Princess Play (26 page)

‘Angry at you? I should think so!' Maryam could hardly believe he worried about that after committing murder. ‘You weren't afraid to kill her mother, but you were afraid she'd be angry at you.'

‘I guess,' he said lamely. ‘I just wanted things to go smoothly.'

Chapter XXXIV

Osman and Azrina came to the house, to find the rare sight of Maryam and Rubiah lounging around on the porch, smoking cigarettes and drinking
teh beng
, iced tea with sweetened condensed milk, congratulating each other on the end of the case.

‘
Mak Cik
!' Azrina cried as she mounted the stairs, Osman trailing behind her. ‘You really found the killer!'

Maryam was modest, dismissing it as though it was the kind of thing she regularly managed every week. ‘But how are you?' Maryam asked.

They sat down on the porch, and Osman passed out cigarettes. Maryam lazily called for Yi and ordered him to get more
teh beng
from the stall close by and to bring out the tray of cakes. ‘Ordinarily, I wouldn't do this,' she apologized.

‘But we're taking the day off,' Rubiah explained. ‘After the case and all.'

‘Of course! I hate troubling you …' Azrina began.

‘Not at all,' Maryam said grandly.

‘Eat!' Commanded Rubiah with a significant look towards Osman. He began explaining the nature of each cake under Rubiah's watchful eye.

‘You must have eaten quite a few of these,' his wife said, ‘to know so much about them.'

‘We try,' Rubiah told her. ‘He's so skinny.'

Maryam nodded. ‘We try to feed him whenever we can.'

‘Cakes aren't enough to live on though,' Rubiah said. ‘I mean, you can make a meal out of them …'

‘And he has,' Maryam added. ‘But it isn't enough. But now that you're here, you can take care of him!'

Azrina smiled at Osman and nodded. ‘You know,
Mak Cik
,' she said, leaning in closer, ‘my husband told me about Rahim confessing. Who would have thought?'

‘I never suspected him. Did you?' Rubiah asked Osman.

‘Not really,' Osman admitted. He turned to Maryam. ‘But you did.'

She shook her head. ‘Not as much as I should have. I was blinded by his manners, and because there were other people so … crazy!'

Osman nodded. ‘But it was you who kept the case open. I think I would have taken Hamidah's word for it if you had agreed.'

Maryam leaned back against the wall, taking a deep drag of the cigarette. ‘I thought – that is, I still think – Hamidah may have told Kamal to kill Jamillah, but he was reluctant. That's why she came to Kampong Penambang to do it herself. Well, Kamal isn't as mean as either of his parents, but after a few years with his wife, who knows?'

‘Will they stay married, do you think?'Azrina asked.

Maryam shrugged. ‘I don't know if his mother-in-law will want him now that the family is so notorious and he's in jail. We'll see how devoted she is to family.'

‘But
Mak Cik
,' Osman pursued, ‘why didn't you think she did it?'

‘Oh, I thought she would have, no question. She killed her own husband practically with her bare hands!'

‘But what a husband,' Rubiah interjected. ‘I can understand that.'

‘I believed Kamal when he said he found Jamillah already cold. That eliminated Hamidah and Kamal. Murad was mean, but he didn't care enough to kill her. I think he would have killed if it suited him, but Jamillah was no threat, so why?' They all nodded.

‘That meant it had to be her family, someone in the house who no one would question. It could well have been Zaiton. I mean, she spent time alone with her mother putting her to sleep, and surely she wouldn't look suspicious at all. But a daughter killing her mother? I'm ‘not saying it couldn't happen, just that I didn't want to believe it.

‘It's wrong to look at a crime in that way, I know, but what an awful thing that would be. No, I couldn't think about that. Then it was either Aziz or Rahim. Aziz had no reason at all. So by default, it was Rahim. But I didn't get to that fast enough to save Zaiton.'

‘You tried,
Mak Cik
,' Azrina objected. ‘You asked to have her released.'

