The Plantation - Di Morrissey [172]
Tony put his arms around his wife. ‘Bette, I’m sorry that you weren’t there for your father’s passing or the funeral, but you know that he admired you. Remember that.’
Bette buried her head in Tony’s shoulder and the tears fell. She looked up at him. ‘You won’t ever leave me, will you?’
‘No.’ Tony kissed her. ‘You are more to me than every breath I take.’ He stroked her hair. ‘I will always be here for you and when I’m not, my spirit will watch over you, be close to you.’
Bette felt calm and a warmth spread through her. She drew a slow healing breath. ‘Is that a Buddhist thing?’
‘No. Just a Tony Tsang thing. Because you and I are one,’ he said lightly.
Bette smiled. She felt a great sense of peace and comfort. No matter what happened, Tony would always be there for her.
Changes began to sweep through the country. In 1957 Malaya gained independence from Britain and became the Federated States of Malaya. Bette and Tony’s marriage continued to be happy and harmonious, and Tony’s business interests continued to prosper.
One evening three years after independence Bette sat alone in the cool twilight of the side courtyard and heard Tony returning home. She burst out laughing when she saw him trot along the pathway in white baggy shorts, a white T-shirt and soft tennis shoes. His hair was awry and his face shiny with exertion.
‘What have you been doing? Trying to look like Marlon Brando?’
‘I’ve been talked into joining the Hash House Harriers. They’ve restarted a club here. They go for runs around the waterfront.’
‘Who are the Hash House Harriers?’
‘The group was started in KL before the war by a group of crazy British officers. The idea was to run to get rid of a hangover while building up a thirst for the next one.’
‘It sounds insane, darling, running for miles in this hot climate, but if it makes you happy,’ Bette said laughingly as she looked at her enthusiastic if somewhat unfit husband.
‘I’ve come home to change and to take you out for dinner with some of the harriers and their wives.’
‘That’s fine, and remember we have dinner plans for tomorrow night,’ said Bette.
‘As if I could forget.’ He sat beside her and put his arm around her. ‘Ten years together. And every day a joy.’ He kissed her. ‘What would you like me to give you for this special milestone?’
‘No more expensive gifts,’ said Bette. She looked at him, and suddenly her eyes filled with tears.
‘Is everything all right?’ he asked softly.
‘Yes. It’s just that before you came in, I’d been sitting here and thinking … about the camp. I think that I would like to go back to Sarawak and see what has happened to the POW camp.’
‘Settle a few ghosts, perhaps?’ said Tony.
Bette nodded. ‘Sort of. I can’t explain why, I just feel drawn to it.’
‘Then we must go. I will make arrangements,’ he said firmly. ‘We shall make it our wedding anniversary trip.’
Bette wasn’t sure exactly why she wanted to return to Sarawak. Part of her wanted to revisit the place where the prison camp had been just outside Kuching. But as they flew over the dense jungle canopy and she saw the broad, brown, snaking sweep of the Sarawak River, its protective mangrove wetlands stretching inland, and the pretty township of Kuching strung out along its banks, she felt a great sense of delight.
‘Thank you, darling. This is very special,’ she whispered to Tony.
They settled into the comfortable Aurora Hotel and walked into the centre of Kuching along the riverfront, exploring the township on the way. Bette spotted the Sarawak museum and told Tony that she would like to spend time visiting it. Tony agreed, as he wanted to see someone recommended to him by a business associate in Penang.
When they met later that afternoon by the river, Bette’s eyes were alight. ‘I met the curator at the museum, Tom Harrisson. An extraordinary fellow! And very interesting. I told him I was going to visit the old camp and we got