15The fan on the ceiling stirred the sluggish afternoon air. The classroom stank with sweat and grime. Mr Rodrigues slammed his palm on the desk, and forty boys jerked out of their stupor.
“What would Singapore be like without the Singapore River?”
“Uncolonised and free.”
“Who’s the smart aleck? There’s no such word as uncolonised. Every fool knows Sir Stamford Raffles founded Singapore. You! Stand up. What’re you muttering, boy? Speak up.”
Weng rose from his seat at the back of the class.
“Sir, if no Singapore River, no Raffles. Then he couldn’t come. Then British couldn’t colonise us ’cos they couldn’t dock their sailing ships and land.”
“Yeah!” the class roared.
“Quiet! Sit down.”
Weng sat down. The history taught by Mr Rodrigues was different from the history taught by Mr Lee a
