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His very own best friend.
    A grin split his face.
    â€œBabygirlbabygirlbabygirlbabygirlbabygirlbabygirlbabygirl,” he sang, doing a wild jig in the middle of the empty kitchen.
    Exhausted by his dance and the events of the day, he sank to the floor. He wondered when he would be permitted to visit his new friend. He looked outside.
    He wondered when the rain had stopped.
    He trotted off to change out of his urine-smelling shorts. Three pairs in one morning. He would have a lot of explaining to do.
    SIX HOURS LATER, Chandi was more than a little discouraged.
    Ammi seemed to have disappeared. So had Leela. Rangi knew nothing. The other three servant girls didn’t even know a baby had been born, and had giggled behind their hands when Chandi had asked them. Krishna didn’t even bother to answer. And Appuhamy also seemed to have vanished, not that he would have said anything to Chandi anyway.
    It was nine o’clock. No one seemed interested in dinner, although the alarm in Chandi’s stomach had sounded over an hour ago.
    He had gone out while it was still light to examine the garden after the rain.
    The leaves wore a well-washed but slightly bruised look, like Chandi after a pol mudda scrubbing. His England fund was safe, the flat stone still in place although the coins were streaked with mud. He carefully rubbed each one, face side and writing side, on his shorts and replaced them under the stone.
    Satisfied that England was still a distinct possibility, he had returned to the kitchen to await his summons.
    None had come.
    Outside, the generator hummed steadily. Rangi looked up from the book she was reading.
    â€œAre you hungry, Malli?” she asked.
    â€œI don’t know. I suppose so,” he said gloomily.
    She looked up at him. “Are you okay? Did you get into trouble?”
    â€œNo,” he muttered sulkily.
    She stood up and dusted the back of her dress. “Well, let’s find something to eat. You have to go to sleep soon, or you’ll never wake in time for school tomorrow morning.”
    He looked at her in alarm. “I’m not going to school tomorrow.”
    â€œWhy? Are you not feeling well?” she asked in concern.
    â€œI’m staying home so I can meet the new Sudu Baby and help to look after her,” Chandi said loftily.
    She laughed softly. “Chandi,” she said gently, “Amma will look after the baby until the new ayah comes. I’m sure you’ll see her soon, but you’ve got to go to school tomorrow.”
    He didn’t bother to reply. They didn’t know anything.
    Rangi brought him a plate of fish gravy and bread. They both ate in silence, she thinking about school and he trying not to think about it.
    Half an hour later, he lay on his mat in the darkness and wondered what he was going to name the baby. It had to be a meaningful name, he thought, with a beautiful sound to it. Not like Chandi.
    Rose, he thought dreamily. That was an appropriate name for the best friend of someone in the flower business.

chapter 4
    ROSE AND HE WERE RUNNING THROUGH THE TEA BUSHES, PLAYING hide-and-seek. It was her turn to hide. He closed his eyes: “onetwothreefourfivesixseveneightnineten.”
    He took his hands away from his eyes and yelled, “I’m coming!”
    He could see her yellow dress peeping out from behind the large eucalyptus tree. Even if he hadn’t seen her, he would have known she was there because he’d peeked while he was counting. He didn’t feel bad about peeking because she did it too. It was okay to peek when you were best friends.
    He started walking around, deliberately avoiding the old eucalyptus. He pretended to look behind every tea bush. He heard a giggle.
    â€œI hear something,” he sang out.
    The giggle was quickly muffled.
    He walked past the tree and suddenly swung around.
    â€œCaught you!” he shouted, grabbing a fistful of yellow cotton.
    She squealed, pulled free and ran. He