MERSING CHRONICLES

Chapter 20 The Lion in Winter

Hiang drove around through a maze of single and double storey bungalows, each with it's own fenced up garden. She was in Kuala Kubu Bharu, an hour from Kuala Lumpur and she wondered if her navigation app was taking her to the right address. She had looked up the real estate value of these bungalows and they were selling for $3 to $5 million ringgit. Equal to a $1 to $1.5 million Singapore dollars, a steal. Back in Singapore these houses would be worth 20 times this value. So that's how a retired Malaysian general lives.

She came to a large gated entrance with two concrete columns on its side supporting the gate. The heat was bearable here, around 25 C, as they were an hour away from the foot of Fraser's Hill, a hill resort located at 5000 foot. She would like to retire here too if she was Malaysian. She alighted from her car and pushed the intercom: "Evelyn Lee to see General Sofi."

The gate opened and Evelyn drove through it. The driveway was about 50 foot long and she parked alongside a mini-cooper, and a Mercedes Benz 300. It was late morning the sun was high up amidst a sky of endless cotton clouds. A very beautiful and glaring day.

A young lady opened the door and she entered the single storey bungalow. In the plush living room of large thick carpet, marbled floor, and a set of rich dark leather couch with a glass coffee table in the middle sat General Sofi on an armchair. He looked younger than his 90s. Next to him on the three-seater couch sat a younger man who could have passed for an older Nur, the Nur from Paku Point 35 years ago.

"Evelyn!" the General spoke. "Come on in," he beckoned.

"How are you General?"

"Good, very good, had my kopi-o and never felt better. This is Commander Jackson Idrus." He turned to the younger man who stood up and offered his hand. "The Commander is number two at Naval Intelligence, my old unit."

General Sofi noticed the curious look from Hiang as she shook his hand. "Commander Jackson can't figure out if he's Muslim or Christian, I get that sometimes," he smiled.

She sat on the couch on the opposite end of the Commander's.

"How was the drive?"

"Nice, caught the 8:00 am flight and got the rental at 9:30 am. Missed the KL peak hour traffic."

"How are you General?" she pivoted quickly.

"Feeling I am 92 years old. Sometimes have a tough time getting out of bed. But feeling good."

"You have something for us Evelyn?" the General asked.

"I believe Lt Commander Nur is alive and is in the Qinghai province of China."

The two men observed each other's reaction wondering if the other believe this news.

"What makes you so sure?" the Commander was skeptical.

Hiang related the story of the retired Chinese officer she interviewed and the news of the elderly farmer with the blowpipe. And how Jenny was sent to Xining to interview the farmer.

"What does that mean 'Ohukai Oku'?" the Commander asked.

"Uhupai Oku", the General corrected him, "It means 'Help me' in Kadazan, Nur's language."

"Who else besides Jenny knew about this?" the Commander asked.

"My deputy, Cheng, and no one else."

"She may have discussed this with others?"

"I asked her to keep the assignment a secret, no one besides her should know."

"The guide had introduced a local from the village that elderly farmer came from to Jenny," Hiang continued. "Jenny had a conversation with her, and she remembers the farmer. Jenny asked her to convey a message to Ah No. And she did."