Lunch with the Generals

by Derek Hansen

  ‘Yes, my friend, very hard. But also a good life.’

  Jan’s driver returned to pick him up. Both men knew they would never see each other again.

  Chapter Thirty-three

  ‘Hello, Eduardo, it’s Jan. I am back.’

  ‘Welcome home. I hope you are not too tired.’

  ‘How do you know I only got back this morning?’

  Eduardo laughed.

  ‘Easy. Do you think I am not also anxious to continue our conversation? Besides, the last plane arrived two days ago, and I did not think you would wait two days before you contacted me.’

  It all sounded so obvious coming from that leap-frogging mind. Eduardo was easily the most stimulating person Jan had encountered in a long while. He would have been devastated if Eduardo had had a change of heart. But Eduardo positively bubbled with warmth and enthusiasm. Jan’s biggest problem would be to slow Eduardo down to a pace he was more comfortable with.

  ‘I may have some good news,’ Eduardo continued. ‘We may have our first employee. But we can discuss this when we meet. How about lunch tomorrow? Bathers Pavilion at Balmoral Beach. It must be near your home, and there is not a single Asian dish on the menu.’

  Jan laughed at Eduardo’s thoughtfulness. After six weeks in Indonesia, another Asian meal was the last thing he wanted.

  ‘What time?’

  ‘Twelve-forty-five. The table will be in my name.’

  Eduardo rang off and Jan could barely contain his happiness. He’d only been back a few hours, yet they already had staff! He could hardly wait to meet up with Eduardo again.

  ‘It’s good to see you like this, Jan,’ Lita said. ‘Whatever that man does for you, I hope it doesn’t stop.’

  ‘You will meet him soon,’ Jan promised. ‘I will bring him home to meet you and we will have one of your wonderful dinners.’

  Lita knew exactly what that meant.

  ‘I hope he’s worth the effort,’ she said dryly, though she was more than happy to oblige. ‘I will invite the boys over, if they can drag themselves away from their girlfriends.’

  Jan in this mood was the nicest man in the world.

  Eduardo arrived at Jan’s Mosman home at precisely eight pm. He carried a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Brut champagne, a basket of hand-made chocolates and a bouquet of red roses and baby’s breath. If it was all a little too much, it was because Eduardo, for once, was not familiar with the protocol. He simply had no experience of dining at other people’s homes. He ate in restaurants, either as host or guest, and only rarely at the homes of Sydney’s elite, where he was just one of a number of guests, and the occasions formal. He was out of his territory.

  He wore a cream linen suit, a pale open necked shirt, and light, woven leather shoes without socks. If he was striving to appear casual, he failed dismally. He would not have been more formal in black tie.

  ‘Eduardo! Come in, come in.’ Jan’s welcome was so boisterous, Eduardo felt slightly embarrassed. He wondered what Jan had said about him, what he had to live up to.

  ‘Lita! Come. Eduardo is here.’

  A tiny woman bustled out of the kitchen. She appeared shy and self-conscious, but Eduardo could see the strength in her bearing. She seemed much younger than he had expected, and more beautiful. She was delighted with the flowers and the chocolates.

  ‘Jan never brings me flowers any more. And certainly not roses. My goodness! Just look at them. Excuse me, I must find a vase for them. I want them to last as long as possible.’

  ‘These are my two sons, Tom and Pieter.’

  Eduardo turned at Jan’s words, prepared to meet two boys. Instead he was confronted by two men, both towering giants, taller even than their father.

  ‘Pleased to meet you.’ Their voices rumbled like thunder but they had their father’s gentleness in their eyes.

  ‘How can Lita possibly be their mother?’ Eduardo asked Jan in mock surprise. ‘One, she is not big enough. Two, she is not old enough.’

  The boys smiled politely. They had heard it all before. Jan took Eduardo’s jacket and they moved into the lounge. Eduardo felt strangely out of place. He allowed Jan to dominate the conversation, adopting the role of polite listener all through the pre-dinner drinks. He discovered that both boys worked as waiters in exclusive restaurants, despite the fact that Pieter had a degree in engineering and Tom a degree in business administration.

