The Bamboo Mirror Read online

  They set to work with a will, both happy to make their home attractive for their guests.

  Maria spent the day cooking and preparing a feast. She surreptitiously marinated the meat in a delicious Turkish sauce that her old boyfriend Ferdi had shown her and she thought back nostalgically to those days spent in London when she was poorer but carefree.

  Their friends arrived and the party was soon in in full swing with the food and wine disappearing in huge quantities. Maria had little to eat herself as she was far too busy ensuring everyone was having a good time. During the evening she handed Christos a plate overflowing with goodies, especially his favourite souvlakia on skewers.

  ‘That was delicious!’ He exclaimed. It was one of the last things he said to her that day, or any other day for that matter. The next morning he was dead.

  ~~~~~

  Maria was still going around looking shell-shocked. One of the first things she did after burying Christos was to put their huge house on the market. Why would she want to live in such a mausoleum when she had a perfectly good house in her village of Agios Mamas? She then decided she’d sell the four-wheel drive car that she’d never use. She looked at her beautiful red Mercedes and discovered she had no need to drive fast cars anymore. The whim had passed. Would she need a car at all in the village, when she could buy all her groceries from the village shop and the man who delivered fresh vegetables every week?

  She was packing all her beautiful clothes into a suitcase, when a thought struck her. She’d never wear these ever again. She was dressed in the black widow weeds as thousands of other Cypriot woman were all over the island. They might as well go to the charity shop.

  She finished her packing and got her cousin to pick her up from Limassol. Once she arrived back in the village she opened the gate to her courtyard and looked around her. This was home, she was here to stay and she’d be a good Cypriot widow from now on.

  ~~~~~

  ‘I’ve got it.’ Diana said once Geraldine had finished her tale.

  ‘You have? How? We never understood why she didn’t go back to her new luxurious life-style.’

  ‘Well she either poisoned him, felt guilty and decided to live a clean life or she was full of remorse over his sudden death.’

  Geraldine looked stunned. ‘You are amazing you know. How on earth have you come to the conclusion that she administered the poison?

  ‘I think it was the skewers of souvlakia. Remember that she tidied and pruned the garden? The skewers must have been made of oleander wood. The meat she served him was contaminated by the oil from the wood.’

  ‘My goodness, you really are clever.’

  ‘No. I’ve just got a devious mind.

  The End

  Widow’s Weeds by Faith Mortimer 30th August 2011

  The Bamboo Mirror

  by Faith Mortimer

  (A Short Mystery introducing Diana Rivers)

  Chapter 1

  ‘So Diana, welcome to Kinloss House. As you’re the first one to arrive you can choose whichever bed you’d like.’ Opening one of the double doors, Matron showed Diana into Elaine One and then stood aside while Diana took a good look around the large dormitory.

  Standing inside the entrance she counted fourteen beds. There were six on either side of the long room and one at either end. Running along the middle there was a double row of low cupboards and drawers standing back to back, and two large wardrobes flanked the single beds. Despite the amount of furniture there was plenty of space between each item.

  Matron smiled at Diana in encouragement, and taking the hint Diana stepped further into the dormitory. The left side was flooded with light coming from the wide, open windows. As Diana wandered towards them she decided that this side would be good. She pictured lying there on hot, sweaty nights with the cooler night air, wafting around her body, while she listened to the night sounds outside. A feeling stole over her and she imagined others having the same thoughts.

  Turning to Matron Cocksedge, she smiled and placed her canvas bag onto the nearest bed.

  ‘I’d like this one, please.’

  ‘I’m sure it’s a good choice, Diana. Now, this will be your chest of drawers and cupboard. It is important that you keep it tidy at all times. We have an inspection every morning before school and another before lights out. Elaine One has a reputation for being rather tidy, so don’t let the other girls down. The bathroom is down at the end. Girls must take a daily shower or bath and again keep this room tidy.’

  Diana walked down the gap between the row of beds and cupboards to take a look at the bathroom. Pushing open the glossed-white painted door she found herself in a square old-fashioned and white-tiled room, complete with a humongous enamelled bath and shower cubicle. Twin wash-basins and a water closet were positioned in one corner. On the back wall she noticed a white panelled door, clearly marked as a “Fire Escape”. The key was in a square glass-box fixed to the nearby wall.

  ‘Now, I’ll leave you to explore. You trunk will be brought up to you shortly and you can unpack then. Lunch will be at half-past twelve in the downstairs dining-room. You are free to look around the school grounds, but remember, it is forbidden to go out of the school gates’.

  With a warm smile, Matron turned to leave the dormitory, her grey-starched uniform skirts rustling as she bustled through the doorway.

  Diana was left gazing out of the windows at the vista spread below. The grounds seemed extensive and she could see down onto and along the driveway leading to the gates. Opposite and down a slight incline stood a long low building and from where she stood she could read the sign standing before it: Sir Galahad, Sir Bedevere and Lady Guinevere. She guessed they were the names for the other houses at her boarding school.

