Saturday, December 29

The two dogs slept in Naa’s room and she said this morning that they kept her awake most of the night, trying and failing to climb onto her bed.

In the morning Molly arrived to do her weekly cleaning, and sat playing with the dogs for thirty minutes. Irma went to the supermarket during this.

In the afternoon Irma went for the second day of her treatment and I ironed while Naa sat outside with the dogs. They have taken a liking to the small flower garden at the side of the house, which has walls they cannot climb over. This suits everyone.

At 16:30 Naa came in as I arrived downstairs after a shower. The dogs followed her in and I sat there with them. I watched them; both now happily used to the environment and suddenly able to climb the steps.

At 17:00 Irma returned. I realised that I had not left the house for thirty six hours, but before I could even say hello she suggested we go the beach to eat. Psychic or what.

We went to Leo to eat, and I decided that I had waited long enough for tandoori fish. Naa and I walk to the front to see what fish has arrived from the boats today. On a whim I decide to have a sea salmon steak in preference to a red snapper, my usual choice at times like this.

Naa will have tiger prawns and announce that they have much more taste than the ones in A Taste of Kerala. They will certainly have more sauce.

Irma will have chicken vindaloo.

The cat we used to see here as a kitten will appear with her two kittens. We will play with them and offer them spare chunks of food. We will observe that they will not eat rice.

We will also notice that two Indian families seem visibly afraid of them.