Cheung took a last look around the Tai Hang house. Now empty, it seemed much bigger, but also sadder, the sorry shell of his old life already passing into memory. He flicked the switch for the bare bulb that hung over the dining area, though the battered wooden table the family once ate at no longer stood beneath it. He pulled the door shut for the last time and handed the keys to the agent, the only one there to see him off.

“I’m sorry, Mr Cheung,” the agent said, while the truck driver gunned the engine impatiently. “It’s hard to lose one’s home.”

“Lost one home already,” Cheung grumbled.

“I heard your family is from Wong Nai Chung in Happy Valley. And that you were flooded out in ’23. May your luck turn, Older Brother,” the agent said.

Cheung grunted. He was grateful that he had a place to offer his children, but what was the point if they didn’t appreciate it and were more likely to go live with Mah and Lee than to come live with their own true father in his decent but modest home?

Colville was still at the club when Cheung arrived. There’d been no need to come see him off the day before after all. Cheung was peeved at him for having overseen the wedding, but there was no space to say anything about it, so he greeted him with an expressionless face.

“Here’s the keys, old man,” said Colville, handing him a massive ring. “I labelled them all for you, so you don’t get confused. Upstairs ballroom, downstairs bar, cold storage, equipment room, ladies’ powder room, boardroom, billiards room. These are the keys to the steward’s flat. The boys gave it a good once-over, so it’s clean. I hope you and your family will be happy there.”

Colville bade Cheung and the Hong Kong Cricket Club farewell. Servants and president alike paused their early morning labours to sing “Auld Lang Syne.” There was much huffing and chuffing and back patting, and then the old steward was off. While workers at the cricket club helped Cheung unload his furniture, Driver Wong took Colville and his family to the docks, where they would board the P&O Strathnaver to Sydney, Australia. From there, they would take a train to their Melbourne home.

In the late afternoon, Lee arrived with a cryptic look on his face. Cheung asked him what was up, but Lee wouldn’t talk. “You better let your wife give you the news.”

“Where are Tak-Tam and Ting-Yan?”

“Don’t ask me.”

Cheung showed Lee around the new flat with its modest but comfortable parlour, a master bedroom, and a small second bedroom where Tak-Tam could live if things with Ting-Yan didn’t work out after all. Lee helped him place the settee and coffee table and set up two beds and a simple armoire as well.