Ma was in shock when she heard his name, afraid it might be an unlucky omen, considering the last time Omar wasmentioned she lost her best friends, but after an extensive tarot reading from Lipi, she agreed to the match.
‘Can you hand me my lipstick from the bathroom? The one with a peachy undertone?’ she asks from her seat at her vanity desk.
I know exactly which one she means and grab it for her. As I make my way back from the bathroom, I stop at the picture of our family hanging in the hallway – one that was taken when I was a baby. It’s a strange feeling to be sending your own mother out on a date, but I’m happy that I can do this for her. She’s spent the last three years of her life by herself, carrying not only her own burdens but also mine, and it’s time that she shared the load. She deserves to come home to someone, not an empty house, when I’m away.
And I know her dating doesn’t mean she’s erasing Baba. Last night, I overheard Ma on the phone to Hira Auntie, saying she felt anxious about the date. Not because she’s going to have to do all the awkward small talk that comes with getting to know somebody new, but because she was still struggling with the guilt of moving on from Baba.
‘But you’re not moving on,’ Hira Auntie had said, on speaker since Ma was putting away washing at the same time. ‘You’re moving forward.’
‘What’s the difference?’
‘You’re not letting go of Rakib; you’re taking him with you as you progress in your life.’
Even after Hira Auntie’s wisdom, I can see that Ma is still struggling. It’s in the way she keeps redoing her eyeliner even though it was perfect the first time she did it.
‘Here you go, Ma,’ I say as I hand her the lipstick.
‘Thank you, beta.’
I watch from Ma’s bed as she applies the lipstick, only to wipe it off a few seconds later. She does this several times, and itbreaks my heart watching her because I know exactly what she’s doing. She’s delaying the moment when she needs to leave the safety of her room and go on that date.
‘Ma,’ I say gently, taking the tissue from her hands and chucking it in the bin. ‘You’re going on this date no matter how many times you reapply your lipstick, and it is going to befine. Everything is going to be OK and youwillhave fun. You know Baba – all he wanted was for the people he loved to be taken care of.’ I feel my eyes go glassy with tears. ‘Let yourself be taken care of.’
Ma squeezes my hands and, with a deep inhale, nods. ‘OK. I’m going on this date. It’s happening.’
‘It is.’
‘And it’s all thanks to you.’ Ma cups my face with her hand. ‘I can’t thank you enough for taking on this job this summer. I know it meant you couldn’t see as much of your friends but –’
‘But nothing. It’s been the best summer of my life.’
And I mean it.
This summer at Eternally Yours has given me more than I could ever have imagined. Yes, I missed out on time with Shirin and Lipi at SWX, but if I hadn’t started working at Eternally Yours I wouldn’t have reconnected with Salman and have him as my boyfriend again. I wouldn’t have had the courage to confront Ma, and her reconciliation with Hira Auntie and Azad Uncle never would have happened. I wouldn’t know that I’m an absolute ace at events planning. I wouldn’t have the future I now have, which includes plans to apply for an events management degree at the University of Edinburgh.
‘Now come on,’ I say. ‘Your date is going to be here any minute now.’
Ma sprays herself with perfume one last time and says a silent prayer to the picture of Baba on her desk, her fingers pressed against the glass, before getting up and following me down thestairs. She takes her sweet time slipping into her kitten heels and throwing a jacket over her shoulders, but eventually she’s ready for the taxi outside to take her to her date.
‘Well, I guess this is it,’ she says, stalling.
‘It is. So you should get going. The taxi’s been waiting for five minutes and if you wait any longer, it’s going to leave without you.’
Ma scrunches up her face, her eyebrows dancing wild with anxiety. I can’t help but laugh. I understand that she’s nervous, but it’s funny watching Ma like this. It’s as if she’s a teenager.
‘Come on.’ I open the door to let her out. ‘Trust me, you’ll have a great time.’
‘OK, just one last time,’ Ma says, her eyes wide with nerves. ‘Everything will be OK, right?’
‘Yes,’ I say with an eye roll, exhausted by having to repeat myself. ‘Now go or I’ll drag you to the taxi myself.’
‘Fine, fine, I’m going.’ Ma walks down the path until she reaches the pavement where the taxi is parked. Before she steps inside, she looks back over her shoulder and inhales deeply.
‘I’m proud of you!’ I shout and wave at her. ‘You’ve got this!’
Ma shakes her head with a smile before getting into the taxi. I lean against the doorframe, watching the car disappear into the distance.
‘Who’s ready to party?!’ Shirin shouts from down the street. Lipi, Raju and Amit trail behind her, carrying bags.
