Page 75 of Pillow Talk
She’d have to take a taxi to her parents’ house, where she figured her mother would be. On the way there she thought of various ways she could broach the subject of their silence. But every opening line sounded silly. When the taxi pulled up at the house, Shona still didn’t know what she was going to say. She put one foot in front of the other and made her way to the door. This would be the first time that she’d actually be ringing the doorbell of her family home. Once upon a time this washerhome, but today she felt like a stranger.
She pressed the bell again and waited. She heard her mother’s familiar footsteps before she opened the door.
‘Shona,’ she whispered.
‘Hi Mom.’
Her mother looked her up and down.
‘Are you okay?’
Shona nodded.
‘Come in. Don’t just stand there,’ her mother said.
The cool air in the air-conditioned home was a welcome relief; her heightened anxiety had made the heat unbearable as she waited on the doorstep. She followed her mother into the living room, where her mom sat down and waited for her to sit.
‘What’s happened? Is something wrong?’ she asked anxiously.
‘Of course something is wrong. I haven’t seen you in close to three months.’
‘But you’ve started your business? It’s doing well?’
Shona nodded.
‘But I’m here about us. Our family. Me,’ she said.
Her mother looked away.
‘Why haven’t you contacted me, Mom? You just wrote me off?’
Her mother quickly turned back to her.
‘No! Never! You’re my child. How can I write you off?’
Shona tried to keep the tears at bay.
‘But you didn’t call or come to see me,’ she said.
‘You’ll have to ask your father about that,’ her mother replied.
They sat in silence for a few moments.
Finally, her mother spoke.
‘Shona, come to the kitchen. I’ll make tea and we’ll talk.’
Shona nodded and followed.
She sat at the kitchen table while her mother put the kettle on and started to make her a chicken roti roll.
‘You’re far too thin. Is that Senthil taking you to fancy restaurants where the meals are finger snacks?’
That caught her off guard.
‘Senthil? Why would he be taking me out?’
Her mother clicked her tongue and gave her a knowing look.
