Dial A for Aunties

The theme of The Karmic Justice of Honesty and Lies is clear in this section. It is exemplified by Meddy as she struggles to rekindle her relationship with Nathan while concealing the corpse—many of her actions indicating her interest in Nathan are also attempts to distract him from the body. When Nathan spots Ah Guan’s feet in Meddy’s hotel room, he misunderstands, and Meddy has no choice but to lie by miscommunication, thereby negating any chance of another romance with him. Meddy is deeply torn, not wanting to lie to Nathan but knowing she cannot tell him the truth. Finally, as a result, Meddy confesses her past relationship to Ma. However, Meddy is surprised by Ma’s empathy. While her lies brought stress and grief, her honesty yielded loving support and connection.

This theme is also exemplified through Maureen’s plot with the now-dead Ah Guan to steal the tea ceremony gifts: Maureen’s attempt to frame Meddy backfires after the room search, and Maureen is disgraced, losing her friendship with Jacqueline in the process. Ah Guan is also revealed to be even more of a scoundrel when his involvement in the theft is discovered; while his death may have been accidental, it may have been deserved.

The theme of Loyalty Versus Fear and Selfishness is also further developed in this section. Nathan provides an example of true loyalty, standing up for Meddy when Maureen and Tom accuse her of stealing the tea ceremony gifts. He does this even after having spotted Ah Guan’s feet, which led him to believe Meddy has a boyfriend. He also takes this risk even though the wedding represents a great deal for his career. In contrast, Meddy is still tangled in her own secrets and lies, represented by the corpse; she has not yet found the courage to take emotional risks with the people she loves. Maureen’s similar fear also undermines her loyalty to Jacqueline in this section, leaving Jacqueline devastated by her best friend’s apparent betrayal.

The themes of Familial Duty Versus Independence and Intergenerational Immigration are also present. The aunts begin to demonstrate their duty as Meddy’s protectors by taking turns to guard the body and hide it from hotel security. They are furious on Meddy’s behalf when they discover Maureen’s plan to frame Meddy for the theft. In turn, Meddy begins to assert herself when she decides to deal with the stolen gifts on her own, rather than relying on her aunts’ help; in this way, Meddy begins to come into her own as an individual, bridging her confident college-self with her passive family-self. By opening up to Ma about Nathan, she also begins to learn that she doesn’t have to sacrifice her own dreams for her family the way she once assumed. The tea ceremony itself also provides more depth to the theme of intergenerational immigration. While Meddy has no particular desire for the gifts, their total value (about $2 million in US dollars) hints once again at the class divide between the wedding party and the staff. Even if Meddy were to one day have the wedding of her dreams, it would not be to the same scale.

The symbolism of Ah Guan’s Corpse develops further in this section as well. The removal of Ah Guan’s body from the cooler indicates that the stakes of various secrets have increased and that the risk of their discovery is greater too. Moreover, it indicates the complexity of trying to maintain long-held secrets. The ringing of his phone (here an extension of his corpse, as it has been on his person and can only be unlocked by his fingerprint) reveals a new secret that Meddy must juggle: Maureen and Ah Guan’s theft plot. While Meddy secretly steals and hides the gifts, framing Maureen as Maureen intended to frame her, Ah Guan’s corpse is moved and rehidden, reflecting this subterfuge within subterfuge. Nathan spotting Ah Guan’s feet, and his assumption that Meddy must be seeing another man, hints at the deleterious nature of keeping secrets. Much as the corpse leaves Meddy unable to correct him, Meddy’s past breakup with Nathan, in which she hid her real feelings, leaves her unable to explain her regrets now. Finally, when Ah Guan’s corpse appears in public on the altar, even though only Meddy realizes it at first, its presence foreshadows that all secrets will soon come to light.

Another symbol is introduced in this section: the Tea Ceremony Gifts. The tea ceremony gifts are materially valuable, but their true worth is figurative, revealing the true desires of several characters. The wedding guests who provide the gifts desire to be viewed favorably by the influential families—Meddy witnesses “an auntie stuffing her red packet with more wads of cash […] feeling outmatched by all the insane gifts” and comments on how “stressful” this ceremony can be (168). The tea ceremony gifts, once accumulated, then become an even more compact symbol of desire and desperation. Ah Guan’s plot to steal the gifts reveals his greed; he was eager to become as rich as he described himself during his date with Meddy. Tom Cruise Sutopo’s reaction during the search for the gifts reveals his hunger for power and control. He revels in commanding hotel security, and Meddy decides right then she “despise[s]” him: “His eyes are alight. He looks more alive than I’ve seen him so far. He’s not liking this; he’s loving it” (206). Tom’s tension with Maureen is also revealed as he threatens to sue her when she is considered the thief. Maureen and Jacqueline’s mutual devastation at finding the gifts in Maureen’s room, in turn, hints that their true desires are for each other, not the gifts themselves; this moment lends a deeper meaning to Maureen’s prideful statement that she’s “the only one they trust with this [looking after the gifts]” (169). Finally, although the aunties enjoy the gifts when Meddy temporarily brings them back to their hotel room, the Chans don’t truly covet them; rather, what they desire is each other—family is always their highest priority.

The motif of the Wedding develops in these chapters as well. As the various elaborate ceremonies occur, so, too, does Meddy’s character begin to change. Throughout much of the book, Meddy is passive (see Camera symbolism); she reacts to events rather than trying to actively influence them. However, much like a wedding is a catalyst to a new life, so, too, does Meddy’s transformation begin. The chaos of the penjemputan ceremony reflects Meddy’s attempts to herd her aunts as they bicker and drag the corpse cooler to and fro—the issue is temporarily resolved, but with much chaos and many headaches. The elaborate tea ceremony and subsequent stolen gifts push Meddy into taking charge. She becomes determined to solve the issue on her own to protect and avoid further implicating her family after all they’ve already sacrificed and risked for her sake. While the wedding ceremony itself has only just begun, Ah Guan’s presence on stage hints that further change is in store.

Lastly, the symbolism of Meddy’s Camera continues. She carries it with her throughout the hotel, as she is constantly rushing off to various rooms to work. Its presence indicates her supposed invisibility and background efforts throughout these chapters: She is the hired help at the various ceremonies, there to document each scene (the tea ceremony) and quietly solve problems (such as the missing groomsman at the penjemputan ceremony). Her stealing and relocating of the tea ceremony gifts are sleuth missions known only to her and her family, and only she witnesses Maureen’s distress while hiding under Maureen’s bed. Finally, the presence of her camera at the outdoor wedding ceremony combined with the presence of Ah Guan’s corpse foreshadows Meddy’s choice between continuing her passive behavior or asserting herself as disaster looms.