The Princess and Ming-huá

Chapter 7

Before the year was out, restoration of the mansion was virtually complete. The expansive gardens had been restored and replanted.

Inside the house, the ground floor had been restored to its former glory although some modernisation had been made.

Ming-huá and her mother had been furniture shopping and Ming-huá had selected her furniture. Her bedroom was now complete. As originally planned, her room was the only one finished and renovated on the second floor.

The day Ming-huá and her parents moved into the restored mansion, two people presented themselves at the front door. The woman wanted a position as a maid and the man as a ground keeper and gardened.

Mei Lee was surprised by this as she had not even thought about employing any domestic staff this soon after moving in.

Both the woman and man were Peranakan people (Straights born Chinese) and both had quite impressive references. The woman's reference gave glowing reference to her Nyonya cooking.

With such good references, Mei Lee considered that it would save a lot of time sorting through a lot of applicants, so she told the couple to report back the following week to start work.

Despite the opportunity of employing two staff that appeared to come with good reference, she could not help but wonder how they knew to arrive at the door the day the family moved in to live.

Ming-huá was excited about moving into the restored mansion. The house was spacious compared to the apartment where they stayed in Singapore. Here, in their new home, there were spacious gardens where she could stroll around and lose herself in her own imagination. She did not have the same luxury in Singapore where public garden areas were shared and crowded.

As her mother had arranged, the next week, after the family moved into the restored mansion, the two staff reported for work. They were both given staff quarters at the rear of the house.

The woman, Aimee was very attractive, her attractiveness in no way betrayed her age. She was of average build, tall and very agile. Her dress and style was very typical Nyonya

The man Kwang Hoo, was tall and robust. Quite a powerful man and well suited for the job of groundsman.

Ming-huá came down the stairs and into the breakfast room on the morning of Aimee's second day of employment. No one else was present when they came face to face for the first time. Their eyes met and Aimee held Ming-huá's gaze for what seemed like ages to Ming-huá. She became quite un-nerved by Aimee's stare. There was something not quite right, she felt. Aimee's eyes seemed to penetrate to her very soul and she seemed to read all that was in Ming-huá's thoughts.

Ming-huá's mother Mei Lee entered the room and the eye contact was then broken. Ming-huá felt relieved that her mother had entered. She sat down to a bowl of mee goreng and ate slowly, her mind tormented with Aimee's intense stare. Her mother noticed her daughter's thoughtful mood and inquired,

"What is the matter Ming-huá? You are unusually quiet."

"Oh, nothing really, mum. How do you find Aimee?" She replied in a low voice for fear of being overheard.

"Well, it is only her second day so a bit early to form an opinion. Why do you ask?"

"Oh, probably just me, but I felt an incredible uneasiness when we met just now. It was creepy. I was glad when you entered." Ming-huá replied.

"I have not noticed anything out of the ordinary." And the subject was brushed aside.

After a silence while Ming-huá finished her breakfast, her mother inquired,

"What are you going to do today?"

"Oh, not sure. I will go for a walk around the garden first then do some research on my computer. Have you got a better suggestion?"

"Not really. I will continue to organise some of the things into closets. If you can give a hand later, that would be a help."

"Ok. Call me when you want help." And at that, Ming-huá got up from the table, took her plate to the kitchen and went out into the garden. She knew Aimee was watching her, so she deliberately went to the other side of the house. She had not walked along the path very far when again she felt the creepy feeling, sending a tingle down her spine. She doubted that Aimee would have followed her, but she turned to look behind her to be sure.

She was startled to see the yard man Kwang Hoo staring at her. He seemed to appear from nowhere. He certainly was not along the path that she had just walked along. Although a distance from her, Ming-huá could feel the penetrating stare from his piercing eyes.

This un-nerved her. She returned to the house and went straight up to her room. She was frightened of these two house staff. There was something not quite right about them, but she did not know what.

Ming-huá searched the internet and read as much as she could find about Puteri Hang Li Poh but there was nothing new that she had not already read.

The rest of the day passed without incident. Ming-huá helped her mother until he father returned home. After the evening meal, she bid her parents goodnight went to her room.

Ming-huá locked the door behind her, changed her clothes to night attire and lay back on her bed.

The thought of Aimee and Kwang Hoo would not leave her mind. She became dreary and drifted into a troubled sleep. She woke up from a troubled dream Aimee. She turned her head and stared out of the window. It was a clear moonlight night and the moon cast its silver rays on the foot of her bed. Somewhere out in the garden, fruit bats squabbled and shrieked. Occasionally one would fly through the light from the moon and its fleeting shadow would flutter over the foot of Ming-huá's bed. There was no other disturbance to be heard apart from the fruit bats.

Ming-huá dropped off to sleep again.

After a short while, she awoke with a start. She knew someone was in the room with her. Although the door was locked, she felt a presence.

She sat bolt upright and muffled a shriek with her hand.

Sitting on the end of her bed in the flood of moonlight, was the maid Aimee.