‘I couldn't produce the actual killer. Not then. But I wonder if Zaiton would have been any better off if she knew it had been Rahim. She was heartbroken either way, poor thing.'

‘He should have stayed with her.'

‘He should have left her mother alone! It was silly! Really, what choice did Jamillah have with Zaiton already pregnant? Of course, she would have agreed to their marriage, after making them suffer a bit. There was absolutely no need to kill her as though she was standing in their way and would never budge. It was a waste of life, and look what it led to? How many people died because of it?'

Maryam willed herself to calm down. This was, she reminded herself, her day off. ‘And even those who survived, like me, like Aliza, look what happened here. No, in the end, he was the devil himself with good manners.' She looked morose.

‘Are you still interested in crime, then?' Rubiah asked Azrina. She blushed and looked down for a moment, and then looked up with a mischievous grin. ‘I must admit, I am. Though it's a lot harder to deal with in real life than it is in books. I can always guess the killer there, but this time, I really had no idea.'

‘It's your first time,' Maryam said kindly. ‘Just wait till you get some practice.' She took another sip of her tea. ‘But it's dangerous. I think I'm getting too old for it. Maybe you should take over – helping Osman, I mean. That way you can work together.'

‘How is your Kelantanese coming along?' Rubiah asked, her glasses glinting in the sunlight.

‘Well, not so fast. I have to try to make it faster.'

Rubiah nodded. ‘It's important. Otherwise, how will you know what people are telling you?' She gave Osman a significant glance.

‘And he needs an interpreter,' Maryam added bluntly.

‘You'd think by now …' Rubiah began.

‘Not now,' Maryam put a hand on her arm. ‘This is no time to criticize.'

‘You're right,' Rubiah relented. ‘You've done a wonderful job.'

Osman tried to smile with a mouthful of cake, but it was difficult.

‘I hear you're planning a wedding,' Azrina began. ‘Your son?'

Maryam nodded. ‘It's my next project.'

‘The
songket
will be marvelous, I think.'

‘They'll never lack for fabric or fish sauce,' Rubiah told her. ‘If they can live on just that, they're set for life.'

Malay Glossary

Abang:
Older Brother, a term of respect for someone somewhat older than you are. May also be used as a term of respect to a man roughly your same age.

Adik:
Younger sibling, either male or female. Also, a wife.

Adik beradik:
Brothers and sisters.

Alamak:
An exclamation of surprise.

Alhamdullilah:
Thank God.

Amok:
A condition where brooding and anger result in unrestrained violence.

Astigfirullah:
God forbid.

Ayah:
Father.

Ayam Percik:
Grilled chicken with coconut sauce and spices.

Baju Kurung:
The traditional dress of a Malay woman consisting of a round-necked, long-sleeved blouse ending between the hips and the knees, with a sarong underneath.

Baju Melayu:
Men's formal traditional wear: a high necked, long-sleeved cotton shirt worn over a sarong.

Batik:
Wax print patterns on a cotton cloth. Also used as a generic for a woman's sarong.

Bersanding:
The ‘sitting-in-state' at a Malay wedding, where the bride and groom, in all their finery, sit on thrones.

Bidadari:
Heavenly nymphs. Sometimes pronounced bidandari, combining the concept of midwife (bidan) with nymph.

Bomoh:
A healer who uses both herbs and spells.

Budu:
Fermented fish sauce, much esteemed in Kelantan.

Che:
Short for Enche' (mister).

Cik:
Miss.

Durian:
A fruit with a thick, thorny rind and creamy interior, with a distinctive smell.

Enam Sembilan:
Literally ‘six nine'; a club made with rope wrapped around it, which leaves a distinctive braided mark, and is used, usually, on busybodies, to humiliate.

Hor:
Kelantanese dialect for ‘yes'.

Ikan Bilis:
Anchovies

Jampi:
Magic spell.

Kain Songket:
The queen of Kelantan's textiles; made of silk with gold or silver geometric patterns woven into it.

Kakak:
Older Sister, a term of respect for a woman somewhat older than you are. Also used as a term of respect for a woman roughly the same age.

