Page 8 of Summer, in Between
‘Right about what, Nonna?’
‘Right about being proper.I never had the opportunities you have.I never had the opportunities your mother had.Don’t waste them by hanging around boys, being reckless.’
Mum and I exchange glances.Mum has told me many times that the only reason she was able to go to university was because her father suddenly died when she was in her final year of school, relinquishing any say in the matter.According to Mum, he was a lovely man and she adored him, but he didn’t believe in educating girls, and hereallydidn’t believe in women being architects.His early demise was Mum’s long-term good fortune in a bizarre, mournful way.
‘Don’t you two go pulling those faces,’ Nonna continues.Man, she could tell me off underwater.‘Be smart.If you’re careless just once,just once,Catarina, that’s it.Your whole future ruined.Forget about boys.Concentrate on your books.’
‘Nonna, I don’t even have a boyfriend.If I even had the hint of a boy around here, you’d scare him off.’I stand and hug Nonna, her face bright red, a mix of the heat, the champagne and her pure outrage.
As I turn to go inside, she slaps me lightly on my butt.
‘She’s a smart mouth.You watch that one.’
‘I don’t need to watch her, Mama,’ says Mum.‘You’re here.’
I give up on waiting for Tommy to bring out the water.I slam the fridge door.‘Seriously, Mum?’I wave the empty water jug.‘There’s no cold water.What is wrong with people?’
Mum comes inside.‘Is it that big a deal, Cat?’She reaches behind me to the freezer, shaking some ice into a glass.‘Problem solved.’
‘It’s not even about the water, Mum,’ I say.‘It’s everything.Freakin’ hell, is this my summer?Arguing with Nonna about my non-existent love life?Trying to study with no books and a house full of Neanderthals?’
‘It’s one kid, Cat.’She puts her arm around me in one of her perfect mum hugs.‘And you might want to pull your head in.It’s the first day of the year.If I were superstitious, I’d be worried that this tone you’re throwing around is what you’ll be stuck with for the whole year.Come on, darling girl, this isn’t you!What’s wrong?’
Damn it, I feel my eyes burning.How does she always know how to get to me?
‘It’s just...everything.’I tuck myself into her arms.‘That one kid?It’s the whole Neanderthal world entering mine and I don’t want them
here.Not now.It’s too much, what with school and Nonna and everything.’
‘It’s a lot, I know,’ she says.‘But believe me, we’ll all be okay.I promise.’
6
I’M sipping a coffeeon the balcony with my English notes and the newspaper, blue highlighter in hand, when I hear the heavy tread of work boots on the stairs behind me.
‘Global warming or drowning children?’I say over my shoulder.
