The Gift of Rain by Eng Tan Twan

Author:Eng, Tan Twan [Eng, Tan Twan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, War, Japan, World War II, Literary Fiction, Asia
ISBN: 9781602860599
Goodreads: 7490274
Publisher: Weinstein Books
Published: 2007-01-01T08:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty

William met us as we came out of the library. “Where have you been? Everyone’s been looking for you. Isabel wants you to meet someone, Father. You too,” he said, catching my arm as I started to move away. We saw Towkay Yeap across the crowd of guests. He nodded his head once, letting us know that the situation had been taken care of. And then Isabel came through the throng of people, and I knew that the man following her was the guest she had asked me to include.

My father’s jaw tightened slightly as Peter MacAllister shook his hand. He was tall and broad-chested, with a slight paunch. Beside him Isabel looked like a little girl. She appeared tense and did not look any easier when our father gave her a smile, since we all knew that he would never embarrass his family in public. For the moment he would be perfectly charming to MacAllister. The stern words would come after the party and yet I somehow felt, this time, Isabel would not be intimidated.

I left them. I couldn’t help wondering if Endo-san had been involved in the attempt on my father’s life. I saw him standing on his own at the edge of the lawn beneath the casuarina tree looking at his island. I refused to believe he had any knowledge of it. It was that simple.

“Your father is a good man,” he remarked, as I joined him. We walked to the side of the swimming pool. I had placed hundreds of oil lamps floating on artificial water lilies in it and their combined glow made the water shimmer. All around, candles had been placed on my father’s collection of statues and they appeared to move like living things as the flames fought the breeze.

The moon was out, paling the stars into insignificance. The lighthouse a mile from Istana slashed its beam out into the endless sea. I made a decision not to tell Endo-san about Ramanathan’s revelations. I used the method of zazen to strain out, layer by layer, the noises of the party to pretend that we were the only two people there.

“Philip-san.” A voice came from behind us. It was Tanaka, Kon’s teacher, and I bowed to him.

“Tanaka-san, konbanwa,” I said. He returned my greeting and spoke to Endo-san. “How are you? It has been a long time, has it not?”

“I am quite well. Yes, it has been a while. How is Ueshiba-sensei?”

“I have no news of him, I am afraid. The last I heard from him was just before he moved to Hokkaido.”

“Hokkaido?”

“He wanted to get away from the war, from the generals and the ministers who pestered him daily to teach the army recruits,” Tanaka replied. “He had a message for you, should I meet you.”

Endo-san sighed, as though he had been expecting it.

“He said he understands your actions now but that does not mean he approves of them. You have your duty to your family but you must not stray from the path he has taught.

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