And there was a succubus in the room.

Provided that Sum Sum remained hidden beneath her quilt and kept completely motionless for long enough, the demon might think she was part of the bedding and take flight. If only her head wasn't left so exposed; she would be all right if she covered it with the eiderdown. But she didn't dare move.