Empire's Children

by Patricia Weerakoon

  ‘And the child, Daniel, is William’s bastard. Typical.’ Shiro shivered.

  Jega reached over the table and covered her left hand with his. ‘Shiromi, it’s been over a week since we went to Bob Kirkland’s manse and all the drama afterwards. I can perfectly understand you not wanting to see William in the ward, but you won’t speak to Anthony or even Lakshmi. She’s heartbroken, Shiro. We are going back to Colombo in a couple of days.’

  ‘You’ve talked with them. It’s right that you should. They are your family. And as for them, I can understand Lakshmi being heartbroken. And Anthony? Is he heartbroken too?’ Her laugh was brittle, even to her ears.

  ‘Maybe you should let him explain.’

  She shut her eyes. ‘Jega, I can see what you are trying to do. You want me to clear my head of the past so I could move forward. But Anthony betrayed me. He said he loved me, then obeyed his father and let me down. He paid off Daddy for my treatment, sent money for my uni fees. He used his wealth to assuage his conscience. I should hate him for what he did. But I can’t hate him.’ She opened her eyes. ‘Jega, I’m scared.’

  ‘You’re scared that you will find out that you love him, not hate him.’

  She shut her eyes. She couldn’t let Jega see the pain.

  ‘Shiromi, What I am going to tell you is going to rock your world even more. But I want you to listen. And I want you to make a head decision, not a heart one.’

  ‘Okay.’ She frowned, trying to read his expression and failing. ‘What is this momentous news?’

  ‘James Ashley-Cooper and his wife, Elise, are here.’

  ‘Here?’ Shiro gasped. ‘As in Nuwara-Eliya? But why? To see William?’

  Jega’s fingers tightened over hers. ‘It’s complicated. James wants to work out a deal on the sale of the plantations. I believe what happened with William brought the date forward.’

  ‘How would that affect me?’

  ‘He would like to see you, Shiromi. He wanted me to ask you.’

  Shiro shut her eyes again. She heard her dad’s voice. White bastards think they can do what they want. Yes, she would meet him. Show him that she and her people in Sri Lanka didn’t need to kow-tow to the white Raj. He could take his money and shove it. She smiled.

  ‘You’re amused. That’s a good sign. Does that mean you’ll talk to him?’

  Shiro nodded. ‘You think I should?’

  ‘Yes. He said he’ll ring you at the doctor’s quarters this evening.’

  She grabbed his hand in both of hers. ‘I’ll do it. I’ll show him what we Sri Lankans are made of. I’ll do it for my parents, your mother – all the natives and coolies.’

  Chapter 41

  September 1969 Nuwara-Eliya

  ‘Miss Rasiah, this is James Ashley-Cooper.’ Who would believe that the high and mighty head of Oriental Produce could sound nervous! But he did, just a teeny little bit. Shiro took a deep breath and exhaled slowly.

  ‘Good evening, Mr Ashley-Cooper.’

  ‘Firstly, my dear, my wife and I would like to thank you for saving William’s life. We talked to doctor Nirmalan. He told us that William would have died if you hadn’t acted as you did.’

  ‘Thank you, Mr Ashley-Cooper.’ So he spoke of William by name, not as ‘our son’. ‘Dr Nirmalan is very kind to say so. I only did my duty.’ And, she thought, when did I become your ‘dear’?

  Now he sounded hesitant. ‘But the real reason I called you was to invite you to have lunch with my wife and me tomorrow.’

  Shiro cradled the phone in her hand. An invitation to lunch with James Ashley-Cooper and his wife. Okay, Daddy. This is for you.

  ‘I would be delighted to meet you both at lunch.’ She drew her intonation from the elocution classes and tea time conversations with Miss Grace Rowling.

  ‘Thank you, Miss Rasiah,’ He sounded relieved. He must have expected her to refuse. ‘I’ll send the company car for you. It’s a white Rolls Royce. You will recognise it by the Oriental Produce crest on the door – silver, two leaves and a bud. Would eleven-thirty be a convenient time for the chauffeur to pick you up?’

  Shiro bit her lip to keep from laughing. Like she needed to have the Oriental Produce crest to identify the car. Did these people think the car park in Nuwara-Eliya Hospital was full of Rolls Royce and Wolseleys at visiting time?

