It Happened on Scrabble Sunday

by Vas, Mahita;

  Uday sobbed as he leant towards Sayana.

  “I’m very, very sorry, Mr Aurora. She also has multiple fractures on her hands, which could suggest she was fending off blows. At this point, there is no telling how long she’ll be in a coma.”

  “But she will recover, yes? With the best medical care, she will regain consciousness? Won’t she?”

  The doctor took a deep breath, looked at the folder on his lap and pursed his lips before he replied, “Mr Aurora, with severe brain injury, there is no way of telling how well the patient will recover. I can give you statistics, but they won’t mean a thing at this point. We’ll need to monitor Lavinia for the next two weeks. She will be in the ICU and will receive the best care.” The doctor looked at his watch. “It’s nearly 4am, Mr Aurora. You and your sons should go home. Get some rest. You can spend some time with Lavinia before you go. Try and have a family member visit her every day.”

  It was Ashwin’s turn to drive. A phone rang while they were on their way home. It was not a ringtone they recognised.

  Uday yelled, “It’s that fellow’s phone! It’s probably Shaun, or whatever his name is, wanting an update! Who has the phone?”

  Sayana reached into his pocket, switched off the radio and answered the phone in Chinese. He sounded rough, unlike the refined way he spoke when ordering a meal in a restaurant.

  “Hello?” The voice on the other end echoed in the car. Sayana spoke mainly in monosyllables, with the exception of two sentences. At one point, Sayana pulled the phone away from his ear, so far and so quickly that it hit the window. He gestured to Ashwin to pull over to the side. Ashwin turned into a quiet street just off Zion Road.

  The call ended within two minutes. Sayana turned to face Uday. “I’m quite sure that was Shaun. Sounded like a woman. Definitely not a man.”

  “A woman? I heard all that screaming. Maybe it was a man who sounded like a woman?”

  Sayana shook his head. “It was a woman, Dad. She assumed I was Ah Huat and asked what happened to the photos of Lavinia’s pieces. I said I had no time. She swore, using typical Chinese phrases—all extremely vulgar—and said she will never order roast meats from my uncle again. She asked how long before the parts turned to ash. I said at least another four hours, and even then there’d still be a few bones.”

  Uday covered his ears. “This is too morbid!”

  “She told me to meet her at the factory at ten in the morning. She said she wanted the ashes because … forget it, not important.”

  “Because what? Tell us, Sayana!” demanded Uday.

  “Because she wanted the pleasure of flushing them down the loo.”

  “That’s one sick bastard,” said Ashwin.

  Sayana replied, “I’m going to turn up at the factory before ten and try to get more information.”

  Uday did not like the idea of his son confronting a violent thug all alone. “I’m not sure you should go. I mean, what will you do when, or if, you see Shaun? How would you know it’s him or her? He might send a friend.”

  “It’s the only way I can get to know who Shaun is. I’ll watch from the car and take pictures. I’ll trail her, or whoever turns up for the ashes. I’ll have to be there to find out.”

  Uday looked at his watch. “That’s six hours from now. I don’t think any of us will be at work tomorrow but Sayana, you need to go to sleep right away. Both of you, tell your wives as little as possible, and swear them to secrecy. I’ll do the same with Tamara.”

  13

  Later That Morning

  Uday was on tenterhooks as he waited for a report from Sayana, who was waiting for Shaun near the factory, with Ah Huat’s phone fully charged and in his pocket. After the first phone call from his father, Sayana was diligent about providing updates every ten minutes, including evocative details which made Uday feel as if he was actually there, trailing his beloved daughter’s attacker.

  A1 Roasted Meats was closed. Sayana put his ear against the aluminium shutters. All he heard were ambient sounds from the industrial refrigerators, other shops and the main road. He took a step back and read the signs and posters, hoping to find information about opening hours.

  “Today close! Sunday Monday always close,” said a young woman stacking plastic crates filled with dumplings waiting to be steamed, at the entrance to the factory next door.

  Sayana spoke in Chinese. “Do you know the people who work here? I need to order three suckling pigs for a friend’s wedding. Last-minute, and I heard this was the best.”

  The woman giggled. “Wah, ang mo speak Chinese so good.”

  Sayana laughed. He was used to being referred to by the word commonly used to describe white people. He replied in Chinese, “No, no, no … I’m not ang mo. Indian father, half-English mother. Studied Chinese in school. Do you know how I can contact them? I can’t find the number anywhere.”

