after we got here. Mama said it was due to lack of food.’
‘Don’t let him take advantage of you, Kate. You’re still very innocent and your mother isn’t here to warn you.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Jessica looks away. ‘Take care not to lose your heart completely, that’s all. We don’t want you getting hurt.’
‘I won’t.’ Charles would never hurt me. We talk about anything and everything, and, with him it’s as if I’ve found the other part of myself, the part I didn’t know existed. I can guess what Jessica was on about, but Charles is a gentleman and would never do anything I didn’t want him to do. Trouble is, whenever he touches me I don’t ever want him to stop . . .
13
Japanese voices jangle from just outside the door. I’m perched opposite Papa at the piled-up suitcases we use as a low table, sipping tepid water and nibbling from a bowl of cold rice. I’m wearing a cotton slip, but the summer air is so wet it drips down my skin and collects in the bends of my arms and behind my knees. I wipe my hands and get to my feet. What’s going on?
Two officers are standing on the threshold, swords hanging from their waists. Three more men in white suits and Panama hats come up from behind them. My breath catches. Kempeitai.
Papa raises himself slowly from his mattress and bows. He’s still weak; he was only discharged from the hospital yesterday. The blood he coughed up wasn’t TB in the end. Just a severe case of bronchitis.
‘You got radio?’ a short, tubby man asks.
‘No,’ Papa says firmly.
‘We do search.’
There isn’t enough room for Papa and me, let alone for the contingent of Japanese. The officer gives a cursory glance around then mutters something incomprehensible. The rest of the Japanese laugh and back out of the door, still laughing.
Papa sits down heavily and I go to the window. The Japanese are heading off towards the Police Block. It’s too late to warn Bob. I have to find Charles.
Within minutes I’m running up the stairs to his room. It’s empty except for Ruth, who is sitting on a camp-bed, scooping congee from the bottom of her breakfast bowl. ‘What’s the matter?’ she asks.
‘The Japanese are prowling around looking for radios.’
‘Well, they won’t find any here.’
Legs shaking, I collapse on the bed. ‘Are you sure?’
Ruth gives me a puzzled glance. ‘Why?’
‘No reason, kiddo.’
‘I think my parents and Charles have gone to the canteen. Let’s catch up with them.’
I link arms with Ruth and we walk up the main road. If only I could share my concern with her, but Charles told me Ruth doesn’t know about the radio. Up ahead, I spot Derek Higgins approaching from the opposite direction.
‘Guess what?’ he says. ‘They’ve arrested a top government chap, the number two in the police, and lots of other people.’
‘Don’t sound so pleased.’ I push Ruth behind me.
Derek smirks. ‘Isn’t it about time we had some excitement in this boring place?’
‘You’re heartless and horrible.’
The echo of screams comes from the Commandant’s house at the top of the hill, and I flinch.
Derek folds his arms. ‘Do you know about Japanese water torture?’
I want to back away from him, but my legs have frozen.
‘They tie the victims face-down on a board and pump liquid through their nose and mouth,’ he says.
‘H... h... how do they breathe?’
‘They open their mouths even more, but the Japs fill them up with more water.’
‘You’re fibbing!’
Derek licks his lips. ‘When the victims look like the swollen corpses of drowned people, the Japs jump on the poor buggers’ stomachs.’ He sniggers. ‘Jets of water shoot out of their mouths, noses and even eyes.’
‘You’re such a sadist. I bet it’s not true.’
‘’Tis so!’
Ruth comes out from behind me, and stamps her foot. ‘I hate you. Leave us alone!’
I put my arm around her. ‘Come on, kiddo! I’ll take you home. We can wait for
‘Don’t let him take advantage of you, Kate. You’re still very innocent and your mother isn’t here to warn you.’
‘I don’t understand.’
Jessica looks away. ‘Take care not to lose your heart completely, that’s all. We don’t want you getting hurt.’
‘I won’t.’ Charles would never hurt me. We talk about anything and everything, and, with him it’s as if I’ve found the other part of myself, the part I didn’t know existed. I can guess what Jessica was on about, but Charles is a gentleman and would never do anything I didn’t want him to do. Trouble is, whenever he touches me I don’t ever want him to stop . . .
13
Japanese voices jangle from just outside the door. I’m perched opposite Papa at the piled-up suitcases we use as a low table, sipping tepid water and nibbling from a bowl of cold rice. I’m wearing a cotton slip, but the summer air is so wet it drips down my skin and collects in the bends of my arms and behind my knees. I wipe my hands and get to my feet. What’s going on?
Two officers are standing on the threshold, swords hanging from their waists. Three more men in white suits and Panama hats come up from behind them. My breath catches. Kempeitai.
Papa raises himself slowly from his mattress and bows. He’s still weak; he was only discharged from the hospital yesterday. The blood he coughed up wasn’t TB in the end. Just a severe case of bronchitis.
‘You got radio?’ a short, tubby man asks.
‘No,’ Papa says firmly.
‘We do search.’
There isn’t enough room for Papa and me, let alone for the contingent of Japanese. The officer gives a cursory glance around then mutters something incomprehensible. The rest of the Japanese laugh and back out of the door, still laughing.
Papa sits down heavily and I go to the window. The Japanese are heading off towards the Police Block. It’s too late to warn Bob. I have to find Charles.
Within minutes I’m running up the stairs to his room. It’s empty except for Ruth, who is sitting on a camp-bed, scooping congee from the bottom of her breakfast bowl. ‘What’s the matter?’ she asks.
‘The Japanese are prowling around looking for radios.’
‘Well, they won’t find any here.’
Legs shaking, I collapse on the bed. ‘Are you sure?’
Ruth gives me a puzzled glance. ‘Why?’
‘No reason, kiddo.’
‘I think my parents and Charles have gone to the canteen. Let’s catch up with them.’
I link arms with Ruth and we walk up the main road. If only I could share my concern with her, but Charles told me Ruth doesn’t know about the radio. Up ahead, I spot Derek Higgins approaching from the opposite direction.
‘Guess what?’ he says. ‘They’ve arrested a top government chap, the number two in the police, and lots of other people.’
‘Don’t sound so pleased.’ I push Ruth behind me.
Derek smirks. ‘Isn’t it about time we had some excitement in this boring place?’
‘You’re heartless and horrible.’
The echo of screams comes from the Commandant’s house at the top of the hill, and I flinch.
Derek folds his arms. ‘Do you know about Japanese water torture?’
I want to back away from him, but my legs have frozen.
‘They tie the victims face-down on a board and pump liquid through their nose and mouth,’ he says.
‘H... h... how do they breathe?’
‘They open their mouths even more, but the Japs fill them up with more water.’
‘You’re fibbing!’
Derek licks his lips. ‘When the victims look like the swollen corpses of drowned people, the Japs jump on the poor buggers’ stomachs.’ He sniggers. ‘Jets of water shoot out of their mouths, noses and even eyes.’
‘You’re such a sadist. I bet it’s not true.’
‘’Tis so!’
Ruth comes out from behind me, and stamps her foot. ‘I hate you. Leave us alone!’
I put my arm around her. ‘Come on, kiddo! I’ll take you home. We can wait for
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