The Orchid Tree

by Siobhan Daiko

  ‘Guess what?’ he says. ‘They’ve arrested a top government chap, the number two in the police, and lots of other people.’

  ‘Don’t sound so pleased.’ I push Ruth behind me.

  Derek smirks. ‘Isn’t it about time we had some excitement in this boring place?’

  ‘You’re heartless and horrible.’

  The echo of screams comes from the Commandant’s house at the top of the hill, and I flinch.

  Derek folds his arms. ‘Do you know about Japanese water torture?’

  I want to back away from him, but my legs have frozen.

  ‘They tie the victims face-down on a board and pump liquid through their nose and mouth,’ he says.

  ‘H... h... how do they breathe?’

  ‘They open their mouths even more, but the Japs fill them up with more water.’

  ‘You’re fibbing!’

  Derek licks his lips. ‘When the victims look like the swollen corpses of drowned people, the Japs jump on the poor buggers’ stomachs.’ He sniggers. ‘Jets of water shoot out of their mouths, noses and even eyes.’

  ‘You’re such a sadist. I bet it’s not true.’

  ‘’Tis so!’

  Ruth comes out from behind me, and stamps her foot. ‘I hate you. Leave us alone!’

  I put my arm around her. ‘Come on, kiddo! I’ll take you home. We can wait for your parents and brother there.’

  Back in the Married Quarters, we find Charles and his father sitting on their camp-beds.

  ‘Ma’s furious,’ Charles whispers. ‘She found us with the radio and has gone to bury it.’

  ‘I was so worried about you.’ I grab his hand, ‘Thank God you’re all right. And what about your mother? I hope she won’t be caught.’

  ‘She won’t be. We smashed the radio into little pieces. Japs won’t suspect a woman. She’ll pretend to be planting something in our vegetable patch.’

  I squeeze his fingers and kiss him right in front of his father and sister.

  ***

  I hurry back to the Indian Quarters, but something’s wrong. The village green is empty except for four men. My heart almost beats out of my chest. There’s Bob, stumbling between two Kempeitai officers and a Chinese supervisor. They march him to the end of the blocks of flats. My whole body shakes. The officer makes him dig in the soft earth until he unearths a small grey box.

  Tears gush down my face. Papa arrives and takes me by the arm. ‘Come inside this instant! It’s far too dangerous out here.’

  I sniff and wipe my nose. ‘What have you heard?’

  ‘It’s spreading around the camp like wildfire. Japs have discovered a fortune in banknotes hidden under the bandages of a chap sent to town for an x-ray. They’ve arrested the top man in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank and some of his underlings, the fellow in charge of Medical Services, and quite a few locals. Accused them of collaborating with the BAAG and forming a resistance.’

  ‘Derek Higgins told me about the arrests.’

  ‘They nabbed two of the Cable and Wireless staff, as well as our friend Bob, and said they were operating secret radios.’

  ‘How did they find out they had radios?’

  ‘Japs have discovered some spare parts smuggled in with our supplies.’

  ‘Who told on them?’

  ‘Some people would sell their own grandmothers for favours or for food.’

  ***

  I lie awake all night; I can’t stop thinking about Bob. In the morning I rush to the hot water queue to tell Charles. Where is he? I spin on my heel and dash to the Married Quarters.

  Ruth and her mother are sitting next to each other, crying. Mr Pearce hovers over them, clutching at his hands. ‘It’s too terrible,’ he says. ‘They came for him last night. Said that, because he repaired their radio, he must have known about the others in the camp.’

  My legs buckle and Charles’ father gently helps me to a seat.

  ‘We were kept up all night by the Japs,’ Mrs Pearce sobs. ‘They had a drunken party in the prison. We saw everything from our balcony.’

  ‘One so-and-so, probably sozzled on saké, let loose into the yard and began firing his revolver into the air,’ Mr Pearce says. ‘All the Japs dived for cover, then an officer came out and shot him in the shoulder. They hauled the man away, and in the end everything quietened down.’

  ‘What do you think will happen to Charles?’ Numbness fills me, the frozen sensation only he can melt.

  ‘I don’t know,’ Mr Pearce says. ‘No one will tell us anything.’

