The Shallow Seas (21 page)

The carriage turned onto Kongingsplein Oost, and Charlotte looked up to the distant mountain tops tipped with gold. The Plein was like a tract of untamed wilderness, savage and lonely, set strangely in the midst of a city. It had a solitary and moody life of its own, prey to the changing seasons. The sunlight on the shady avenues and parks of Weltevreden was muted, even at the blistering height of the east monsoon. Only on the Plein did the tropical sunshine beat down in all its scorching power. Underfoot, the grass was mere hay, the soil cracked and parched.

In the rainy season the old town was a morass of flooded houses and streets; the waters rose to the hubs of the carriage wheels. Houses and stores became virtually afloat, yet the Chinese continued their trades as tailors, tinkers and shoemakers, half a leg deep, their children sailing boats before the door. Canoes traversed the flooded streets. When the rainy season passed, the entire town was exposed to the burning sun on streets and canals oozing with putrescent filth. Charlotte was not surprised to learn that in twenty-two years of the previous century, more than one million souls had perished from the effects of this pestilential miasma.

This, though, was when the Plein came into its glory, the white, cracked soil suddenly bursting with tender shoots. In the morning it was dewy white. At night it was a lake of mist, rising and falling in the moonlight and rolling airy waves against a shore of darkness.

The carriage passed the gardens of several private residences and the imposing and elegant lines of the brand new Willemskerk. Takouhi had told her, with a glint of pleasure, that the old Reformed church of the Kota, where she had been married, had long since been demolished and the Lutheran church too had gone five years ago. The Willemskerk had been built in the south to bring these two bodies together, and the congregations shared the church, holding services on alternate Sundays.

They swung into Koningsplein Zuid and clipped along until they came to the junction with Koningsplein West and into the grounds of the Church of the Holy Resurrection. This simple wooden building was the Armenian Church in Batavia, built by Miriam's husband Jacob some ten years ago, at his own expense. Here they left Takouhi, for she was meeting Miriam for the evening service and later for dinner, to talk about preparations for a remembrance service for Meda, Maria and the all the dead children of the Manouk family.

Miriam came out to greet her sister and brother, bobbing a brief curtsy at Charlotte. Miriam was a plain girl, as unlike Tigran and Takouhi in looks as it was possible to be and share the same blood. She had a severe, thin face, with a mouth that Charlotte thought had doubtless stopped smiling the day she married Jacob Arathoun. Her eyes were her best feature, a deep, soulful brown, but she wore her pretty hair pulled back into an unbecoming bun.

Her husband was very Old Testament and ruled his household with an iron fist. The loss of their only child, Charlotte thought uncharitably, had prevented him from having
two
small female objects to bully, and she felt sorry for Miriam. What he would think if he knew that Alexander was not Tigran's son but a half-caste Chinese did not bear thinking about.

Jacob disliked many things, including the Chinese, whom he considered the pagan Jews of the East: unrelenting and thieving money-makers. He disapproved of these parades on the Waterlooplein and Tigran's play-acting. It obviously made little difference to Tigran, who did not remove his Pieterszoon Coen hat as Jacob came up to his wife.

After a brief exchange of civilities, they left. Tigran took Charlotte into his arms, and they watched in the cooling breeze as the lights began to twinkle in the houses and the street vendors' lanterns came out.

On the riverside at Brieswijk, the
slametan
for Meda's one thousand days was under preparation. Despite the innate sadness of this event, Charlotte felt that Takouhi and Tigran had fallen into the spirit of this particularly Javanese ritual which she did not pretend to fully understand. Neither Miriam nor Jacob would attend. Jacob deeply disapproved of his relatives' participation in what he said was both Mohammedan and a call to spirits. But Takouhi had explained that this ceremony was called a
slametan
because it meant a feast for safety. For her, it had little religious significance.

“The men from the
kampong
and the villages will come, and they will carry out Javanese ritual, speak to all the gods, the
danyang
, the spirit of the place, Hindoo gods, Allah, everyone. I do not mind at all if anything can keep Meda's soul in safe and peaceful place. Do not forget that her grandmother, my mother, was Mohammedan woman. Miriam will hold a service in the church, and we shall have one in the chapel. Then there will be a feast by the river, and everyone is invited.”

