Joss and Gold

Nine

Nine It',not that I 'u'poct you," Henry ,"id, ,wallowing hoed. "But Chester is a man. Perhaps I've been too busy. I should have done more things with you. You are so lively, I always knew you would need more attention than other women." Forster had told him that he should have a few days off and perhaps take Li An away for a holiday. "Ah, it's not to alarm you," Forster had mumbled, "but women, um, don't like to be neglected. You, um, you've been working very hard. You have a great future in front of you. But a young scientist, he's got, he's got to take care of his family too." Perhaps he'd seen Li An with Chester more than once at the USIS library or riding on the Honda to some coffee shop. "Those Americans," he'd added dryly, "they're new to Malaysia. They don't observe the rules like we do." "But nothing's happened!" she protested. "You see him as often as I do." It wasn't true, but she refused to be shamed by her lie. Henry was miserable. He had never felt such burning misery-it made him want to turn his face away, shut his eyes so he wouldn't have to see her. No, he didn't suspect her. Wouldn't a man know if his wife had been with another man? Wouldn't he feel her skin, her inner flesh, as tainted? He would have felt the difference in her. But he did suspect. He suspected her tomorrows. Forster had closed off the possibility of trust. What could he tell of CROSSING what Li An might do the next day, or next year, with Chester or with any other man? He suspected the future in her. "Let's go to Bangkok for two weeks," he pleaded. "It's April. You don't have any tutorials, and I can miss my German classes. We've never had a holiday together." Just last month they had celebrated their anniversary. Or rather, Auntie had reminded them to. Auntie liked the Western custom of romantic anniversaries and holidays, and made occasions out of Christmas and Boxing Day, the English New Year, Easter, St. Valentine's Day, and personal birthdays. She kept a calendar that marked British holidays-the Queen Mother's birthday, Queen Elizabeth's birthday, Whitsunday, Bank Holidays, Poppy Day-but she celebrated only the holidays that the expensive department stores observed. Although she wasn't a Christian, she bought colorful chocolate eggs for Easter that no one ate, and decorated the house with palms blessed in the Anglican Church. Unlike Mrs. Yeh, out of the Chinese religious festivals she celebrated only the Chinese New Year. His mother, Henry told Li An, had prepared elaborate food and invited monks to the house for Vesak Day, Ching Ming or All Souls' Day, and the anniversaries of his grandparents' deaths. She had observed special feast days to request blessings for important family events, such as when Mr. Yeh's new cement factory was opened or when Henry was sitting for his final examinations. He and Li An didn't take holidays seriously. Christmas had been merely an interruption in his lab work; in fact, he had been so anxious about an experiment that he had gone to the lab on Christmas day. They refused the banquet Auntie wished to throw for their anniversary. Instead, she gave a dinner at her house, and Preofessor Forster and his wife, Mrs. Schneider and her husband , and Ellen had come. Li An didn't ask Chester because Abdullah and Samad would have to be invited as well, and that would have made the dinner difficult as Auntie would have had to avoid serving pork in the meaL Samad especially had become very strict about exposure to anything haram, like pork, that was a spiritual pollution. 67 JOSS and GOLD Henry saw now he had been unwise to encourage Li An to amuse herself however she pleased. "Yes, Bangkok," he repeated. "We'll stay at the Oriental, it's supposed to be very romantic. And you can buy as much Thai silk as you wish." She sat subdued beside Henry in the small Fokker Friendship plane, relieved that he was making all the decisions. The stewardess wore a tightly wrapped printed skirt and moved down the aisle modestly, her...