by A. J. Low
Auntie Gina appeared in the kitchen in a flash. Watson, Jimmy, and Wendy trailed in after her.
“No, Mam. You always keep your recipe book in that drawer,” Auntie Gina replied.
“It isn’t there. Where could it be?” Auntie Kim Lian asked, puzzled.
“It’s okay, Mama! I copied the ayam buah keluak recipe out, remember? You said the best way to learn it was to write it out! So I wrote it out!”
Jimmy dashed out of the kitchen.
“That still doesn’t tell me where my book is, though,” Auntie Kim Lian said. She and Auntie Gina were opening and closing all the cabinets and drawers in the kitchen looking for the book. “It has to be here somewhere! How am I going to cook dinner? We have guests!”
I knew I had to step in because I could see that Auntie Kim Lian was getting more and more worried! Plus, the longer it took to find Auntie Kim Lian’s precious family heirloom, the later dinner would be!
“Let’s retrace your steps, Auntie. When was the last time you had the recipe book?” I asked.
One of the first rules of detective work is to start from the very beginning. People often forget important details that seem small to them. It’s my job to find out what they are.
“Did I use it to make curry yesterday?” Auntie Kim Lian asked Auntie Gina.
“No, Mam. I asked you how you remembered the recipe and you said it was like riding a bicycle,” Auntie Gina said.
“Sherlock-should-ride-a-bicycle-before-dinner,” Watson said.
While glaring at my robot, I suddenly recalled something.
“Could you have loaned it to that uncle we met at Chin Mee Chin, Auntie? He said he couldn’t have finished his project without your precious family recipe book,” I said.
“Oh, that’s right! I did bring it out that day. When was that, Gina?” Auntie Kim Lian asked.
“I think it was two weeks ago, Mam. You haven’t used it since,” Auntie Gina replied.
It is also important to be very specific about details.
“Think really hard, Auntie Gina. Which day was it?” I said.
“It was . . . a Sunday!” Auntie Gina said.
“How could I forget? I brought it to Katong Antique House that day! The young man was going to photograph it along with other Peranakan family heirlooms for his project,” Auntie Kim Lian said.
“Could you have left it there?” I asked.
“I might have. I was distracted talking to my friends. Oh, how careless of me!” Auntie Kim Lian said.
“But if they found Auntie’s book, wouldn’t they have called her?” Wendy asked.
“I’ve been there once with Mom and it’s filled with old Peranakan things. Maybe they just didn’t realize what it was,” I said, confident in my theory.
Just then, Jimmy ran back into the kitchen waving a crumpled piece of paper in the air.
“I found it, Mama! I found it! Here’s your ayam buah keluak recipe!” he said.
Auntie Kim Lian took the piece of paper from him and squinted at it carefully. She then adjusted her glasses and held the paper farther away from her face, but that didn’t help at all. After readjusting her glasses one more time, she gave up.
“Thank you, sayang. But your handwriting is so messy, Mama cannot read it even with her reading glasses on!”
Jimmy took the paper and squinted at it as well.
“It’s not neat?” he asked.
Wendy looked over Jimmy’s shoulder and her eyes widened.
“Those are actual words?!” she said in shock.
Amy, Jimmy’s youngest sister, began eyeing Watson with wonder.
“I-am-Wat-son. What-is-your-name?” Watson said, extending his hand out to Amy.
Amy’s eyes widened.
“Um . . . my name is Amy. Uh . . . would you like some of my cupcake?”
“No-thank-you. I-would-like-some-batteries-please. I-need-to-recharge-if-we-are-to-search-for-the-missing-heirloom.”
“Wait here, I’ll go find some!” Jimmy said, before zipping away.
Suddenly, Wendy shouted, “Is that a hamster?”
She pointed to a cage in the backyard.
“That’s Benjamin, our hamster,” Amy said.
“He’s so cute!” Wendy ran to the cage. Benjamin was a brown hamster with white spots. He was running on his wheel.
“I found them! I found them!” Jimmy shouted. He was running so fast, he almost ran over me. Proudly, he handed Watson a couple of batteries.
