“NEW YEAR’S Eve and here we are, two old maids without partners for the ball,” Philippa said with a sigh.
“We’ve had our day, Phil. Stop moping and get me another drink.”
“But I’ll have you know I was invited … you know …”
“Oh yeah! By Uncle Ramalho …” Vicky interrupted sarcastically.
“No. Antonio. He’s got a big family table.”
“Full of old fogies,” Vicky interrupted again.
“Not really. But I just didn’t feel like going …”
“Shame on you … old fossil at fifty-six. Look at Antonio. Did you see him dance at the wedding?”
Philippa glared at Vicky. “I’m just as fit. Only I don’t pretend to be younger.”
“Antonio does?”
“Huh, my dear brother Antonio … he’s younger than I.”
“He’s an unusual man in many ways, isn’t he, Phil?”
“Yeah.” Philippa didn’t seem to want to talk about Antonio.
Amused but straight-faced, Vicky asked, “What’s his star?”
“Antonio is an Aquarius. And a wood rabbit,” Philippa said to Vicky, who had started making a pig of herself with the benji, the bitterish deep-fried crackers Philippa had got from Indonesia.
“Mmmm …?” Vicky sat back with her drink contentedly.
“Aquarius people are supposed to be intuitive. They are rational. The key phrase used for them is, ‘I know’. I’m not sure if that refers to their intuition or their scientific approach. But they are not I-know snobs. They are never snobs. Yet they are unpredictable. Antonio was like that …”
“Look, Phil. I really don’t know Antonio. Though I picked up a bit of scandal about him before the war.”
“What?”
“Yeah. I used to operate in Ipoh too …”
“What did you hear?”
“Tell me about his astrological passions first. Then I’ll give you the dirt. And see if it fits.”
“He’s got no passions. He’s always cool … Aquarius men are faithful and loyal in marriage.”
Vicky put up her chin, a smirk on her face. Philippa noticed but continued. “They are aloof, even in marriage.”
“Ah! Go on.”
“Vicky! What did you hear?”
“Had an affair with a Chinkie lass. Cabaret girl. Then dropped her.”
“Where did you hear that shit?”
“Language, my dear! Ipoh’s a small place you know.”
Philippa frowned. “It’s not like him to play around … but, come to think of it, his astrological character, if he did have an affair, he’d cut it coldly. He would never be totally involved with a woman. Not even his wife.” No, Philippa decided. Antonio wouldn’t get involved with any woman. Not him.
“That’s why he strayed, eh? What did you say was his Chinese sign?”
“Rabbit.”
“Like me,” Vicky said.
“He was a wood rabbit. You’re a water rabbit, Vicky. In Antonio my theory that the sun sign is the dominant influence, and the Chinese sign reinforces or reduces the zodiac personality, fits nicely. Both the Aquarius and the rabbit are cool customers. Antonio is a real cool cat …”
“Yes! I believe some books refer to the rabbit as the Chinese cat sign. Right?”
“Yes. And as I was saying, the two signs add up to give the Aquarian rabbit psychic insights and even premonition. He had uncanny premonitions at times. On the conflict aspect, the rabbit in him muted his Aquarian rebelliousness. The Aquarius in him made him leave the government service just before the war, but the rabbit drew him back to a good conventional job with the Public Works Department here in Singapore after the war.”
“But Phil. You and Antonio have the same genes, how is …”
“God, Vicky, we’ve been through that before.”
“O.K., O.K., O.K. … you’re the same but different …”
“Past your bedtime, Vicky.”
“Don’t be a bore and get me another beer. This stuff is really thirsty work.”
“You should be in bed by this time at your age, Vicky.”
“Sixty-seven is not old. Especially if you’ve led a physically active life. Which I have.”
“Yeah. You sure did. I was amazed at how agile you were in the White Y days. On the few occasions when you had to stand in for the field people. Climbing up the truck, the van … Gee, that was twenty years ago, you know.”
Philippa realised too late she shouldn’t have mentioned the days of the White Y. It hit a painful nerve in Vicky. And in her too.
Vicky broke the brief hanging silence, not wanting to turn their New Year’s Eve into reminiscing. “That was more than twenty years ago. That was in the forties. I was still in my forties then.”
“Late forties.”
“Haven’t you got some of the old records, Phil? Come on, let’s have some real music …”