by Di Morrissey
‘Oh, you need something to nibble on.’
Before Natalie could protest Thi popped into the kitchen and then came and sat back down.
‘Now we have a few minutes.’
‘Yes, sorry to interrupt. I can’t stay too long; my husband has our two children out there somewhere,’ began Natalie.
‘They’ll find you when they want something.’ Thi smiled. ‘Now, why are you interested in Burma?’
Briefly Natalie told her about Uncle Andrew then she pulled the kammavaca from her bag.
Thi chewed her lip, put the glasses that hung around her neck on a chain onto her nose and examined the kammavaca closely.
‘This is very beautiful. And it must be very special to be on this cloth.’ She touched it reverently. ‘It is the colour of the monks’ robes.’
Natalie told her what Andrew had written in his letter.
Thi nodded. ‘This kammavaca is very special. It was made with reverence for King Thibaw. It has travelled far from its rightful home. But at least it is intact. So many treasures have been destroyed.’ She handed it back to Natalie. ‘What do you plan to do with it?’
‘Keep it, of course! But I was hoping to learn more about it. Maybe have the writing translated. My husband wonders if it is valuable,’ she added.
Thi was thoughtful for a moment. ‘What is valuable to one might be less so to another. And something is worth what another will pay. I cannot give you a value. The writing on this side is old calligraphy, only a special scholar could translate it.’
A glass of juice and a small bowl of yoghurt and figs were put in front of Natalie.
Thi motioned her to eat and continued. ‘I’m glad you know something of Burma, so few people do. Our country is suffering. It is cut off from the rest of the world by the generals. They have committed many horrors. They take the wealth of the country for themselves and let the people struggle and starve.’
‘Yes, I heard about your school and how you send money from here,’ said Natalie.
Thi waved a hand. ‘A drop in the ocean but I have to do it secretly. The generals do not allow foreign aid or any outside help into Burma. Our country is secretive but there are people risking their lives to get the word out about what goes on there – the atrocities the army are inflicting on dissidents and anyone who even hints at being critical of the regime.’
‘Do you ever go back to Burma?’ asked Natalie.
‘No. It would be too dangerous. There are people who manage to get visas but it can be difficult. I always hope that things will change one day. There are good people around the world supporting Burma.’
‘I’m afraid I don’t know very much about all this,’ confessed Natalie.
‘Most people don’t.’
‘I have a lot to learn,’ said Natalie quietly. ‘I have heard about Aung San Suu Kyi but I’m not sure why she’s so important.’
‘In Burma she is greatly loved. We call her “The Lady” because to speak her name can bring trouble on yourself.’
‘What has she done?’
Thi gently leaned over and took Natalie’s hand. ‘The Lady has given up her freedom for our country. Would you like me to tell you why I say that?’
Natalie nodded.
‘After the Second World War, Burma was able to gain its independence from Britain and in the first elections General Aung San, who was the leader of the Burmese resistance, and his party won easily. But Burma remained a violent and divided country, and before he was able to take up government he and most of his cabinet were assassinated by members of the military. Aung San Suu Kyi was his daughter and she was only two years old.’
‘That’s terrible,’ murmured Natalie, but Thi continued as though she had not heard her.
‘Her mother was a diplomat and so Aung San Suu Kyi was educated abroad and at Oxford University. She married an Englishman and had two sons. She was leading the life of an academic’s wife when her mother had a stroke so she flew back to Rangoon. At that time General Ne Win, who had been the dictator of Burma for many years, announced that he would retire. So there was an uprising among the people demanding free elections. The military brutally tried to suppress this movement so instead of flying back to Britain and her family Aung San Suu Kyi challenged the military. People were very pleased by this because they remembered how her father had stood up to the British. When her mother died there was a huge funeral and the military realised just how popular The Lady had become, so they forbade her to run into the election and put her under house arrest.’
‘That’s unbelievable. What happened in the election?’
‘Her party, the National League for Democracy, got more than eighty per cent of the vote.’
