The Golden Land

by Di Morrissey

  ‘Isn’t that interesting,’ said Natalie. ‘Moss, we’ve promised the kids a piece of cake. Would you join us for a coffee?’

  ‘Yes, do,’ said Jodie. ‘You coming, Emma, Holly?’

  ‘No, we’ve got to get back. Thanks, Nat, it’s been a great morning. See you guys later,’ replied Holly.

  The children raced ahead towards the food stall followed by Jodie. Moss took Natalie’s bag as she pushed the stroller.

  ‘So do you still keep your finger on the pulse of what is going on in Burma?’ said Natalie.

  ‘I try to. I think Aung San Suu Kyi is an inspirational leader for many reasons. Particularly the fact she is a woman, leading by example, in a nation dominated by traditional male monasticism, not to mention a male military junta.’

  ‘That’s true,’ said Natalie thoughtfully.

  They found a table and the children quickly tucked into their slices of birthday cake.

  ‘Let me treat you both to coffee,’ said Moss.

  ‘Thanks, that would be nice,’ said Jodie.

  Moss returned with coffee for the three of them and said to Natalie, ‘Did you find any of those books I suggested?’

  ‘Yes, a couple of them, but I haven’t had much time. I’ll enjoy reading them in bed at night now Mark’s away again.’ She smiled.

  ‘Good on you for roping in your girlfriends today. Are they on the same path as you?’ said Moss.

  ‘What do you mean?’ asked Natalie. ‘I hadn’t considered myself being on any path. Or do you mean my interest in Asian art objects?’

  ‘A little of that. What I like to see is someone’s mind expanding, someone being prepared to explore new things. You’ve become interested in a culture, a place and a people I bet your friends had never thought about till now.’

  ‘Well, that’s not entirely true, is it, Jodie? You’ve been interested in Burma, haven’t you?’

  ‘Only because it was in my course at uni. I have to say, you have rekindled my interest, Nat.’

  ‘I guess when I inherited that kammavaca it set me thinking.’

  ‘How did you go with your kammavaca? Find out any more?’ asked Moss.

  ‘Actually, my husband’s friend put it up on the net and there’s been a lot of interest. Not that I’m going to sell it. Mi Mi put me in touch with a descendant of the old king and I’ve written to her to see what she knows about it.’

  ‘Amazing. I’d love to know what she says when you hear back,’ said Moss.

  But as the days went by the letter to Princess Aye Aye was pushed to the back of Natalie’s mind. She was utterly drained with the dramas of the bathroom renovations, both of the children were irritable and difficult to manage, and, as she entered her final trimester, her pregnancy was tiring her. So when she opened her letterbox and discovered a blue envelope with an exotic stamp on it, her hand started to shake a little with excitement. She poured herself an orange juice, opened the letter and sat down to read the dainty handwriting.

  Dear Mrs Cutler,

  Thank you for your letter. It was very kind of you to seek me out and tell me the story of how you came by such an important part of our family history.

  This particular kammavaca was mentioned frequently among the family. My grandfather was very attached to it. One of my aunts was with the king on that day in Man-dalay when the abbot from the monastery presented the kammavaca to him. She told me that the abbot brought the young monk who had painted the beautiful object with him to the ceremony. My mother said that the king kept the kammavaca close to him all his life but on his death it passed to his half sister. This was the person who sold it to the collector. It is good to know that your great-great-uncle kindly retrieved it for her, but so sad that he was killed before he could complete his mission.

  To now know of the extraordinary journey it has taken and to know that it is safe moves my heart. I would dearly love to see it, since it was considered so precious by the king. But I know that this is not possible so it is good that it resides safely with you. I realise that times have moved on and the story of the kammavaca must seem like ancient history to you but, as I have learned, fate can play a powerful role in one’s life. The fate of the king’s kammavaca is in your hands. Something tells me there must be a reason for this.

  Yours sincerely,

  Aye Aye

  The signature was an almost indecipherable flourish. Very slowly Natalie neatly refolded the letter along its crease marks and sat absorbing what the Princess Aye Aye had written. Natalie felt conflicted and confused. She hadn’t known what to expect in reply to her letter but she hadn’t expected to be so moved by the fact that the exiled royal family had held her little kammavaca in high regard.

