The Rose of Singapore by Peter Neville Read Free Book Online Page A

ship, and of their ordeal swimming in shark-infested waters, before being picked up by a passing freighter.
    Lai Ming paused, her eyes searching Peter’s face, then, after a few moments, she continued, “I am alone now, to fend for myself and my seven year old son. He is at a boarding school here in Singapore.” Sighing wistfully, Lai Ming became silent again, her dreamy eyes gazing at him, her memory flooding back to those happy days when her husband sat at her side looking at her, just as this boy was looking at her now. She shrugged and smiled at him. “I don’t know why I have told you so much about myself,” she said. “We have not met before, and soon we shall go our separate ways.” She placed a tiny hand on his arm. “Peter, I don’t know why I tell you my troubles. I have never before told a stranger of my past.” Taking her hand from his arm, she ran tiny fingers through the sand that separated them.
    Peter saw her lovely, almond-shaped eyes again turn away from him, and he believed she was actually blushing. He lay back on the sand and watched billowing clouds scudding across the sky, black clouds that soon would blot out the sun. White horses were already racing across the wind-swept water of the Johore Strait; water which, only minutes ago, had been calm and still, was already whipped up into a fury. Away to the left palm trees swayed ominously. Peter thought, we’re in for a hell of a storm, and it won’t be long in coming. But, for the moment, he cast the threat of the approaching storm aside. “I’d like to know you better, Rose. I would like you as a friend,” he said sincerely, again sitting up and looking into her face.
    She smiled sadly at him, “For me it is a big pleasure meeting you, Peter, and I have forgiven you for nearly drowning me, but our paths must go separate ways.” She looked away from him as she continued by saying, “After today we shall not meet again. It is better that way.” But she knew she spoke those last words with a heavy heart.
    â€œI don’t understand you, Rose. Why shouldn’t we meet again?” Peter asked. “Don’t you like me?”
    She smiled tenderly at him. “I think you are a good boy.” She was about to say more when a large drop of rain, and then another, splashed cold upon her bare shoulders. Lifting her face to the sky, she watched as a mass of rolling black clouds finally extinguished the sun, and she felt the warmth of the air turn suddenly cold. The brightness of the day was gone, suddenly it became almost dark.
    Peter wanted to say, “Let’s get our asses out of here,” but instead politely said, “Rose, we must go, and quickly.” Jumping to his feet, he stretched out a hand to assist her. “Come,” he said, and she grasped his hand and he pulled her up so that she stood facing him. She was not even five feet tall, not by two or three inches. He felt like a giant towering over her, the top of her head did not even reach his chin. A warmth towards her flooded through him as he looked down upon that beautiful little face and into those lovely brown eyes that were gazing up into his. He wanted to crush her to him, to hold her and to feel her snug in his arms, but he just stared down at her in wonderment. A vivid flash of lightning striking close by, immediately followed by a booming crack of thunder directly overhead, brought Peter back to the predicament, even danger, they were in. The skies had opened up, too, for suddenly cold, heavy rain lashed down upon them. With urgency in his voice, Peter shouted, “Let’s run to the coffee shop.” Then he remembered his clothes lying on the beach several yards away. “Excuse me,” he said, and raced away from her. Scooping up the already saturated clothing, he then raced back to Lai Ming who was already hurrying towards Pop’s shack.
    He heard Taffy shout,