The Plantation - Di Morrissey [4]
‘Mother always said that her sister was wild and had shamed the family,’ said Caroline. ‘But I had no idea that she’d done anything like that.’
‘And Gran never told you anything?’
‘First I’ve heard of it.’
‘Do you remember Aunt Bette?’ asked Julie.
‘Vaguely, when I was very little and still lived in Malaya, before Mother moved back here.’
Julie was thoughtful. ‘Well, Gran hardly ever mentioned her sister to me but if she did she always called her names like, “my dreadful sister” or “the horrendous one”. There didn’t seem to be much love there.’
‘No, there certainly wasn’t. Funny that this David Cooper should raise the subject of Aunt Bette. To be honest, I rarely think about our family in Malaya. Malaysia, as it is now,’ said Caroline.
‘Not surprising. We tend to get wrapped up in the immediate day-to-day stuff, don’t we,’ said Julie. ‘Are you going to contact him about Bette?’
‘No. What can I say? I hardly remember her and Mother clearly disliked her so much that she could barely bring herself to talk about her.’
‘I’d like to know how this David Cooper tracked us down. Now, can we eat? I’m starving.’ Julie folded the letter and slipped it into her pocket.
It wasn’t until several days later that Julie had a few moments free to pull David Cooper’s letter from her handbag and then ring the phone number he’d given.
‘Dr Cooper? This is Julie Reagan. You wrote to my mother Caroline about my Great Aunt Bette …’
‘Indeed! How wonderful to hear back from you so quickly. Your aunt seemed to be quite a remarkable woman, if the book is anything to go by. I’d really like to learn more about her. May I ask if she’s still alive?’
‘Actually, I have no idea. I’d be surprised if she were, as she’d be quite old. But I have to tell you that although she was my grandmother’s sister, they were estranged, so I know nothing about her at all and my mother barely remembers her. That’s why we were intrigued to hear of her book. Is it possible to get a copy of it?’
‘I doubt it. I knew of the existence of the book and I’ve been trawling the net for over a year looking for it. I was elated when I found it in the Sarawak museum shop in Kuching. You’re welcome to borrow my copy. It’s a slim volume but quite insightful.’
‘Yes, I’d like that. Tell me, how did you track down my mother?’
‘It wasn’t very difficult at all. You see there is a dedication in the front of the book to Philip Elliott at the Utopia plantation in Malaysia. I contacted the plantation, it’s well known, and his sons Shane and Peter, your cousins who run it. They gave me your mother’s address. They did mention to me that they had never met your mother,’ he added.
‘That’s true,’ said Julie. ‘My grandmother and my mother returned to live in Brisbane after the war, but Uncle Philip stayed on with my grandfather on the plantation, in Malaysia. So my mother has spent most of her life here, which is why she won’t be of much help to you, I’m afraid.’
‘I appreciate your contacting me. My email address is on the letter. Just in case anything does come up, or your mother recalls anything,’ said David.
‘I don’t think she will. As I said, my mother left Malaya when she was very young and she had little contact with that side of the family, except for birthday and Christmas cards and that sort of thing.’
‘That’s a pity. I enjoy Malaysia so I try to find as many reasons as possible to go there.’
‘Are you investigating the headhunters too?’ asked Julie. He sounded youngish and she imagined he was probably a bit stuffy.
David chuckled. ‘Yes, I’ve done a lot of research on the Iban tribespeople in particular. Borneo is pretty amazing. I’ve adopted several orangutans in a sanctuary because their habitat, like that of the indigenous people, is threatened. So I use both these reasons to keep going back as much as I can. If you ever plan a trip there let me know and I’ll pass on some tips and contacts.’
‘Thank you, but that’s not on my agenda at the moment. Good luck with your research.’
‘Many thanks. Julie, was it?’
‘Yes. And you’re happy to lend me