  Diana was in the original building, a tall white-painted and elegant house with wide verandas, huge windows and a sweeping staircase leading from the entrance hall to the upper floor. So far, from the little she had seen, every room appeared massive.

  Stately trees lined the drive, their foliage thick with bright red flowers that reminded Diana of flames, as they nodded in the light refreshing breeze.

  It was her first day at Kinloss House, and despite feeling sad at leaving her family back in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, Diana was excited at living away from home for the first time.

  She sat down on her chosen bed, removed her sandals and lay down. It was fairly comfortable, and with the overhead fan and open window she reckoned it was going to be easy sleeping here with the other girls. She wondered what they’d be like. She knew a couple of girls from her previous school, so she wasn’t expecting to feel lonely. On Wednesday afternoons they were free to visit nearby Singapore City. Diana looked forward to her trips to CK Tang’s and Fraser’s store to spend her three dollar-a week pocket money. It was the most she’d ever been allowed in her life and it made her feel quite grown-up.

  ‘Hello. Who are you?’

  Diana gave a jump of surprise. Turning her head on the pillow, she found herself staring at two children.

  ‘Oh! I didn’t hear you come in. Hello to you too. I’m Diana. What are your names?’ Sitting up, Diana got a better look at the newcomers. The boy appeared younger than Diana, about ten years old; the girl was much smaller and obviously his juvenile.

  ‘I’m David and this is Lorna, my sister. We live here. Our father is the head here. Is this your bed?’

  ‘It is now. I’ve only just arrived. I thought this one looked the comfiest.’

  David eyed the bed speculatively. ’Maybe, but actually I think this one next to it is better and you can see more from the window. It’s a great lookout from here. Try it.’ He sounded quite grown up.

  Amused, Diana sat on the other bed, which felt exactly the same, but he was right – she could see the whole of the drive when she stood up. ‘Do you live here?’ she asked.

  Lorna nodded, her little flaxen plaits bobbing to and fro. ‘Would you like us to show you around?’ she asked with an eager look upon her
face. ‘We can show you all out favourite places. We’ve even got a special hiding place too.’

  ‘I’d like that.’ Diana dithered as she looked at what to do with her bag.

  ‘It’s all right, you can leave that here. No one’s going to take it. Come on.’ Leading the way from the room, David assumed charge.

  Diana looked down at Lorna, who gave her a huge smile. Slipping her little hand into hers she whispered. ‘My big brother’s a bit bossy sometimes.’

  The three children left the room and crossed the landing. The area was carpeted with Chinese-style rugs and lots of comfortable looking armchairs and sofas.

  ‘We have dances here some Saturday nights. Can you do the waltz?’ David asked with raised eyebrows.

  Looking worried, Diana answered him. ‘No unfortunately not. I’ve always wanted to learn, but I’ve never had the chance.’

  ‘Don’t worry, you’ll be shown how. The teachers pair you up with a partner. Soon you’ll be as good as all the others.’

  ‘You’ll have to dance with a boy!’ Lorna chimed in. ‘They hold you ever so funny and always tread on your toes. Don’t they David? I shouldn’t like it, I think.’

  ‘Look, there’s no one around. The coast is clear for once. Shall we slide down the bannisters? It’s great fun and even more so today as the cleaners have given them an extra coat of polish. I’ll go first if you like and show you how.’

  Without waiting for an answer from the girls, he perched on the bannister, flashing them a smile. With a brief look around him, he let go and expertly slid the whole way down and around the sweeping curve near the bottom. Once there he scrambled to his feet and beckoned Lorna to take her turn.

  The smaller girl needed a helping hand to boost her up, but once atop she slid sedately to where her brother waited.

  ‘Your turn!’ She said her face flushed with childish excitement.

  Diana hesitated. There was apparently no one around, even so…

  ‘Come on! Don’t be a sissy. Lorna does it all the time, it’s easy.’ Crowed David.

  Throwing her right leg over, Diana climbed onto the polished mahogany. Tentatively, she began to let her body slide down the long sweep of stairs, gathering speed the further down she went.

  ‘What do you think you’re doing, young lady? Don’t you realise how dangerous that is? If you fell you’d break your neck!’

  Glancing round in panic, Diana met the gaze of a tall man standing at the foot, hands on hips and a stern look upon his face.

  ‘You silly girl look at the height at the top,’ he paused. ‘You’re new here, I believe. What’s your name?’

  ‘Diana Rivers, sir.’

  ‘Well Diana, I’m Mr Allen and I’m duty teacher today. Normally, such bad behaviour would result in a detention. However, as today is your first day, I’ll be lenient - just this once. Any other misdemeanour and you are for the high jump, my girl. Do you understand?’

  ‘Yes sir. Thank you sir,’ she stammered.

  ‘Now run along and get some fresh air. Explore the grounds. But no more pranks, do you hear?’

