Anna sat in front of her termite infested bedroom window and watched her mother twirl her hair into a bun. The nine-year-old smiled; for her mother looked so pretty in the yellow dress. The front door slammed which made them jump.
“Iris,” a familiar voice shouted, “Are you in?” My goodness, it was her Aunt Mei coming to pick her mother up for the wedding reception.
“Oh do be quick, Iris. We are going to be late. For heaven’s sake don’t you have anything else to wear besides that rag? It had become more familiar to your distant relatives than that face of yours. You should use it as a door mat.”
Anna blurted out, “No, mommy can’t do that, it is a pretty dress. I am going to wear it when I grow up.”
Her Aunt Mei usually had a very bad temper; she would slap first and ask later. But that moment, the woman just laughed and laughed till tears rolled down her cheeks. The little girl’s mother turned her head away and walked out the door without a word. Her boisterous laugh attracted the neighbours and was only muffled when she got into her car and slammed the door shut.
Anna watched them drive away; though she was hurt, she did not understand why. She slowly ate the dinner of rice and bitter gourd that her mother had prepared. At least that night she got to finish all the food by herself. She checked her navy blue school uniform anxiously. Her mother had reopened the seams and was in the process of hand-sewing it back to loosen the areas around her chest and waist. It would at least last her till the end of the year. She had finished her homework and there was nothing for her to do, so she decided not to wait up for her mother.
The bedroom door creaked open and Iris leaned in. “It is time to get up girl. Today is sports day. You have to be in school earlier.”
Anna jumped out of bed on recalling that she would be running the first race. She rushed through her morning rituals in the bathroom, for she mustn’t be late. Both she and her best friend Rebecca had also done a drawing together for the art competition. It would be wonderful if she could get a prize.
She loved colors, and that was how she and Rebecca became best friends. They always colored together in class because the others thought they were both smelly: Anna from cheap detergent and Rebecca from having her clothes drying close to the ventilation fan at her mother’s restaurant. Neither of them cared though and Rebecca even shared her cream crackers during recess. The mother Ruth found out, and she made her little girl bring more cream crackers to school. Iris was embarrassed when she heard about it from Anna.
A bright and noisy morning filled a school that had been decorated with black, red and yellow triangle-shaped banners. All the parents turned up to watch. Though some stayed only for a while, most stayed till the end. Iris kept turning her gaze towards a stout looking woman who shouted encouragements to her daughter in a voice like thunder. She cleared her throat a few times hoping to stop her trembling then she timidly came up to Ruth to apologize for Anna’s boldness in eating Rebecca’s tidbits.
“Ah ya, children only, what for we be so calculative. You see my little precious is so fat, somebody help her eat never mind.”
The chat continued by the side of the school ground as their daughters ran and jumped for the class team. During their conversation Iris found out that Ruth was a widow who was raising her three children single handedly. All the hard times were now in the past but she would always remember a certain little old lady who allowed her to sell homemade pickles in her supermarket. Iris shamefacedly told Ruth that she works as a house-to-house washer-lady. Her husband left her for another woman three years before and she didn’t know where he was.
Dinner that night was rice porridge, with a little salt. Anna was so hungry she walloped her share but she made sure to leave a bowl for her mother. They never ate together because Iris insisted to only eat her daughter’s leftover.
“Anna, mommy is going to start working for your friend’s mother tomorrow.”
“You mean at the restaurant? Rebecca told me that the place is always full. There will be a lot of washing for you to do mommy. You don’t have to walk around looking for stuff to wash anymore,” Anna chirped happily.
“Yes, that may be part of my work. She told me she needs a kitchen helper….. Oh you’re done already. Well, it is late, you should go to bed now.”
Anna didn’t know what a kitchen helper was supposed to do but she liked her mother’s new job from the first day on. She stayed up every night, waiting for her to come home. The mosquitoes kept her company with their persistent chatter as she waited. She used to complain about them until her mother told her that they were buzzing about hidden treasures. After that, she made up her mind to tolerate their sting, at least until she finds those treasures. Then she would use the money to put up mosquito nettings for the house.
A growl in her tummy made her look longingly down the dark road. Her mother was late. She crossed her arm in front of her and leaned them against the window-sill. Soon she saw headlights coming towards the house. It was Aunt Ruth who was driving her mother home as usual. She could see the silhouette of her best friend Rebecca in the car. She rushed out to open the rickety gate.
“Aren’t you asleep yet girl?” a strong loud voice called out from inside the car.
“I was waiting up for mommy, Auntie Ruth.”
“Well, I hope you enjoy the leftover broiled chicken I cooked for the banquet tonight. You must eat the mixed vegetable too, they are good for you.”
“I always like your cooking Auntie, they are delicious.”
“Ha, ha, ha. Your little girl is very well brought up Iris. Well goodnight. We go marketing a bit later than usual tomorrow morning. Maybe 6:30. I am so tired after tonight.”
“Yes, Mrs. Lim. I will wait for you.”
Anna waved from the gates until the old cranky Volvo was out of sight. Her growling tummy forgotten, she skipped back into the house and slammed the door on her way in.
“Anna it is late, you should be more considerate of the neighbours.” Anna wrinkled her nose at that reprimand. They were certainly not considerate of her, she thought.
Her mother took out a packet of colour pencils from her handbag which made Anna squeal with delight, for it was a box of 12 colours. She had always had only 6 colours before this.
“Oh thank you, thank you, mommy. Now I can colour just as prettily as everyone else in class.”
Her mother smiled; it was not her usual tired smile. The happy girl took out plates and spoons to place on the table for their late night supper. Aunt Ruth had a very fine restaurant, and there were always leftovers every night. Both mother and daughter sat down to eat their supper together.
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