  The woman smiled and responded in English. “Your Chinese very good. Sorry, I don’t know people work here.” She peered into her shop and tried to find her boss. “You wait. I ask my boss.” The woman returned and said in a sheepish voice, “Boss tell me must mind my own business. Sorry, cannot help you.”

  Sayana thanked her and walked to the end of the row of shop- factories. He spotted his favourite cake in a glass cake display at the corner cake shop. He laughed at the name, Sweet Cherry Cakery. Was that even a word? Sayana wondered what Lavinia would think and if she would dare use it in Scrabble. He bought a slice of Pandan Chiffon and bit slowly into the narrow edge of the fluffy green cake. This was the best breakfast he’d had in weeks.

  Ah Huat’s phone buzzed. It wasn’t Shaun’s number. Sayana looked to his right. The space outside A1 Roasted Meats was empty. There were a few people along the corridor, all of whom seemed to be preoccupied with loading or unloading crates or boxes of food.

  Sayana declined the call and walked towards the carpark behind the building. Two people stood outside the back door where, barely ten hours earlier, Sayana had waited to be let in with his brother and father. One of them stood behind a rubbish bin. Sayana could see only the top half of him. He stood out for wearing a hoodie in this unbearable heat. The glare from the blazing sun hitting the white concrete was blinding. Nibbling on his cake while keeping a surreptitious eye on the men who seemed deep in conversation, Sayana walked towards his car. Soon after he got in, the phone buzzed again. Sayana had parked his car so it faced the back of the building. He could see them clearly, but it was unlikely they could see him, due to the glare on the windscreen. He put on his sunglasses and took the call.

  “Where are you? We are waiting outside. Back door.”

  Sayana sounded breathless. “I’m running from the bus stop. You said ten. It’s only nine forty-five! I’ll be there soon.” Sayana ended the call and stared at the two young men waiting for Ah Huat.

  Of the two people, the one on the phone sounded like the one who had called early that morning. The one named Shaun, who Sayana had thought was a girl. She had heavy features and short, spiked hair which accentuated her square face, but went well with her small frame. Both her arms were tattooed in their entirety. She wore black trousers rolled up at the ankles and cinched at her midriff, possibly unable to find anything suitable for her short legs and small waist. Her baggy tee-shirt was tucked into her trousers and her sleeves were rolled up to her shoulders. She had the gait of a schoolyard bully. Sayana stared at her. Shaun didn’t look like a girl. Her chest was flat. Perhaps his father was right, and Shaun was a man who sounded like a woman and, by the looks of it, was built like a boy. For now, he agreed with Uday and assumed Shaun was a man. The other person was wearing the hoodie and was squatting as he smoked a cigarette. Moments later, the smoker stood up, removed his hoodie and took a water bottle from Shaun’s backpack.

  “Wow, oh wow! I can’t believe this!” Sayana laughed when he realised he was talking to himself. When he called next, Uday had to remind him that he was supposed to be taking photos, not just engaging in surveillance. Sayana prom
ised he would, but was unable to get face shots, as Shaun kept facing the door to the factory, his back towards him.

  While Sayana wasn’t sure of Shaun’s gender, it was obvious by now that Shaun’s friend was a young girl, probably no more than eighteen. She was slightly taller than Shaun and had long hair dyed a shade of blonde so wrong it looked like freshly beaten egg yolks. She wore denim shorts which were frayed at the edges and short enough to get her flogged in some countries. Her legs were dotted with scars, probably from mosquito bites. She was pretty in an impish way and was probably Shaun’s girlfriend. He took photographs of both of them.

  Shaun looked like he was getting impatient, pacing the back of the building and kicking bits of litter along the way. Sayana was suffocating in the sweltering car but could neither turn on the engine nor wind the windows down.

  The phone rang again.

  Shaun raised the mouthpiece to his lips and screamed into it. “Hurry up or you’ll soon be joining the girl!”

