Red Phoenix. Kylie Chan
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at me.
I spun and ran. I raced through the tunnel, but my feet slipped on the tiles. It closed on me, the sound of its scales on the tiles a wet, shining slither. Louder and louder . . .
It crashed onto me, pinning me under its enormous, slick body. I couldn’t move.
It wrapped its body around me, but didn’t squeeze. It just held me.
Then it was gone.
I pulled myself up and walked out through the tunnel. Well, it was about time. What a wonderful feeling of satisfaction. I was complete. I was whole. And it felt so good, because I was so very, very dangerous. Now. Who would I kill first?
I woke and stumbled out of bed, then collapsed on the floor, panting and drenched in sweat.
John must have felt my distress because he came in. He wore his plain black pyjama pants and his long hair had come almost completely out of its braid. He knew better than to approach.
I knelt on the floor, gasping.
‘If I could hold you right now, I would. Do you want me to call someone?’
I raised my hand. I took a deep gulping breath and pulled myself to my feet, then sat on the bed. ‘I’m okay.’
He sat on the other side of the bed. ‘That must have been a hell of a nightmare.’
I glanced into his eyes. ‘I dreamed I turned into a snake. No, that’s not right. I dreamed that a snake turned into me.’
He was taken aback. ‘Really?’
I dropped my head. ‘A really big black snake.’
‘I would love to see that,’ he said, his voice intense.
‘What?’
‘I’m sure you would be spectacularly beautiful. Black?’ He smiled slightly. ‘Wonderful.’
I looked away. ‘Go back to bed, reptile man.’
‘Are you sure you’re all right?’
‘It was just a freaky dream. That’s all.’
‘If you’re sure . . .’
‘You need your rest. Go back to bed.’
‘As you wish, Emma. Good night.’
‘Night, John.’
It took me a long time to go back to sleep after he’d gone.
I met my friends April and Louise for lunch in the Thai restaurant in Wan Chai. It had been a long time.
April was a lovely Australian Chinese who I’d met working at Kitty Kwok’s kindergarten before I went to work full-time for John. Her pregnancy was already well along and she had a cute bulge in front, accentuated by her lime-green maternity dress. The dress was an awful concoction of frills, bows and ruffles, and made her seem bigger than she was. Her face had filled out with the pregnancy, but she looked healthy and happy.
Louise was still herself, blonde, bony, and full of freckles and mischief. We’d shared an apartment in Sha Tin before I’d moved in to work as a live-in nanny for John, and I hadn’t heard from her since we’d run into the White Tiger while having lunch at Sha Tin shopping centre and she’d fallen for him on the spot. I’d ferociously warned him off her otherwise she would have ended up as a member of his extensive harem.
‘When’s the baby due, April?’ I said.
‘September. Mid-September,’ April said. ‘It’s a boy.’
Louise glanced up from her menu. ‘You had it tested already?’
‘Sure,’ April said. ‘Every month, when I visit the doctor, I have an ultrasound. They found out last appointment. Andy’s very happy. He says he wants to keep it now.’ She leaned back and smiled with satisfaction. ‘We’re a family. I knew it would all work out.’
‘That’s so wonderful, April,’ I said. ‘So you’re all together now?’
‘Yes, but not living together. He doesn’t have time, he needs to be on the Island to be close to work. So he lives on Hong Kong Island, and I’m at Discovery Bay with the domestic helper. He comes and sees me once every few weeks, and tells me how happy he is.’
‘What about the other wife?’
‘She doesn’t matter,’ April said with a dismissive wave of her hand.
Louise and I shared a look.
‘Is he still in the same work, April?’ I said, carefully not mentioning Andy’s underworld connections in front of Louise.
‘He says he’s not involved any more,’ April said, obviously happy. ‘He’s working in Aunty Kitty’s business. Mostly in China.’
‘I’m pleased for you,’ I said, and I meant it.
Louise looked up from her menu. ‘Soft-shell crab. Want some?’
‘Can’t eat crab while I’m pregnant,’ April said.
‘Why not?’ I said.
‘It will make the baby a criminal. Scuttle sideways, like a crab.’
‘What else can’t you eat?’ I said, trying to keep the disbelief from my voice.
‘Lots of stuff,’ April said. ‘Have to be careful. Not make my blood too hot or too cold. The Chinese doctor keeps an eye on me. I drink Chinese medicine, to stay strong. Aunty Kitty is looking after me very well, she has doctors who are looking after me.’
‘Kitty Kwok?’
‘She says she misses you from the kindergarten, Emma. She says you should go and visit her at her house. She keeps asking me to take you over there.’
I didn’t say anything. Kitty Kwok still called me, and approached me at charity functions, and I still carefully avoided her. I was sick to death of the woman. But at least she was helping April with the baby.
‘I’m not going through that when I have a baby,’ Louise said grimly.
‘What?’ I hesitated. ‘What?’
‘Oh, didn’t I tell you?’ Louise said with an evil grin. ‘I’m off to get married at the end of the month. Say bye bye, ladies, I’m marrying a king.’
‘No!’ I shouted, and heads snapped around to look at me. I lowered my voice. ‘Don’t you dare go off with that bastard!’
The waiter approached and we ordered quickly.
After he had gone I turned to Louise. ‘If you go off with him nobody’ll ever see you again. For God’s sake, Louise, don’t do this!’
‘A king?’ April said, trying to keep up.
‘Yep,’ Louise said with satisfaction. She eyed me sideways. ‘Watch this, Emma, this is really good.’ She turned back to April. ‘I’m marrying an Arab sheik. A king. Filthy rich. I’ll be moving to the Middle East at the end of the month. Say ta-ta.’
‘You’re marrying one of them? You have to wear those veils and things, you know,’ April said, explaining. ‘You can’t go out in public. And they sometimes have more than one wife. If he’s really rich it might be worth it, but if he’s not then it’s a waste of time.’
‘Oh my God, you are so mercenary sometimes, April.’ I leaned forward to speak intensely to Louise. ‘This is such a bad idea. You do know how many wives he has already?’
‘They’re great. I’ve met some of them,’ Louise said. ‘They came with him to explain. They all help each other, look after each other, great friends. Can’t wait.’