Watson looked at them and said, “These-have-no-power-left. They-are-perfect. I-can-recycle-them-for-power. I-not-only-look-good-I-am-also-good-for-the-environment.”
Jimmy was ooh-ing and ah-ing at Watson. And Wendy was ooh-ing and ah-ing at Benjamin, the hamster.
I felt it was my duty to bring the conversation back to what was important—finding Auntie Kim Lian’s precious family heirloom and eating ayam buah keluak for dinner! I had also realized exactly where Katong Antique House was located and what that meant . . . another trip to the nearly next door Chin Mee Chin!
“Well, let’s go to Katong Antique House and look for your recipe book there. Come on, Watson, Wendy, Jimmy!” I said. Everyone ran after me, except Watson and Auntie Kim Lian. I practically had to shove Watson into the car. I couldn’t understand why he wasn’t more excited at the chance to solve a mystery!
“Aiyoh, slow down, Samuel! Auntie is too old to run!” Auntie Kim Lian said, smiling.
“And Auntie Kim Lian,” I said, as I finished stuffing Watson into the car and shutting the door, “maybe we could go back to Chin Mee Chin to pick up another cream cone?”
Auntie Kim Lian laughed, which I took to mean yes.
“What did you say, Samuel? Why did I do what?” Auntie Kim Lian asked.
I was munching on the delicious cream cone I had just bought from Chin Mee Chin. My mouth was stuffed full and it was difficult to talk, but time was of the essence and I couldn’t spare an extra moment to chew properly! I looked up to see Auntie Kim Lian, Jimmy, and Wendy looking at me, trying to puzzle out my meaning.
GULP. I tried to brush the crumbs off my T-shirt as innocently as I could.
“Please-do-not-get-crumbs-in-my-circuits-again,” Watson said.
“I think my brother wanted to know why you brought your recipe book out if it’s so precious to you?” Wendy said.
“Did you understand him, too?” Jimmy whispered to Watson.
“He-often-talks-with-his-mouth-full,” Watson said.
“Well, I think it’s very important to preserve our Peranakan heritage,” Auntie Kim Lian replied.
“So they wanted you to cook for them, right, Mama?” Jimmy said, nodding wisely.
“No, sayang, the young man wanted to take photographs of Peranakan heirlooms from different families. I thought I’d bring the recipe book to Katong Antique House so he could finish his shoot in a day,” Auntie Kim Lian gently corrected.
When we reached Katong Antique House, I could still smell the kaya toast from Chin Mee Chin. The melting butter smelled like bacon!
Focus, Sherlock! I told myself.
I looked at Katong Antique House. It is a beige shophouse with traditional Peranakan designs below the windows on either side of the front door. There are also two Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, in front of the door.
“What does your recipe book look like, Auntie Kim Lian? Is it big and grand? With designs, drawings, and pictures?” Wendy asked, as we entered Katong Antique House.
“Oh, it is a big, thick book! We stuffed it so full with photographs and notes, all handwritten, you can’t even close it properly anymore,” Auntie Kim Lian said.
“Wow, it must be worth a lot of money!” Wendy replied.
“No, I don’t think so. It is so old, the pages are turning yellow. And there are b
elachan stains on the front cover! The photographer wanted to take photos of the recipes, but I said no. I only allowed him to photograph the book’s front and back covers. Our family recipes are for family only,” Auntie Kim Lian continued.
“But Mama, then how do you teach the Peranakan cooking class at the community club?” Jimmy asked.
“Well, sayang, I never teach recipes from our family book. I only teach from library books I borrow,” Auntie Kim Lian replied.
When we walked in, two elderly ladies greeted Auntie Kim Lian and they immediately started chatting. Like any good detective, I quickly observed my surroundings. The room was slightly cramped and musky. There were lots and lots of Peranakan artifacts around. One cupboard was filled with old cutlery and patterned bowls and plates. Another had clothing of various sorts for men and women. In one corner, there was a plaque with a picture of a bunch of people, whom I deduced to be important Peranakans. There was also a table of Nonya kueh right in the middle. A simple white box with a card on it was next to the Nonya kueh. I wandered over closer.