  Diana shook her head and headed for the front door. Confused, she looked around. Where on earth had David and Lorna got to? Looking both ways along the driveway, she could see no sign of either of them. Shrugging, she crossed over and made her way down a flight of steps leading towards the other dormitories. Hesitating at the bottom, she couldn’t decide which way she should go.

  ‘Psst! Come on, this way.’

  Startled, Diana looked towards the voice and met the grinning face of David and the more uncertain one of Lorna’s. They were kneeling down and half-hidden behind a large tree-trunk.

  ‘How on earth did you manage to get here so fast? Did you see that teacher coming? I got into awful trouble and on my first day too.’

  ‘Yeah old baldie Allen. He’s a right old misery. You’re lucky he didn’t gate you for detention or worse, no pocket-money!’ David stood up, brushing the grit from his hands but ignoring his dirty knees.

  ‘Let’s go then.’

  ‘Where are we going?’ Diana asked, not sure if she trusted David to keep them out of mischief.

  ‘We’re going to show you the netball court and there’s some swings there that Lorna likes, don’t you, sis?’

  Giving his sister a warm smile, he slipped a thin arm around her shoulders. Lorna nodded, giving her brother a look that spoke of hero-worship and admiration. For a moment, Diana felt left out. She caught a feeling of a real bond between them. For the first time since she’d left home to begin her adventure at boarding school she missed her own two sisters back in Kuala Lumpur with their parents. Feeling a bit sniffy she turned to look the other way.

  ‘Which way do we go then?’

  Taking command, David led the three down a concrete path past a sign marked, “Surgery”, and a neat looking bungalow.

  ‘The matrons live there. We have two of them, did you know? Matron Cocksedge and Matron O’Neill. We like Matron Cocksedge best; she’s stern but nice really. Matron O’Neill has a funny slurry voice and smells a bit strange.’

  ‘I haven’t met her yet, just Matron Cocksedge and Mr Allen now. I haven’t seen any of the children either.’

  ‘You will. They’ll all be arriving during the day.’

  They had reached the netball court and finding a discarded ball, David practised getting it into the net.

  Diana and Lorna went over to the swings and Diana gave the little girl a push, sending her soaring high over her head. Her excited shrieks filled the air and Diana felt pleased to be the one causing her so much fun. After a while the three lost interest and left the playground to explore further. Diana was shown a gym-come hall with a stage at one end, where Lorna excitedly told her the schoolchildren put on plays that were “ever so good”. She especially liked Christmas when there was a Nativity-like story and all the children were given a present from baby Jesus.

  They walked on, David swishing at tall grasses with a switch he’d cut from a bamboo, until they arrived at what looked like an impassable thicket of jungle. David found a narrow path and led them through into a tiny glade. Beneath the tree canopy the air was thick and humid. Insects buzzed and droned, and Diana could hear nearby birdsong and chattering monkeys lost high above them. She felt strange; almost like she was stepping back in time. All the other sounds surrounding them before; like the man cutting the lawn, another clipping a hibiscus hedge and far-off traffic faded away.

  David broke into her reverie. ‘We love it here. It’s special. We’ve brought no one else, so you’d better keep it secret, or else,’ he said in a fierce sounding voice.

  ‘Gosh! Of course I will.’ She felt tremendously flattered and thrilled to be part of their special secret and she a new girl!

  Diana sat down on a fallen, rotting log. A swarm of butterflies rose from the crumbling wood, filling the air with a myriad of colour.

  ‘Oh! How pretty!’ she exclaimed in wonder. There must have been over a hundred filling the space around them.

  ‘It happens every time we come here. This is their home, I expect.’ Lorna said, following Diana’s gaze.

  ‘It must be the flowers that attract them. My teacher in my old school used to collect butterflies. He said they liked being near water. Is there any nearby?’

  David and Lorna shook their heads. The three children watched as the butterflies rose and fell, alighting here and there and occasionally on their heads and shoulders. All too soon, Diana realised it was approaching midday.

  ‘It’s nearly lunch-time. I’d better go back. I don’t want to cop it and get into more trouble by being late, do I?’ Scrambling to her feet she stood up. ‘Are you coming too?’

  ‘No, we’ll see you later on. We have to do something else first don’t we, Lorna?’

  ‘Okay. Which way do I go?’

  As Diana looked round she couldn’t see the pathway that had led them through the jungle into the glade. All around the vegetation looked completely imp
enetrable.

  ‘Here. Over here.’ David strode over to a tree that had a small pile of rocks lying at its foot. Going to the side of the tree and slightly behind it he pushed a branch aside.

  ‘Here’s the path,’ he repeated.

  Feeling silly that she hadn’t found it for herself, Diana saw the path clearly leading straight out of the tight jungle. Stepping onto the path, she brushed against the leafy bough and turned back to say goodbye. In amazement she saw there was no path behind her. The thick foliage was dark and without any gaps leading through. Neither could she see the tree that she’d just brushed against. Shaking her head she looked again. Feeling muzzy and confused, she called her friends’ names.