Across town in the Mansions, Lilly was serving customers and helping her mother out with the stall. The Mansions had a new calm about them. Without their figurehead or their Red Poles the Outcasts had collapsed. The kids wandered the streets in search of a new gang.
A young backpacker couple from England stopped by Michelle’s stall to buy dinner. It was their first time in Asia. They were on a gap year. They were young and excited and it was lovely to see. Michelle gave them an extra helping. They took it to the Mansion steps on Nathan Road to eat it. It was their first taste of Filipino food. Crackling pork with fried rice. As he used his fingers to pick up the pieces of meat, the lad paused and smiled and showed his girlfriend.
‘Look at this on my crackling. It must be a pig brand. How funny. Look what it says…MUM.’
Back at the stall Michelle looked at Lilly.
‘We’ll have to get pork from somewhere else now that Nina’s gone.’