“Do you remember when I met that young photographer here two weeks ago to have photographs taken of my family’s recipe book?” Auntie Kim Lian asked.
“Sure, Kim Lian, you wouldn’t even let us touch the book!” one of the aunties laughed teasingly.
“Did I leave the book behind?” Auntie Kim Lian asked hopefully.
“No, no. If you did, we would surely have called you. We know you jaga your family’s secret recipes with your life,” the other auntie said, smiling.
I instructed everyone to look around carefully, to make sure that Auntie Kim Lian’s family heirloom wasn’t hidden among the rest of the Peranakan antiques. Jimmy tried to balance antique teacups on Watson’s head, much to everyone’s horror.
“I think Jimmy and antiques don’t mix well,” I said, as I gingerly put the fragile teacups back where they belonged. Auntie Kim Lian told him in no uncertain terms to stay still and not to touch anything.
“Jimmy-and-robots-do-not-mix-well-either,” Watson said.
“Wow, Wendy, that’s really pretty,” Jimmy said, looking over Wendy’s shoulder. Wendy had pulled out her sketch book, and was using a few colored pencils to draw a brightly colored blouse hanging from one of the cupboards.
“What is that pattern on the blouse, Auntie?” Wendy asked.
“Ah, that is a phoenix design. It is one of the most complicated embroidery designs for a kebaya blouse,” Auntie Kim Lian said.
“You have to wear it with a traditional sarong, right?” Wendy continued.
“Yes, dear. I brought your mom to buy a set last time. Next time we’ll buy one for you,” Auntie Kim Lian replied.
“Er, no. It’s okay. It’s pretty, but I hate skirts!” Wendy said, causing all the aunties to laugh.
“Can you put dinosaurs on it?” Jimmy asked. “I love dinosaurs!”
“Well, I don’t think anybody ever has before, but I don’t see why not,” Auntie Kim Lian replied. “It’s not a traditional pattern, but all traditions start somewhere. Maybe we can make a batik shirt for you with dinosaurs on it, sayang.”
Jimmy grinned widely. “We should get a batik shirt for Watson, too! His can have cool robots on it!”
“Sherlock-did-not-give-me-clothing,” Watson said.
“Why would you need clothing? You’re a robot!” I said.
“Clothing-on-robots-is-cool. Robots-on-clothing-is-cooler,” Watson replied.
Discussing robots and robotics is always fascinating but wasn’t relevant at this time, especially with the deadline of dinner looming. Plus, I could tell that Auntie Kim Lian was growing more anxious. She kept looking around the room, even searching places that we had already checked.
“Auntie, you said that you teach a Peranakan cooking class? I think you might have left your cookbook there,” I said.
“Mama doesn’t use recipes from our family cookbook for her cooking class! She said so already!” Jimmy reminded me.
“But I believe she did. Maybe just one time. And I think that recipe was for kueh lapis. Correct, Auntie?” I asked.
“Why . . . I completely forgot! How did you know that, Samuel?” Auntie Kim Lian looked surprised.
“Because the cake box over here has a card that says, ‘Especially for the best mother in the world! I learned to bake this secret recipe from Auntie K.L.’s cooking class,’” I said, reading the card aloud. “Given your reputation as a fantastic cook, it was easy to deduce that K.L. stood for Kim Lian!”
“Oh! That’s from my daughter,” one of the aunties said. “She knows I love cakes but she only knows how to bake Western cakes—like chocolate fudge—that I don’t like. I was so surprised when she showed up this morning with a box of kueh lapis! She said she needed two weeks to get the cake right. I wanted to tell you, but I forgot. Old already lah, Kim Lian. She attends your cooking class at the community club.”
“She specially requested to learn this. I didn’t know she was your daughter!” Auntie Kim Lian said. “I told them that I couldn’t remember the recipe and that it was in my family recipe book. I promised I would bring it to the next lesson. How could I forget?”
“But, Mama, you said our family recipes are top secret!” Jimmy said, looking confused.
