Pui Soon has heard the story so often he can tell it as if he knew her, more than 50 years ago.
“Her name was Akira and, like the other Japanese, she did not come from a brothel but lived in a room above a shop in Belfield Street. She was younger than the usual girls in the Club without the normal exotic hairstyle. Her Kimono had seen better days. Nonetheless, she was very popular with the members as she was very kind to them all and cared for the Opium smokers when they suffered their terrible dreams.
She became very close to another girl: a Chinese, Yong, who was also a regular in the Club.
Sadly, late one night, on her way home she was attacked, robbed and left lying in the street. She died there, before dawn broke over the town.”
