‘You might find it hard to believe, given how close your family obviously is’ – Annabel smiled as she gestured between Julia and her mother – ‘But none of us ever knew that Dotty had even visited Singapore, never mind lived here. And the fact that she had another husband before she met Grandpa . . . Well . . . ’ Annabel shook her head in disbelief. ‘We were absolutely stunned.’
‘I can imagine.’ Julia nodded sympathetically.
‘I found the letters and photographs that you returned following Ah Ling’s passing in 2010, you see. Dotty had locked them away in a secret drawer in her desk and no one had any idea of their existence. Just after she died, I found them. I was so curious that . . . ’ She paused here and shrugged with a coy smile. ‘Well, here I am, a week later, hoping that you can shed some light on the subject. You’re our only hope, really.’
Julia nodded again then turned to her mother and said something in Cantonese. The old lady nodded and took a sip of tea.
‘Of course we want to help. Mother will tell you what she knows. It’s easier for her in Cantonese, so I’ll translate for you.’ Julia said.
‘Thank you so much, I would be so grateful for anything she can remember.’
Mei sat back in her chair and closed her eyes for a long moment, as if travelling back to the time when, as a little girl, her mother had told her stories of the English family she had worked for in the big black and white house.
‘Do you think it would be alright if I recorded this?’ James whispered to Julia, taking out his mobile phone. Annabel was glad of his idea, and pleased when Julia smiled and nodded her consent.
Mei’s eyes eventually opened, a new look of concentration transforming her features, and she began, flowing in a rapid fire of Cantonese. Julia began her translation.
‘Ah Ling was so happy when the new family and Miss Dorothy arrived. The family before were not so nice. The boss lady would shout and get angry, and Ah Ling was scared of her. So when they left to go back to England and the nice Templeton family came, she was very happy. She was just a little older than Miss Dorothy and they became very close; like good friends, or sisters she used to say. Miss Dorothy was new in Singapore and had a lot of learning to do, and Ah Ling helped her. Ah Ling was very happy.’
Mei closed her eyes. Annabel imagined her picturing her mother as a young woman.
‘Then Miss Dorothy got married and everything changed.’
The old lady’s face darkened and her brow furrowed as Julia resumed her translation.
‘To Douglas Llewellyn?’ Annabel asked, after a long pause.
Mei looked directly at her and nodded. Then she answered, but this time in English. ‘Yes. He was a bad man.’ She shook her head disapprovingly.
Annabel looked at James and raised her eyebrows. Then James spoke up, nudging Mei to continue, ‘Did Douglas Llewellyn work for Dorothy’s father? We found an article about him in the records office. They both worked for the same company, didn’t they?’
Julia relayed this in Cantonese and Mei nodded slowly, before returning to her story and Julia’s translation.
‘Yes. McKinley’s Rubber. Ah Ling thought at first maybe it was true love. Mr Llewellyn was so handsome and came with flowers and gifts for Miss Dorothy. Everyone was so happy.’ Shestopped and shook her head again. ‘But it did not last. He was just using her.’
‘How do you mean, “using her”?’ Annabel asked. ‘To please her father and get ahead in the company, do you mean?’
Julia asked her mother in Cantonese.
‘No,’ came the reply. ‘No, it was not that.’ Mei paused again and frowned.
‘Then what was he using her for?’ Annabel asked, starting to feel concerned by what she was hearing.
Mei sighed and, turning to her daughter, uttered a rapid fire of Cantonese. The old lady grew increasingly agitated and her tone became angrier. Julia stroked her hand, replying with soothing words, but Annabel noticed a steeliness beneath the surface. What were they saying?
Beside her, James fiddled with his phone and Annabel gave him a grateful smile when she realised he was switching off the voice recorder. He gave a brief shake of his head, silently communicating to her that he didn’t think it right to record while Mei was upset. The more Annabel saw of James, the more he differed from her previous impression of him. He had always been so quiet and strained around her, so aloof and distant during their university days. Had she read him all wrong, she wondered, or had life altered him? Perhaps a bit of both. But he was a decent guy, Annabel thought to herself, and, in her experience, they were few and far between.
‘Mama is worried that you may find it all too upsetting,’ Julia explained. ‘Douglas Llewellyn did not treat your grandmother well, I’m afraid, and the story does not have a happy ending.’ She turned to her mother and spoke in slow, clear English, ‘Mama, you want to tell the story or I do it?’
‘I do,’ the older lady said, with a determined nod. She paused for a moment, then took a deep breath before she began in her accented English.
‘Mr Llewellyn, he not nice man lah. Ah Ling don’t like him, ’cause he very mean to Miss Dorothy. And Ah Ling really love Miss Dorothy, you know. Like sisters, they so close.’ Mei smiled, thinking of her mother.
‘That Mr Llewellyn ah, always go and love another woman, but that one already married! But, he don’t care, still always go visit her all the time. Ah Ling say some nights he never even come home leh.’
Mei shook her head, tsk-ing softly.
‘Aiyoh, that Miss Dorothy, so poor thing. She love him so much, but hor, he treat her so bad.’ She picked up her teacup, pausing for a moment.
