The Plantation - Di Morrissey [65]
‘Oh, no. Well, what I mean is, he’s become a family friend. He’s helping my mother with a campaign at home to save our neighbourhood.’ Julie was slightly flustered that they thought David might be her boyfriend.
‘He knows a bit about Great Aunt Bette. If you find out any more you can share it with us,’ said Shane.
‘I don’t think he knows anything more about her than the book she wrote. I wonder if he’s going anywhere she went.’ Julie was suddenly keen to go along on this expedition.
‘It will be an adventure. And when you come back Martine will be here with us. I feel badly we are not entertaining you enough. Martine will show you around more. You’ll like her,’ said Shane.
‘You could take Julie to KL with you when you go to get Martine. Then Julie can fly from there to Kuching,’ suggested Peter.
‘That would be great. I’ll call David back and make arrangements. I was wondering what I should take with me,’ said Julie.
‘We’ll get you kitted out. As you’ve seen, there’s everything here. From tennis racquets to tents,’ said Peter.
Shane and Peter seemed relaxed and happy about Julie going off with David for a week into Sarawak. She got the feeling they were pleased that she was a guest who could look after herself.
David Cooper met Julie at Kuala Lumpur airport and surprised her by greeting her with a big hug. ‘Hey, it’s great to see you. And so far from home!’ He shook Shane’s hand. ‘Very nice to see you again. This trip has worked out very well.’
David introduced them all to Matthew the zoologist who was a quiet, thin Englishman in his late thirties with a strange arrangement of hair shaved into a thin, dark line around his chin and upper lip, and Barry who was recording the trip on video. Barry was an Australian, in his forties, living in Bangkok where he worked for a photo agency.
‘You been up-country before?’ asked Barry.
‘No, I’m looking forward to it,’ said Julie.
‘Hope you’ve come prepared. We’ll be camping in a longhouse for a few nights,’ said Matthew.
‘Yes, my cousins have given me more than enough gear,’ said Julie. She turned to Shane. ‘Thanks so much for driving me here. I’ll be in touch when I get back from Sarawak.’
‘We’ll take good care of her,’ David assured him, putting an arm around Julie’s shoulders.
‘Thank you. And Julie, when you get back we’ll send Ramdin to pick you up. Have a good time,’ said Shane.
The flight to Kuching was brief. As they approached the coast of the large island of Borneo, the South China Sea below was dotted with sampans and the sails of small fishing boats. Behind the mangroves and mudflats was dense jungle that wrapped the contours of the peaks and valleys like a crocheted green blanket. Occasionally a trickle of muddy water was visible making its way to the brown sea. Clinging to the coast were small villages on stilts. Dugout canoes, tied up in front of the houses, were the sole means of reaching the world beyond the rainforest. But in some places, like an unhealed scar, was bare earth, a hole gouged through the green blanket. Matchsticks of piled logs lay on the red earth. Then Julie saw the shining silver of tin roofs, a road with dots of vehicles, and then thatch and red tiles indicating a little town. Shortly afterwards, the plane began to circle the small city of Kuching.
As they drove from the airport, Julie saw that the broad river that dissected the city, was bordered by a landscaped esplanade, and ships and long flat freighters crowded the main wharf. Several streets were lined with highrise buildings, shops and hotels, but a glimpse of old shophouses and a few white colonial buildings hinted at the past, while an urban sprawl fanned away from the city centre. The city was small but scenic with the jungle at its back door. Julie immediately fell in love with it.
‘It looks beautiful. Very clean, too,’ said Julie to David.
‘One of my favourite places,’ he agreed. ‘The White Rajahs, the Brooke family, ruled it as their personal kingdom for a