SQ 04 - The English Concubine (17 page)

On the corner of Philip Street a voice addressed her.

‘Hello, Lian,’ said Alex.

She was utterly beautiful, a slender and graceful goddess, with her perfect skin and straight black hair falling down her back. He had left her at twelve and now she was almost sixteen. Since he had laid eyes on her at the cemetery he had not ceased to think of her.

‘Alex,’ she said and looked around. ‘You should not be here.’

‘I should,’ he said and she felt an unaccustomed thrill. He had said something totally unexpected and it had the ring of truth to it.

The silence lengthened between them. The town went about its business around them but two eyes gazed on them. Lilin, at the window, watched the young man standing with Lian. She knew who this was. This was Zhen’s son and he was back in Singapore. She smiled.

Lian shook her head. ‘If my father knows I am with a man, especially without my maid, he will never let me out again. You don’t know who he is.’

‘He was the lover of my mother.’

Lian shrugged and moved away from him.

‘He’s more than that. Don’t come again.’

She walked quickly to her house and went inside. Alex followed her with his eyes then turned and lost himself in Chinatown.

19

Zhen, eyes closed, sat cross-legged in quietness. He had come to Circular Road, to his old house, which was a place which held memories of peace and tranquillity. His thoughts were of this lost child, the daughter he and Xia Lou had formed out of such oblivious passion. He wanted to speak to her, to hold her, but could not. That comfort, that love, was lost to him by this position which had been thrust upon him.

In a few weeks the auction for the opium farm would take place and this would be over, but what comfort was that? She was gone from him and so, for eternity, was Lily. For what? Nothing as he could see. As a Taoist he had not sought this role. He had not wished to stand out but it had been thrust on him and in Taoism that too was his lot in life. It had come to him unbidden and he had to pick it up.

Alexander had arrived, he had seen him embrace his mother on the quayside. He felt a terrible emotion swell inside him and sought to empty his mind.

Two children lost to him. And Xia Lou’s words had stung. Was he to condemn Lian to a kind of whoredom with Ah Soon? This too was not the way of the Taoist sage who should be charitable and seek happiness in the natural flow of life. This marriage was a Confucian concept that he had fallen into. He felt his whole body out of alignment, a constant battle between his Taoist beliefs and the needs of commerce, of family and now the kongsi.

He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate on the light of the candle wavering in his mind but he felt as if he was crumbling to dust and the pieces of him were blowing away. He fell to the floor as the strain of iron control burst and all these feelings poured out of him. He sobbed, his chest straining for control but it was as if a river had opened up inside him and tears coursed.

He knew Lian had gone to her half-sister’s gravesite and he was glad. But he knew, too, that she had been greeted by Alexander. Eyes were everywhere. He did not even have to order it. It was done as a matter of course. Wang had taken it upon himself to be the guardian of his life. A life he did not want.

He cried until no more tears could come, allowing himself to fall into the stream of grief. Exhausted, he rose and washed away his sweat and tears. He touched the marks on his cheek where her nails had cut into him. He was glad she had made these marks, he wanted her mark on him. He wanted her back but it all seemed so impossible.

He dressed in the white clothes he had brought, pure white, to make the offerings for Lily’s soul and her release into the void.

On the altar table stood a lamp for the light of wisdom, on either side two candles for the light of the sun and the moon; their light would burn unceasingly for the next ten days. Before them stood cups of tea, water and rice, to represent Ying and Yang and their endless union. He had made a circle of five fruits, green papaya, red banana, yellow mango, white lychee and black dates, which symbolised the five elements of wood, fire, earth, metal and water. Inside the circle, he placed the incense burner. He lit the incense and brushed the smoke over his head and face and visualised Lily’s face. Then he began the prayer.

* * *

Charlotte pointed to the dressing table.

‘There, a picture of her. We had it painted for her third birthday.’

Alex rose and took up the picture. He brought it back to the bed.

Charlotte stroked the face and Alex gazed at his little half-sister. She was pretty, a pretty little girl with her dark eyes. She looked a little … what was it? He could not put his finger on it. She did not resemble Lian, whose features were wholly Chinese.

