6 THE FAMILY BUSINESSESThe family finances were still not on a firm footing, despite the money from the sale of Craig’s flat. They were still spending more than they were earning. The vast majority of this shortfall was due to Soom’s university fees and the cost of her upkeep in Bangkok. Her small apartment in a girls-only guest-house cost more per month than some girls of her age even earned in a month at a straight job.
Then there was the school uniform, not so much a uniform as a dress code: sky-blue or white blouse and navy shorts, slacks or skirt. Basically, Soom had needed a new wardrobe in order to fit in with the mostly rich kids who normally populated the classrooms of Thai universities, especially the loftier ones in Bangkok, one of which Soom was attending.
She had also needed
