Amah’s smile was serene. ‘We must all go to the arms of Buddha when it is time, Mem. And I shall see him very soon, I think.’

Horrified at such defeatist talk, Sybil sat forward in the chair. ‘Not if I have anything to do with it,’ she said firmly. ‘I’m going to feed you up and make sure you have any medicines you need, and you must rest and get your strength back before you even think of working.’

Amah’s smile didn’t falter. ‘You are very kind, Mem.’

Sibyl realised she’d get no further with this, so changed the subject. ‘Did you spend the entire Japanese occupation in the kitchens at Changi?’

‘So, you received the note,’ Amah said on a sigh. ‘I’m glad.’ She folded her hands in her lap. ‘I worked for the Japanese for many months after the sahibs were sent to the plantation as slaves. They beat me for little reason, and the work was hard. When I got ill, they threw me into the street.’

She paused to gather her thoughts, and Sybil could see how hard it was for her to dredge up these awful memories. She was on the point of telling her not to say any more when she began talking again.

‘I managed to find my way to the east coast and hid there with others of my family. We survived on what we could forage or catch, but most of the time we were sick and very hungry. The Japanese came and burnt down our village, destroyed our holy temples and put us to work in the rice fields.’

Tears blossomed in her eyes and she blinked them away. ‘We saw many die among the old and the very young, but with Buddha’s blessing most of us lived to see the Japanese defeated.’

Sybil moved to sit beside her and put her arms about her thin shoulders. ‘It’s all over, Amah. You never have to be frightened or hungry again. I’m here to look after you now.’

Much later that evening, Sybil greeted Elsa as she came in the door and quickly explained what she’d done. ‘I’ll pay for her keep and nurse her if necessary, but I simply can’t turn my back on her after all she’s meant to my family.’

‘Well, of course not,’ said Elsa. ‘Jim told me an elderly Malay woman was asking after you, and I suspected it could have been your Amah. But it might have been polite to ask me first if I wanted another lodger. Where have you put her?’

‘In the smallest bedroom at the back. The doctor’s been to see her, and it appears that years of heavy work combined with the lack of proper food and dreadful living conditions has taken its toll.’ Sybil kept her voice low. ‘She doesn’t have very long to live, Elsa, and I mean to make her last weeks as comfortable as possible.’

‘Well, at least you’re doing something useful at last,’ retorted Elsa brusquely as she dumped a bulging bag of shopping on the kitchen counter. ‘Your girls will be here tomorrow night, by the way,’ she added. ‘Another telegram arrived late this afternoon.’