One morning, a day before the ceremony, Charlotte came down to breakfast alone. Takouhi was away, busy with last-minute preparations. Tigran had left early for the Kota. She smiled as she remembered his embrace before leaving. Half-asleep still, she had let him kiss her neck and lips, lying in his arms like a doll, telling him to go and leave her alone but revelling in his heat, his uncrushable adoration. Whatever her feelings for Tigran had become, she thoroughly enjoyed being loved
by
him.

As she sat at the table on the verandah a servant came up to her and silently placed a letter near her plate. Usually Tigran dealt with the mail. She received few letters. Rarely, a letter from Aunt Jeannie came from Scotland. It took so long, almost a year. Sometimes there were letters from Charlotte Keaseberry, in Singapore, and Evangeline Barbie, from the Catholic Mission, to whom she tried to write regularly. But mostly they came from Robert.

When Takouhi had found that mail was going to her at Tigran's offices, she had tutted and called her a silly-billy. Her mail should come here, to her home. So Charlotte had written to everyone to address letters to Brieswijk. This was the first, which was a small thrill: the first to the house of which she was now fully the mistress. And it was from Robert.

Delighted, she put down her cup and opened it. It was long; she could feel its weight. Good. She had told him off for writing such slender epistles when she wanted news about her acquaintance and about Singapore.

She took the knife and cut the seal.

Kitt my dear
,

Your letter arrived today with such good news of the continuing health of my little nephew as well as all the family. How I miss you all so very much. Cannot I tempt you to come and visit me for it is difficult in the extreme for me to leave Singapore? Now you have asked for news and chided me for my lack of detail, and so, dear sister, you shall have it
.

Gang crime is worsening in the settlement, organised, as we all know, by the Chinese Brotherhood, to whom the shopkeepers pay protection money in guise of legal dues. A motion has been passed by the Chamber of Commerce for their repression, though what may come of that I cannot say. However, finally I am to have more policemen, a doubling of both European and native. A Water Police is also proposed to prevent escape seaward and the junks ordered to moor well offshore. Pariah dogs are still a plague, and a tax, as usual, proposed. I think I mentioned that the river wall along Boat Quay has been completed and all the little pylons and private piers replaced, presenting an extremely pleasing and neat appearance. Cholera has been bothersome in the more confined localities. The Commander of the China troops has departed and the last of the army and navy will leave within the week, and I am glad of it, for the town will be quieter and my job the easier for it
.

Now to a bit of scandal! You will remember that dear old Governor Bonham finally left for Prince of Wales Island in the company steamer and thence home. It was strange to lose Bonham, for he was, as you know, my benefactor, and an easy and pleasant man to work for. He served this town so well these twelve years. The great scandal, though, is that against all expectations a new governor has been appointed, not from among the Straits officials or officers as expected, but directly from Calcutta. We are to expect a military man, a Colonel Butterworth, who has been named by Lord Ellenborough, the current Governor of India. We all know that his Lordship takes special delight in mortifying the civil service, and bestowing the lucrative and honourable posts on the military, but that he should pass over Colonel Murchison who has served here for five years (and who must now take Butterworth's place as head of the 2nd European Regiment) is in keeping with his Lordship's apparently low opinion of the qualities and experience required to govern the Straits and an indication of his increasingly erratic and extraordinary behaviour. The newspaper is all agog and up in arms!

Commerce goes well, though there is some fear that the new port of Hong Kong may threaten Singapore's pre-eminence since the Treaty of Nanking last year, but it is yet too soon to tell
.

