Rich People Problems-Kwan 2017 (WWT)

Victoria writes him so many checks every month her account is always going into
overdraft.”
“Victoria may have her irritating ways, but she has a good heart. She is the most
generous person out of anyone I know.”
Su Yi smiled at Alix. “And you are always the peacemaker. Even when you were a little
girl, you were always the one to heal the rifts between your sisters. Will you be sure to
keep the peace after I’m gone?”
“Of course, Mummy. But don’t worry—Prof Oon assures me your heart is improving
every day. Even Malcolm said he’s so pleased with your progress.”
“That may be the case, but I know I can’t live forever.”
Alix didn’t know what to say. She simply busied herself by straightening her mother’s
bedsheets and smoothing them out.
“Alix, you don’t have to be afraid for me. I have no fear of death—you have no idea how
many times I’ve stared it in the face. I just don’t wish to be in any pain, that’s all.”
“Prof Oon is making sure of that,” Alix said matter-of-factly.
“Alix, will you do me a favor? Will you call Freddie Tan and tell him to come over?”
“Er…Freddie Tan, your lawyer?” Alix asked, unnerved by the request.
“Yes. It’s very important that I see him as soon as possible. His number is in the
address book on my dressing table.”
“Of course. I’ll go and call him right now,” Alix said.
Su Yi closed her eyes, attempting to relax for a moment. She was still trying to forget
the look of hurt she had seen on Victoria’s face after she had snapped at her. Stupid girl!
The words came echoing back to her, from a memory far back in time…
“You stupid, stupid girl!”
Her father had snarled angrily when Su Yi had appeared in the basement of the shop
house at Telok Ayer Street. “Do you know the fortune I spent, the number of favors I had
to call in, just to get you safely out of Singapore? Why are you here?”
“Did you think I could just sit in the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel while I got news every day
about all the terrible things that were happening back here? All the bombings, all the
people being tortured and killed?”
“Which is exactly why I got you out of Singapore! On the last frigate out!”
“I didn’t know what was happening here, Pa. I got news about everyone else—Tan Kah
Kee, Uncle SQ, Uncle Tsai Kuen, but there was never any news of you. When Chin Tuan
came to India, he said he hadn’t heard any news about you. That’s when I thought you
had been captured or maybe even killed somewhere!”
“I told you you weren’t going to hear from me. I told you I would be fine!”
“Fine? Look at you—hiding in a hole in the ground, dressed in rags!” Su Yi said, tears
in her eyes as she looked at her father in his stained singlet and trousers full of cigar ash.
She had never seen her father out of his three-piece suit before. With his head shaved and
his face smeared with dirt, he looked almost unrecognizable.