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24 S. ^~ hei r so n grew up and grew bigger, an d a second chil d came , ^J/ anothe r robust boy who, in his first months, sucked his mother's ^ s breas t with a noisy, voracious appetite . The appearanc e o f tw o childre n increase d thei r commitment s an d responsibilities, tied the couple more closely to their home life, he, in the struggle to achieve a more affluent economi c position, she, in her effort t o ensure the good health of their offspring an d to make the house as attractive as possible. They thre w themselves int o this task, seemingly withou t an y higher ambitions , or much of a social life beyond that which was strictl y necessary, leading a virtually 'insular ' existence . If A-Leng had been accepted back in her old neighbourhood, withou t on the other hand becoming integrated into it again, Adozindo had adopte d a more radica l position . H e had deliberatel y remove d himsel f fro m an y contact wit h his people, for h e still resented society' s 'disapproval' , an d deep down , was unsur e whethe r hi s wif e woul d b e accepted a s an equa l with other women, whether the fact that she had once been a barefoot water seller with a braid, woul d be forgotten onc e and for all . Now that he had given her his name, he couldn't bear the idea of more insults. They would never go unnoticed, for the couple were too good-lookin g for that and the scandal too big in what was a small town. But they were no longer the target of ghoulish curiosity. Other facts and dalliances served as fodder fo r the gossip-mongers. But even so, he knew that comments wer e still made behind their backs: 'What a pity! Such a good-looking boy for a marriage like that 'What a waste!' He never talked abou t his marriage or speculated o n whether his lif e had been a waste. To look back would have been irrelevant an d wouldn' t change anything. 'W e did choose our path and there we goes.' The children had arrived an d A-Leng, with all the deficiencies i n her educational leve l and cultural formation, wa s the same solid and faithful companio n in both 140HENRIQU EDESENNAFERNANDES happiness an d misfortune. H e would never want to lose her, and clung t o the warmth and affection tha t united them. And she didn't deserve anything less, for the effort sh e was making to be worthy of his position and to create a home with which they could both identify . The house was as clean as it could be with two lively children. With the memory of her miserable hovel in Cheok Chai Un and the prevailing orde r in the house on the Estrada da Victoria still fresh, A-Leng went to extremes in her concern for cleanliness. She would complain at the sight of cigarette ash outside the ash-trays, and drops of urine he left o n the lavatory floor when he shook himself. The atmospher e wa s predominantly western , wit h arm-chair s i n th e living-room an d curtain s o n the windows , th e sideboar d wit h gleamin g Portuguese chinaware and on a simple altar, a statue of Madonna and Child. In the children's bedroom , ther e was another religious image , that o f th e Guardian Angel, arms outstretched in protection, in a glass box. But there were other details tha t revealed th e influence o f a Chines e woman. In the household decorations, in the habit of taking tea and the hot towels, i n restorativ e infusion s an d othe r home-mad e remedies , i n th e collection of dwarf plants in little clay pots on the veranda, and which sh e tended with devotion . A-Leng had a great talent for cooking. She could prepare Chinese dishes with n o difficult y a t all , bu t sh e stil l hadn' t perfecte d he r master y o f Macanese and Portuguese cuisine. She lacked the guidance of an experienced cook. Valdemero an d her neighbour, Tina, the wife o f a fireman...
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