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'This is late for a social call,' Su
'Indeed. But I need your help.'
'Indeed. You have not been yourself lately,' said Su
Mae knew then in her gut that this was pointless, she knew in her gut what the situation was. But at least later she would be able to say that she had asked.
'Are you going to ask me to sit down?' Mae asked. 'I do not intend to stay long. As you say, I have not been well lately.'
Su
Mae a
Su
'And indeed much advice was given for free. Out of friendship,' said Mae. Her voice was sad, she felt sad. 'And one can tell, of course, who one's friends are in adversity.' Su
Mae continued: 'Your husband, of course, is in the farm-buying business.'
Su
Su
'Your husband has got Joe drunk, and fired him up with wild imaginings and loaned him one hundred riels.'
'Tuh. More like your Joe has got my husband drunk, to loan you that much.'
'We can't pay, Su
Mae held out the money, printed so elaborately with the portrait of President Kubla Khan. Su
'Please, Su
'This loan nonsense,' said Su
'Su
'I ca
'Su
There were embroidered curtains, embroidered cushions, gold on green, everything overstuffed, the very room overstuffed, a small farm room full of glass decanters, snowstorm domes, and a set of billiard balls without a table.
'This is none of my business!' said Su
Su
'Of course it was business, we both knew that.' Mae was growing a
Su
Mae understood. 'You are frightened of him.'
'What nonsense, how dare you!'
'Of course you are frightened of him; I am frightened of him. He is a brute, Su
The two women stared at each other. The money was between them. Mae looked at it, considering its power.
'But,' Mae sighed, 'he makes you rich. That is why you married him. And therefore you ca
She put it back into her dress.
Su
'Fashion expert. Who will need you, ah? Who will want your advice, servant, when your friend Wing's TV gives us all advice, and better advice than you ever gave. Peasant. Farmer's wife!'
'Whore,' said Mae, coldly. I will regret that, she thought. But I do not need to take insults now. 'At least I am not a whore, Su
Su
Su
Mae stood at the kitchen door. 'Save it, Su
And out into the night, out under the stars and clouds that were eternal. A moon that was nearly full.
What now! she wondered. Dear God, what now?
Mae got back to find both her husband and Su
'Out,' Mae said, and shook Mr Haseem. 'Drunken man, get out, up, out.'
Blearily, Mr Haseem gazed up at her and gri
I know you, she thought. You are the strong man who rules by force. You will have heads on spikes if we let you.
'Out of my house,' she said again, and hit him.
'Hey!' he bellowed, and looked for assistance at Joe. Her useless husband was dead to the world, too deadened even to help his enemy.
'Out, out, out,' was all she could think of saying, raining blows about his head. He began to chuckle; he seemed to think it fu
'She-wolf,' he chuckled. Oh yes, that was it, the image of the angry wife, chastising her husband's drunken friends. It enraged her still further to find herself cast in such an ancient role.
'I am not throwing you out because you are drunk! I am throwing you out because you are an enemy to us. Because you want to steal everything from us. Get out before I slice open your eyes!'
Mae grabbed her big kitchen knife. He stopped laughing and jumped back, away from the table. She saw his eyes flicker and she seized the cleaver before he did. 'I will kill you and then we do not have to pay you back the money. I will kill you and spare the village a strongman.'
She meant it. She swiped the cleaver at him and he yelped and jumped back, shouting, 'Hey! Madwoman! The air has entered your head and – hey!'
'I… will…' she promised and came at him, knife and cleaver flashing '… kill you!' Her voice became a screech.
He ran for the door and seized his coat, his thick tobacco-yellow fingers trembling, face crossed in surprise, fear, confusion. The world was suddenly upside down for him to be chased by a madwoman with knives. One last gasp of surprise and he ducked out of the house.
Mae chased him across the courtyard, howling insults. 'Run, dog! Run, donkey! Go, go, go!'
There was light on courtyard walls, lights springing on throughout the village. Mr Ken's dog, awakened, began to bark. She heard the sound of Mr Haseem's feet outside the gates, the flapping of his loose shoeheel. Other dogs began to bark; all the village was awake, all the village would know by morning what had happened.
'Mrs Chung?'
There, in his underpants only, was Mr Ken.
She began to sob. She dropped the knives, they clattered to the stone. She hid her eyes in shame, in fear. How had things gone so far so quickly?
'What is happening?' Mr Ken said. He stood still, looking at her, aghast. She didn't want him to think her mad. She gathered herself in and explained.