Jane Vejjajiva Read Online Free PDF Page A

Dong’s voice sounded from the kitchen. Everyone had come over to stay in the big house because Mother was prone to infections at this stage. The smaller house, where Mother was staying, was a single storey bungalow closer to the beach. The big house was also painted white with the same bright blue window frames but had two storeys. The owner had built them as holiday homes but afterwards bought a bigger piece of land and built a resort there, keeping these for his personal use. Aunt Da said the owner owed Mother a big debt of gratitude, as Mother had helped him avoid a court case which would have shut down his business. When he heard that Mother needed a place to rest and take care of her health, he placed the house at her disposal for as long as it suited her. Of course, Mother paid no attention to his protests and asked Aunt Da to pay rent every month.
    Aunt Da was pink in the face when Kati and Uncle Kunn came into the kitchen. Uncle Kunn asked who was beating whom at what. But instead of answering, Aunt Da pushed past them with an obstinate look on her face. Uncle Dong had to announce loudly that if Uncle Kunn had no better business than to hang round looking handsome, he might as well help Aunt Da set the table for dinner. Uncle Kunn looked puzzled, but went to help as he was told. Kati was puzzled too. If anyone round here was handsome, it was Uncle Dong – he just needed to lose a little weight round his middle and grow a bit more hair.
    Uncle Dong was holding a spray of flowers which looked familiar to Kati. The little purple blossoms sprang in profusion from a long creeper tendril, and Kati remembered the sea morning glories which she’d seen growing on the beach beside the front fence.
    Their leaves were bright green and heart-shaped, and they were used to treat jellyfish stings. This time Uncle Dong had picked them not for their medicinal properties but to decorate the dinner table. Uncle Dong had a magic touch when it came to artistic arrangements of any kind. Wherever he placed things they always looked beautiful.
    But you can’t eat table decorations, as Grandma had remarked when Grandpa tactlessly praised Uncle Dong in front of her. It was as though there was a little battle going between Grandma and Uncle Dong. If Grandma knew Uncle Dong was coming she would move into the kitchen and excel herself in cooking a fantastic meal. Uncle Dong would then set about finding all sorts of props to create a sumptuous table setting. Decorations could either make the meal taste even better or completely overshadow it, according to Uncle Dong. On tonight’s table the sea morning glories reigned as the ‘queen of flowers’.
    ‘So how’s my lovely Burmese maiden?’ Uncle Dong called out to Kati. Grandma, who was just coming in with a serving dish, gave him a furious look. Kati left them to battle it out and went to have her bath and change her clothes before going to see her mother.
    She was still asleep. Kati went and sat close by her.
    Mother’s face was calm under the mask with the tube
    linking it to the BiPAP machine, and Kati thought about what Uncle Kunn had said; that Mother had chosen not to have a tube inserted in her throat even though that would prolong her life, because it would mean that she could not speak. Mother had chosen to reduce the time she had left so she could speak with them till the last. Kati thought of the fairy story about the little mermaid who had chosen to have her tongue cut out so that her tail could be turned into legs to help her find her true love. Kati guessed that Mother no longer had a true love to seek.
    That night was especially bright and cheery as all of them were able to be there together. The more often Mother slept and for longer, the more it seemed everyone was dropping in to spend time with her. Aunt Da was with Mother almost all the time. Grandpa said Aunt Da was not only Mother’s right hand, but also her left hand and both her feet. Not only that, Grandpa winked