Kampong:
Village.

Kedai Runcit:
General store: also a small stall selling necessities in a village.

Kenduri:
Feast.

Keris:
A wavy, bladed dagger; the traditional Malay weapon.

Kurang ajar:
Insufficiently taught: rude and badly brought up.

Laksa (Laksa Kelantan):
A popular dish with a thick curry sauce, usually with fish, vegetables and noodles. Every area has its own specialty; Kelantan's is the richest and sweetest.

Langsuir:
A vampire like ghoul, the spirit of one who died during childbirth, which preys on pregnant women. It is usually seen in a tattered grave shroud.

Mak:
Mother.

Mak Cik:
Auntie, a polite form of address for an older woman.

Mak Su:
An aunt who is the youngest in her birth family (from bongsu, youngest).

Mek:
Young girl.

Nasi Dagang:
Rice cooked with coconut milk and spices: a staple at Malay dinners.

Nasi Kerabu:
Rice dyed blue, served with mint, basil, lemongrass, kaffir lime, torch ginger flower buds, raw vegetables, egg, grated coconut, chili paste and black pepper. Often sold as hawker food, wrapped in a banana leaf, and a popular lunch at schools.

Onde-Onde:
Small cakes made of rice flour, coated with coconut, with Gula Melaka (palm sugar) in the middle.

Pak Cik:
Uncle, a polite form of address to an older man.

Pak Long:
An uncle who is the oldest in his birth family (from sulong, eldest).

Pasar:
Market.

Pasar Besar:
Main Market.

Pelesit:
A familiar spirit, often kept in families for generations.

Perahu:
Boat, like a fishing boat.

Rebab:
A fiddle-like instrument played during Main Puteri.

Sarong:
A tube of cloth reaching from waist to ankle: usually in batik patterns for women and plaids for men. The cloth is tied on the side for women and folded over the center for men, and is worn ubiquitously in Kelantan and other traditional areas of Malaysia.

Satay:
A popular meal of grilled spice meat on skewers.

Sayang:
Sweetheart.

Semangat:
Life force, energy.

Silat:
Malay Martial Arts.

Sireh:
Betel nut.

Songkok:
A Malay man's hat, brimless, usually of black velvet.

Tahi Itik:
A kind of sweet cake native to Kelantan. The name means ‘duck shit'.

Talak:
A pronouncement of divorce. Three talak make a divorce final, and require another marriage before the two parties can remarry. One or two talak (they are cumulative) don't prohibit the parties from remarrying, and may be revoked.

Teh Beng:
Iced tea served with sweetened condensed milk.

Tikar:
A sleeping mat, used on the floor, usually of woven palm.

Tok Mindok:
The leader or ‘guide' during main puteri.

Malay Idioms

Air digenggam tak tiris

Water held in the fist will not leak: a miser

Anak baik, menantu molek

A good child and a pretty daughter in law: having everything one could want

Anjing galak, babi pun berani

The dogs are ready and the boar is brave: a fight where neither will back down

Ayam bertelor sebiji pecah khabar sebuah negeri

A chicken lays one egg and the whole country knows (as opposed to other creatures which may have large litters and keep quiet about it)

Bagai se ekur burong, mata lepas, badan terkurong

Like a bird in a cage, its body confined and only its eyes are free

Berteh dalam kuali

Popped rice in a cooking pot: constantly talking

Bukan harimau nak kerkah

He isn't a tiger who will chew you up

Cencaru makan petang

The horse mackerel feeds in the afternoon: said of people who take their time deciding what to do

Dapat pisang terkupas

Finding his bananas already peeled

Harimau menunjokkan belangnya

The tiger shows his stripes: you cannot escape your true nature

Hilang sepoh nampak senam

When the plating is gone you can see the metal underneath: to see someone's real character

Macam itik mendengarkan guntur

Like a duck listening to thunder: having no idea what you're seeing or doing

Masam muka macam nikah tak suka