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The First Witch of Darand she was a woht Vivian, in contrast, had a mind like a hi-tech blender She was sharp and purposeful, but she did not understand ic ran in the family Even her mother’s second cousin as adopted did small spells on the side She sold these from a stall in Kota Bharu Her main wares were various types of fruit fried in batter, but if you bought five pisang or ce, she threw in a ja relatives became less of a problem after Vivian left Malaysia In the modern Western country where she lived, the public toilets were clean, the newspapers were allowed to be as rude to the governic except people in who appliance ic requires belief to thrive

She called hoht, engaged to a rational man, and employed as an accountant

Vivian’s Nai Nai would have said that she was atte to deploy enchantments of her own--the fiancé, the ordinary hobbies and the sensible office job were so ic It worked--for a while

There was just one moe of unfilial exasperation

"They could have call me on Skype," she said "Call my handphone so?" said the fiancé He plays the prince in this story: beautiful, supportive, and cast in an appropriately self-effacing role--just off-screen, on a white horse

"My grando back"

Vivian was not a woe When she turned up at KLIA in hareht, but because she had siotten

Her parents embraced her with sportsmanlike enthusiasm, but when this was done her mother pulled back and plucked at her tank top

"Girl, what’s this? You know Nai Nai won’t like it"

Nai Nai had lived by a code of rigorous propriety She had disapproved of wearing black or navy blue at Chinese New Year, of white at weddings, and of spaghetti straps at all times When they went out for dinner, even at the local restaurant where they sat outdoors and were accosted by stray cats requesting snacks, her grandchildren were required to change out of their ratty pasar nificant distinction between flip-flops and sandals, singlets and strapless tops, soft cotton shorts and denim

"Can see your bra," whispered Ma "It’s not so nice"

"That kind of pants," her dad said dubiously "Don’t knohat Nai Nai will think of it"

"Nai Nai won’t see them what," said Vivian, but this offended her parents They sat in hout the drive honant cats and black dogs

"Only six dogs," said Vivian’s ot five cats Your sister thought it’s a good idea to have s than cats"

"But why do we have so ht you don’t like to have animals in the house"

"Nai Nai collected the cats," said Vivian’s sister "She started before she passed away Pregnant cats only"

"Wei Yi," said Vivian "How are you?"

"I’littered

She’d stopped calling Vivian jie jie some time after Vivian left home Vivian h it were a bad word

But after all, Vivian really required to be an arsehole

"Why did Nai Nai want the pregnant cats?" Vivian tried to make her voice pleasant

"Hai, don’t need to talk so much," said their o and change first, then we go for dinner Papa will start co to a prayer goods store, while Vivian’sjoss sticks, that her mother’s friend turned to Vivian and said,

"So a lot of things to do in your house now ah?"

Vivian was shy to say she knew nothing about what preparations were afoot As her ht for her to have been her e a very siion so much"

This was not a lie The brutal fact was that Nai Nai had been an atheist with anis, in common with most witches Vivian’s mother preferred not to let this be known, less out of a concern that her mother would be outed as a witch, than because of the stale leftover fear that she would be considered a Co cat all that?" said Auntie Wendy "Did it work? Did your sister e to keep her in the coffin?"

Vivian’slouder than ever