  ‘That would be nice, thank you.’

  ‘We are having lunch at the Royal Hotel.’

  ‘The Royal Hotel?’

  ‘Yes, my dear, I am inviting you to have lunch with us at the Royal Hotel. And just in case you are concerned, I have informed them that I will be entertaining a guest for lunch tomorrow. Trust me, there will be no problems.’

  He is either testing me or letting me know that he doesn’t care about the proprieties of the whites only policy in the Royal Hotel. Okay. I can play along.

  ‘Thank you, I’ll be ready at eleven-thirty.’

  ‘I look forward to seeing you tomorrow, Miss Rasiah.’

  ***

  Shiro slipped on the slim fitting, black linen skirt and looked through her blouses. ‘Not white today.’ Picking out a pure silk, clotted cream blouse and beige cashmere jacket, she slipped her feet into a pair of heeled black leather shoes.

  ‘Okay,’ she said to her reflection in the mirror, ‘let’s go face the master and commander of the empire!’

  The chauffeur, dressed in a white, long sleeved suit and peaked cap, stood by the white Rolls Royce. He reached out and opened the back door for her. ‘Your carriage, princess.’

  Shiro jerked back and looked into the chauffeur’s face. Only her childhood friends and family called her princess.

  ‘Elmo! I didn’t know you worked as a driver for Oriental Produce.’

  Elmo, eldest son of the apothecary in Watakälé, pulled his cap off. ‘I work as a chief clerk in the Colombo office, but the boss wanted someone who knew the hill-country roads.’ He swept his hand towards the car. ‘Who would pass up the opportunity to drive this beauty?’

  Shiro walked around the car to the front passenger seat. Elmo held the back door open. ‘No way, Shiro. You will arrive in style. Remember this is the Royal Hotel we’re driving to.’

  He had a point. Shiro slipped into the plush comfort of the black leather upholstered seat. ‘Thanks, Elmo.’

  As the car turned onto the main road, Elmo caught her eye in the rearview mirror. ‘The Boss and the Mrs aren’t too bad. They’ve been nice to me. One of the first things he did was tell me not call him sir. No colonial bunkum, he said.’

  ‘I don’t trust them, Elmo.’

  ‘You remember when we were kids, Shiro? You were always the brave one with the big dreams and plans. Trust your instincts on this meeting.’

  The car turned into the drive of the Royal Hotel.

  A couple stood side by side at the entrance to the hotel. He stood tall and straight, dressed in a charcoal grey suit and white silk shirt. His greying, blond hair lent an air of distinction. In contract the woman was a delicate porcelain figurine in a pale mauve, ankle length woollen dress. Her hair formed a pale blonde frame for her delicate features.

  Elmo drove up to the front of the hotel. He jumped out and opened the door for her. ‘Shiro,’ he said in an undertone. ‘Dad told us about what happened between you and young Ashley-Cooper. Keep your chin up. I’ll be driving you back after lunch. We can talk then.’

  Shiro slid out of the car and smiled at Elmo. ‘Thank you.’

  ***

  The obligatory pre-lunch drinks of iced tea with a twist of fresh lemon was followed by dishes of spicy mixed seafood salad. The conversation followed a predictable track. A repeat of thanks for saving William’s life, followed by questions about medical school and life in Colombo. The health of her mother. Her brothers careers.

  The waiter cleared the salad plates.

 
It was time to move this conversation forward. Shiro smiled to take the edge off her words. ‘Mr Ashley-Cooper, why exactly did you want to see me?’

  He smiled. ‘Miss Rasiah – may I call you Shiromi?’

  Shiro nodded her assent.

  ‘There are some things I want to say to you that need a face-to-face conversation. Some of what I say may make you annoyed, even angry. I ask you to please hear me out. Can you do that?’

  Shiro nodded again.

  ‘Firstly, I want you to know that I knew and trusted your father. I can state categorically that I would never have accused him of any dishonest dealings.’ He glanced at his wife. ‘I had no idea what William was up to. I am not proud to say that. I should have kept an eye on him, but under the circumstances, I let it slip.’

