effort to dig it
out of the shell, which means they have to slow down and taste what they’re eating.
Otherwise they just shovel the food in without tasting it!”
Sharon spoke fast. She made Aunty Lee think of a student trying to get attention by
making smart-aleck comments. “I don’t know why I’m bothering. Once when he didn’t
like the dinner the maid prepared, he phoned KFC to come and deliver. Dad scolded
him for wasting money and Len said Dad should take it out of the maids’ salary because
if they cooked better he wouldn’t have had to order in!” Sharon laughed awkwardly.
Mathilda had already been away at Warwick University when Aunty Lee married her father,
but home on vacation, she had hosted a school gathering at the Binjai Park house.
Aunty Lee remembered one of the girls saying loudly, “Just wait until that woman has
a baby and your dad leaves everything to it instead of you!” followed by that same
awkward laugh. Aunty Lee had not been hurt by the girl’s words. She knew other people
were probably thinking far worse things.
In fact she liked Sharon Sung for saying what others didn’t.
“This is supposed to be a law-firm party, right? I mean this is supposed to be to
celebrate me becoming partner, right? So I thought I should dress like a law partner.
I don’t know why some people seem to think that just because a party is held in somebody’s
home, it must be supercasual. Maybe we should have put down a dress code on the invitation.
But then if it’s a law-firm party, you assume that people are going to know how to
dress, right?”
Sharon might be trying to make her colleagues feel uncomfortable about dressing up,
but GraceFaith, the only one in hearing range, smiled serenely and fluffed out her
hair.
While talking, Sharon kept one arm folded protectively across her stomach, palm cupping
the elbow of her other arm as she emphasized her words with jerks of the plate. Her
defensive body language reminded Aunty Lee of her domestic helper, Nina, when she
had first came to work for her. At that time Nina’s previous experiences had taught
her to be afraid of everything and everyone in Singapore. Now, of course, Nina was
not afraid of anyone or anything, even telling off her employer when she felt the
need.
Sharon scooped up some of the buah keluak gravy in a spoon and tasted it.
“Why did you do that? Isn’t that for Lennie?” GraceFaith stepped up.
“I always taste food I’m serving,” Sharon said. “It’s a personal rule. Then nobody
can blame me if something’s wrong with it.”
“I do the same thing!” Aunty Lee said.
“That’s what makes you a good cook.”
Aunty Lee could also tell that Sharon was trying to be “nice.” And it was obvious
from her body language that this unfamiliar behavior made her uncomfortable. Her voice
had the high artificial note people adopt to talk to strange babies, her shoulders
were tense, and her smile was almost a grimace.
“I hope your brother likes it.”
At a safe distance, Aunty Lee followed Sharon up the steps to the main house. If anyone
asked she would say she was looking for the toilet. But it was curiosity about Leonard
Sung that was really driving her.
“Oh, Rosie, so nice to see you again. You don’t remember me? It’s Doreen, lah.”
It was the familiar-looking woman. Of course Aunty Lee knew Doreen Choo. They were
not close friends. But as their generation started dropping off, the survivors drew
closer naturally. But—
“I had a little work done,” Doreen said. “Looks good, doesn’t it?”
“You mean plastic surgery? I heard it’s dangerous, right? Didn’t some famous writer
go for chin tuck and then die of heart attack?”
“I also go for tai chi meditation. No need to do anything, just imagine the moves.
Can do it while watching k-drama.” (Aunty Lee nodded agreeably though she did not
understand why women like Doreen were so fond
out of the shell, which means they have to slow down and taste what they’re eating.
Otherwise they just shovel the food in without tasting it!”
Sharon spoke fast. She made Aunty Lee think of a student trying to get attention by
making smart-aleck comments. “I don’t know why I’m bothering. Once when he didn’t
like the dinner the maid prepared, he phoned KFC to come and deliver. Dad scolded
him for wasting money and Len said Dad should take it out of the maids’ salary because
if they cooked better he wouldn’t have had to order in!” Sharon laughed awkwardly.
Mathilda had already been away at Warwick University when Aunty Lee married her father,
but home on vacation, she had hosted a school gathering at the Binjai Park house.
Aunty Lee remembered one of the girls saying loudly, “Just wait until that woman has
a baby and your dad leaves everything to it instead of you!” followed by that same
awkward laugh. Aunty Lee had not been hurt by the girl’s words. She knew other people
were probably thinking far worse things.
In fact she liked Sharon Sung for saying what others didn’t.
“This is supposed to be a law-firm party, right? I mean this is supposed to be to
celebrate me becoming partner, right? So I thought I should dress like a law partner.
I don’t know why some people seem to think that just because a party is held in somebody’s
home, it must be supercasual. Maybe we should have put down a dress code on the invitation.
But then if it’s a law-firm party, you assume that people are going to know how to
dress, right?”
Sharon might be trying to make her colleagues feel uncomfortable about dressing up,
but GraceFaith, the only one in hearing range, smiled serenely and fluffed out her
hair.
While talking, Sharon kept one arm folded protectively across her stomach, palm cupping
the elbow of her other arm as she emphasized her words with jerks of the plate. Her
defensive body language reminded Aunty Lee of her domestic helper, Nina, when she
had first came to work for her. At that time Nina’s previous experiences had taught
her to be afraid of everything and everyone in Singapore. Now, of course, Nina was
not afraid of anyone or anything, even telling off her employer when she felt the
need.
Sharon scooped up some of the buah keluak gravy in a spoon and tasted it.
“Why did you do that? Isn’t that for Lennie?” GraceFaith stepped up.
“I always taste food I’m serving,” Sharon said. “It’s a personal rule. Then nobody
can blame me if something’s wrong with it.”
“I do the same thing!” Aunty Lee said.
“That’s what makes you a good cook.”
Aunty Lee could also tell that Sharon was trying to be “nice.” And it was obvious
from her body language that this unfamiliar behavior made her uncomfortable. Her voice
had the high artificial note people adopt to talk to strange babies, her shoulders
were tense, and her smile was almost a grimace.
“I hope your brother likes it.”
At a safe distance, Aunty Lee followed Sharon up the steps to the main house. If anyone
asked she would say she was looking for the toilet. But it was curiosity about Leonard
Sung that was really driving her.
“Oh, Rosie, so nice to see you again. You don’t remember me? It’s Doreen, lah.”
It was the familiar-looking woman. Of course Aunty Lee knew Doreen Choo. They were
not close friends. But as their generation started dropping off, the survivors drew
closer naturally. But—
“I had a little work done,” Doreen said. “Looks good, doesn’t it?”
“You mean plastic surgery? I heard it’s dangerous, right? Didn’t some famous writer
go for chin tuck and then die of heart attack?”
“I also go for tai chi meditation. No need to do anything, just imagine the moves.
Can do it while watching k-drama.” (Aunty Lee nodded agreeably though she did not
understand why women like Doreen were so fond
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