Part 9 (1/2)

His comments were immediately howled down.

'Who are we going to fight in Malaya?' asked a red-faced man sitting next to Bette. 'It won't be the Germans.'

Roland gave him a quizzical look. 'I think that we'll have trouble with the j.a.panese.'

'Nonsense, old boy. Everyone knows that the j.a.panese are short-sighted. They won't be able to see us. And besides, their planes are rubbish, can't fly,' boomed one of them, setting off a ripple of laughter round the table.

'Well,' said Roland. 'The j.a.panese have been very aggressive in China. They want to expand their empire, reach the oil in the Dutch East Indies and what's to stop them?'

One of the women scoffed at the suggestion. 'What about the British Navy? Everyone knows that we will be protected because the rubber supplies have to be maintained. Lord knows it's about time that we started to make some money out of rubber. The last few years have been lean and now the war has meant that the good times are here for us, finally.'

Margaret was somewhat irked by Roland's remarks. As far as she was concerned, they were all doing their bit for the war effort in England and Roland should not be making such unsettling comments. She was knitting like mad. In fact, in Perak, there was a network of knitters and several hundred garments had already been created and sent to England for the soldiers.

'We're doing our bit,' she said.

'That's true,' replied another woman. 'The Patriotic Fund organises lots of mah jong parties and afternoon teas to raise money, but I think that the administration should be looking at doing more to defend us, if the need arose.'

'The Chinese community has raised a lot of money, too. It's not just the British who are doing the right thing,' commented Tony Tsang.

Roland began to look exasperated. 'Look, I know that a lot of what I'm saying isn't generally accepted because the authorities are often busy covering up things that they don't want made public, but there are suspicious things happening. I have heard, more than once, that the j.a.panese have been measuring our beaches, swamps and jungles for some time. Why would they do that?'

'Who knows?' replied the planter beside Margaret. 'But our enemy is Germany, not the j.a.ps and, as my wife says, we've got the navy.'

'Well,' said Roland. 'I don't think that's enough. I think we need professional troops on the ground, a lot more than the volunteers that we have training now. If you ask me, we're all too complacent and sometime in the near future we're going to be very sorry that we have been.'

Margaret attempted to change the conversation. 'Oh, Roland, you really are a wet blanket. We've had a wonderful day and we're here with good friends, can't you think of something happier to talk about?'

Roland gave a small shrug and smiled at his wife. 'Tell me, what plans have you got for tomorrow?'

'Yes, Margaret, what are we doing?' asked Bette.

Margaret and several ladies had planned to go shopping the following day and Bette agreed to go along.

'Though I'm more interested in seeing the city than the markets and the jewellers and tailors,' Bette confided to Eugene Elliott.

'Then come with me, dear girl. I'm visiting a few old friends, a few business calls in George Town. You're quite welcome.'

'I won't be in the way?'

Eugene shook his head. 'I'll enjoy your company. You might want to bring that sketchbook of yours.'

When Margaret heard of their plan she decided to join them too, as she said to Bette, 'He is my father-in-law.'

And so the sisters were shown parts of the old capital that even Margaret, who had been to Penang a few times, didn't know existed. Bette was intrigued by Eugene's intimate knowledge of George Town.

'Penang was part of the kingdom of Kedah but became a British trading post in the late eighteenth century when Captain Light landed at the fort and claimed the island for the East India Company,' Eugene told them, as Hamid drove along Light Street. 'The story goes that, to clear the land, he had a canon filled with coins and fired it into the jungle. In the rush to find the coins the natives cut down the jungle in record time and so George Town was founded. See that little fenced-off corner under the fran-gipani trees? That's where Light's buried. The Christian cemetery. Looks a bit neglected, I'm afraid.'

'This doesn't look as organised, or planned, as Singapore,' said Bette. 'I like the way the streets spill out in every direction.'

'A lot of the streets were allotted to particular groups: the Chinese traders, the Eurasians, Europeans, Indians, and later Armenians, Achenese and Sumatrans. And you see their cultures in the street. You could spend a day going around to the various temples, mosques and churches,' said Eugene.

'I do hope I can come back here,' said Bette. 'I could walk and walk and walk.'

'And you must stop and try all the different foods, so you can keep walking,' said Eugene.

'I don't think I'd like to do that,' said Margaret. 'Surely food cooked on the footpath can't be very hygienic.'

Bette laughed. 'Oh, Margie, where's your spirit of adventure? It sounds like fun.'

Eugene spoke to Hamid, who nodded and turned down a side street.

'Just going to take a small detour,' said Eugene.

They stopped in a narrow street filled with intriguing shops. Eugene got out and went over to a leather shop. He greeted the owner who was standing outside smoking and the two women looked at the small display in the window. Beaded and embroidered shoes and slippers were lined up.

'Look, Margaret, those are the pretty shoes I've seen the Chinese women wear with their cheongsams.'

'The Malay women wear them with their sarong kebayas. You know, some of the Chinese women also wear the sarong kebayas,' said Margaret authoritatively.

'They're just lovely shoes,' said Bette.

'Come inside,' said Eugene as the shop owner hurried ahead, treating Eugene with deference.

'You like see shoes?' The owner bowed to the sisters.

'Show him your foot, Bette,' said Eugene.

Bette was startled as the owner pulled out some larger sized shoes wrapped in brown paper. 'Oh, look at these scuffs!' She fingered the little green silk slip-on sandals, beaded and embroidered with a flower pattern. 'Aren't they beautiful.'

'Try them on,' said Eugene.

'Have leather sole, very strong,' said the shop owner.

'They're gorgeous,' said Bette reaching for her change purse in her bag. 'I must buy them.'

Eugene stopped her hand. 'Allow me this small indulgence. Charlotte is also very fond of these shoes, and they will be something nice for you to take back to Brisbane.' He reached into his pocket as the shopkeeper spoke in rapid Chinese. He may have been trying to negotiate a price, though it seemed to Margaret, he wasn't trying very hard. Clearly he wanted to please Eugene.

'Show them the old shoes,' Eugene instructed.

The shopkeeper pulled out a box and unwrapped some tissue paper to show the women a pair of the tiniest brocade boots they'd ever seen. Each was the length of the palm of Margaret's hand, laced up with leather shoelaces and made with a leather sole.

'They look like doll's shoes,' said Bette.

'This cobbler's shop has been making shoes for the bound feet of Chinese ladies for more than a century,' said Eugene. 'Terrible practice. Supposed to make the women more attractive, but the bones of the feet were broken and the foot was kept bound so that it couldn't grow. So cruel.'

After they returned to the hotel and the sisters had thanked Eugene for the outing, Margaret listened in silence while Bette told Roland how much they'd enjoyed their morning with Eugene.

'Father has certainly taken to you, Bette. As everyone has. The Oldham girls are quite a hit out here. And how did you enjoy it, Margaret, dear?' asked Roland.

She shrugged. 'Well, I can't say that I was as enthusiastic as Bette. I don't really like those pokey little Chinese shops. I thought it was nice of your father to buy Bette those slippers. He must have known the shopkeeper quite well, because I could tell that the Chinaman didn't want to take any money. Anyway, this afternoon we're off with some of my friends. The Penang girls have such beautiful bungalows. One of them has a beach house at Batu Ferrinhgi. Sounds divine. Roland, perhaps that might be something we could look into a beach house.'