‘The Taoists believe she has not died, you know, merely passed to another existence, one we cannot see. Her body is not here but her spirit has joined the river of life beyond this veil of tears. They have no concept of God, or heaven and hell. It is comforting.’

Charlotte turned the picture down on the bed and let her hand rest on it.

‘Mother, please. Let the maid bring some food.’

‘No, not now.’

She put her hand to his cheek.

‘Let me grieve how I must. I will be all right. Aunt Jeanne told me how to do it once, long ago. But how I should dearly like to see Zhen.’ She closed her eyes.

Alex went downstairs where Robert and Amber were waiting in the living room.

‘My boy,’ said Robert.

‘She is better. A sleep will improve her.’

‘Yes, yes, good, good. Well, we shall be off.’

‘I shall stay, Father. May I, and see Aunt Charlotte later? Perhaps Alex will keep me company?’

Before Robert could respond, Alex turned to Amber and took her hand, bowing.

‘Forgive me. I must go out.’ He bowed to Robert and left. Amber stared at his back, a look of misery on her face.

‘Come, child. Well, well,’ Robert said. ‘I shall take you home. I have things to do.’

‘Father, what of the marriage? You said …’

‘Yes, yes, well. We shall see. After all, now is not the time. Your sister or brother is about to be born. You must attend to your mother.’

With a pout of annoyance Amber took up her hat and followed her father.

Alex made his way to Chinatown, crossing the river at Thomson Bridge and turned on to Boat Quay.

Before the Tan godown he stopped, watchful. The coolies were unloading bales of Indian cotton and great quantities of pepper. He went up to the gang leader.

‘Master Zhen. Is he here?’

The man drew back in astonishment at the Chinese words issuing from the white man’s mouth. A samseng loitering at the corner of the godown looked up. The coolie leader glanced at the samseng. The man took off. From the quay to Market Street where the Shan Chu lived and worked was a matter of minutes. He spoke to Ironfist Wang.

Alex could not understand the man’s silence. He repeated his question then, as the man shrugged, he turned his footsteps towards the interior of the godown. A man appeared out of nowhere and barred his way.

‘Get out of my way,’Alex snarled, adding a string of the filthiest Hokkien insults he could muster. Work on the quay came to a halt at the happy prospect of a fistfight.

‘Ah Rex,’ Zhen said and Alex turned as the man he had sought strode towards him. ‘Your Chinese is still versatile, I see.’

Zhen waved a hand and instantly the coolies returned to their tasks. Wang took up a stance on the edge of the quay.

‘Come inside,’ Zhen said.

The interior of the godown was cool and vast. Alex looked around. He had spent hours here, whiling away time with Ah Soon and his Uncle Zhen. Zhen gazed at his son. He was fine looking, tall and strong and handsome.

‘I heard you had returned. I am very happy to see you.’

Alexander faced Zhen. They were almost the same height and Zhen knew that in a few years, Alex would be as strong and muscled as him. Kai would never look like this. He was not tall and he tended to Noan’s plumpness, not helped by the fact that his grandmother fed him anything he liked.

‘Uncle, my mother wishes to see you.’

Zhen turned away from the boy.

‘Sit,’ he said in English. He had no wish for this conversation to reach the ears of all the coolies.

‘I do not wish to sit. I have come only to tell you that your absence hurts mother. She mourns for your daughter.’

‘Ah Rex, at the moment I cannot come to see Xia Lou. It is not possible.’

‘Uncle Zhen, I don’t understand. You and my mother, what has happened, all of that, it is not my business. But that you do not comfort her in this time, it is heartless, sir.’

‘So it must seem. But I am not heartless. You must trust me on this.’

Zhen could see curious eyes staring at them as the coolies unloaded their goods in a steady stream. All this would be around the town in an hour. Alex opened his mouth to speak.

‘No,’ Zhen said, his tone harder. ‘You do not understand my position and you must leave now.’

He turned on his heel. Alexander followed him, unable to believe the man so cruel but Wang stepped in front of him and the look he gave him made Alex stop abruptly. Zhen disappeared and within a moment so did Wang. The quay returned to its bustle as if nothing had happened.

He wandered away, bewildered. What was going on here? He did not notice the man following him at a discreet distance.

It was nearing three o’clock. He knew Lian came home at that hour. He felt the most intense need to see her. And to speak to her, for she must surely know more of what was going on between Zhen and his mother.

