The Plantation - Di Morrissey [113]
‘Yes. I’m afraid it is.’
‘Well,’ said Norma cheerfully, ‘I’d better go and introduce myself.’
‘Is there anything that I can do?’ asked Marjorie. ‘I want to pull my weight, too.’
‘We try to keep the little kids around this area, so whoever is on kitchen detail can keep an eye on them. Marjorie, if you could watch them, or play with them as well, that would be wonderful.’
‘Sounds like you have a job,’ said Babs.
Bette leaned down and kissed Philip. ‘This is our new friend Marjorie. She saved your elephant, and she wants to play with you, so be a good boy, won’t you?’ Bette ruffled his hair and then quickly turned and followed Norma into the kitchen.
By the end of the day the new arrivals had ascertained the full horror of their surroundings.
‘We can’t live on this,’ exclaimed Babs, after she tasted the watery soup, which passed for that evening’s meal.
‘We do our best. Occasionally we have some protein – a scrawny chicken, if you can afford to buy one, sometimes meat, although we don’t ask where it came from,’ said Gloria, a tall imperious English woman who had been a matron of a large hospital in Penang and now was in charge of the sick in the camp. ‘Cockroaches can add a bit of a crunch,’ she added with a wicked gleam in her eye.
Norma shuddered.
Marjorie noticed that Bette had put a portion of her own food onto Philip’s plate and tried to entertain and distract him during their meagre meal. Marjorie did the same for her mother, but Bette noticed and spoke to her.
‘Marjorie. You can’t give your nourishing food to your mother. You’ll get sick and then you’ll be of no use to her. Your mother will get better. She just needs time and rest to get over that terrible journey.’
As time went on, food remained the greatest problem for the interned women. Those who had some money bought or traded extras from the local traders who appeared at the fence: a tough chicken, some fresh vegetables or the luxury of a few eggs. Usually these extras weren’t shared, but Marjorie noticed that when any of the children were given treats, they were always happy to share the riches of an egg or banana with their friends.
A routine was established, a roster system was put in place and each woman’s strengths and weaknesses were quickly known and accepted. Evelyn was still frail and unable to do the physically hard work around the camp, but she worked in the kitchen helping to prepare food. Gradually, like many of the other women, she sold pieces of her jewellery to supplement her and Marjorie’s diet.
One day, Evelyn took Bette aside. ‘I’ve managed to acquire two chickens! There’s not much meat on them but we can make up a soup for us all.’
‘Evelyn, how fantastic. Philip certainly could use some meat. So could you.’
‘And you, Bette. You’re so thin and you work so hard, and I watch how you give the best of your food to Philip. If you get sick, then where would he be?’ asked the older woman. ‘And I know you take a little bit of dry rice from the ration before it’s cooked each day and keep it. Why do you do that?’
‘Emergency supply,’ said Bette ruefully. ‘I’ve saved a couple of cupfuls. Just in case the rations get reduced or we need it sometime. It’s not stealing. I take less of the cooked rice. Philip is growing so fast, he’s all skinny legs and arms.’
‘Well, we can all enjoy chicken soup tonight. I’ll ask some of the others to share as well,’ added Evelyn.
‘I wish I had something to sell,’ sighed Bette. ‘I’ve sold all I had to get us a mosquito net and some clothes for Philip. And he’s almost grown out of his shoes. I wish we had something we could make shoes from.’
‘Rubber? I’ve seen kids in the kampongs and villages wearing shoes made from bits of latex,’ said Evelyn. ‘Surely we might be able to get someone to find some for us. It’s a thought anyway.’
‘Who knows what is happening on the rubber plantations? I wonder what has happened to my brother-in-law’s place and its staff. If the Japs are there they won’t be looking after the trees.