Chapter Ten (Part 2 of 2)

He paused and gave me a funny look. I guess he did not believe his ears when I mentioned the "M" word; he had always taken me for a freewheeling son-of-a-gun. Finally he said, "Hey, fuck you!"

"Thanks, but I believe 'congratulations' would sound nicer."

"You made her pregnant, didn't you?"

"Hell, no ... well, not yet anyway."

"Then why the fuck did you marry her?"

"Does it ever occur to you that we are deeply in love?"

"Love - that's a big no-no for distinguished bad-asses like us, Ake."

"That's why I'm quitting my daytime job."

"Fuck! You can't quit! Ever since I learned about the death of Lau Beng, I was hoping that you will join me. Your mastery of the gun is a great asset to our line of work."

"You know I don't do drugs, old friend," I replied, shaking my head.

Sze-hoi smiled. "Another one of your so-called religions, I presume?"

"Yeah," I said, returning his smile. "But if you ever need my help, just call out my name and I'll be there. That's what friends are for."

"Likewise, Ake," he said in earnest. We then raised our glasses and drank the whisky in one gulp. "And I wish you and your wife all the best. By the way, who's the lucky gal?"

I told him ... everything: from my first encounter with Suet-foong at Shanghai Railway Station right down to our wedding day. His expression suggested some pleasure at my narration which surprised me because listening to soppy love stories was never his favorite pastime. He certainly was one unpredictable creature. When I finally finished, the cabaret show was about to start. With the best entertainment in town featuring song, dance, and nudie burlesque, men flocked to Sze-hoi's nightclub like moths to a flame. Pretty soon, the place was packed to the brim.

My, how time flies when one is enjoying himself. Before I knew it, the clock struck one; it was my cue to bid my buddy goodnight.

"Suet-foong and I will be leaving for Beijing soon, sort of a belated honeymoon for us," I said, getting up. "So I guess I won't be seeing you for a while."

"Ah, Beijing, renowned for its opulent palaces, temples, and gardens ... say hello to the emperor for me when you are there," replied Sze-hoi in jest.

I laughed not knowing whether he meant Pu Yi, the real but powerless emperor, or President Yuan, the pretender to the throne. Anyway, who cares? We were not playing a lottery.

"Where are you staying in Beijing?" he asked.

"I don't know yet. Reckon we'll be spending our nights in hotels like when we were in Hangzhou."

"There's no need to, bro. I know a guy there who owes me big time. His name's Ducky. I'll give him a call. He can find free accommodation for you two lovebirds. Consider this as my wedding gift."

"Much obliged," I said, shaking his hand and heading for the exit.

"Err ... Ake?"

"Yes?"

"You made her pregnant, didn't you?"

"Oh, up yours!"

After getting another good friend of mine to take care of our horses and my house ... oops, I mean our house, we finally hit the road. On a cold December night, Suet-foong and I were in Shanghai Railway Station waiting at the platform for the train to Beijing. By chance, we were standing at the same spot where I had shot dead Song Jiao-ren; positively not a very pleasant reminder.

I looked at my wife. She could hardly stand still. She kept fidgeting, pacing back and forth. She tried to sit down and relax, but she could not repose a moment. She was so excited. To be honest, so was I; tonight a phase of our lives was closing and tomorrow a new one shall open. Just thinking about this made me want to burst out in all directions like fireworks.

The train finally arrived at 11:00 P.M., and we made our way to our first-class cabin - but of course, I would not settle for anything less - that had a comfy bunk bed and a washroom. When the locomotive slowly pulled out of the station a few minutes later, Suet-foong rushed to the window and cheerily waved goodbye to the crowd on the platform.

"You know those people, Sugarplum?" I asked with much curiosity.

"Does it matter? Come on, Ake, just wave at them; do it for the fun of it!" she replied, her smile like a sun flower, ever so radiant, ever so warm.

I did, waving my hands wildly until they were out of sight. She was right. It was amusing and enjoyable. Both of us were feeling on top of the world. We did not know it then, but her farewell waves proved to be prophetic; this was the last time Suet-foong saw Shanghai.