  Sayana smiled. “Really? And who will kill me? You? And chop me up? You are all talk, no action. You stupid, cowardly fuck!” Sayana had to suppress the urge to laugh when he saw Shaun staring ahead, to Sayana’s left, mouth gaping, while his girlfriend appeared to ask what was going on. Sayana continued, “You know what? You go get the ashes yourself. Lots of bones, too. You didn’t pay me enough to do such dirty work. I’m going back home! You don’t know me, you won’t know where to find me. I’ll tell my boss all about you. He’s my uncle, okay? Imagine if he knew you lied to him, you used him for such evil. He thought you needed the fridge because yours had broken down late last night and you needed to keep your seafood chilled. I’ll tell him you needed the furnaces instead, to burn a young woman! I’ll say you killed her. So, don’t think you’re some big shot who can bully me.” Sayana hung up, pleased at his ability to speak the unrefined form of Chinese he had picked up in the army.

  Watching Shaun squat and bury his head in his hands made him value Ah Huat’s information more than either of them had thought possible.

  Shaun spoke to his girlfriend, who offered him a cigarette. He rubbed his face and squeezed his girlfriend’s hand before calling again. His voice was soft this time. “I need the ashes. Please. I’m sorry. It’s hot and I’m under pressure.”

  “Pressure? What pressure? You mean you are a runner for someone? Tell me who and I’ll help you clear out the furnace.”

  “You’re just a butcher. Why are you asking so many questions? It’s none of your business.”

  “You want the ashes or not?”

  “I can’t tell you anything. You’re being too clever for your own good. Just be careful. Five thousand is a lot of money. I’ll find a way to—”

  Sayana hung up and waited. Perhaps they would head home, or to work.

  Shaun looked as if he was searching for something on his phone. Sayana took some pictures while he had the chance. Minutes later, Sayana saw the girlfriend raise her arm, as if to hail a taxi. As soon as the red Honda Vezel pulled up in front of them, Sayana switched on the ignition, turned the air-conditioning up full blast and followed the Honda.

  Uday tried to talk Sayana out of this part of the surveillance, fearing he might get too close and be attacked or killed by Shaun. Sayana assured Uday he would be fine. Shaun and his girlfriend looked too petite to be dangerous. Besides, even if there was a knife or any weapon in the girlfriend’s backpack, Sayana, a black-belt in Aikido, would be able to take her down before she could get to the bag.

  It was half an hour before the car entered a housing estate and dropped them off at Block 408, Clementi Avenue 6. As the two dawdled towards the lift, Sayana parked his car and dashed in to the lift as well. He ushered them in first—they didn’t even thank him or acknowledge his politeness, rude guys.

  Seeing that they had pressed 8 on the lift number panel, Sayana pressed 7.

  Shaun whispered in Chinese to his girlfriend, “The ang mo looks familiar. We’ve seen him somewhere, haven’t we?”

  Sayana stiffened. He pretended to be reading messages on his phone. His cover was blown. He had been too confident, and Shaun was one step ahead of him.

  The girlfriend turned around and glanced at Sayana. She replied “Yes, on television. He’s that actor who plays a doctor on a Channel 5 serial. He’s quite famous. Surprised to see him around here.”

  “No. I don’t think it’s because he’s an actor. I’ve seen him before.”

  Sayana was relieved when the lift stopped on the seventh floor. He wished them a good day and waited at the landing for the lift to open on the next floor up. As they alighted, he tip-toed up the stairs, following their voices. They were now walking down the corridor. From behind the wall of the lift lobby, Sayana saw Shaun’s girlfriend opening the door as Shaun followed behind. The door banged shut. Sayana walked towards the flat, the third unit from the corner. #08-1034.

  Sayana had an address, a phone number, a sort of confession and possibly the name of a person of unconfirmed gender. He now had to figure out what to do with the information. Although he was exhausted and in need of some sleep, he felt energised about getting closer to the person who tried to kill Lavinia.

  Uday was proud of his self-righteous son who, for once, willingly agreed to participate in a clandestine operation in support of his family’s search for justice.

  Uday agreed with Sayana that it was highly unlikely Rohit—still their main suspect—who did not understand a word of Chinese, would be directly in touch with Shaun, who probably spoke very little English. Sayana was convinced Shaun was merely carrying out instructions, and was determined to find out who Rohit had hired to kill Lavinia.

  14

  That Afternoon

  They’re all here. The only men in Lavinia’s life. The only men in mine. Uday is beside himself. He stares at Lavinia’s bandaged head, her hair shaved for the emergency surgery early that morning. Pus oozes from one side of the face. He stretches out his arm to stroke her face and pulls back, covers his face and sobs.

