by Namita Singh
doesn’t even think of cutting me slack, considering he slept in my bed yesterday while I slept on the floor. But then I realize that there is nothing to cut slack over. I have done nothing wrong. I am being cautious with Neal. If he doesn’t like it, well, too bad, because he’ll just have to suck up to it. He needs to understand that he is just a plain pure human at the end of the day while everyone around him is capable of snapping his neck within seconds. Despite knowing the vulnerability he disposes, he still wishes to have free reign over his actions, to have free liberty as to where he can hang about. Life gets tougher when you have a stubborn, arrogant bullhead for a partner.
I am sitting next to mother in the SUV that arrived for us in the morning. She is anxious, yet giddy to be back in her home city. I see the driver taking much secluded routes towards the head council office where we are headed. The driver is a human but has been sent by the members of the head council. Father had informed us of it by a call and on his instructions, we are now settled in for an hour long ride to the colony where the head council is.
Jennifer, who is officially in a stare war with me whenever we happen to meet eyes, is sitting next to Rufina aunt. Her expressions last night when Neal and I had gone to her room to collect Neal’s luggage were enough to convey the understanding. Understanding, that she accepts that Neal trusts me more than her. But that doesn’t mean she is happy about it. She has been giving me the glares since morning. My returning stares are not placid ones. I have clearly expressed that if she takes one more negative step, the elders of my house will know of her infidelity. Then she can handle the situation on her own.
I am mute through the journey. Jennifer and Silvia mirror my stance. While the rest are quite casual in their demeanor, as if we are just going out for an ice cream. The sequestered roads are soon gone and our car swerves towards the main roads of the city. The whole route, though secluded, is vastly flowing through the heart of the city. Once in a while I will catch site of Yenisei River, also crossing the famous river port of Krasnoyarsk at one point. The stretch is not overtly crowded, but more than once I end up sensing therian auras, some walking, some driving. It makes me wonder if they can sense the over powering aura of Neal that has practically drowned the aura of most of us sitting in the car. The thought has me slightly paranoid.
We leave the crowded city roads and enter one of the residential areas. On continuing along the now almost abandoned road, we reach a site that I have not been at all anticipating. Gone are the big buildings of the city and the noisiness of the motor vehicles. This part of the city is much greener, almost looking like a country side.A lone road with greenery around gives way to what I can see as rows and rows of houses in the distance. But these are not the regular houses that I have been witnessing in the city. These are much different with good amounts of greenness around them. There is a metallic automated gate prior to our journey towards those houses. The driver stops, takes out a thin card from his breast pocket and swipes it in the card holder machine next to the gates. The gates come to life, clanging loudly as they slide open for us to pass through.
There is plenty of greenery. Not the wildlife type green, but the stepford wife’s kind of green. There are rows of identical houses on either side of the street road, each with a slanting roof and a pretty chimney. Yards of green pasture extends in front of each house, most of which are intricately developed into gardens. Often, I spot a few people walking by, or some ladies gossiping in the corner. Many of them are therians, but many are humans too. Some of them look at our car curiously as we pass them by, making me panic in my mind when I think of my partner’s aura.
Our destination is a bungalow that seems to be situated at the edge of this colony. Actually, it’s a mansion. It is much bigger than those houses with a much bigger front yard bordered by black metal fence that stretches beyond and up to the huge main gates of the mansion. It also expresses a generous drop off way. Built in white concrete, it looks like a parliament house more than anything. Numerous pillars support the roof of the overextended porch. The latter leads to a humongous mahogany door, which is open at the moment. I feel nervous just looking at it. There are no guards at the gates. There is a similar card swiping machine at the edge and our driver, Roger, swipes the card making the gates of the mansion come to life. We drive inside, onto the drive way. Slowly, our car comes to a stop right in front of the steps that lead to the door. Grudgingly, we start stepping out of the car. Well, now that I notice my peers, only I seem to be reluctant about my movements. My mother is literally bouncing on her feet, making her curls follow her lead too. No sooner than we all start stretching our backs, father emerges from the huge doors, traversing downwards towards us.
