Chapter Text
1965
Salika stood on the cracked dirt outside the row of old shophouses, her wood-cased Singer sewing machine in hand. At six months pregnant, she really shouldn’t be lugging such a weight, but it was too precious to leave behind at the bus station while she searched for their next home.
At last, after more than an hour of wandering the grey streets and alleys of Chiang Mai, she’d found something. It didn’t look like much, though.
‘Room for Let’ didn’t sound particularly spacious. And the Silver Willow Teahouse beneath it could have been questionable too. She set her sewing machine down and rubbed at her sternum, feeling a little out of breath as she looked dubiously at the pretty handpainted sign. Was it really a teahouse? Because rumor had it that the word ‘teahouse’ in this district was synonymous with ‘brothel’. She hoped not.
Still, beggars can’t be choosers, she reminded herself, feeling slightly comforted by the sight of the pots of red geraniums and jasmine at the base of each verandah post.
At least it looks clean… and safe.
Her little village of Mae Rim had been a green paradise once. But now, there were military checkpoints, guerilla warfare, people she’d known all her life disappearing without a trace. People were constantly afraid - of militia factions from across the border, of petty squabbles turning into something more, and of the White Elephant Syndicate, the fearsome drug cartel that everyone whispered about. It was no place to raise a little one. Not anymore.
She sighed, then squared her shoulders, and stepped into the Silver Willow.
Inside, the shophouse was calm and clean, if slightly faded. Well-groomed girls dressed in traditional sabais moved quietly amongst the patrons, serving tea on polished wooden tables. Each girl had a fresh flower tucked behind her ear, making them look sweet and wholesome. The smell of beeswax mingled with the jasmine from outside and a sweet nutty scent Salika knew all too well.
Opium.
Her heart sank. It was the very thing she wanted to escape, but she should have known it was impossible, up here in the North.
She was about to turn around and continue her search elsewhere, when she was spotted. A tall, elegant kathoey walked towards her, her gaze sweeping over Salika’s simple shirtwaist dress, the swell of her tummy, the heavy sewing machine weighing her down. Salika assessed her greeter as well, noting her sleek bob, her winged eyeliner and pink, glossed lips. They were worlds apart. But as she looked up at her again, Salika saw kindness in her eyes.
“Honey, how can I help you?” The kathoey stood patiently, her long slender hands clasped gently in front of her.
“Uh,” Salika licked her lips, feeling conflicted. She’d had a gutful of opium conflict, but oddly, she felt safe here. Her eyes widened as her mouth moved before she had truly given consent for it to do so. “I’m here about the room for let.”
“Ooh,” the woman cooed, looking quite pleased. “Let me go and get Fae. She’s going to love you!”
She disappeared through the beaded curtain at the rear of the shop, returning a few moments later. Salika had just deposited her Singer on the floor at her feet, and was rubbing her back.
The kathoey smiled at her. “Bet you’re happy to have that load off. Fae will be here in a moment.
And please, call me Cherry.”
Salika gave her a small smile in return. “I’m Salika.” She bent her head towards her fingers in a wai greeting, and Cherry gasped, her hand on her chest in a practiced feminine gesture.
Her eyes were on Salika’s hair.
“Oh my. Your hairclip is so pretty,” she said. “Could I… would you mind if I look at it a bit closer?”
Salika leaned forward slightly. “No, go ahead.”
“The beading is so intricate… It looks like moonlight on water. And that lotus flower? Exquisite!” Cherry reached out a finger, wanting to touch it, but held herself back.
“May I ask, where did you buy it?” She looked at Salika eagerly.
Salika was surprised and touched.
“Well,” she glanced down at her dusty shoes, feeling her cheeks flush a little. “I made it, actually. I make clothes and trinkets like this, and I sell them at the market.”
Just then, another woman entered the room. She was shorter and older than Cherry, maybe in her early forties, but no less stylish. She wore a purple and gold sarong with a matching sabai and a gold underblouse, her hair swept up in a regal bouffant style. Her jewellery was heavier than everyone else’s in the room, but still very tasteful. She and Cherry seemed to be having a telepathic conversation, Cherry pursing her lips and nodding subtly at Salika’s hair accessory with excitement in her eyes.
She turned her gaze towards Salika and smiled.
“Sawadee Khun Salika. I’m Fae, the owner of this establishment. I hear you’re interested in the room for let?”
Salika smiled nervously. “Yes. Would it be okay if I have a look at it first?”
“Of course, dear. Come through.”
Salika bent to retrieve her sewing machine from the floor, but Cherry beat her to it, picking it up easily with one hand.
“Leave this to me, honey. You’ve done enough carrying for one day!” She gestured ahead of her.