‘That’s amazing. Did she form a government?’
‘No, no. The generals ignored the results and kept her under house arrest.’
‘But didn’t someone – the world or the UN – do something about it?’ asked Natalie.
‘No, because although Aung San Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize, the Chinese backed the military junta. What was really cruel was that when she found out that her husband was dying, the military told her that she could leave Burma to look after him, but she knew that they would never let her back in again. She had to choose between her husband and doing the right thing for her country. She stayed in Burma and was never able to say goodbye to her husband.’
Natalie felt her tears welling up. ‘That is just awful. I can’t imagine having to make such a decision. She sounds an extraordinary person.’
‘Yes,’ said Thi. ‘She is. Sometimes the military release her from house arrest but when they see how popular she still is, they re-arrest her. It is very difficult for her to speak out to the world, or to her people, but we all know the sacrifices that she is making to make Burma a free country and we all love her for it.’
‘That is the bravest and saddest story,’ said Natalie. ‘Thank you so much for telling me.’
‘I am glad that I could. The more people who know about the plight of Burma and Aung San Suu Kyi, the more pressure there will be on the military to change. That is what I think anyway.’
‘I hope you’re right.’
‘Hey, there you are!’ called Mark, and Natalie turned and waved to him.
‘Mummy, can we have ice-cream?’ Charlotte ran to Natalie and stared at the bowl of food in front of her. ‘What’s that?’ she asked.
‘That’s fresh figs from my garden with homemade yoghurt and local Ridge Lake honey. Would you like some, too?’ asked Thi.
‘No, thank you. I’d like ice-cream, please.’
‘I’m sure we can find some.’ Thi stood up.
‘Thi, this is my husband, Mark, and my children,’ said Natalie, ‘Charlotte and Adam.’
‘A beautiful family. Let me give you my phone number. Hope to see you again here. We like new visitors to our market.’
‘All for a good cause,’ said Natalie, smiling. ‘It’s been eye-opening. I’d like to talk some more. And the figs are delicious.’
‘I like the sound of the mango cheesecake,’ said Mark, sitting down.
‘I’ll organise that for you.’ Thi excused herself.
‘How amazing to meet a Burmese woman way out here,’ said Natalie.
‘Did she say anything about Uncle Andrew’s thingy?’ said Mark.
‘Not a lot, except it’s special. She told me a bit about what’s been happening in Burma. Wait till I tell you what Thi told me.’
A young girl came over with their order and Thi came back and handed Natalie a slip of paper as well as a bag of fruit and a bunch of flowers.
‘My contact details, some figs and the flowers are from my garden,’ said Thi. ‘Come and visit us again some time, you are always welcome.’
‘What a lovely person,’ Natalie said to Mark. ‘I bought the screen by the way. Can you get it into the station wagon? The man at the stall thinks that I should see an expert if I want to get the kammavaca valued properly.’
‘Which is what I said. What do you want to do?’ asked Mark, nibbling at his cheesecake.
‘Uncle Andrew has made me curious about Burma and so has Thi,’ said Natalie.
‘I meant about the kammavaca. You might have to get it insured. Who knows what it could be worth?’ said Mark lightly.
‘Hmm. We’ll see. How about one more pony ride before we go home?’ said Natalie cheerfully.
‘Yay!’ Charlotte jumped off Mark’s lap and Adam clapped his little hands together.
Mark smiled at Natalie. ‘Glad you’re feeling better. I’ll pay the bill, you take the kids over to the pony.’
Later in the week, Natalie was working in the kitchen when she heard Charlotte call out.
‘Mummy, Mummy, the floor’s leaking!’
‘Charlotte, what are you talking about?’ Natalie followed Charlotte into the main bathroom, where she saw water all over the floor. It seemed to be coming from the drain in the middle of the bathroom floor.
‘What happened? Have you and Adam been playing in here?’
‘No, Mummy. It was just like this.’
