The head of the Financial Conduct Authority finally exited my car.
I rolled the window down and took a long sip of my coffee.
The fresh air filled my lungs as another week began.
Chapter 4
Lielit
My grandmother groaned as I massaged her scalp, making my grandfather’s newspaper shake. I glanced up to find him peering over the top of it.
Oh no. He was desperate to poke fun at her.
“Why you making that noise for, woman?”
I shook my head at him and pressed my fingers harder, widening the circular motions. Anti-microbial. Anti-inflammatory. I could smell the rosemary, peppermint, coconut, and a hint of tea tree oil.
“Better than the noises you make in the toilet, old man,” she snapped.
The paper came down.
“And whose fault is that?”
The indignation echoed around the room.
“This is a big day for me,” I said, cutting into my grandmother’s reply.
Her hand lifted to pat my arm.
“You’re right,Ilma koo,” she said softly.“We are so proud of you.”
My child.
My grandfather smiled, his eyes warm beneath his glasses.
I’d sold everything I owned to move back in with my parents and grandparents. Her Glow had begun to boom—not only in the United Kingdom, but internationally. My products were originally for African hair types, but I’d branched out into soaps and deep-conditioning treatments.
“Thank you,Ayyee,” I said, resuming the massage.
Grandmother.
“Plus, we get to see so much of you now. What happened to that boy?” my grandfather added.“Darren? Darryl?”
My constant reminder of my singledom.
“She doesn’t need to rush,” my grandmother snapped.“Look what happened to me.”
“What is that supposed to mean? You weren’t shy when you—”
“Okay, that’s enough for today,” I shouted, cutting him off.
This was what fifty years of marriage looked like.
“Now look what you’ve done,” my grandmother huffed.“You’ve cut my head massage short.”
“I can finish it for you.”
“It’ll take all morning for you to reach me.”