  Ashwin and Sayana are more composed as they stand beside him and pat his shoulders. I am in so much pain seeing him like this. I run my hands through his hair. He freezes and looks at his sons. He says nothing and slides both his hands down the sides of his head, as if convincing himself he had done the same a moment ago. I stop and take my seat on the other side of the bed, by Lavinia’s feet. Like me, she would be pleased to see her brothers come together in peace, both putting their intense grief ahead of their petty differences.

  Angela had dropped by in the late morning. She brought white tulips with fuchsia tips, which looked like someone painstakingly painted with light brushstrokes near the tip of every petal. They really brighten up the room. It’s quite a nice room, decorated and furnished like a three-star hotel in England. The machines make the room less congenial than the other wards but there’s a sofa—in dark green synthetic leather with hard cushions—for a family member to sleep on. It’s ugly, like those boxy, functional designs from the seventies, but it’s comfortable. There’s also an armchair. There’s a small desk with a flimsy wooden chair, which Uday has placed by Lavinia’s bed, so he can sit as he speaks to her. Unlike the other wards, the ICU rooms do not have television.

  As public hospitals go, this is excellent. Uday had mentioned earlier that he’d like to move Lavinia to a private hospital but thankfully Sayana knocked some sense into him, telling him that Singapore’s government hospitals are said to have better facilities and the best doctors.

  Uday stops sobbing and is breathing slowly. “Please get well, Lavi. For all of us. Your brothers are here with me. Pri will drop by this evening, after work.” His voice is soft.

  As soon as Uday seems a bit less distraught, Sayana tells him what he’s found out about Shaun. Uday stares at the photos and complains he can barely see Shaun’s face, but he can tell Shaun looks like a boy. If I had not insisted on the boys studying Chinese and in one of Singapore’s top schools, too, I doubt Sayana would’ve have m
ade this much progress in his investigations. Ashwin had struggled and switched to Hindi within a year, but Sayana persevered and aced the subject. Brownie points for me, thank you.

  Uday stops listening to Sayana and turns to Lavinia, lowering his voice. “We’re going to find out who did this to you. Your brothers are working on it. Sayana found the boy who took you to the factory. Imagine that, a boy! We will deal with him ourselves. The police don’t have enough information to be ahead of us. We even gave them a different block number, the one next to where we actually found you. Oh, Lavi, my beloved Lavi … No matter how good the police are, no matter how fair the judge might be, the law will never provide enough justice for what they did to you.”

  Uday is right. Lavinia might one day be well enough to go home but it’s hard to say how well she’ll recover. Severe brain injury. The doctor said that a few times, the last being this morning when he brought in a team of medical students. I resented them all talking over her like she was some specimen. But I had to accept that this was a teaching hospital and the intrusion was a small price to pay to be treated by the country’s best doctors.

  Sayana stares at his sister as he speaks: “I don’t know how Shaun could have inflicted so much damage. He looks like a teenage boy and his girlfriend can’t be more than eighteen. Shaun had tattoos all over and walked like a gangster so maybe he is both violent and strong. I just wonder where Rohit found him.”

  Rohit? How did Rohit become part of this? He savaged Lavinia’s heart at the start of the year. He would not then go on to inflict such barbarity on her body and her soul. I do not like him, but I don’t believe he has anything to do with this.

  Shaun is not a boy. He is a she. I know this because when I tried to stop her from hitting Lavinia, I accidentally rubbed against her breasts. It felt like she had bound them tightly. I’m sure Sayana will find out Shaun’s real gender soon.

  Rohit could never have arranged this. I was with Lavinia when she got into one of those shared private hire taxis. It was around 5pm, and raining heavily. The driver told her she would be the last one to be dropped off, after the other two men. He took them to an industrial park near Macpherson. The two got off, but the driver did not leave. He switched off his engine. I realised that something was wrong. Then the door on the left, on Lavinia’s side, opened. She screamed for barely a few seconds when one of the men stuffed a cloth in her mouth and taped over it. She reached for her phone, but the other man grabbed her handbag. I held her tightly, so he wouldn’t be able to pull her out of the car. I didn’t know how to get the driver to zoom off with us. The next moment, the driver got into the back seat from the right and pushed us out. He was part of the plan! I tried but could not fight him.