What if?
I have been asked what if… Shiro fell in love with a Indian Coolie boy? Well – she didn’t. So I have a short story of another Tea Makers daughter who did. Here is Kami’s story: If only I could forget ‘Stop the car Sunder,’ Kami pressed the button. The glass window slid down. Cool tea-country air invaded the air conditioned climate-controlled atmosphere of the chauffer driven Mercedes Benz. ‘Yes Madam,’ the rolling Indian Tamil accent of the driver combined with the fragrance of freshly plucked tea sent a shimmer down Kami’s spine. Read on:If only I could...
Shiro’s letters to ‘Ann’ Ashley-Cooper
At the end of the novel ‘Empires Children’ Shiro tells Anthony: ‘I can’t wait to show our children the letters Ann Ashley-Cooper wrote to me’ What were these letters? Read about these here: Ann’s Letters to Shiro when Shiro was in Boarding School The smell of fresh baked bread tickled Anthony’s nose. The ornate little metal table on the veranda was covered with a handmade lace tablecloth. The monogrammed crockery and silver cutlery neatly arranged. The poached egg was cooked to perfection and the home-cured ham juicy and pink. Picking up the fork, Anthony studied the Ashton crest. He pushed the egg around on the plate. He stabbed the thin white skin of the poached egg and watched the rich red yolk erupt. Damn his stupid...
1964: Anthony and William leave the manor for Sri Lanka
The autumn sunshine filtered through the red gold canopy of the ancient lime trees. The dry autumn leaves drifted down on the bay gelding hunter and added to the thick brown carpet on the ground under the horse’s hooves. Anthony rode with his fingers soft on the reins. The muscles in his leg rippled as he nudged his mount. The horse neighed and tossed his head. The thick almost-black tail twitched. “Whoa! Pegasus,” Anthony ran his hand over the shining brown mane. The horse grew quiet under his master’s touch. He trotted along the avenue. Rider and horse had been together for the four years that Pegasus had been part of the manor stables. He was Anthony’s personal horse. Anthony continued to fondle the strong neck. “I’m sorry old friend. I’ll be gone tomorrow.”...
1962 Anthony and Bob Kirkland in Bakewell, England
The late evening summer sunshine slanted through the frosted glass windows of the Bell and Ivy. The Victorian limestone building dated back to the eighteen hundreds. The building in Bakewell had been in the Kirkland family for over a hundred years, the last ninety as the local pub. The people of Bakewell had come to judge the seasons by the changing colour of the ivy that clung to the exterior of the two story building. A large brass bell hung just inside the mahogany and glass door with the etched-glass Kirkland crest. It rang out across the town to announce Kirkland births and deaths. It had been rung twice in this generation, twenty-six years ago when Robert was born and four years later for Elizabeth. The interior of the pub with the dark wood panelling and...
What happened to Shiro when she was in boarding school?
Whatever happened to Shiro and Anthony and William in those missing years. When they grew from children to young adults? Here is one incident from Shiro’s life: 1963 June, Colombo Sri Lanka The British missionaries had established the Methodist boarding school in Bambalawatte in nineteen ten. It was supposed to represent a little seaside oasis of old England in the busy hot and humid capital of Sri Lanka. A sturdy brick wall six feet tall separated the school from the coastal railway line and the shimmering blue of the Indian Ocean. The wall was topped by razor wire and broken glass – presumably to keep undesirable elements out of the boarding school compound rather than prevent the girls from escaping! The building closest to the wall was the two-story...