Sharon came out of the room looking sulkier than
usual.
“I want a word with your mother. She arranged my eye operation for me. I was supposed
to get follow-up checkups, but then after that fire at the Bukit Timah Plaza clinic,
I never heard anything more from them. Checkups are supposed to be part of the package.
Now you are a partner you can go and check for me.”
“Aunty Doreen, Sung Law and Never Say Die are totally separate—” but Doreen was not
to be stopped.
“And then somebody phoned me after that, you know. Did I want to go through with the
ear operation? he asked. And have I don’t know what cartilage injections? Only I was
out with some friends at the time and I didn’t get the number. I was telling Rosie
about the operation. She’s also interested.”
“I’m sure someone will get back to you,” Sharon said dismissively. “I don’t have anything
to do with Mabel’s healing stuff. It doesn’t have anything to do with Sung Law.”
“It’s very expensive.” Edmond Yong appeared from the room next to the one Sharon had
come out of. Aunty Lee guessed he had been listening while Sharon shouted at her father.
“Don’t worry. My friend Rosie is very rich,” Doreen said dismissively.
“I’ll go see if I can find Mabel,” Edmond offered.
“If you find Mabel tell her she should be at the party with her guests. This is supposed
to be her party for me. Why isn’t she even at it?”
“Sharon, calm down. There are people here.” Edmond Yong smiled at Aunty Lee and Doreen
as he spoke, giving the impression of a nanny trying to ward off a childish tantrum.
“Who are you to tell me to calm down? Who are you afraid they are going to tell?”
Aunty Lee wanted to say she was not at all the sort to tell tales. Finding out things
about people was a hobby of hers, and if only Sharon explained what she didn’t want
told, Aunty Lee wouldn’t tell it. She turned to Doreen to back her up but Doreen had
gone. Doreen claimed to be a feeble old woman when it suited her but could move fast
when she wanted.
It was definitely turning out to be a very interesting party, Aunty Lee thought.
GraceFaith returned. Nobody paid much attention at first because GraceFaith was not
someone people generally took notice of. She rushed a few steps into the room, then
stopped abruptly. There was a strange frozen look on her face. Aunty Lee thought she
looked like someone trapped on a roller-coaster ride—incredulous, terrified, and about
to be sick. She was breathing with fast, shallow little whimpers, her eyes panicked
and pleading. Alarmed, Aunty Lee moved toward her. For once she was driven by concern
rather than curiosity, but GraceFaith shuddered at Aunty Lee’s light touch on her
arm and looked right through her.
Even Sharon and Edmond noticed something.
“Is something wrong with Lennie?” Sharon sounded prepared to be bored. “Again? What’s
he done now?”
“Your mother and Leonard are dead,” GraceFaith said. Her voice was dead calm. She
might have said they were watching television.
Aunty Lee gasped. She was dying to ask what had happened but held herself back as
the other two processed the information.
“Leonard? And Mabel? Both of them?” Sharon asked in disbelief. GraceFaith nodded,
the frenzied look still frozen on her face.
“Are you sure?” Edmond said. He gave a little laugh or cleared his throat. “You must
have made a mistake. Or it’s another of Lennie’s stupid jokes. He’s probably just
playing a trick on you.” He looked around for support but none of the women responded.
GraceFaith and Sharon had their eyes fixed on each other and Aunty Lee was watching
them both.
“Where’s Henry?” Sharon asked. Then, as though realizing her mother was not there
to be annoyed about her using her father’s first name, “Where’s my father?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see him. Your mother and Len are on Len’s
usual.
“I want a word with your mother. She arranged my eye operation for me. I was supposed
to get follow-up checkups, but then after that fire at the Bukit Timah Plaza clinic,
I never heard anything more from them. Checkups are supposed to be part of the package.
Now you are a partner you can go and check for me.”
“Aunty Doreen, Sung Law and Never Say Die are totally separate—” but Doreen was not
to be stopped.
“And then somebody phoned me after that, you know. Did I want to go through with the
ear operation? he asked. And have I don’t know what cartilage injections? Only I was
out with some friends at the time and I didn’t get the number. I was telling Rosie
about the operation. She’s also interested.”
“I’m sure someone will get back to you,” Sharon said dismissively. “I don’t have anything
to do with Mabel’s healing stuff. It doesn’t have anything to do with Sung Law.”
“It’s very expensive.” Edmond Yong appeared from the room next to the one Sharon had
come out of. Aunty Lee guessed he had been listening while Sharon shouted at her father.
“Don’t worry. My friend Rosie is very rich,” Doreen said dismissively.
“I’ll go see if I can find Mabel,” Edmond offered.
“If you find Mabel tell her she should be at the party with her guests. This is supposed
to be her party for me. Why isn’t she even at it?”
“Sharon, calm down. There are people here.” Edmond Yong smiled at Aunty Lee and Doreen
as he spoke, giving the impression of a nanny trying to ward off a childish tantrum.
“Who are you to tell me to calm down? Who are you afraid they are going to tell?”
Aunty Lee wanted to say she was not at all the sort to tell tales. Finding out things
about people was a hobby of hers, and if only Sharon explained what she didn’t want
told, Aunty Lee wouldn’t tell it. She turned to Doreen to back her up but Doreen had
gone. Doreen claimed to be a feeble old woman when it suited her but could move fast
when she wanted.
It was definitely turning out to be a very interesting party, Aunty Lee thought.
GraceFaith returned. Nobody paid much attention at first because GraceFaith was not
someone people generally took notice of. She rushed a few steps into the room, then
stopped abruptly. There was a strange frozen look on her face. Aunty Lee thought she
looked like someone trapped on a roller-coaster ride—incredulous, terrified, and about
to be sick. She was breathing with fast, shallow little whimpers, her eyes panicked
and pleading. Alarmed, Aunty Lee moved toward her. For once she was driven by concern
rather than curiosity, but GraceFaith shuddered at Aunty Lee’s light touch on her
arm and looked right through her.
Even Sharon and Edmond noticed something.
“Is something wrong with Lennie?” Sharon sounded prepared to be bored. “Again? What’s
he done now?”
“Your mother and Leonard are dead,” GraceFaith said. Her voice was dead calm. She
might have said they were watching television.
Aunty Lee gasped. She was dying to ask what had happened but held herself back as
the other two processed the information.
“Leonard? And Mabel? Both of them?” Sharon asked in disbelief. GraceFaith nodded,
the frenzied look still frozen on her face.
“Are you sure?” Edmond said. He gave a little laugh or cleared his throat. “You must
have made a mistake. Or it’s another of Lennie’s stupid jokes. He’s probably just
playing a trick on you.” He looked around for support but none of the women responded.
GraceFaith and Sharon had their eyes fixed on each other and Aunty Lee was watching
them both.
“Where’s Henry?” Sharon asked. Then, as though realizing her mother was not there
to be annoyed about her using her father’s first name, “Where’s my father?”
“I don’t know. I didn’t see him. Your mother and Len are on Len’s
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