  ‘University taught them to use their brains,’ Jan said. ‘Now their brains tell them to open their own restaurant. Who can argue? High-class Asian, that’s what it’s going to be. There are enough bad ones already.’

  Eduardo smiled and logged this information for future reference. He was glad to take his seat at the table.

  He watched the casual, relaxed way the family took their places, the easy rapport and lack of fuss. Small talk abandoned him and he felt oddly adrift. For the first time in his life, he found himself among a normal family in a normal family home. It was a new experience for him, and he couldn’t help comparing it with his own upbringing. He was fascinated by the Van de Meers, and envious of them, and the realisation of what he had missed out on saddened him.

  ‘You are very quiet, Eduardo. Are you feeling all right?’

  Eduardo snapped out of his reverie to see Jan, Lita and the boys looking at him with obvious concern.

  ‘Forgive me.’ He searched for words, a witty response, before deciding on the truth. ‘It is a long time since I have been part of a family. Even if I am only part of a family for one night. I had no idea what my life has been missing.’

  ‘Don’t you have any family?’ Lita asked, appalled.

  ‘Sadly no. That is part of the price of being a refugee. But my family was never close. Not like this. If I am honest with you, I must tell you I was raised by servants.’

  ‘How awful!’

  ‘It’s pretty awful around here sometimes,’ said Tom, lightening the mood. ‘You should be here when we fight. My sister throws a mean punch.’

  ‘Aha!’ said Jan. ‘Eduardo, it is time you met the fifth member of our family. My daughter Annemieke.’

  Eduardo had hardly been aware of the figure gliding soundlessly past with a large plate piled high with samosas. The wraith-like figure was now at the opposite side of the table, her left profile towards him as she served. Eduardo was not a religious man, but he honestly believed right then that he had seen an angel.

  ‘Annemieke,’ he heard Ian say, ‘this our new partner, Mr Gallegos.’

  Eduardo could not take his eyes off her. He was unaware that he was staring, or that he was being closely watched by her two brothers.

  ‘Mr Gallegos.’

  ‘Eduardo, please.’ He struggled to his feet. ‘I am delighted to meet you, Annemieke.’

  She smiled a strange sad smile that was somehow wrong, then glided effortlessly away. Eduardo stood staring at the doorway to the kitchen through which she had departed. Jan coughed discreetly.

  ‘I’m sorry,’ Eduardo said, feeling guilty without quite knowing why. He settled back in his chair, an unaccustomed tingling in his cheeks. ‘Argentine men are children where beautiful women are concerned. And this is the second time tonight you have returned me to my childhood.’

  ‘All men are children before beautiful women,’ Jan said grinning. ‘Even their fathers. Now, Annemieke will not forgive us if we don’t eat her samosas. Come, they are getting cold.’

  Eduardo noticed the two boys relax, but what had made them tense? He was confused. But his brain, already overloaded, pushed his confusion to one side. The family attacked the samosas and ate them with their fingers. So did he.

  The dinner was superb. Lita had prepared her own version of a rijstaffel, serving each dish individually, from the curry puffs to noodles and sates, and finally the fiery Padung dishes. Eduardo combined pickles and chutneys and relishes with the different dishes as directed, and asked about every dish, enquiring as to its origins and the composition of its flavours. Through a supreme act of will, he mana
ged to drag his attention from Annemieke, who effortlessly played the part of attentive listener, waiter and assistant chef. Through it all, she somehow managed to elude his close scrutiny. He talked about his contacts in Sydney society, and exaggerated the lengths to which they’d go in order to have their faces grace the social pages of his magazine.

  ‘They have enough money,’ he said. ‘All they want is recognition. After all, what pleasure is there in being rich if one is not also famous? So I give them that. I trade faces for favours.’

  They laughed at his self-deprecating cynicism.

  ‘My partner, Phil Breedlaw, has had the best idea. We feature homes in the magazine. Of course, it has become a status symbol to have your home featured this way, and we have people queueing up for the privilege. Naturally, the presence of a few authentic Indonesian artifacts could only help their chances.’ He gave Jan a sly look which everybody was intended to see.

