House of Trembling Leaves, The by Julian Lees Read Free Book Online

like him.’’
    â€˜â€˜ Aiyoo! Don’t put words in my mouth, lah!’’
    Amused, Lu See scratched her nose to cover her smile. Sum Sum always spoke of men’s looks in this vague sort of way, as if to imply that they made no impression on her; it was something Lu See always saw through.
    When they returned from lunch, Lu See found a note slid under her door. Laughing, she read it aloud to Sum Sum:
    S tarted, F arted,
    S tumbled, F ell,
    S ee you F riday,
    S tan F arrell
    Â 
    Later, still in her cabin, Lu See dipped her pen into the inkstand and wrote:
    Dear Second-aunty Doris – well I’ve done it! I’m aboard ship and on my way to Europe. The money you gave me, all 2,000 Straits dollars, is safely locked up in the Captain’s personal strongbox and as soon as I reach Cambridge I will open a bank account to receive the monthly allowance you so kindly offered to wire over. Once I get settled I will begin to look into sourcing a pipe organ for the new church to be built in Po On Village. I did some research and came up with a number of firms that may be able to help us: Conrad P. Hughes in London, Brinkley & Fosler of Yorkshire, and Harrison & Harrison who were responsible for the King’s Chapel organ. Let us pray that I can find something suitable (and within budget) and have it shipped to Malaya in time for the memorial service planned for Christmas. Donating an organ to the church and dedicating it in Tak Ming’s memory is an admirable idea – I know that he would have approved.
    As for my own situation, how can I thank you enough for helping me? How can I ever repay you? Thank you for believing in me when nobody else in the family did.
    Wish me luck with my Girton interview. My old headmaster at Bing Hua has already received a reply from the college and I am due to meet with the Mistress and the tutors on March 2nd so fingers and toes crossed!
    I will write again soon.
    God bless you.
    Your loving niece – Lu See
    Â 
    She replaced the pen on the writing table and looked around to find Sum Sum sitting cross-legged on the floor going through a set of photographs. ‘‘What are those?’’ she asked.
    â€˜â€˜Pictures taken from dragon boat day. We so busy with funerals and everything I forgot all about them. Only had Mr Quek develop last week.’’
    Lu See sat by her side. ‘‘Who’s that one of?’’ she asked when Sum Sum paused at the man with the mole on his cheek.
    â€˜â€˜Remember I told you? Up on the hill I saw man come out of the trees with a gun.’’
    Lu See peered at the man’s face. ‘‘I’ve seen him before.’’
    â€˜â€˜Meh?’’
    â€˜â€˜He’s a Woo. Adrian’s cousin. What was he doing up in the hills with a gun?’’
    The girls looked at each other. ‘‘You think he has something to do with dam explosion?’’
    â€˜â€˜Wait,’’ said Sum Sum. She got to her feet and returned with a red tin. ‘‘Look, meh, I keep my beads in this now. It is the same tin he has in his hand. He threw away but I go back to find it.’’
    Lu See reached for the tin. On it were the words ‘DuPont No. 6 Blasting Caps’. She stared at the photograph; the container was clearly visible in his hand. ‘‘Adrian’s talked about him before. They call him the Black-headed Sheep. They say he is connected to one of the Penang secret societies, one of the Dragon Heads.’’ She looked at Sum Sum again. ‘‘Did he see you take this picture? Did he see you with a camera?’’
    Sum Sum shrugged.
    â€˜â€˜This is serious, pumpkin-head. If he had something to do with the dam and he knows you took a picture of him that day, there’s no telling what he might do. He might think there are more photographs, of him setting the charges perhaps.’’
    Sum Sum laced her fingers together and