“And school?” his mother had asked, trying to clear the high table around Ranar’s attempt to direct her back to coiling comfortably as he gathered the plates. “You’re doing well? Lots of friends?”
“Of course she is.” His father beamed, giving Ruma a wink. “Neja has always done well in school.”
It was the black cloud he’d been waiting for, a constant tension he carried every day, wondering if it would be a good day or a bad day, a bad day or a worse day, if bad daysbecamethe good days once they outnumbered the good, and on and on. For the duration of dessert, his father referred to Ruma by the wrong name, making it clear as the conversation went on that he was referring to someone else entirely. His bubbly little ray of sunshine looked stricken.
“Thatha, it’sme, Ruma.”
“Everything was delicious,” Ranar cut in smoothly, gently tugging the end of his daughter’s long braid. He couldn’t deal with another agitated backslide without snapping. “You didn’t need to go through all this trouble, mom, but I’m glad you did. Five stars, my regards to the chef.”
“Yeah, it wassogood, Paati. Everything was bussin.”
Ranar nearly bit his tongue, watching his mother’s eyebrows drawn together as she undulated gracefully across the kitchen.Her gaze moved quickly from Ruma to Ranar, eyes narrowing, twitching when she settled on her son. She quickly looked around, and if there had been something appropriate in arm’s reach to hurl at his head, he was positive she would have done so.Never mind. Accusations of Westernization: full throttle, guilty as charged!
“It’s just so good to have you home. I’m going to teach you how to make this, so you can make it foryourlittle one someday. But for now I’m going to make you a nice tea to help—“
“Actually, we have a date.” If his mother had her way, Ruma would never leave. She would violate the custody order, refuse to answer the phone, and offer the arresting officers a comforting sambol as they broke down the door. He held up a hand to stave off the argument forming on his mother’s lips. “Don’t worry, Paati. You have all summer to feed her, I promise. But I need to hog her for a little while.”
“But we need to go open the shop,” his father said seriously, using the table for leverage to push himself up from his coil slowly. “I need to start the Gornish funeral.”
“We will, dad, tomorrow. I don’t think Mr. Gornish will mind.”Because he’s been dead for nearly ten years.
Once they were outside, he scooped up Ruma’s hand. “I was going to suggest we get some fresh air and exercise, but I’m so full I think I would need to roll downtown at this point. However, I learned somethingveryimportant recently. Kids apparently love coffee shops.”
“Oh, bet!”
He closed his eyes, nearly choking on his laughter. “Let’s stop home and then we’ll drive over to the Black Sheep. But we’re not getting doughnuts, so don’t even ask. Sound good, baby girl?”
“Perfect. I need to change anyway. I wanna look super preppy for the town.”
Ranar watched as she serpentined before him, taking a series of selfies as she moved along. He only understood every third word out of her mouth and he had a feeling she would be even more attached to her phone now than she’d been just a few months earlier, but this summer would end eventually. Ranar understood his mother’s internal sentiment. He wanted to put his arms around this moment and hold it tightly, keeping all four of them locked in place forever, sealing out the outside world.First though, you need to call in for reinforcements.
ChaoticConcertina:MAYDAY, MAYDAY, THIS IS NOT A DRILL!
I know you’re online.
Sitting there thinking about painting your ceiling pink probably.
But I need your help! This is an emergency & I only have a few minutes.
I don’t know how to talk to my kid. I think she’s been body snatched??
She starts every other sentence with chat.
Are we chatting? Are you telling me? Is it an instruction? WHAT?
She just told my mother that the dinner she made was bussin.
It was the first time in 42 years that I thought my mom might hit me with a shoe.
WE DON’T EVEN HAVE SHOES.
PinksPosies&Pearls:Stoooooop??????
I’m crying. I’m laughing so hard you’re going to make me pee myself!
I thought you said you talk to her every day!
How are you not already proficient in her native alpha tongue?!