  ‘But won’t that cause problems?’ Tom asked. ‘What about security? Your magazine would be like a catalogue for burglars.’

  ‘That’s the beauty of the whole scheme,’ Eduardo said. ‘Phil has signed up a security company to sponsor the series. We’re even running a feature on security systems. The advertising revenue is formidable.’

  Eduardo began to laugh and found he could hardly stop. He couldn’t remember ever feeling so relaxed and happy.

  ‘I’m almost ashamed to take the money,’ he said.

  Annemieke brought in the final dish, a cake of coconut icecream with lychees and mangoes. She seemed to be laughing along with everybody else. But like a silver fish turning and twisting in the water, her brightness would appear and disappear in the twinkling of an eye, as her head turned in the process of serving. Then he understood the enormity of her tragedy.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said looking into her eyes with a warmth which gave no hint of his discovery. ‘You are a very special young woman.’

  It was after two when the taxi came to take him back to Rose Bay. He felt intoxicated, not so much by alcohol, but by the company, the laughter, and the extraordinary vision called Annemieke. He resolved to see more of her, but he knew he would have to tread warily.

  At forty-five, he was twice her age, and she the daughter of his new partner in business. He would have to be patient. He knew he would first have to win the family completely, before he could ever win her. He began to plan his campaign. He would ask Jan, discreetly of course, about her paralysis. He did not believe nature could have been so cruel.

  That night he slept through until nine am. It had been a long time since he’d slept so well and without interruption.

  ‘Without interruption,’ he thought, and wondered if the sins of his past life had finally loosened their hold.

  Annemieke also slept late, but it was because her excitement had drawn her in and out of sleep as thoughts tumbled over each other. Eduardo was the most stylish and elegant man she had ever met. He oozed confidence and charm, yet none of it seemed contrived. Moreover, her father liked him enormously. Could anyone ask for a better reference? Not in her eyes. She was certain he was the man she had dreamed about meeting. And now an odd thing struck her. In all the years she had indulged her fantasy, her Prince Charming did not have a face. Of course he had a face, but she could not bring to mind his precise features and realised she never had. Now when she closed her eyes, she saw Eduardo, and there was nothing about his face, his voice or his mannerisms that she had missed.

  She’d noticed him watching her, but she was practised in this game, and used her craft to deny him all but fleeting glimpses. How would he react, she’d wondered, when he saw what she so skilfully hid? She watched him as he told his stories. He was so self-assured, so quick to laugh, and so appreciative and interested in each dish he was served.

  When the time came for dessert, Annemieke took the tray from her mother. She’d decided to reveal her other side. It was a risk, but she had to know. Her mother gave her a smile of complicity, and sent her on her way.

  Annemieke knew exactly what she was doing. She served Eduardo first, then moved clockwise around the table. She served her father, allowing her long hair to fall forward so Eduardo could not see her face. As she moved on to her brothers, she angled her head so that her hair stayed behind her shoulders. She smiled, turned, bowed her head and raised it in a smooth but unending sequence, revealing her secret in carefully calculated moments. She knew the instant he spotted her sagging cheek, yet he gave no obvious sign. He did not turn away from her. His eyes locked onto hers and his smile radiated a warmth and affection she hadn’t felt since she had sat, as a child, on her father’s knee.

  ‘Thank you,’ he said to her. ‘You are a very special young woman.’

  Eduardo tactfully drew attention to himself while Annemieke finished serving. It’s as well he did, for her hands shook, and she would have been mortally embarrassed had anyone noticed.

  ‘He’s passed the test,’ Annemieke thought to herself with mounting excitement. ‘And so have I.’

  Chapter Thirty-four

  The opening of their new shop gave Eduardo the opportunity to set the first phase of his plan in motion. To win over the Van der Meers.

  They called their shop ‘Java Man’, and it opened in exclusive Double Bay. The glitterati turned out in force in support of Eduardo, and for the free champagne and press coverage the event promised.

  Jan had been shocked by the amount of money budgeted for the opening, but even more so by the prices Eduardo was charging. They were outrageous, though Jan had to admit, many of the items for sale were among the best he had ever brought back.

