Snowy had never even considered approaching a local girl, but now he put out his hand towards the bangles and smiled. ‘I was wondering which one to take home,’ he said. ‘I am going to buy one or two for my girl. Would you be very kind and help me to choose the most suitable?’

Even as the words left his lips he was shocked at himself. Here he was, a British soldier soon to be repatriated to his homeland, trying to pick up one of the local girls! She probably didn’t speak a word of English, had not understood what he said. He began to apologise but she put a slender hand on his arm, nodding as she did so. ‘Of course I will help you to choose,’ she said in only slightly accented English. ‘But you will have to tell me a little more about your young lady, if you please. Is her hair light or dark? Are her eyes blue or brown? Perhaps she likes bright colours, or would prefer gentler shades . . .’

‘She’s little, dark,’ he began, and then realised that the bangles would not do for Tess. He was going to give her the necklace. But Marilyn had been his girlfriend once, and she would love the brilliant, gaudy trinkets. The girl was waiting. Snowy rushed into speech once more. ‘Only the bangles are for my – my sister,’ he said. ‘I’ve already bought a necklace for my girl.’

The girl nodded understandingly. ‘And your sister? She is like you – fair, blue-eyed?’

Snowy nodded. ‘She’s got a – a – curvy sort of figure, she’s quite tall, taller than you, she likes bright colours, sparkly stuff – oh, I can’t describe her . . .’

But the girl was rapidly selecting bangles, pushing them over her slender hand on to her wrist, and Snowy saw at once that, despite his fumbling attempts at description, this little Malay had chosen exactly what Marilyn would like.

‘All right?’ she asked, slipping the bangles off and handing them over to Snowy. ‘They will please your sister?’

Snowy was beginning to say they were just right and pulling his wallet out of his shorts pocket when he saw that the girl was laughing. ‘I think you have two girlfriends,’ she said gaily. ‘Two girlfriends and no sister!’ And Snowy, whilst shaking his head and laughing too, knew that she was right. He had never got over his hunger for Marilyn . . . but when he saw Tess again . . .

A minute or two later Capper, who had wandered some way ahead, suddenly realised he was alone, and came back. He looked a little puzzled when Snowy introduced him to his companion. ‘This is Lyana. She’s helping me to choose bangles,’ he said. He turned courteously to the girl. ‘Lyana, this is my friend Capper.’

The two exchanged rather awkward smiles and shook hands and Capper said: ‘But I thought you were going to buy your Tess that silver necklace?’