Revenge by S. L. Lim

Author:S. L. Lim
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781925760613
Publisher: Transit Lounge

4

Nothing Like Old Friendship

Afterwards Yannie lay on the couch in Kat’s room, balancing Kat’s laptop on the armrest with the fan carefully positioned so it wouldn’t overheat. Bubbling electronic noises came through the speakers. Jun was calling her on Skype. She let it beep away for a while without answering, hoping he would think she had left her status set to online by accident. You had to be in a certain mood to talk to Jun, especially where webcams were involved.

Eventually the noise stopped. But he called again within a minute. This time she picked up.

‘Hello, Jun,’ she said. The line was very crackly. ‘I can only just hear you. How are things back home?’

‘Hello, Yannie!’ Jun’s voice came through very loudly, with a burst of static that made her wince. ‘I’m very pleased to see you, very pleased. And the picture is so clear! This new tablet is excellent.’ He did look pleased. ‘It’s been a long time since we have talked, ah. I must tell you, life is very boring over here. I cannot entertain myself, now I do not have you to talk to.’

‘Ai-ya, Jun, stop feeling sorry for yourself!’ But she was touched. ‘It has only been one or two months. And you have many people to talk to. If you feel lonely, you should watch television. Netflix – my niece has signed me up, the shows are very good. Much better than the ones we used to watch when we were small.’

‘But it’s not the same as talking face to face with someone who is your friend.’ Jun smiled self-deprecatingly. ‘It shows how dependent on you I have become. Also, your students have been asking about you.’

‘My students or their parents?’

‘The parents, mostly. I bumped into Madam Chee the other day. She talked to me about her son, she got quite worked up. You know how she is emotional, always going to extremes. She asked when you were coming back. I said I didn’t know. She said, what a lucky person, to be so free, just take off like that. Most people cannot. They must look after their families, their children.’ Jun hesitated. ‘Their jobs, as well.’

‘Ah, Madam Chee. Was that her way of sending me a warning?’ Madame Chee Jia Hui had not been pleased when Yannie informed her, via email, that she would be extending her stay in Sydney. For the past two years she had been tutoring Madame Chee’s eldest son, Chee Sze Jie, who was thirteen and not particularly bright. His mother’s plan was for him to study medicine and eventually become a cardiologist, a plan which Yannie found dubious in the extreme. She couldn’t imagine someone she’d want operating on her less. ‘She’s probably dropped me as a tutor already, anyway. There are plenty of other teachers available.’

‘Other teachers, yes. But not as good as you.’

‘Well, thank you.’ His sincerity embarrassed her. ‘How are things? What have you been up to?’ Immediately she realised that this was a stupid remark, since she had just finished his latest email which answered these questions at some length.

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