  Shiro looked into the slate grey eyes. So like Jega’s. ‘Thank you for your words about my father. I guess by circumstances you mean the impending nationalisation of the plantations. But you do know now what William did?’

  ‘My dear,’ he leant over towards her, ‘it was diabolical.’

  ‘Shiromi, it’s amazing that you saved his life especially when you knew what he had done. You truly are an exceptional young woman.’ Elise Ashley-Cooper’s cultured tone was in keeping with her gentle bearing.

  Shiro looked from one to the other. ‘He was a patient. I did what any health professional would do under the circumstances.’

  James and his wife exchanged glances.

  ‘There’s another reason I wanted to see you, Shiromi. Jega tells me that you know the family history. I am not proud of all of it, but it is what it is. What I do know is that my three biological children all love you very much.’

  Shiro kept a smile pasted on her face. Where was this conversation going?

  ‘What I am trying to say is that Elise and I would be happy to see you continue your relationship with any of them.’

  It took all her control to keep quiet.

  The waiter came back with their main course. Grilled salmon on vegetable couscous.

  Shiro kept her eyes down on her plate.

  Slim manicured fingers fluttered over Shiro’s hand. ‘Shiromi, we will not object to a relationship between you and either Jega or Anthony.’

  Shiro picked up a piece of salmon on her fork. She forced herself to swallow. She took a deep breath. Calm down, girl. ‘Jega is a good friend, Mrs Ashley-Cooper. And I haven’t had any contact with Anthony since –’ She put her fork down and looked direct at James Ashley-Cooper. ‘Since you forced him to stop his friendship with me and leave Watakälé for England.’

  Black eyes and grey met. ‘Jega told me that you are beautiful and brilliant. Janet said that you were an avenging angel when you took on William. And Anthony – well you know what Anthony feels for you.’

  The waiter placed a dessert menu before them. ‘No, thank you.’ Shiro smiled at the waiter. ‘I’ll have a cup of tea. Black with no sugar.’ It gave her the time to collect her thoughts.

  ‘Mr Ashley-Cooper, when Anthony and I were friends, I was a schoolgirl. I am now on my way to being a doctor. And he is moving to Australia with his son.’

  The waiter placed the tea service on the table. Elise Ashley-Cooper picked up the silver teapot and poured the tea. She added milk to hers, then passed the other two cups to Shiro and her husband. Her voice was soft, almost a whisper. ‘But you still care for him.’

  Shiro put her cup on the saucer. She wouldn’t let them see her pain. ‘Anthony was the first man I cared for. But I will move on. I have my medical career here. I am finished with plantation life.’ She blinked her eyes. No tears. There would be time enough for that later.

  Elise’s fingertips brushed Shiro’s hand. ‘We talked about that with Jega. He tells us that the study you have done here in Sri Lanka can be transferred to a medical school in Australia.’

  Shiro looked from one to the other. ‘Why would I want to do that?’

  James Ashley-Cooper cleared his throat. What now?

  ‘Shiromi, you are upset. I understand. But there is one more thing you need to know and I hope it will help you to bring the closure you need. Will you hear me out?’

  Shiro shrugged.

  ‘Anthony and I spent a lot of time together after he left the plantation. It started off with my desire to make him understand why I needed to get him away from it –’

  ‘And from me.’

  He winced. ‘Yes, that too. But in the time we spent together, I realised that Anthony’s plan for the plantation and the people was more than just a fly-by-night dream. I realised that it made sound economic sense.’

  Shiro raised her eyes to meet his. She might as well be frank. There was nothing to lose now. ‘My father and Anthony both talked to me about it. They saw it as their moral duty to help the staff and labour. It was not just about money.’

  He nodded. ‘Oh, Anthony made that very clear to me. In the end, it was his passion that won me over.’

  ‘You agree with their plans for staff and labour wages and savings?’

  ‘Yes Shiromi. That is why I am here.’ He glanced across the table at his wife. ‘We plan to spend the next three years implementing Anthony’s reforms and negotiating a clean handover to the government.’

  ‘You will do it?’

  ‘Elise and I will live in Watakälé. We are in contact with the other plantation owners. The plantations will be handed over to the government of Ceylon – well, Sri Lanka, with the staff and labour rights already in place.’