The first races at the new race course along Serangoon Road took place, and the very first Singapore Cup was won by a newcomer to our shores, a William Read, who has taken over old Johnston's company at Tanjong Tangkap. I almost forgot to tell you the wonderful news about Dr Montgomerie. You may well recall that there was rarely a conversation with William when the subject of his beloved gutta percha did not come up. Well, Kitt, his perseverance has paid off handsomely. He has introduced it to the Royal Society of Arts and has been awarded their coveted Gold Medal for its discovery! There is to be an exhibition at the Society displaying William's collection of Malay gutta percha articles. William thinks it useful for medical instruments, but I am of the opinion it would serve just as well for golf balls! As you can see, we are all a little bit gutta percha mad here at the moment and basking in William's fame. Singapore's first discovery!

The HMS Dido has been in our waters, and Captain Keppel and James Brooke (who is now the Sultan of Brunei's man in Sarawak) are mounting expeditions against the pirates in Borneo. Keppel has become a local favourite and sends his band from the Dido every evening to play upon the Plain when the ship is in harbour. We have a return to cricket, too, with matches between the Dido's officers and we Singaporeans. I am happy to tell you that my bowling arm is still as effective as ever!

Tigers have become a terrible problem, and the fear is that the Chinese coolies, who are attacked with most alarming regularity on the plantations, will give it up and be thrown into more dangerous and dishonest employment, increasing the robberies and attacks on the town. The reward for a tiger has increased, traps are set all over the island and a ‘Tiger Club' has been organised to hunt them, but their numbers never seem to decrease
.

Now Kitt, I have another special piece of news. I have received information about George
.

Charlotte gasped. How like a man to come to the really important news last! All that stuff about governors and race courses. She read on more eagerly.

It seems that he will return to Singapore this year, though it is not known exactly when. It is very good to have news of him, for the last I heard was that he was on a grand tour of the European capitals. That was last year, and since then, nothing
.

Tir Uaidhne does well, as far as I can see, and Billy Napier now acts as agent for Takouhi and seems, tell her, to do a good job. It has been rented these last six months to a Mr Galsworthy. George's house at No.3, as you know, has been turned into a hotel, The Hotel London, by Mr Dutronquoy, the miniaturist—and now apparently master of some new contraption called a daguerreotype, by which one can have one's image fixed in two minutes and for which he charges the exorbitant sum of $10! You may remember him, strange chap, a Frenchman from Jersey
.

Ah, it is a sorry business, for I remember so many happy times inside those walls. But it seems George will return to Coleman Street. Reverend and Mrs White still occupy George's property at No.1, but the Woods will move out of No. 2 in advance of George's return. It seems definite, does it not? I for one shall be very glad to see him. The Woods are building a large new house outside the town. Many of the families are doing the same, and even old da Souza has a splendid new place in Tanglin. Dr Oxley has purchased outright 170 acres he calls Killiney Estate to grow nutmeg, and Carnie has over 4000 trees at his estate at Carnie Hill. Will Cuppage has bought Emerald Hill, and Scott has built a new house called Claymore on his plantation. The rich Chinese merchants are keeping pace. Whampoa grows nutmeg at Tanglin and has a fine property at Serangoon, and Baba Tan has built a large residence at River Valley. Which leads me to the next subject
.

Kitt, you asked for news of Zhen. So much time has passed and I can tell from your letters that you are happy, which makes my heart very light. So I shall ignore the strictures suggested to me and give you the news that I have
.

Charlotte frowned and looked up from the letter. Strictures. What did he mean? Sometimes Robert made no sense. She resumed reading, hungry for news of Zhen, more than she had thought possible after all this time.

Baba Tan is now the proud grandfather of two girls. As yet no son, which, as you know, is the paramount matter in Chinese families, for their ancestors' rites. What other can I tell you? I met him at a dinner given by Baba Tan recently and at one of Whampoa's. He mixes well with the Europeans now, as his English has become really quite excellent. He has an emporium of Chinese medicines, which I understand is very successful amongst the Celestials. He knows you are married and have a son. What he thinks of this matter is inscrutable of course. I have met his wife only once since the day of their wedding reception, and as I told you, she is quite a shy creature, pretty, I suppose, in that Chinese way, although a little short and tubby for my liking. When he sees me, Zhen always asks about your health and your son's. I must say he has become a perfect gentleman in that regard, quite the urbane Englishman. That is doubtless Tan's influence on him. There, that is all I know
.