pumps glimmered and shone.
Nelly had little to say to Jenny. They had few things in common. She fiddled with the cups of tea she had brought out from the kitchen, making a big show of placing them correctly, adjusting the cup handles this way and that as though it was of utmost importance to do so.
“Are you okay?” asked Jenny sensing her discomfort.
“Yes! Of course.”
“Have you heard from An Mei?”
“I am going to see her. I am leaving for KL in a couple of days’ time.” Nelly did not wish to say any more about An Mei.
“What? You are leaving?”
“Yes, just to take care of bits and pieces at home and to look after An Mei.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t really know. It depends.”
“Oh dear!” said Jenny. “I had hoped that I would see more of you in Oxford, now that I am to spend at least three months here. I so wished to get to know you better.”
Nelly’s scepticism must have shown because it prompted Jenny to explain herself. “I realise,” she said, uncrossing her legs and leaning closer towards Nelly, “that in the past, we have had very little to do with each other because I am closer to Mei Yin, but I would like to change that.”
Jenny wanted to make amends. She recalled how she had treated Nelly in the past. She blushed to think of how mean she had been.
“Such a shame,” she continued. “In fact, I want to say how sorry I am that I do not know you better, because you have been such a pillar of support for Mei Yin. If there is anything I can do to help out in Kuala Lumpur, please let me know. Even if I am not there physically, I am sure I can help with a few phone calls.”
Nelly looked out of the window and her eyes glazed over. She had an idea. “Perhaps,” she said slowly, “perhaps you can help me. There is something I have to do for myself.”
“Tell me.”
“I am trying to trace a family in Singapore. The mother is someone called Mary Woo. She has two children, a boy and a girl. They will be quite old now, in their late 20s.”
Chapter 13
N elly threw open the window. The hinges groaned and creaked. Just over a month of absence and they had already turned rusty. Hot humid air rushed in filling the room with an all-pervading damp mustiness. She could feel the sunshine on her face, a blistering heat that turned her face instantly red, erasing the pallor of her skin, the result of a month of weak English sunshine. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the warmth that filled her lungs. “Home,” she murmured contentedly, “at last, we are home. We are so lucky that Maan
sook
was unable to sell our house.”
She rushed from window to window, throwing shutters open. “Help me An Mei. We have to get some help to give the house a good clean. Look at the dust! And cobwebs! Tomorrow, we will go to our shops and see how things are.”
“Aunty you have only just arrived. Why don’t you take a few days of rest to get used to things?”
“Rest? I have had enough of rest. I feel renewed vitality; the warmth has woken up my old bones.” Nelly smiled, rubbing her eyes. “I admit I am a little sleepy and jet-lagged, but a nap will cure all that. Come, come and talk to me.”
Together, they went up the stairs to the bedroom, trailing their fingers on the banisters, penning the thin veneer of dust into shimmering snakes. They threw open the bed covers and, pushing them aside, crept into the bed. Nelly put her arm around An Mei, patting her shoulder softly in the way she had done ever since she was placed under her care as a tiny girl.
An Mei buried her face deep into the pillow, her back was towards Nelly. “Aunty Nelly,” she said, her voice somewhat muffled, “thank you for doing this for me. I know you have made a big sacrifice for me. I can’t bring myself to return to Oxford. I love Hussein. I want to be here for him.”
“Tell me, An Mei. Have his parents agreed to his marrying you?”
“No, his parents are still opposed to it. Hussein said that for the
Nelly had little to say to Jenny. They had few things in common. She fiddled with the cups of tea she had brought out from the kitchen, making a big show of placing them correctly, adjusting the cup handles this way and that as though it was of utmost importance to do so.
“Are you okay?” asked Jenny sensing her discomfort.
“Yes! Of course.”
“Have you heard from An Mei?”
“I am going to see her. I am leaving for KL in a couple of days’ time.” Nelly did not wish to say any more about An Mei.
“What? You are leaving?”
“Yes, just to take care of bits and pieces at home and to look after An Mei.”
“For how long?”
“I don’t really know. It depends.”
“Oh dear!” said Jenny. “I had hoped that I would see more of you in Oxford, now that I am to spend at least three months here. I so wished to get to know you better.”
Nelly’s scepticism must have shown because it prompted Jenny to explain herself. “I realise,” she said, uncrossing her legs and leaning closer towards Nelly, “that in the past, we have had very little to do with each other because I am closer to Mei Yin, but I would like to change that.”
Jenny wanted to make amends. She recalled how she had treated Nelly in the past. She blushed to think of how mean she had been.
“Such a shame,” she continued. “In fact, I want to say how sorry I am that I do not know you better, because you have been such a pillar of support for Mei Yin. If there is anything I can do to help out in Kuala Lumpur, please let me know. Even if I am not there physically, I am sure I can help with a few phone calls.”
Nelly looked out of the window and her eyes glazed over. She had an idea. “Perhaps,” she said slowly, “perhaps you can help me. There is something I have to do for myself.”
“Tell me.”
“I am trying to trace a family in Singapore. The mother is someone called Mary Woo. She has two children, a boy and a girl. They will be quite old now, in their late 20s.”
Chapter 13
N elly threw open the window. The hinges groaned and creaked. Just over a month of absence and they had already turned rusty. Hot humid air rushed in filling the room with an all-pervading damp mustiness. She could feel the sunshine on her face, a blistering heat that turned her face instantly red, erasing the pallor of her skin, the result of a month of weak English sunshine. She breathed in deeply, enjoying the warmth that filled her lungs. “Home,” she murmured contentedly, “at last, we are home. We are so lucky that Maan
sook
was unable to sell our house.”
She rushed from window to window, throwing shutters open. “Help me An Mei. We have to get some help to give the house a good clean. Look at the dust! And cobwebs! Tomorrow, we will go to our shops and see how things are.”
“Aunty you have only just arrived. Why don’t you take a few days of rest to get used to things?”
“Rest? I have had enough of rest. I feel renewed vitality; the warmth has woken up my old bones.” Nelly smiled, rubbing her eyes. “I admit I am a little sleepy and jet-lagged, but a nap will cure all that. Come, come and talk to me.”
Together, they went up the stairs to the bedroom, trailing their fingers on the banisters, penning the thin veneer of dust into shimmering snakes. They threw open the bed covers and, pushing them aside, crept into the bed. Nelly put her arm around An Mei, patting her shoulder softly in the way she had done ever since she was placed under her care as a tiny girl.
An Mei buried her face deep into the pillow, her back was towards Nelly. “Aunty Nelly,” she said, her voice somewhat muffled, “thank you for doing this for me. I know you have made a big sacrifice for me. I can’t bring myself to return to Oxford. I love Hussein. I want to be here for him.”
“Tell me, An Mei. Have his parents agreed to his marrying you?”
“No, his parents are still opposed to it. Hussein said that for the
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