He waited and felt the eyes of the shopkeepers turned to him. He moved away, fingering some cloth goods and keeping an eye out for her. He saw her maid first, the old Ah Fu. Then she appeared and he smiled.

At that instant a hand shot out, grabbed his arm and pulled him swiftly sideways so hard he stumbled.

‘You can’t do this,’Ah Soon hissed to him. ‘Come on.’

Alex was so astonished he allowed himself to be led.

‘We need to go over to the European side. Too many eyes and ears here.’

For a man in Ah Soon’s cadaverous condition, he walked fast and within fifteen minutes they found themselves over the wooden footbridge by the fort and quickly onto the beachside of the padang. Ah Soon slowed, sweat pouring off him. He mopped his face and Alex fell into rhythm beside him.

‘The Institution. We can talk there. The old fives court.’

The fives court had been turned into a storeroom of sorts with a rough roof over it. The two men sat.

‘My God, Ah Soon, I thought you were half dead with all that damn opium. You’re fitter than I am.’

Ah Soon grinned. ‘I’ve had a pipe. One invigorates you. You should try it.’

‘No thanks. I have other addictions.’

‘Yes, and Lian cannot be one of them. Everyone knows you talked to her. Zhen has sent me to speak with you.’

‘Has he? That was fast. Why doesn’t he just talk to me himself?’

‘There are reasons I cannot tell you but it is all to do with Chinese stuff. You understand?’

Alex did understand. Chinese stuff was the triads, the secret societies. Slowly Ah Soon began to explain to Alex the events during the years of his absence in Scotland.

‘Your mother went away to Batavia just after you left. When she returned it was with the baby. My father told me it was Uncle Zhen’s, and that he and your mother were henceforth to live like husband and wife but not together. They lived separate lives socially but everyone knew what was going on. They were talked about all the time. I suppose it has taken its toll.’

‘You never thought to write and tell me all this?’

Ah Soon threw a glance at Alex. ‘Write to you? You went and it was like you had forgotten about me. When did you send one letter to me?’

Alex looked down. ‘I’m sorry. The voyage to Scotland, the newness of it all. And then I was so free. Sorry.’

‘Free to do whatever you liked. But that isn’t possible here. You can’t see Lian again.’

Alex rose and began to pace.

‘Do you love her?’

Ah Soon burst into laughter. ‘Of course I don’t love her. And she thinks I’m a dope fiend.’

‘So why …’

‘Wake up. She’s Chinese and she’s his daughter and what he wants she must do. That’s the way it is and always shall be. Here endeth the lesson.’

Alex threw a look of resentment at Ah Soon.

‘Don’t sulk. What did you think? You would marry her? How would that ever happen? Don’t be stupid and don’t try to see her again. You will ruin her and they will punish her. My father will not let this go away. He needs to be related to wealthy, successful Zhen so he can get hold of money. The man is a fool and I despise him.’

‘You don’t have to marry her. You could refuse.’

Ah Soon rose and pointed to Alex’s head. ‘What you got in there? No-one can refuse anything. How would I live, eh? What do I know how to do? And I don’t care who I marry. What’s the difference?’

Alex stared at Ah Soon. What was the difference between them? He must also bend the knee, marry a woman he cared nothing for so as to keep his wealth and status. The only difference was that Alex felt that he was falling in love with Lian, and Ah Soon was in love with opium and whatever it took to get it he would do.

‘The difference is, I love her.’

Ah Soon laughed again. ‘How? You met her a couple of days ago.’

‘I met her years ago. I think I might have been in love with her for years.’

Ah Soon shook his head. ‘Then it’s a tragedy,’ he said. ‘Like Romeo and Juliet. Remember. Mr. Holstead made you play Romeo and you did the first act in Hokkien just to annoy him. Impressed the hell out of the Chinese merchants and the governor though.’

Alex smiled then shrugged and made his way out of the shed and began to walk through the gardens to North Bridge Road. Ah Soon rose too and stared at his friend’s back.

‘There’s a tiffin room in Bonham Street. Meet me there next Friday?’

Alex raised a hand in acknowledgement but continued walking, his head bowed, staring at his boots.