Sam looked pale and shaken.
‘It’s okay, Sam. They’re safe now. We won’t ever let anything happen to them. I promise.’
His friend nodded but didn’t seem convinced. Like him, Sam had lived a charmed life. He couldn’t even imagine Sam in Anni’s old house, or what looked more like the ruins of a house.
Sen got two bottles of water out of the mini fridge beside his desk and handed one to Sam who, after taking a big gulp, looked a little better.
‘Did they ever find the boyfriend?’
Sen shrugged. ‘We never spoke about it again. When Anni’s mom died in my first year of university, I came back for the funeral. But something had changed. We were almost adults and the carefree summer days were over.’
‘Can I ask you something?’
Sen nodded.
‘How come you never asked Shona out? I remember you telling me that you regarded Anni as a sister. You never mentioned Shona in that way but you spoke about her more than you did about Anni.’
Sen turned to the window again. He didn’t want his face to betray him.
‘Because Shona was…Shona. Chaotic. Talking about bigdreams and falling in love with a knight in shining armour. All that bridal shop talk was enough to put a guy off. Also, I don’t think Shona would have given me the time of day. Everyone else thought I was a pretty fine catch but Shona let me know far too often that I wasn’t.’
Sen found himself smiling.
He turned back to Sam, who was now standing.
‘Thank you, Sen. You’ve given me a lot to think about. I knew you’d help me and you did. I’m going to leave you to do some work while I surprise my wife with some flowers and a fancy lunch,’ said Sam.
‘Don’t mention it. You know I always have your back,’ Sen smiled.
He watched his friend leave. When the door closed behind Sam, Sen sat down at his desk and held his head in his hands.
That memory. He hadn’t thought of it in years. For the past six months, he’d been in Shona’s bed almost every night but they acted as if they had no attachment. Dammit, they had a past! And now that Sen had unlocked the memories, he couldn’t ignore it.
Shona shoved the roll of fabric back onto the shelf.
‘It’s not what we usually order,’ her father complained.
‘Dad, I’ve explained to you: the company that makes that fabric has closed shop. This is the closest colour and texture I could get,’ Shona replied, trying to keep the exasperation out of her tone.
‘But we’ve been using it for over 30years. What do I tell our customers?’
Shona had a choice: she could let her father win or tell it as itwas.
Aruna sat in the corner, glued to her cellphone. Drake, who was one of the tailors, observed from a safe distance. When their eyes met, he mouthed to Shona, ‘Speak up.’
Shona licked her lips. Her mouth was dry. ‘Dad, when last did a customer order this fabric?’
Her father scratched his head. ‘The customers want it. It’s what we use, Shona. You want to dress our customers in sacks? Is that what you want?’
Be calm, Shona. Do not be irrational, loose-cannon Shona.
‘Dad, I stopped ordering that fabric three years ago because no one ever wanted it. I only ordered this replacement because you asked for it last week and I knew the company had gone out of business,’ she explained.
Her father’s eyes widened. ‘Well done, Shona. You’ve fooled your father because your father is a fool. What does he know? Shona went to college and studied fashion. Shona’s a designer. Her father is a fool who only worked in a tailor shop for most of his life,’ he shouted. His eyes glistened with what should have been anger but to Shona it looked like pity. She didn’t know whether he pitied her or himself.
Aruna was now looking at Shona for a response. Drake was shaking his head and her mother stormed in.
‘What on earth is going on? We’re lucky there are no customers in the store. They would have heard this barbaric argument.’
