Baannai The Reminiscence

Small luncheons with family members was a common sight of the place.

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The sound of pounding shrimp paste, lemongrass, finger roots together, and the preparing of grilled fish and fried side dishes to eat with rice in ice water, filled the room since this morning from the kitchen at the back of the house. Different kinds of fresh vegetables, such as cucumbers, leeks, raw mangos, were being soaked in potassium permanganate water.  Some of them were carved beautifully using a personal handy carving knife. They were arranged in white-and-blue plates and ready to be served for lunch.

 

The eldest daughter wore a traditional blue wrap-around skirt and a white embroidered lace-trimmed blouse made exactly as she was taught in Her highness' palace. She sat graciously with her legs to one side on the big wooden sofa chair. Her gestures indicated the characteristics of a true lady. She was full of compassion and righteousness, gentle yet formidable. She was the main person in charge of the cooking, giving orders to her younger sisters to prepare for important meals the way it was usually done in the palace.

 

The second daughter, with skills second to none, were passed down many skills from her older sister. Her expertise lied in marian plum carving, rambutan and custard apple peeling which she placed neatly one by one on the plates. Her skillful use of carving knife turned common-looking vegetables, leeks, finger roots, into beautiful flowers in a blink of an eye.

She was so immersed in every other detail needed to be done and preparing the side dishes, dropping them one by one into the pan.

 

The youngest daughter, whom everyone agreed that she must have done good deeds in her past life, possessed the utmost beauty and the strikingly fairest skin. She brought out the well-stored pure rain water and smoked it with scented candles, with jasmines sprinkled on top, to be served with the streamed jasmine rice.

 

All the food was arranged on the tray waiting to be served. Some round and oval white embroidery lace tablecloths were positioned on the table. Glasses were also wrapped in embroidered cases. Flowers from alongside the fence and jasmines that were neatly threaded in sticks made from coconut leaves were arranged in vases and placed all over the house. Some were saved separately for paying respect to the Buddha image. They gave off a nice fragrance.