“The drive was okay?” he asks, patting my shoulder. I nod at him and he moves off towards his wife. I help the others in taking out the luggage and our herd is soon crossing the threshold towards the inside of the ‘house’.
The inside is exactly as I expected it to be. I am greeted by the site of a voluminous foyer, the far end of which is adorned by several royal looking sofas. But we are not directed towards it. Father instead makes us turn right and starts leading us towards the hallway that seems to end in numerous rooms on either side. I sense no presence inside the rooms. I can also see a staircase in the far distance. On concentrating, I can sense very faint auras at various distances inside the mansion, mostly on the above floors. Before we can traverse the path towards the stairs, a lady exits from one of the…corners? I focus and notice there are several sub hallways emitting from the main vestibule. Makes me wonder how exactly big this place is. The woman, a pure human, approaches us, a tearful smile on her face. She is aged, with grey hair streaks almost blending with her golden hair. Several wrinkles form as her exuberant smile continues to widen with her every step. Despite her age, the woman is adroit in her movements, fluidly traversing the path towards us. We all uncertainly pause. Well, all except for my mother. She drops the duffel bag she had been holding and walks towards the lady with the giddiness she has been exhibiting since morning.
Without words, both the women engulf each other in an impactful hug. The elderly lady has her eyes closed, a smile on her lips as she holds my mother tightly. Dubiously, I look at my father who has chosen to stand aside. The elderly woman opens her now rheumy eyes and finds Rufina aunt standing right behind my mother. Without another word, she engulfs Rufina aunt in a hug too, without letting go of my mother. I awkwardly look around and notice that everyone is also finding something else to get them busy with.
After an eon, the women break apart and to my utter discomfort, all of them are weeping yet managing to smile hugely at the same time. The elderly woman smacks two sloppy kisses on both my mother and aunt Rufina. The kisses seem oddly familiar, making me frown.
I feel my stomach dropping to an endless pit as my happy mother turns to look at us, her eyes finding mine. I am petrified on my spot as I comprehend what I am seeing. My mother takes steps towards us, dragging the elderly woman and aunt Rufina with her, all three of them happily crying.
“This is Josh.” My mother introduces happily, grasping me from the elbow as she reaches me. “My son.” She announces proudly, “And this is Aakir,” she rubs Aakir’s upper arm who is standing right next to me, “Rufina’s son.”
I am so shocked with the revelation in my mind, that I do not even pause to consider how Jennifer is taking Aakir being addressed as Rufina aunt’s son.
The elderly woman steps forward, still smiling with tears flowing down her cheeks. “Come here boys.” She says, her voice raspy. Aakir has no problem in kindly smiling to the woman and stepping forward. However, my forward step is reluctantand results all because of the push my mother gives me. My thoughts in a jumble, I realize a little late that the elderly woman is engulfing both of us in a hug. She smells like flowers, oddly like the ones from which my mother creates perfume in our family shop back in Latvia. The odor hardly eases me. I remain still as a statue, almost like a stiff rod. When she l
ets us go, she kisses our cheeks in the same fashion in which she kissed my mother and aunt Rufina. In the same fashion my mother always kisses me. I fail to respond to her gestures.
“You boys are men now. You both do not know of me.” she says, still smiling and looking from Aakir to me, “So, I’ll introduce myself.” Her smile widens, “My name is Erisna. I am your grandmother.”
Aakir slightly chuckles, “Figured that out.” he says.
“Oh, wait till you have to pick your grandfather.” Erisna chuckles playfully, her laughter much like that of my mother’s, “You wouldn’t recognize him so easily.”
As the rest chuckle, I remain stoic. Honestly, I do not know how to respond to this situation. Erisna’s eyes dart towards behind Aakir. And she joyfully exclaims, “Is that Terry’s daughter?” she asks, looking at Faith. And the introduction continues. I slip a little sideways, away from the bunch and end up leaning against the wall. I watch as father patiently introduces to the non-family members. She is normal and polite with Jennifer. With Rahul, Silvia and Neal though, who are introduced as our partners, she is as