Having paid him, she returned to the rickshaw and told the boy to take her to the food market. She was feeling much braver today, and determined to show Elsa that she wasn’t completely hopeless.

Once she’d completed her shopping the boy took her back to the bungalow, and as she stepped down from the rickshaw she saw Amah standing in the open doorway.

‘Amah,’ she said, hurrying to her. ‘I told you to stay in bed after your breakfast.’

‘I am rested well enough,’ she replied, taking the shopping from her. ‘Come. I will make you tea.’

Sybil followed her into the kitchen, suddenly worried that the proud, elderly woman might be offended by her gifts and see them as charity. ‘I have bought you some presents, Amah. I do hope you’ll like them.’

She turned from the stove, her eyes widening. ‘For me, Mem? But it is not my birthday, and I have done nothing to earn them.’

Sybil thought quickly. ‘I thought that as we’ve missed so many birthdays and Christmases recently, we should catch up on the gifts Jock and I would have given you,’ she said, handing over the parcel. ‘Welcome home, Amah,’ she said softly.

The thin fingers fumbled with the string, and the brown paper was slowly drawn back to reveal the saris, sandals and tops ‘Oh, Mem,’ she breathed, reaching almost reverently to touch the silks. ‘They are beautiful.’

There were tears in her eyes as she looked up at Sybil. ‘Thank you, Mem. You are too good to an old woman like me. I do not deserve such things.’

‘Well, I think you do, so go and try everything on while I make the tea,’ said Sybil. ‘The girls are coming today, and we must both look our best when we go to the docks to meet them.’

The tea was made and Sybil had just taken it into the sitting room and sat down when Amah appeared shyly in the doorway. ‘Oh, Amah, you look lovely,’ she sighed, taking in the scarlet and silver sari, the matching top and delicate sandals.

‘I look like old woman in beautiful sari,’ she replied with a wry smile. ‘But I do feel like Amah again.’ She placed her palms together and bowed. ‘Thank you for giving me my dignity back,’ she murmured. ‘Buddha will give you many blessings for your kindness.’

‘Come and have your tea before it gets cold,’ said Sybil, moved almost to tears by the woman’s words.

‘I will take mine in the kitchen, Mem. There is food to prepare for when my girls come home.’

‘Oh, but …’

‘Mem, I am here to serve you. Please allow me to do my duty.’

Sybil realised that now Amah had found her pride again, she needed to return to the old ways she found comfortable and familiar, and that she had been in danger of overstepping the mark. She nodded and watched her leave the room, the sari drifting around her.