Salika smiled gratefully, her gentle eyes turning crescent-shaped. She turned to follow Fae.
“Thank you, P’Cherry.”
Cherry smiled widely at that, feeling her heart soften towards the expectant mother as she followed behind her.
Oh, this one’s a darling.
They went through the beaded curtain to the rear courtyard, where the smell of opium was stronger, and up a flight of stairs to the living quarters. Everything looked clean, but Salika still felt nervous. Her hands were even sweating, now.
“Uh, I hope you don’t mind me asking this, but… what kind of establishment is this exactly? My husband… he’s away a lot for work… and I think he’d feel uneasy if we were living above a brothel. It’s not a brothel, is it?” Her voice hitched anxiously, and Fae laughed.
“No, dear, it’s not. We aim to provide a beautiful place where gentlemen can relax, drink and be entertained. We have tea during the day and performances at night. And as much as I’d love for opium to be excluded, it’s just not a viable option right now. So we confine it to the courtyard where the smoke can dissipate as much as possible. It’s quite heavy, isn’t it.”
Salika nodded, feeling slightly dizzy after the stair climb. Still, she was relieved to confirm it wasn’t a brothel.
The room was basic, but clean, and furnished with the essentials they needed. There was even a small card table where she could use her sewing machine. She turned back to Fae, the light from the window catching on her hairclip. Fae noticed it again, and made a quick business decision.
“It’s two hundred baht a month,” she said, seeing Salika’s eyes flinch slightly. “But I’ll take 100 baht a month if you’ll also sew for us?”
Relief flooded Salika’s face immediately.
“Done”, she replied, as Cherry clapped her hands delightedly behind her.
“Then,” Fae said, reaching out to clasp the girl’s hands with a caring smile. “Welcome to the Silver Willow.”
Nineteen years later
~
NuNew stood quietly at the stove, completing his daily ritual. At this hour, the vast kitchen in the Gilded Lotus was silent, everybody still asleep after a long and busy night, and he enjoyed the quiet peace of the place. Warm sunlight glanced through the window and caressed his arm as he watched the bruised lemongrass move lazily in the heated oil, releasing its fresh essence into the kitchen air. He only ever used one stick per batch. It was there to enliven, not to overwhelm.
When it was just right, he moved the boiler off the heat, waited for the bubbles to disappear, and stirred in his freshly picked jasmine flowers.
His heart panged at the scent. This was the moment when he always missed her the most.
The Gilded Lotus was beautiful… A sprawling teak mansion on the river road, surrounded by gardenia trees and lovely plants of all kinds. It was better than the Silver Willow in every way. Except that his mother Salika was not a part of it. Only in the jasmine plants that he’d brought with him and cultivated in the gardens here.
He breathed deeply, remembering her movements as she rubbed jasmine oil into her hands every night after a long day of sewing and embroidery... Remembering her voice, her contented smile as she’d sung their song in her soft, broken English, her expression warm as they twirled around their little room.
“I’ve had my share… of life’s ups and downs.
But fate has been kind… the downs have been few…”
NuNew smirked at the irony. That part of the song wasn’t true at all. She’d left her village out of fear, only to lose her husband a year later. Nothing was proven of course, but the rumor was that he’d been spirited away by the dreaded White Elephant Cartel after he’d discovered a case of heroin amongst the shipment of tea he was transporting across the Burmese border.
She’d waited many months for answers that never came, and her heart, weak since childhood, began to get progressively worse. Yes, she’d had plenty of downs in her short life.
But still, they’d had nine beautiful years together. Nine years when she’d pushed away the pain and poured all her love into NuNew and the staff of the Silver Willow. And today, it was ten years since she’d gone.
A voice broke into his reverie.
“I thought I might find you here.”
NuNew straightened up and turned.
“Aunty Fae”, he said, smiling sadly as he pushed a tear away.
“Oh honey.” Fae enveloped him in her arms, her pleasant gardenia scent wafting over him.
“You miss your mama?”
He nodded into the crook of her neck as she stroked his hair.
“Me too, baby.”
They stood there for a few moments, leaning into each other’s strength. Then NuNew pulled back, looking at her clean, makeup-free face and her long sleep braid. She was still so pretty, just as she’d always been. The fine lines of ageing only added character.
“Aunty, why are you up at this hour? Surely you only got to bed a few hours ago!” He squeezed her upper arm with care.
Fae smiled. “Ah NuNew. You’re a treasure, my boy. You’re right, I did. But I couldn’t sleep.
I was thinking of you.”
“Of me? Why?” NuNew asked, surprised.
“Because it’s time…
I have something for you.”