“Well, sayang, making kueh lapis is a complicated process and I couldn’t remember the exact steps, so after the photo-taking at Katong Antique House, I brought my book to my cooking class,” Auntie Kim Lian said. “But I didn’t reveal my secret ingredient to my class. That is for every cook to discover on his or her own. I teach them the basics, and I hope that everyone will be able to create their own family recipes. Nothing is better than the dishes you create on your own.”
“Where exactly is your Peranakan cooking class, Auntie?” I asked.
“It’s at Marine Parade Community Club, Samuel,” Auntie Kim Lian replied. “Oh, I do hope it’s there. Ayam buah keluak takes so long to prepare! We don’t have much time!”
Marine Parade Community Club is on Marine Parade Road, right next to Marine Parade Library. This is a five-minute drive from Katong, where Katong Antique House is.
“Then that’s where we’re going next!” I said. “Come on, everybody! Back to the car!”
I ran out, but then quickly ran back in. “Maybe we can get some Nonya kueh for the ride over?”
The aunties laughed, which I took to mean yes.
“This place smells of delicious food!” I said.
We had just opened the door to Auntie Kim Lian’s cooking classroom. We stood at the doorway and surveyed the large room, which had multiple cooking stations. Each station had a portable stove and a mini-oven. At the front of the class was a large table, which was the teacher’s table.
“What are all of you doing here?” a voice suddenly said from behind us.
“Ahh!” Jimmy cried, causing all of us to jump. The book that he was holding tumbled onto the floor.
“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” a young lady said.
“Jane! It’s you! You gave us all a shock!” Auntie Kim Lian said.
“I saw you heading here with children and a robot when I was coming out of the library. I was curious,” Jane said.
“This is my grandson, Jimmy, and his two school friends, Samuel and Wendy. The robot belongs to Samuel,” Auntie Kim Lian replied, gesturing in my direction.
“So cute,” Jane said, pinching my cheeks, ignoring Watson completely.
“How’s your chap chye coming along, Jane?” Auntie Kim Lian asked.
“Terrible! I’m always over-stewing or under-stewing it,” Jane replied. “I also think I may be putting in too much cabbage.”
“We’ll go through it again tomorrow, okay?” Auntie Kim Lian said.
“Cabbage makes me fart sometimes,” I said to no one in particular.<
br />
“That’s not the only thing that makes you fart,” Wendy replied.
“I-have-a-list-of-all-the-things-that-have-made-you-fart-since-yesterday,” Watson said.
Wendy snickered.
“Watson, please help me look around the rest of the room,” I said. “Quietly.”
“Robots-are-always-stealthy,” Watson replied.
Auntie Kim Lian went to the teacher’s table to check the drawers, but her recipe book was nowhere to be found.
“Oh dear, it isn’t here, either! I honestly don’t know where I could have left it,” Auntie Kim Lian said, looking more and more worried. “If I had known it was not safely at home all this time, I would have gone through these drawers last week.”
“Don’t worry, Auntie. I’ll find it,” I replied. I didn’t want to see Auntie Kim Lian so upset.
I decided to investigate Auntie Kim Lian’s teacher’s table again for clues. I opened a drawer and found a transparent ring folder with what looked like an attendance sheet for Auntie Kim Lian’s class.
“Auntie, is this the attendance sheet for your class?” I asked, waving the file in the air.
“Yes, dear, it is,” Auntie Kim Lian replied.
Watson, Wendy, and Jimmy started to make their way toward me. We looked at the attendance sheet together. Everyone had written down his or her name, telephone number, and email address in the allocated rows. Each row listed in sequence the dishes the class would be learning every week: otah, chap chye, kueh pie tee, popiah, ikan gerang asam, kueh lapis, babi pongteh, and itek tim this week. The difficulty was certainly ramping up!
Just then, I noticed that Jimmy had picked up a piece of paper from the floor and was going to throw it away in the nearby trash can.
“Jimmy! What’s that you’re holding?” I asked.
“This? Nothing important! I’m going to throw it away. You shouldn’t litter, you know,” Jimmy said.
