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AMANDA LEE KOEFLAMINGO VALLEYThe nurse leaves and the woman eyes Deddy Haikel withsuspicion again.I used to perform in your grandfather’s pub, he says.The woman softens, looks at him now. My mother used tolove talking about that place, she says, A pity I never got to seeit for myself—demolished before I was born. She pauses. I’msorry about earlier, she says. It’s just—all the old people on thisfloor seem to have lost their marbles.Don’t worry about it. Deddy Haikel waves her apologyaway. I’m a short stay. Recovering from a heart bypass. Still gotmy marbles, for now at least.She smiles at him.Where’s your father? Deddy Haikel asks, suddenly.He passed away from a stroke several years ago, thewoman says.I’m sorry to hear that.It’s just so difficult having to deal with this again, the womansays, shutting her eyes briefly. I’m glad he’s not here to see this,though—if you knew them, you must have known how muchhe doted on her.Deddy Haikel strains to smile. The woman smiles back.What did you play back then?It was the 60s, sayang. Everyone played rock ‘n’ roll. A touchof Pop Yé-yé.• • •It smarts when he thinks about it later that night, the lifeLing Ko Mui shared with the son of the dried goods merchant.Five decades, half a century. He tosses in bed, dreams of aneighteen-year-old girl in a white skirt, eating nasi kandar withboth hands.Deddy Haikel sneaks into Ling Ko Mui’s single ward beforedawn. When she opens her eyes about an hour later, there hesits. It startles her, but she’s always had a strong heart.Ling Ko Mui, remember when I brought you to eat gorengpisang? You loved it. Remember when I took you to eat nasikandar? You asked me why Malay chilli was sweet.She’s shrinking away from him in a sleepy stupor, but alreadythere’s the taste of deep-fried bananas, kampung chicken andyellow rice in her mouth.Do you remember, when you brought me to eat dough frittersand soybean milk, and I was like, Why the hell would you guysdip the fritters into the soybean milk, wouldn’t it lose its crisp?You laughed at that. Remember? Or when I told you I’d have topray ten times a day because you were taking me to eat food thatwasn’t halal? How when I tried to kiss you later, you said “But I’mnot halal”, and then you closed your eyes and leaned in anyway?Ling Ko Mui looks at Deddy Haikel’s hand. She opens hermouth. The words don’t come out, but she’s nodding, this timewith confidence. She’s smiling. She reaches out for his hand.Before he gives it to her, he draws the peach curtains apart,throws the windows open. He sits by her bed, gives her hishand. He doesn’t ask more, doesn’t nudge her to speak, doesn’tventure to ascertain what it is she remembers. They remainlike this till the sun comes up. He has an eye on the clock. Heremoves his hand from hers at 7.15am, before the breakfast14 15