  And now she owned it by default.

  She glanced at the little teak box, which she had dusted that morning. Then she sat down at the computer and went to the website where the kammavaca was listed. The kammavaca was her responsibility and she wanted to honour that by cancelling the sale.

  But when she saw the latest offer she caught her breath. It was for over nine thousand dollars. How could it be worth that much, she wondered. Who would want to pay nine thousand dollars for it? Clearly a personal item of the last king of Burma was valuable, but nine thousand dollars sounded a bit ridiculous. She swiftly hit the keys. ‘Burmese artefact, 19th C kammavaca with historic provenance’ disappeared from the screen.

  When the banging from the bathroom began again, Natalie took the children for a walk down to the park at the end of the street. She thought about calling in to see Vicki, but the kids wanted to hit the swings and the slippery dip, and she was happy to see them expend some pent-up energy.

  After Charlotte and Adam had talked to Mark on the phone that evening, she settled them in front of a story-time DVD, took the phone to another room and told him about the letter from the princess.

  ‘That’s amazing. Hard to believe that little thing was so important to the old Burmese king. What now?’ he asked.

  ‘It’s made me think about things. I really can’t sell it now so I’ve taken it off the net. But do you know how much the latest offer was? Over nine thousand dollars!’

  ‘No kidding! Who’d pay that much?’ exclaimed Mark.

  ‘That’s what I thought. You hear stories of people paying silly prices for things, so who knows? But since Princess Aye Aye’s letter arrived, the kammavaca seems even more special.’

  ‘I’ll be interested to see the letter. If you ever do sell it, you have two letters to authenticate it. Are you going to write back to the old girl?’

  ‘Mark! Don’t call her that. She’s a dignified, mature woman from the former royal Burmese family.’

  ‘You said her family was kicked out of Burma before she was even born. So what makes her so special? What did she do with her life?’

  ‘I actually don’t know,’ said Natalie thoughtfully. ‘Mi Mi said that she is a remarkable woman and it’s clear from her letter that she is very well educated. I do know that she came back to Burma some time ago. I haven’t really got a clue what her life is like.’

  ‘Write back and ask her,’ said Mark. ‘If you want to know. I don’t think she can tell you anything else about the kammavaca. She never even saw it, and there probably isn’t anything more to tell. . . What’s on the agenda for you and the gang tomorrow? How’s the bathroom looking?’

  ‘It looks like a bomb’s gone off. Absolute mess! And the noise is horrendous. I can’t believe they have to totally wreck the room to fix it up.’

  ‘Yep, I know what they have to do. Glad I’m not there,’ he said with a laugh.

  ‘Thanks. Tomorrow I have a doctor’s appointment and then we’re joining the Little Kicks soccer club.’

  ‘That’s great. How fantastic! Adam will love hunting down a ball. Isn’t Charlotte more into twirling and pretty outfits?’

  ‘Exactly. I’ve been trying to get her out of princess dresses but because all the others are wearing baggy shorts and striped tops with their name an
d number on them, she’s totally up for it. I’ve decided to become a soccer mum!’ Natalie said laughing.

  ‘With a big soccer ball up your jumper! How’s the little one coming along?’ asked Mark tenderly. ‘I know how tired you get and what you’ve got to manage,’ he added.

  ‘Yeah, I do get tired. S’pose I’ll be exhausted for the next few years. But it’s okay, honey. I know what you’re doing isn’t ideal either. But just think of the home and the life we’re building.’

  ‘I love you, Nat.’

  ‘I love you, too. I better go. The kids’ movie is almost over, nearly time for bed.’

  Natalie called Mi Mi the next day, thanked her again for putting her in touch with Princess Aye Aye and told her about the princess’s letter.

  ‘It’s incredible that she knows about my kammavaca. I’m going to send her some photos when I write again.’

  ‘She’s quite a woman,’ said Mi Mi. ‘Burmese women are quite strong. They expect equality. They keep their own names and engage in commerce if they choose to. It seems that the royal women ran the old palace and the king as well.’