  ‘They’ll let him out soon, though, won’t they?’ I wait for Mr Pearce to reassure me, but he remains silent.

  ***

  The weeks pass and Charles is still being held in the gaol, along with the others who were arrested. Early one afternoon at the end of October, I’m lingering on the hillside above the cemetery with Ruth. I spend as much time as I can with Charles’ sister. It started as a way of getting news of him; now I’ve become fond of her and enjoy our moments together.

  I’m thinking about Charles. Hopefully, his arrest was a huge mistake and he’ll soon be released. The Japanese said that, as Charles was over sixteen, he came under their authority and not that of the camp tribunal. He’ll be tried and sentenced like everyone else. I hope it won’t come to that. Mr Pearce said not to worry, as there was no proof that Charles had a radio or that he’s been involved in anything untoward.

  ‘I was with my friends by the main road this morning,’ Ruth says, picking up a fallen pine cone. ‘A van drove out of the prison and a hand waved through the window. Someone called out, “Goodbye”.’

  I look down at the shore. There’s a stretch of sand near the jetty. It’s usually deserted, but not today. Guards have appeared and someone has dug channels above the high-water mark.

  Ruth points. ‘What are those trenches for?’

  ‘I don’t know, kiddo. We’d better set off for school or we’ll be late for our lessons.’ I stare at the beach again. Three trucks have driven up and the guards are opening the doors. ‘Wait!’

  The guards line up about thirty men and one woman, roped together in groups of three with their hands tied behind their backs. They wave their rifles and push the people down to sit on the sand, then they put blindfolds on them. There’s Bob in the first trio! A guard leads him forward to kneel by a trench. Then a large man, his head close-shaven, unsheathes a sword and swings it in the air.

  Down comes the blade, glinting in the sun. A streak of silver. Shining. Silent. Deadly. I yelp as Bob’s body topples. Leaping to my feet I grab Ruth’s hand, and we run. We run, our legs pounding the dry earth to get away from the scene of horror unfolding on the sand, our mouths open to let out our screams.

  Ruth runs back to her family and I career full-tilt into Papa on the pathway leading down to the Indian Quarters.

  ‘Steady, dear girl. What on earth’s the matter?’

  In gasping breaths I tell him.

  He pulls me close and I sob against his chest. ‘What a callous act! There’s no excuse for it,’ he says.

  ‘They were laughing and j . . . j . . . joking. How can they be so cruel?’

  Back in the Indian Quarters, Papa fetches a cloth and sponges vomit from my chin. I can’t remember having been sick. He holds me as I weep. I spend the afternoon sitting listlessly on my mattress and go to bed early. Then I wake up screaming from a nightmares of Charles’ instead of Bob’s disconnected head rolling along the ground, blood spurting from his severed neck.

  Papa sits down on the mattress next to me and pats my shoulder. ‘There, there.’

  I feel numb and empty of emotion; it’s as if I’ve died too.

  14

  Sofia bends her fingers forward at a 90 degree angle to create a dragon claw. She must maintain the tension. It’s a year since Leo’s wedding, and she’s practising her kung fu moves with him.

  Her sister-in-law, Michiko, spends her time either in Leo’s suite of rooms here at Father’s, or at her family
home. Michiko’s mother is ill – some female problem no one will explain to Sofia – and needs Michiko to nurse her. She’s there this afternoon, which is why Sofia has Leo’s full attention.

  After Japanese troops seized the British steamer Sian in the harbour, killing about twenty guards, the Japanese demanded the installation of their own advisors as an alternative to military occupation. Mr Kimura, it turns out, was what is known as a sleeper, and now advises the Portuguese administration on civilian defence. Not actually a spy, Uncle said, just waiting until the moment came to show his true colours . . .

  Today, Sofia is the attacker and Leo is the defender. Sometimes they switch roles, but not often. Leo is still too strong for her and his attacks too rapid. One day she’ll be good enough to resist him, hopefully.

  They face each other and bow with their palms together. Sofia opens her arms wide and lets out a loud, ‘Hai!’ She flies at Leo, hands flailing, flicking her wrist for extra force so that she can dig her fingers into his arm muscles. He blocks her move and she falls back. Up on her feet, she attacks. He throws out a kick and rolls away. She goes in for the assault again. Leo’s superior technique pushes her across the terrace and she has to concede defeat.