‘What is going on? Sweetie, go outside while I clean this up. Why do these things happen when Mark is away!’ When Charlotte looked worried, Natalie smiled. ‘It’s all right, honey, we’ll get the plumber over. He’ll fix it. You can use Mummy’s bathroom.’
But when Jodie rang, Natalie couldn’t help dumping her woes on her friend.
‘The water’s backing up the drain. It must be really blocked. I can’t use that bathroom at all and the plumber I rang can’t come for two days! Do you know a good plumber? I suppose we’re lucky that we have the ensuite.’
By the time Mark rang that evening she was very upset about the whole plumbing problem.
‘I know we have the ensuite, but it only has a shower and it’s really difficult to wash the kids properly without a bath. Adam just squirms and I’m as wet as he is in the end.’
‘I’m sorry I’m not there to help you, darling, but it’s going to be fine. It’s probably just a clogged drain. We’re going to renovate the bathroom anyway, right?’
‘Yes, but that’s way down on our list. We have to be able to use it in the meantime!’
‘Shouldn’t be a hard thing to fix. Let me know what the plumber says. Couldn’t you get Roger?’
‘No, he’s on some building job up on the Sunshine Coast. Jodie’s given me the name of her plumber.’
‘Jodie’s guy will be all right. How’s everything else?’
‘The usual. I think Adam is coming down with something but you know what kids are like, dying one day and running around like mad things the next. There’s a funny noise in the car, and I still feel crook and can’t be bothered cooking so the kids got a frozen dinner tonight. And I’m behind with the bookkeeping. Other than that, everything is great,’ said Natalie tartly.
‘Frozen meals aren’t going to do you or the kids any harm. But listen, Nat, have an early night. Get a good sleep,’ said Mark calmly. ‘You’ll feel better in the morning, you know how you get when you’re overtired. You’re doing too much around the house. Try and relax in the evenings.’
‘It’s the only time I have to myself,’ said Natalie miserably.
‘I know and I’m sorry I’m not there, sweetheart. Love you and sleep tight.’
Mark hung up leaving Natalie holding the phone. He was right; she knew she was overtired.
At the bathroom sink, after brushing her teeth, Natalie was reaching into the medicine cabinet for her face cream when she suddenly noticed her contraceptive pills. She’d gone off them when Mark had started working out at the mine. There hadn’t seemed much point with him away a month at a time. She felt better for it even though she had felt under the weather lately. Then she realised that she had forgotten to bring in the washing and she didn’t want to leave it outside to get damp again in the night air. Sighing, she turned around and headed to the clothesline. As the cool evening air hit her, so did a sudden thought or, rather, a sudden knowingness.
She was pregnant. She had to be. She’d lost track of time, her period must be weeks overdue. And the way she’d been feeling. Why hadn’t it occurred to her before? They’d been being careful but clearly not careful enough.
She felt shaky and not sure if she was in shock or excited. It was too late to ring Mark. She went back into the house, poured herself a glass of water, took a headache pill and went to bed.
She lay in the dark, her hands clasped protectively over her belly. She’d do a pregnancy test tomorrow to be sure before telling Mark. While she was beginning to feel joyful, other thoughts crowded into her mind. Would the major renovations be done in time? Having a new baby in the house while building work was in progress would be a nightmare. And Mark wouldn’t be around much to help, but they needed the money more than ever now. Happy as she was, the timing was terrible.
‘Mark? Mark? What do you think? Are you happy?’ asked Natalie after she broke the news to him the next evening.
‘Yes, yes, of course. It’s just that, well, the timing isn’t great. How are you going to manage?’
‘You mean how are we going to manage?’ she said, laughing.
‘I’ll do what I can, but seriously, I have to keep working out here. I’d never make this kind of money on the Gold Coast. And we’re really going to need it now. Renovations and a new baby! Maybe you could get some help in the house. I can’t give up this job now.’
‘I know. I don’t know what to say. I just want the renos done. ASAP. The plumber’s coming tomorrow.’
