C H A P T E R 6

COCHIN KANGAROOS

At Cochin Airport, Rahel’s new knickers were polka-dotted and still

crisp. The rehearsals had been rehearsed. It was the Day of the Play.

The culmination of the What Will Sophie Mol Think? week.

In the morning at the Hotel Sea Queen, Ammu—who had

dreamed at night of dolphins and a deep blue—helped Rahel to put

on her frothy Airport Frock. It was one of those baʀing aberrations

in Ammu’s taste, a cloud of stiʃ yellow lace with tiny silver sequins

and a bow on each shoulder. The frilled skirt was underpinned with

buckram to make it ɻare. Rahel worried that it didn’t really go with

her sunglasses.