  ‘Don’t worry,’ Eduardo said. ‘People love to pay, and these people more than most.’

  Jan watched as proof of this theory walked out the door, and red ‘sold’ stickers blossomed.

  ‘It won’t always be like this,’ Eduardo counselled. ‘These people also like to be seen to be paying. We’ll have to have an opening with each new shipment.’

  ‘In that case,’ said Jan, as Estelle walked past with bottles of Moët in each hand, ‘perhaps we should also import our own champagne.’

  Together they watched Estelle. She was the perfect hostess. Tom and Pieter had taught her how to pour champagne without filling the glasses full of bubbles. She was a good student, but few students have such attentive teachers.

  At ten pm, Eduardo escorted Anders Peterson and the last of the guests to the door. Anders didn’t leave empty handed either, Jan noted. In fact he thought Anders had a particularly good eye and appreciation of primitive art. Estelle opened a fresh bottle of Moët and brought out a tray of canapés she’d withheld.

  ‘Well, we should just about have covered costs,’ Eduardo said smugly as he collapsed into his chair.

  ‘Oh, I think we’ve done a bit better than that,’ Estelle chimed in. ‘We’ve taken cash and deposits on items worth just over a hundred and fifty thousand dollars.’

  Jan and Lita looked at each other in amazement, and began to laugh. The whole thing was beyond their comprehension, another world entirely.

  ‘It’s a pity Annemieke could not come,’ Eduardo observed innocently. ‘Is it because she is uncomfortable in crowds?’

  There was an awkward silence, but Eduardo was a good judge of timing and occasion. He knew it was a good time to ask, while they were still high on their success.

  ‘It is the legacy of a car accident. In Indonesia. Near our home at Tangkuban Perahu.’ Jan’s voice was steady as he told the story, but Eduardo was struck by the silence that surrounded it. Nobody dared draw breath. Each sentence was punctuated by an extended pause. It was as if somebody had rolled a hand grenade among them and everybody had tensed for the explosion. He had not anticipated the extent of the wound he had opened.

  ‘There is nothing more the doctors can do for her,’ Jan concluded. ‘Perhaps in the future, somebody will come up with something that will help. Who knows?’

  Lita took Jan’s hand in hers. She had never h
eard him tell the story to anyone before, other than their doctors. Now, here he was, opening up to this man they barely knew. He had not resented Eduardo’s question nor, it seemed, did he regret answering it. She wished her husband had met Eduardo sooner.

  ‘Annemieke wanted to come, but she knew she would not be comfortable here.’ Lita smiled warmly at Eduardo. ‘Too many cameras. Too much publicity.’

  ‘What about you, Lita? Are you comfortable here?’ Eduardo was puzzled by Lita’s smile. He couldn’t dwell on its implications, because he felt it was his responsibility to move the conversation on. Besides, there was another item on his agenda. Another idea which would bring him a step closer to Annemieke.

  ‘Yes, I am comfortable here. Why do you ask?’

  ‘Then would you be prepared to help us, to work here with Estelle, and teach her about Indonesia until she is able to speak confidently to our clients?’

  ‘Yes, I think so.’

  ‘Excellent! Pieter, see if you can find another bottle of Moët. We now have a staff of two.’

  Pieter obliged, but he too had his price.

  ‘Now that you have conscripted both my father and my mother, perhaps you will do something for Tom and me?’ Pieter paused for effect. ‘When we open our restaurant, will you promise to handle the opening? You seem to have an extraordinary talent for it.’

  Eduardo agreed without hesitation. He laughed and made facetious suggestions about the things they could do. He was happy to oblige Pieter and Tom. In fact, he was elated. The first part of his plan was in place and taking effect. He was winning the family. They loved him. And that helped clear the path to Annemieke. Still, he knew there was a long way to go, and a precipitous move would ruin everything. He would not make his move until he was certain it would be welcomed. The impatience of old stirred within him. He ached to see Annemieke again. Rosa had returned to stalk him in his sleep and he knew only Annemieke could drive her away.

  An idea began to form, one so childishly hopeful that he almost dismissed it. But ideas, even those born of wishful thinking, never entirely go away without first being explored.