‘I am pleased about the baby, Nat. What do you want? Boy? Girl? Have you told your mum yet? Maybe she could come over and help out.’
‘Not for very long. She has her business to run. We’ll have to think this through,’ said Natalie.
‘It might be better if we cut back on some of our ideas. We can draw up a list of essential renovations and ones that can be done later. But promise me, Nat, look after yourself. No lifting heavy things, okay? Don’t do any fullon work around the house. Nothing rash. We’ll be able to work this out.’
‘Yeah. Don’t worry. I’m not silly.’ Mentally she was culling her list of things to do.
‘I’ve got at least seven more months out here before the baby comes. If you can get some help around the home, I’ll be able to work here longer, until we’ve saved enough to get all the essential jobs done.’
‘Yeah. I just hate the idea of you being away any longer than necessary. I’ll draw up my list and compare it with yours and we’ll go from there.’
‘Sounds like a plan. Everything is going to be okay.’
Natalie crouched down beside the plumber in the bathroom. He lifted the grate over the drain on the floor and peered down into the exposed drainpipe.
‘I can see why it’s clogged up. See all that? Tree roots. The drain is full of them. No wonder the water can’t get away.’
‘They’re everywhere!’ exclaimed Natalie.
‘Sure are. These pipes are full of roots, probably from that tree next door, and they’re going to have to be completely replaced.’
‘Well, we were going to renovate the bathroom anyway.’
‘This isn’t cosmetic. This is a major plumbing job. All the old clay pipes are full of roots. They’re going to have to be torn up and replaced with new plastic piping and a whole new cement floor is going to have to be laid before you can put down any new tiles, and a bath and shower. Not cheap.’
Natalie looked at him in horror. ‘But I’m going to have a baby.’
‘Congratulations, but that doesn’t change anything. All these pipes have to be replaced and you’re going to need a completely new bathroom. The faster we get started, the better. If I were you I’d talk to your neighbour about chopping down that tree.’
‘I don’t even know our neighbours. We haven’t been here very long and thanks to the tree we never see them. I can’t believe this.’ She looked at the back of the bathroom. ‘I have such big plans for th
e bathroom. I want a separate little pool shower, solar panels on the roof, a fabulous extra large bathroom.’ She stopped. ‘Do you know what a vichy shower is? It’s a row of shower heads where the water sluices down on you when you’re having a special massage. It made me think, why couldn’t we put all the plumbing up on the roof?’
‘Water doesn’t run uphill.’
‘How expensive would a pump be? Compared to all this underground plumbing?’
‘Not that simple. Whatever you do you’re looking at a big whack of money. Better talk to the neighbours, anyway. They’ve probably got roots in their drains, too.’
‘Would you have any idea of what kind of money we’d be looking at?’ she asked.
‘I’ll send you a quote, but costs also depend on how much money you want to spend on your shower and bath fittings.’
‘How much?’ Mark sounded incredulous. ‘That sounds like a rip-off to me. Why don’t you get another quote?’
‘You’re right. I’ll ring around in the morning. We’ll have to put more of the other renos on hold.’
‘We’ll work it out. I’ll just have to keep working out here a bit longer. Do you think you could cope?’
‘Not happy with the idea at the moment, Mark, but when the time comes, I guess we could see. We could bite the bullet, get the bathroom done, and the nursery, but the kitchen will have to wait.’
Mark groaned. ‘I really wanted to get that done,’ he said. ‘I hate that kitchen, it has to be the worst design I’ve ever seen, but if you can live with it a bit longer, so can I.’
‘Maybe this house wasn’t the bargain we thought.’ Natalie sighed.
‘Location, location, location, sweetheart. If I can stick it out here for as long as possible and we cut a few corners, it will work out.’
‘Yes, Mum, it is a bit unexpected,’ Natalie told Sarah a few days later.
‘I’m very happy for all of you. Another baby will be wonderful. I’ll do everything I can to help you. It’s a shame that I can’t stay with you for long when it comes, but the shop is six days a week,’ replied Sarah.