  ‘So the government will not be able to renege on it after the takeover?’

  ‘Once set, the Sri Lankan government cannot go back on it.’

  Shiro smiled. ‘It is what Anthony and my father dreamed of. But Daddy is dead and Anthony will be in Australia.’

  ‘Anthony will make a trip to Australia to negotiate the deal with the vineyards. But he will come back and spend six months here helping me. There is no way I could do it all without him.’

  ‘And William?’

  ‘He is too ill to continue. Janet and he will go back to England as soon as he is able to travel.’

  ‘Anthony must be ecstatic.’ She looked away from them, at the red roses in the hotel garden. Anthony back in Watakälé. In her dreams she would be with him. But that was all it was – a dream. It was time for her to move on. She pushed her chair back and stood up. ‘I need to get back. Thank you for lunch. And thank you for sharing your plans for the plantations. It will be appreciated by the staff and labourers.’

  She shook hands with them both. James Ashley-Cooper’s hand was firm and warm. Elise held Shiro’s hand in both of hers. ‘Anthony talked about you to me, Shiromi. You are all he said and more.’

  They walked her to the car. James Ashley-Cooper didn’t wait for the driver to get out, instead he walked down the steps and held the car door open for her.

  ‘I have asked the driver to be available to drive you to Watakälé. It will help you get the closure you so desire. You said you wouldn’t be back to the plantations. Maybe this is a chance to say goodbye?’

  Why not? What better way to rid herself of the demons than to return to where it all started in the Oriental Produce silver-embossed chariot. She smiled at them both. ‘Thank you. That is kind of you.’

  James Ashley-Cooper nodded and moved to the driver. ‘Madam would like to visit Watakälé. You can take your time. We are in no hurry for the car.’

  Shiro slid into the back and sank back in the seat. The car slid forward.

  ‘Elmo, I’m glad you are driving me back. I’ve just about had enough of the mighty British Empire.’ She groaned. ‘Invitation for lunch, indeed. What were they doing? It was like – thanks for saving the life of one of our progeny. Would you like one of the others as a reward! And she has the audacity to ask me if I cared for Anthony. Cared –’ Shiro laughed. ‘I wonder how t
hey would have responded if I had said that I loved him and love him still!’

  She dropped her head in her hands. ‘Then he tells me that he’s staying for three years. Setting up the payment and savings plan for staff and labour. He plans to hand it all to the Sri Lankan government as a fait accompli! Anthony gets to see his dreams come true.’

  The car purred along the main road.

  She felt a sob build in her throat. ‘This is all so stupid. Elmo, please take me back to the hospital. Watakälé was a bad idea.’

  The car slowed, then pulled off the main road towards the lake. ‘Okay Elmo. I’m a basket case.’ she sighed. ‘Let’s walk by the lake and talk about the good old days when we were children.’

  The driver got out and opened her door. He flicked off his cap and held his hand out to her. ‘No, Shiro. Let’s talk about the future.’

  She looked up at the gold hair and blue eyes that filled her dream and her heart. ‘Anthony, how –?’

  He reached into the car and drew her out. He held on to her hand. ‘Because my dreams cannot come true without you. Because you are avoiding me and because you have just said that you love me.’

  ‘You cheated.’

  ‘Sure. But it worked, didn’t it? You wouldn’t return my calls, Shiro. And Jega said it wouldn’t be wise for me to come to the hospital quarters. Not good for your professional reputation.’

  ‘And today?’

  ‘My parents realised quickly that I was unhappy in England. Things have changed, darling. The era of the white British Raj is over. My parents realise that. They also know that you, princess, are my love, my heart.’ He tilted her face to his. ‘I was terrified when I saw how close you are to Jega. He is a good man. So worthy of you. But I wanted to tear you away from him.’

  Shiro smiled up at him, watching the shades of anxiety and fear cloud his eyes.

  ‘And just now you said that you loved me.’

  She pouted. ‘I thought I was talking to Elmo.’

  He drew her into her arms. She went to him. She felt his fingers in her hair. The clips dropped off. Her hair blew around her face onto his. She heard his indrawn breath. ‘Shiro darling, please give me a chance to show you how much I love you.’