The Merry Misogynist (29 page)

Siri laughed. “That’s marvellous. I bet he doesn’t have too many passengers coming in this direction.”

“He said I was the first.”

Siri introduced Bao to his friends. It was time for the surrogate mothers to hand over the babies. Tong and Gongjai watched teary eyed as Bao cooed and snuggled her nose into the babies’ bellies. They seemed to recognize her scent or her language because they glowed pink as if their batteries had been recharged.

“Very well, ladies,” Siri said. “It’s time to let Bao take her relatives home.”

The two women looked at each other. It was Tong who said, “Uncle Siri, we’re going too.”

A shocked mumble rolled around the crowd.

“The twins have a family,” Siri said. “A whole tribe even.”

“It’s not about the babies,” said Gongjai. “We know we can’t keep them. That’s not why we’re going.”

Siri understood immediately. He’d heard the officials at Housing describe the women. They’d served their sentences but he knew they would never be free of the stigma. He turned to their aunt.

“Are you all right about this?”

“It’s for the best, Dr Siri,” she said.

“Life won’t be easy on the Thai side,” Siri told them.

“We know girls who have gone over,” Gongjai told him. “They’re earning a living wage. We might even get a little respect over there. Who knows?”

Siri doubted that, but he knew they’d weighed the odds.

“So be it,” he said.

They all kissed the babies, then the women, and it was time to part company. General Bao took Siri to one side.

“Yeh Ming,” she said, using his shaman name, “none of us will ever forget you.” She squeezed his hands in hers and kissed his cheek. For good measure, she said in Lao, “Thank you.”

She turned and joined the twins and the ladies of ill repute and walked jauntily off toward the workers’ huts and the little pier. He knew in his heart he would never see them again. With a catch in his voice he whispered, “
Bo ben nyang
.”

EOF