Princess Play by Barbara Ismail Read Free Book Online Page A

‘Sometimes, maybe …’
    â€˜Aliza, this is a criminal investigation. No maybes.’
    â€˜There’s a boy she likes.’
    â€˜Here?’
    Aliza shook her head.
    â€˜Semut Api?’
    â€˜Yes.’
    â€˜Why didn’t you tell me?’
    â€˜You didn’t ask me!’
    Maryam sighed in frustration. ‘I’m asking you now. If you want to help, tell me!’
    Aliza looked pained. ‘Well, I don’t really know that much. But there’s a boy in Semut Api who’s on her father’s boat, and he likes her, and his family asked to marry her.’
    â€˜It’s gone as far as that?’
    â€˜Yup. They say Pak Cik Aziz likes him, but Mak Cik Jamillah didn’t.’
    â€˜Really?’ said Rubiah, thoughtfully. ‘Have they replied yet?’
    â€˜Not yet.’ Now Aliza was entering into the spirit of the conversation.
    â€˜They were still talking about it. Zaiton wanted them to say yes. But her mother thought he was poor.’
    â€˜He is poor,’ her mother pointed out.
    â€˜Yes, but they’re in love!’
    Maryam and Rubiah exchanged a telling look. No mother in Kampong Penambang wanted to hear that! Poor Jamillah must have been worried sick.
    â€˜Has she been meeting him secretly?’ Maryam asked sternly. That would drive any mother crazy.
    â€˜I’m not sure.’ Maryam said nothing in reply, but stared steadily at her daughter.
    â€˜Maybe,’ Aliza admitted. ‘I don’t really know.’
    â€˜Go and find out.’ She dismissed her. ‘Did he come to the ceremony?’
    Rubiah shook her head regretfully. ‘ Seperti kucing dengan panggang: like a cat and a roast. Boys and girls: you can’t keep them apart. It’s about time Zaiton got married.’
    Maryam agreed. She said casually, ‘You know, I’ve been thinking it’s time Azmi got married too.’
    Azmi was her son in the army, currently stationed in the south of Kelantan at Kok Lanas. He’d been living away from home for nearly two years now, and, of course, was a grown man, at least by his own reckoning, if not his parents’ reckoning. Maryam considered finding a bride for Azmi before some girl found him – some girl who might not be from Kelantan, or even Malay.
    Still, this news came as some surprise to Rubiah. ‘Azmi?’ she asked. ‘Have you asked him?’
    Maryam was reluctant to admit how much she’d been thinking about it. ‘No, I haven’t said anything to anyone yet. Well,’ she amended, ‘I just asked Ashikin what she thought and she has a friend …’
    â€˜Who?’
    â€˜Rosnah, a friend from school. From Kedai Buloh. She seems like a nice girl.’
    â€˜You’ve met her?’
    â€˜You know … she’s met Ashikin for lunch at the market.’ She looked embarrassed. ‘So naturally, I met her. A sweet girl, I thought.’
    â€˜Does Malek know her?’ Maryam’s brother Malek lived in Kedai Buloh.
    Her reluctance faded. ‘Yes! He thought they were a good family. They have rice land, and they buy fish and process it. Canning and stuff. She works for her parents.’
    Rubiah nodded. ‘You’ll have all the budu you want.’
    â€˜True,’ Maryam agreed. ‘Malek’s going to find out whether there’s been any talk of marriage for her. Then maybe we’ll see …’ She trailed off, not wanting to sound too enthusiastic yet, lest they find out the girl was already spoken for.
    Maryam cleared her throat. ‘Who shall we see tomorrow? Zaiton or Murad?’
    Rubiah answered immediately. ‘Murad. Let Aliza find out some more about Zaiton first. Besides, I’m curious to meet this fair but cheap one. He sounds awful.’
    â€˜He probably is.’

Chapter VIII
    They took a three-wheeled taxi to Semut Api, anxious to not arrive looking hot and possibly dishevelled; it would never do with