  ‘One more go,’ she begs. This time she’ll get him. She’s determined. She goes at him like a whirling dervish, arms and legs flying out at the same time.

  He aims a kick at her; she leaps up in the air and it misses its mark. Finally, she has the upper hand. She can feel victory within her grasp. She aims a zigzag motion kick at the top of Leo’s foot, then grabs his leg and pushes him down. She’s won.

  ‘Well done, little sister. But you wouldn’t have been able to do that if I’d used force on your pressure points.’ He laughs.

  ‘When will you teach me how to do that?’

  ‘It’s too dangerous. I could kill you and, judging by how much progress you’ve made recently, you could even end up killing me. Come on, let’s go indoors and get ourselves something to drink. I’m parched.’

  They sit in companionable silence at the large rosewood dining table, sipping iced jasmine tea. Sofia lets out a sigh of contentment. In spite of the Japanese practically controlling Macau, and the destitution of people on the streets, happiness bubbles up within her. She shouldn’t feel happy. Not with all the wretchedness around her, but she can’t help herself. A knock at the door, and she looks up. Father’s houseman, Ah Chong, slinks into the room, his face pale. ‘Aiyah! Big fire. Master Leo you go quick. Missy Michiko hospital.’

  Sofia lets out a gasp as Leo runs from the room. ‘What happened?’

  She perches next to Father in his study, waiting for news. She only saw Michiko this morning at breakfast. They talked about how they both missed going to the cinema, her brother’s wife opening up to her at last.

  ‘Michiko will be all right, won’t she?’

  ‘I hope so,’ Father says.

  Sofia takes his hand. ‘Why didn’t you object to Leo marrying a Japanese woman?’ It’s a question she’s posed many times. Maybe today he’ll finally tell her.

  ‘I felt guilty for not giving him the love he craved from me. Michiko adores him, don’t you know? I watched them together and couldn’t refuse.’

  ‘Oh,’ Sofia says, frowning. She thinks back to the year between Leo’s first meeting then marrying the girl. They must have seen each other in secret, because she can’t remember him courting her openly. She squeezes her father’s hand. ‘Why couldn’t you love Leo?’

  ‘He reminds me too much of my own father, who only saw things in absolutes. There wasn’t room for any compromises in his character. He could only see black or white, never the shades of grey. I’m sad to admit I disliked him, and, although I don’t actually dislike Leo, I can’t find it in myself to truly love him either. Not like I love you, my daughter.’

  She’s suspected this for years, but it’s still a shock to have it confirmed. Another reason for Leo’s jealousy. And an explanation for the change in him since he met Michiko; the Japanese girl seems to love him unreservedly.

  I hope she’s all right.

  ‘What about Mr Kimura? Did you suspect he was a sleeper?’

  ‘Absolutely not! He told me he wasn’t in the military because he was colour-blind. I took it on good faith. I just wanted to get a cheap price for the pearls I’d promised Siu Yin. How was I to know Leo would start wooing the girl?’

  Not long after the dinner party when Leo had first met Michiko, Siu Yin appeared with a long string of even bigger pearls than Mrs Kimura’s. Why Father has to pander to her step-mother’s every whim is something Sofia will never understand. Natalia has told her what she calls “the facts of life”, of course. Could it be something to do with sex? Sofia can feel a blush creep up her neck just thinking about her father having sex with Siu Yin. ‘I see,’ she says, although she really doesn’t.

  The minutes stretch into an hour, then two hours. Ah Chong brings them a tray of supper. Cold bean curd. Sofia picks at it with her chop-sticks. She doesn’t feel like eating. Something’s wrong. Otherwise Leo would be back by now.

  She can’t wait any longer. She’ll telephone Uncle. He’ll know what’s going on. ‘I’ll be back in a minute,’ she says.

  Natalia is in the front hall, standing straight-backed at the foot of the stairs. ‘I’ve been waiting for you. Come up to your room, darlink. There’s something I have to tell you.’

  A sinking sensation in her chest, Sofia follows her governess up to the first-floor and into her bedroom. Natalia sits on the bed and pats the space next to her. ‘I’m so sorry,’ Natalia says softly. ‘The whole Kimura family is dead.’

