The Plantation - Di Morrissey [52]
‘Sounds fun. I’ll look forward to it.’
‘Well, I’m taking the car for a drive around the estate. See you in half an hour,’ said Margaret gaily, as she drove off in her little Austin Tourer over the bumpy roads of the plantation.
*
The two men left for Kuala Lumpur early the next morning and Margaret insisted on driving her new car over to show Eugene.
‘I know you like walking over there, Bette, but come with me for a change. You must know every tree on the estate by now.’
‘Not quite, but I do enjoy the silence and the smells and the scenery.’
‘Well, I think it’s time for a sisterly talk. What do you think about Gilbert?’
‘That’s a pretty direct question. Let me see,’ Bette replied. ‘He’s a nice man. I think he would be steady and reliable. He’s quietly amusing, too. Different from other men I know who always laugh uproariously at their own jokes. Gil is not too competitive, either. He’s a good tennis player, but he seems happy to fool around and make me laugh and he lets me win. I like that.’
‘I hate it when people hold back and don’t play properly,’ said Margaret.
‘Yes, and then you hate it when you don’t win against them. Margie, you’re way too competitive, sometimes. I think I like Gil because he’s a bit like me and doesn’t take everything too seriously.’
As soon as she could organise it, Margaret drove Bette to Taiping and they spent a day there, shopping and seeing Margaret’s friends for lunch before returning to Utopia. Margaret was thrilled with her independence and had the gardener polish her car each day.
Bette had by now become known to many of the plantation workers as she took her drawing book into the avenues of rubber trees to sketch scenes and people. Margaret thought Bette’s fascination with the workers odd but, nevertheless, she supplied her sister with clothes to protect her from the mosquitoes. Bette drew the tappers working and sometimes walked back with them through the rubber trees to their kampongs. She had also started doing a series of sketches of two pretty Indian women tappers.
She had initially befriended one of the young women after she’d watched her packing up her bicycle at the edge of the section near a little roadside altar. Bette studied her carefully as the woman removed her long-sleeved cotton jacket, gloves and her hat and, finally, unwound the scarf from about her head, revealing her pretty face. The girl then gave another female worker a ride home on her bicycle and the two smiled and nodded at Bette, chattering and giggling as they headed back to their kampong on the wobbly old bicycle. The next day Bette asked the women if she could sketch them and they agreed.
When she showed the sketches of the two women to Margaret and Roland, both had to admit that Bette’s work was enchanting and that she’d captured the life of the plantation workers very well. So one morning when Margaret asked her if she wanted to go into Slim River with her in the Baby Austin, Bette, who was getting ready to go and sketch, said, ‘Can you manage without me? I really want to finish these sketches of the two Indian girls.’
‘I can’t imagine why you want to draw them. It’s so muggy and bug-ridden down there,’ said Margaret. ‘I’ll be back just after lunch. Philip is with Ah Min.’
‘I’ll make sure I’m back in time to have lunch with him,’ said Bette.
Margaret waved happily to Bette as she sailed off in her beautiful Austin Tourer, enjoying her new found independence and feeling that life was just wonderful.
*
Several hours later, Margaret awoke in what was clearly a hospital bed with her anxious sister sitting beside her.
‘Oh, Margaret, thank heavens you’ve woken up. You have given us such a fright.’
‘What happened? Where am I?’
‘You’re in the hospital at Tanjong Malim and you’ve broken your leg rather badly, I’m afraid.’
‘Where’s Roland? Is Philip all right?’
‘Roland’s on his way back from KL. He won’t be long, and I left Philip with his amah. He’s fine.’
‘How did you find me?’
‘That’s a bit of a story. When you hadn’t returned by mid afternoon, I began to worry. Roland