  ‘How do you know all this?’ Natalie was intrigued.

  ‘Stories about the royal family have been handed down and gossiped about for years, and there are still letters with tales told by those who knew them or had met them. There was a British bookseller in Rangoon who was married to a local woman who started to compile stories and anecdotes about them. But I’ve no idea what happened to him or his notes. Of course the king always believed that the family would be returned to power and the kingdom restored.’

  Natalie nodded. She found the stories of the old royal family fascinating.

  ‘Anyway, that’s all history now. If you are interested you should stay in contact with Aye Aye. She’s a prolific letter writer. She’s had an amazing life and she still does wonderful things. I haven’t seen her for years, but she loves to talk. She’s a great charmer, a family trait, and has used her talents resourcefully.’

  ‘What a shame I can’t meet her. Yes, I’ll write to her again,’ said Natalie.

  ‘I’m sure she would like that. The mail from Burma is not reliable and it’s frequently read by the authorities, but hopefully her letters will get through.’

  ‘Okay, I’ll enjoy writing to her anyway,’ said Natalie firmly.

  ‘I’m so glad you haven’t sold the kammavaca.’

  ‘I never really wanted to, I mean, I rescued it from a shed where it had been sitting in a packing crate for decades, so I can’t let it go to goodness knows where now. It doesn’t seem right.’

  ‘Perhaps not. It is up to you to decide,’ replied Mi Mi. ‘I must also thank you for your help at the rally, and for bringing your friends. It’s a slow process to gradually awaken other ears and minds and hearts to our situation but with caring people we can do it.’

  When the builders had gone for the day, and Adam and Charlotte were occupied drawing at the kitchen table, Natalie opened her emails to send some photos of the children in their new soccer gear to her mother. She was surprised to see a message from Peter Michaelson, the London art dealer.

  I have been following the sale of your kammavaca on the net. I see you have removed it. Does this mean you have accepted an offer? As I said, I would like the opportunity to make a counter offer to any that you receive. I am willing to make a substantial increase on your last bid. As I recall the highest bid was around AU$9000.I am offering you AU$14,000 as a definite final offer. Please contact me as soon as possible.

  Natalie was shocked. Why would he leap in like that with such a high price? Surely a dealer would not be so generous unless he was sure there was an even bigger profit to be made. How strange, she thought. I’m sorry, Mr Michaelson, but the kammavaca is definitely not for sale.

  ‘Hey, Mum, it’s been ages since we spoke. Have you been busy?’ asked Natalie when she rang her mother later that evening.

  ‘Yes. Terribly.’ Sarah sounded distracted and not her usual cheerful self.

  ‘But that’s a good thing, isn’t it? I mean, the shop’s doing well?’

  ‘Reasonably. Are you busy Nat?’

  ‘No, the kids are asleep already. You don’t sound too good, what’s up?’

  ‘Can you chat for a minute? I’ve been meaning to call you, but I’ve been so preoccupied. How are you feeling? You’d be seven months pregnant by now! I wish I could see you but it’s difficult. I can’t get away easily because I’m now fulltime at the shop.’

  ‘I’m fine, Mum, but why are you slogging away every day in the shop? You need a day or so off every week. What happened to the woman you had helping you?’

  ‘I’ve had to let her go. Things at home aren’t too good at present. I’ve wanted to tell you what was happening but I didn’t want to worry you.’

  ‘Mum! What’s up? Are you all right? Are you sick? Is Steve?’ Natalie was now quite alarmed.

  ‘No, nothing like that. We’re fine. It’s just that financially we’re not very healthy at all, to tell you the truth. We’ve had a bit of a downturn.’

  ‘In what way, Mum? I didn’t think that you had money worries. You guys have a solid nest egg.’

  ‘Not anymore.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘I told you that Steve’s been dabbling on the stock market but it’s been a disaster.’

  ‘What do you mean?’

  ‘He started to play the share market but he got caught on the downslide and he kept trying to recoup his losses. I suppose it’s a classic mistake but now most of our savings are gone.’ There was anger and fear in Sarah’s voice.