  ‘No!’ A chill creeps into Sofia’s bones. ‘How?’ Her voice trembles.

  ‘It wasn’t supposed to be this way.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘Leo has been collaborating with the Japanese military. Your uncle found out he’s been acting as an intermediary between Mr Kimura and a group of nationalists, who’ve been pretending to fight Japan when all they do is block the communist guerrillas.’

  ‘How did Uncle find this out?’

  ‘Because I’ve been following Mr Kimura. And the worst thing is, he saw me this morning when I tailed him to the harbour. I’d managed to creep up and hide behind an upturned sampan on the beach, where I listened to him conspiring with those traitors and heard them giving him details of guerrilla movements. Nationalists turning against their fellow-Chinese. Unspeakable!’

  ‘How did he see you?’

  ‘I was attacked by seagulls. Can you believe it? Even the seagulls are starving, and they must have thought my hat was edible. I sat there as they dive-bombed me, willing to brazen it out, but one of the men came to investigate and I ran off.’ Natalia pauses. ‘Leo will put two and two together. He’ll think I had something to do with the arson attack on Michiko’s family.’

  ‘Why should he think that?’

  ‘Firstly, because I was following Mr Kimura. Secondly, because only the guerrillas would have carried out the assault. They’re the only people who dare to resist the Japanese around here.’

  ‘You said it wasn’t supposed to be this way.’

  ‘Some young hotheads in the brigade took it on themselves to teach Mr Kimura a lesson. They didn’t mean to kill anyone. Just to frighten him. Unfortunately, with the dry weather we’ve had recently, the house went up like a tinder-box. There were sacks of rice blocking the back door and the family was overcome by smoke inhalation.’

  Sofia starts to sob. Her shoulders heave and snot runs from her nose. She grabs hold of her governess. ‘What will you do now?’

  ‘I can’t stay here. I’ve just come to collect my things and say goodbye, my Sofichka. You’re fifteen years old now, too grown-up to need a governess. When the war is over, your father should send you to school or employ the best tutors for you to finish your education. Make sure that he does!’

  She goes with Natalia to her room and watches her pack. How to make Natalia change
her mind? That would be foolish, though. Natalia’s right; she has to leave. And soon. Sofia glances at her watch. Leo will be home any minute now. ‘Hurry up!’

  ***

  ‘Where is she? Where’s that Russian bitch?’ Leo shouts, coming through the door. He marches up to Sofia and her father. ‘I know all about Natalia’s shenanigans this morning. She’s a spy. The police have found rags soaked in kerosene dropped on the road outside the house. The fire was started deliberately. If I discover you had anything to do with this, Sofia, I’ll never forgive you.’

  ‘Now, now, Leo,’ Father gets up from his chair. ‘Calm down! How can you accuse your sister of something so terrible? She’s only a child, for heaven’s sake. And what proof do you have that Natalia is a spy?’ He turns to Sofia. ‘Where is she, by the way?’

  ‘She’s gone.’

  ‘Gone?’ Father repeats, a frown crinkling his brow.

  ‘She said to tell you both that she’s very sorry. She didn’t mean for this to happen.’

  Father sits back down. He opens his mouth then shuts it again. He takes a handkerchief from his pocket and blows his nose. ‘Did you know she’d been spying on us?’

  Sofia has never lied to her father and she’s not going to lie to him now. ‘I knew she was a communist. I found out last year.’

  ‘See!’ Leo points at Sofia. ‘My bastard step-sister is in cahoots with the Russian bitch.’

  ‘I don’t want to hear language like that in my house,’ Father says, shaking his finger at Leo. ‘Apologise to Sofia!’

  ‘Never! She must have known about Natalia. They’ve always been thick as thieves. I’m sure there weren’t any secrets between them.’

  ‘I know I should have told you, Father, I realise that now. I thought she was harmless.’ Should she tell him this is all Leo’s fault for collaborating with the Japanese? She isn’t a tell-tale-tit.

  ‘Harmless?’ Father’s voice shakes with anger. ‘How can deception ever be harmless? Go to your room, Sofia! I’ll come up and talk to you when I’ve had a few words with Leo.’