“Mummy hates hydrangeas. Who sent them?” Alix said, opening the creamy thick envelope to look at the card. “Oh God, it’s from the Shears. Well, I suppose we have to keep the flowers here
until Mummy wakes up to see them. She was so close to Benjamin. He was the doctor who delivered me, you know?”
“Oh look, I think she’s awake now!” Eddie said excitedly, as he ran over and crouched beside her. “Dear Ah Ma, how are you feeling today?”
Su Yi’s throat was too dry to talk, but she managed to mutter, “Water…”
“Yes, yes of course. Mother, Ah Ma needs some water now!”
Alix looked around and grabbed the nearest pitcher. “Tsk, why is this empty?” she said irritatedly, as she ran into the bathroom to refill it. She came back out and started to pour some of the water into the plastic cup with the sippy straw attached.
“Is that tap water? Are you trying to kill Ah Ma?” Eddie snapped at his mother.
“What do you mean? Singapore tap water is perfectly safe!” Alix argued.
“Ah Ma should only drink sterilized water in her condition. Where’s that damn Swiss water that the Aakaras have been guzzling nonstop? Why isn’t any of it in here? And where are her goddamn lady’s maids when you need them?”
“I sent them to prepare her breakfast.”
“Well, call down and get them to bring up some of the Swiss water too,” Eddie ordered.
Su Yi sighed, shaking her head in annoyance. Why were all her children so incapable of fulfilling this simple request?
Alix could see the look of frustration on her mother’s face and quickly decided to override her son. “Step aside Eddie, let me give her this water now.”
“No, no, let me,” Eddie insisted, grabbing the cup from her hands and leaning down at his grandmother while mustering his best Florence Nightingale expression.
When Su Yi was hydrated and feeling more revived, she gazed around her bedroom, as if searching for something. “Where’s Astrid?” she asked.
“Er…Astrid isn’t here at the moment,” Alix said, not wanting to mention anything about the unfolding scandal surrounding her niece. She made eye contact with Eddie, silently warning him not to say anything.
“Astrid went to India,” Eddie announced with a smirk.
Alix glared at her son in dismay. Why was he trying to agitate his grandmother like this?
“Oh good. She went,” Su Yi said.
Eddie couldn’t hide his surprise. “You knew about this? You know about Charlie Wu’s proposal?”
Su Yi said nothing. She closed her eyes, her lips curling into a slight smile. Suddenly she opened her eyes again and looked questioningly at Alix. “And Nicky?”
“Um, what about Nicky?” Alix asked carefully.
“Isn’t he supposed to be back by now?”
“Do you mean you want to see Nicky?” Alix asked, trying to clarify.
“Of course. Where is he?” Su Yi said.
Before Alix could answer, Eddie cut in. “Ah Ma, Nicky unfortunately had to cancel his trip at the last minute. Something came up with work, and he couldn’t make it back just yet. You know how important that history professor job is to him. He had to deliver a lecture on the Intergalactic Wars.”
“Oh,” Su Yi said simply.
Alix stared at her son, amazed by his bold-faced lie. She was about to say something when Su Yi’s lady’s maids entered with the breakfast trays.
“Mummy—” Alix began, when she suddenly felt Eddie grab her arm forcefully from behind and pull her into Su Yi’s dressing room. From there, he took his mother onto the balcony and shut the glass door firmly behind them.
“Eddie, I don’t know what’s gotten into you. What was that nonsense about Nicky? What kind of game are you playing this time?” Alix demanded, squinting at him under the glare of the morning sun.