  ‘Oh my god. Why? Steve’s never been a gambler.’

  ‘No. He’s a dairy farmer,’ said Sarah bitterly.

  ‘How serious is this, Mum? Where do you stand? We’ll help you. Mark’s earning good money.’

  ‘Nat, Nat darling, I don’t want you to worry. The house is paid off. We’ll just have to be frugal, and live on what I make at the shop for a while. Steve is looking for some part-time work, fencing, or whatever. He feels terrible of course. We’ve lost our joint savings.’

  Natalie couldn’t believe what she was hearing. She wanted to say something about Steve but held her tongue.

  ‘I suppose you won’t be travelling any time soon then.’

  ‘No, not even up to you at the Gold Coast because I’ll have to work extra hours. We just have to pull our heads in. I feel terrible, I didn’t want to worry you with the baby coming and all. I’d planned such lovely things and now I don’t know if I’ll be able to help you at all. . .’

  ‘Listen, Mum, Mark and I and the kids are fine. It’s you I’m worried about. Do you want me to drive down next week? I haven’t seen you for ages, the kids would love to visit.’

  ‘I have to work, sweetie. Steve feels so bad about it all. He thought he knew what he was doing. He has a friend who’s been investing and he made money, and Steve thought he could do the same, but he couldn’t. I mean, how could he? He had no experience playing the share market. We’ll be okay. Things will work themselves out and I feel better now I’ve told you. It just means I can’t buy you the nice things for the baby that I’d planned. And heaven knows when I can get up there to help you.’

  ‘Mum, Mum, it’s okay, we can manage. Anyway the baby’s not due for two months and we’ll have everything sorted by then. Well, at least the bathroom. We’ve got it all worked out so don’t worry about us, we’re okay. Just look after yourself. And Steve. But please Mum, let us help you.’

  ‘You will do no such thing; I wouldn’t dream of taking money from you. You have a young family and you might need that sort of money down the track. I want you to have the house of your dreams. Steve and I will be fine. Things haven’t quite turned out as we would have liked, but we have a roof over our heads and we can pay our bills, so things aren’t as bad as they could be. We’ll just have to be a bit careful. I’m really grateful for your offer, darling, but I have no intention of accepting it. Things
will come good, you’ll see. Now tell me, what did the doctor say? Have you asked what sex the baby is?’

  They talked a while longer, until Natalie heard Adam call out. ‘Mum, I’ll have to go. Adam’s woken up.’

  ‘Look after yourself and that baby. Give my love to Mark and the kids, and, please, don’t worry about us. We’re okay, truly we are.’

  ‘I love you, Mum.’

  ‘Love you, too.’

  Sarah and Steve’s finances were the first thing she raised when Mark rang the next day. He heard the worry in her voice straight away.

  ‘What’s happened?’

  ‘Mum and Steve. Steve has lost all their savings playing the share market!’

  ‘Shit! How did he do that? I thought they were well set up financially.’

  ‘They were, but not now. I think Steve thought he’d improve their situation like some mate of his was doing, but now he’s done the lot. Thank goodness they own the house and have an income from the shop to keep them going, but their nest egg, their security’s gone. Poor Mum. She sounds very worried.’

  ‘I’m not surprised. I know she wouldn’t want to sell that house they just bought. Can she flog off the boutique?’

  ‘Don’t think she’d get all that much for it in this market. And then what would she do? You know Mum, still the glamour girl, professional working woman. I did offer to give her money but she won’t have it. You don’t mind, do you?’

  ‘Of course not.’

  ‘And Mark, I didn’t tell you something else. There was an email from that dealer, Peter Michaelson, in London. He’s upped the offer quite a lot. Fourteen thousand.’

  ‘What? Why would he do that? That’s a big jump. Why wouldn’t he offer, say, only one grand more? That thing could be more valuable than we think, Nat.’

  ‘Maybe, but if we’re never going to sell it, what’s the difference?’ said Natalie.

  THEY WERE SO ENGROSSED in their little project that it took a few moments for the silence to sink in. Natalie leaned back on her heels, her gardening fork poised.