your parents and brother there.’
Back in the Married Quarters, we find Charles and his father sitting on their camp-beds.
‘Ma’s furious,’ Charles whispers. ‘She found us with the radio and has gone to bury it.’
‘I was so worried about you.’ I grab his hand, ‘Thank God you’re all right. And what about your mother? I hope she won’t be caught.’
‘She won’t be. We smashed the radio into little pieces. Japs won’t suspect a woman. She’ll pretend to be planting something in our vegetable patch.’
I squeeze his fingers and kiss him right in front of his father and sister.
***
I hurry back to the Indian Quarters, but something’s wrong. The village green is empty except for four men. My heart almost beats out of my chest. There’s Bob, stumbling between two Kempeitai officers and a Chinese supervisor. They march him to the end of the blocks of flats. My whole body shakes. The officer makes him dig in the soft earth until he unearths a small grey box.
Tears gush down my face. Papa arrives and takes me by the arm. ‘Come inside this instant! It’s far too dangerous out here.’
I sniff and wipe my nose. ‘What have you heard?’
‘It’s spreading around the camp like wildfire. Japs have discovered a fortune in banknotes hidden under the bandages of a chap sent to town for an x-ray. They’ve arrested the top man in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank and some of his underlings, the fellow in charge of Medical Services, and quite a few locals. Accused them of collaborating with the BAAG and forming a resistance.’
‘Derek Higgins told me about the arrests.’
‘They nabbed two of the Cable and Wireless staff, as well as our friend Bob, and said they were operating secret radios.’
‘How did they find out they had radios?’
‘Japs have discovered some spare parts smuggled in with our supplies.’
‘Who told on them?’
‘Some people would sell their own grandmothers for favours or for food.’
***
I lie awake all night; I can’t stop thinking about Bob. In the morning I rush to the hot water queue to tell Charles. Where is he? I spin on my heel and dash to the Married Quarters.
Ruth and her mother are sitting next to each other, crying. Mr Pearce hovers over them, clutching at his hands. ‘It’s too terrible,’ he says. ‘They came for him last night. Said that, because he repaired their radio, he must have known about the others in the camp.’
My legs buckle and Charles’ father gently helps me to a seat.
‘We were kept up all night by the Japs,’ Mrs Pearce sobs. ‘They had a drunken party in the prison. We saw everything from our balcony.’
‘One so-and-so, probably sozzled on saké , let loose into the yard and began firing his revolver into the air,’ Mr Pearce says. ‘All the Japs dived for cover, then an officer came out and shot him in the shoulder. They hauled the man away, and in the end everything quietened down.’
‘What do you think will happen to Charles?’ Numbness fills me, the frozen sensation only he can melt.
‘I don’t know,’ Mr Pearce says. ‘No one will tell us anything.’
‘They’ll let him out soon, though, won’t they?’ I wait for Mr Pearce to reassure me, but he remains silent.
***
The weeks pass and Charles is still being held in the gaol, along with the others who were arrested. Early one afternoon at the end of October, I’m lingering on the hillside above the cemetery with Ruth. I spend as much time as I can with Charles’ sister. It started as a way of getting news of him; now I’ve become fond of her and enjoy our moments together.
I’m thinking about Charles. Hopefully, his arrest was a huge mistake and he’ll soon be released. The Japanese said that, as Charles was over sixteen, he came under their authority and not that of the camp tribunal. He’ll be tried and sentenced like everyone else. I hope it won’t come to that. Mr Pearce said not to worry, as there was no proof that
Back in the Married Quarters, we find Charles and his father sitting on their camp-beds.
‘Ma’s furious,’ Charles whispers. ‘She found us with the radio and has gone to bury it.’
‘I was so worried about you.’ I grab his hand, ‘Thank God you’re all right. And what about your mother? I hope she won’t be caught.’
‘She won’t be. We smashed the radio into little pieces. Japs won’t suspect a woman. She’ll pretend to be planting something in our vegetable patch.’
I squeeze his fingers and kiss him right in front of his father and sister.
***
I hurry back to the Indian Quarters, but something’s wrong. The village green is empty except for four men. My heart almost beats out of my chest. There’s Bob, stumbling between two Kempeitai officers and a Chinese supervisor. They march him to the end of the blocks of flats. My whole body shakes. The officer makes him dig in the soft earth until he unearths a small grey box.
Tears gush down my face. Papa arrives and takes me by the arm. ‘Come inside this instant! It’s far too dangerous out here.’
I sniff and wipe my nose. ‘What have you heard?’
‘It’s spreading around the camp like wildfire. Japs have discovered a fortune in banknotes hidden under the bandages of a chap sent to town for an x-ray. They’ve arrested the top man in the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank and some of his underlings, the fellow in charge of Medical Services, and quite a few locals. Accused them of collaborating with the BAAG and forming a resistance.’
‘Derek Higgins told me about the arrests.’
‘They nabbed two of the Cable and Wireless staff, as well as our friend Bob, and said they were operating secret radios.’
‘How did they find out they had radios?’
‘Japs have discovered some spare parts smuggled in with our supplies.’
‘Who told on them?’
‘Some people would sell their own grandmothers for favours or for food.’
***
I lie awake all night; I can’t stop thinking about Bob. In the morning I rush to the hot water queue to tell Charles. Where is he? I spin on my heel and dash to the Married Quarters.
Ruth and her mother are sitting next to each other, crying. Mr Pearce hovers over them, clutching at his hands. ‘It’s too terrible,’ he says. ‘They came for him last night. Said that, because he repaired their radio, he must have known about the others in the camp.’
My legs buckle and Charles’ father gently helps me to a seat.
‘We were kept up all night by the Japs,’ Mrs Pearce sobs. ‘They had a drunken party in the prison. We saw everything from our balcony.’
‘One so-and-so, probably sozzled on saké , let loose into the yard and began firing his revolver into the air,’ Mr Pearce says. ‘All the Japs dived for cover, then an officer came out and shot him in the shoulder. They hauled the man away, and in the end everything quietened down.’
‘What do you think will happen to Charles?’ Numbness fills me, the frozen sensation only he can melt.
‘I don’t know,’ Mr Pearce says. ‘No one will tell us anything.’
‘They’ll let him out soon, though, won’t they?’ I wait for Mr Pearce to reassure me, but he remains silent.
***
The weeks pass and Charles is still being held in the gaol, along with the others who were arrested. Early one afternoon at the end of October, I’m lingering on the hillside above the cemetery with Ruth. I spend as much time as I can with Charles’ sister. It started as a way of getting news of him; now I’ve become fond of her and enjoy our moments together.
I’m thinking about Charles. Hopefully, his arrest was a huge mistake and he’ll soon be released. The Japanese said that, as Charles was over sixteen, he came under their authority and not that of the camp tribunal. He’ll be tried and sentenced like everyone else. I hope it won’t come to that. Mr Pearce said not to worry, as there was no proof that
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