of time and tide | atsiri thammachoat

137 ones, you know. Some of us wouldn’t think twice locking up their mother-in-law to smooth out the rough side of her tongue,’ he teased, taking a swipe at Granny Chaem.

Granny Chaem, together with the child of Noi’s first husband, shared the house with them happily enough, thanks to Police Officer Sommai’s love of family life and, above all, his infatuation with his twice-widowed wife.

Although he felt annoyed at times with the old wag, his irritation never lasted.

‘Do you know what my boss says?’ He spoke softly in the dark, like someone about to fall asleep. ‘He says we can’t choose how we’re born, but we can choose what kind of person we are – stupid or clever, crooked or straight, poor or rich – and as far as I’m concerned, I’ve decided to be the latter. I don’t cheat anybody, Noi. People come and give money to me.’

‘Why would they do that?’

‘Most of those who give us money are crooks. If they don’t cheat the people, they cheat the law: they open brothels, they set up casinos, they’re into smuggling, into heroin – what have you. They cheat till they get rich, and I don’t see anybody doing a damn thing about it. You know, Noi, if someone of my rank tried to arrest them, you can bet the next day I’d be out of a job. And then, what’s all the fuss about? Feeding us handouts is better than giving us nothing at all.’

Sommai spoke again about his father’s life of deprivaOF TIME AND TIDE | ATSIRI THAMMACHOAT