Four Reigns by Kukrit Pramoj

Author:Kukrit Pramoj [Pramoj, Kukrit]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Silkworm Books
Published: 1998-03-31T16:00:00+00:00

TWENTY-TWO

IMPORTANT news concerning the outside world reached Phloi now and then, at random, mostly through Khun Prem. She usually listened to his accounts of them in a neutral frame of mind. They did not seem to have very much to do with her. But once in a while Khun Prem’s reaction to an event would strike her as so unexpected that Phloi, because she was interested in her husband, became interested in the event itself.

She heard about World War I from Khun Prem and paid little attention to it at first. The farangs were fighting among themselves in far-away Europe. Nothing to be afraid of or get excited about. None of our business which battles were won or lost by which side. As the war progressed, however, her own business—that of running the house—began to show disturbing signs here and there. To put it baldly, it was costing her more money than before to feed and clothe the people under her care. The price of imported stuff rose first, and it was not long before the price of local goods started to go up and up, too—even rice! She wondered if the country was entering a period which the old folks referred to as the time of khao yak mak phaeng—“when rice is scarce and betel is dear.” She recollected Khun Sai’s complaint many years ago about the price of mackerel having climbed from one lot (not even one satang) for one bamboo basket containing three tiers of the plumpest fish, to one pai, or three satangs per basket with less fish in it. And now Phloi was having to pay out two whole pai—six satangs!—for a basket of only a few mackerels.

“Why is everything so dear, Khun Prem?”

“Because of the farang war, Mae Phloi.”

Phloi frowned. “This word again! I keep hearing it wherever I go. The war’s way over there. What has it got to do with our rice and fish?”

Khun Prem laughed. “So you don’t believe me. But it’s true my dear. As a result of the war we have to pay more for imported goods and since we Thais are quite partial to them and buy quantities of them, Thai goods consequently go up in price as well. But be of good cheer, Mae Phloi. I haven’t told you this before but our own family business is also making more profit, so you have more money to spend. It comes out even, you see.”

Phloi shook her head. “No, I don’t. It’s good of course to be earning more. But I tell you it’s no laughing matter the way money flows out of the house nowadays. And we have so many people to take care of. Really, Khun Prem, I can’t help worrying.”

Now Khun Prem displayed a confident smile and said in a soothing voice, “You won’t have to worry much longer, Mae Phloi. Soon things will get back to normal. It shouldn’t be long before the Germans win the war. The end is in sight.”

“You know already who’s going to win?” Phloi asked doubtfully.

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