A Pocketful Of Sunshine

Chapter 16

It was late in the evening when Selena woke up from her afternoon siesta as she was tired due to the long journey. She went to the parlor, where the entire family talked about the upcoming engagement ceremony. Richard was, as usual quiet, but the moment he noticed Selena, a slight smile appeared on his face. He nodded to her when she greeted him. Sophie was sitting on the carpet, showing the beautiful pieces of jewelry and outfits she had shopped for her engagement. 'I must say, cousin, you have impeccable taste in picking jewelry and outfits,' Selena complimented Sophie, who smiled with pride.

'I know. I have inherited the same from my mother and our Granny, isn't it, Granny?' she asked Mrs. Alexander for her approval.

'Yes, it is, dear,' Mrs. Alexander stroked her head with a smile. 'I am proud of all my grandchildren, and each of you has distinctive qualities that make you outshine anyone.'

'I am not sure of Selena, but I am sure of my girls Mamma,' Martha pitched in, and these words from her aunt initially made Selena upset, but now she was used to her aunt's taunts and hurting comments. However, she never understood her aunt's hatred toward her.

'That is because you have not spent much time with Anna. And sorry to say, but you are too full of Sophie. So where do you have the time to observe anything about anybody else, including Sarah,' Mrs. Alexander curtly replied. Sarah laughed aloud, annoying Martha, who gave a stern look to her, making her cup her mouth and run out of the room laughing.

'So what time are your friends coming in, Sophie?' Martha inquired, avoiding the topic.

'They will be here around five in the evening tomorrow,' Sophie replied, getting up from the floor '...and Mom, please make some vegetarian snacks because a couple of these girls are not into non-vegetarian food.'

'Sure, darling, I will instruct the cook accordingly,' Martha replied.

The evening was quiet, and the family retired to their rooms after an early dinner. Selena, sharing Sarah's room, could not sleep, so she went to the balcony and sat on the swing while Sarah snored. The swing slowly rocked, and she looked at the sky, a dark blue velvety sheet with diamonds for stars sparkling. The air was warm. Unlike Ooty, the trees nearby were still, as there was no breeze to rock them. She sat there for a long time thinking about her parents. Finally, she picked up a newspaper lying on the swing. Maybe Sarah had put it there after reading gossip about the film stars or her daily horoscope. She turned to the front page, and for a moment, her eyes got fixed on a news item that disturbed her immensely. 'Goa under fire,' the headlines read, and she was eager to read the latest news on her hometown. The news mentioned the invasion of thirty thousand army men into Goa and how they had captured most of the places and Portuguese headquarters. The report also noted the bombings in several police stations and military bases. Selena grew tense as soon as she read about the news; her mind wandered, thinking about Rafael's well-being. It was almost one o'clock at night, and she had to wait till morning to ask her Grandfather or her Uncle to help her find out any information about her father. The news further read that Goa was on the verge of gaining independence, and the locals wanted the Portuguese to leave their land after four hundred and fifty years of colonial rule.

She tossed and turned in her bed, and her restlessness grew to multiple bounds as the night progressed towards the day. Finally, she got up from her bed at around seven in the morning and walked toward her grandparent's bedroom. She paused for a second before she knocked on the door. Mrs. Alexander answered.

'Anna? Why are you up so early? Is everything fine, sweetheart?' asked Mrs. Alexander with a surprised expression.

Selena immediately hugged her, and her eyes opened up the dams of emotions in no time.

'Granny... Granny,' she wept as she couldn't utter much, handing the newspaper to her. Mr. Alexander, who was up, immediately took the newspaper from her hands and read the article.

'Come sweetie come and sit here,' Mrs. Alexander, who was clueless, led her to their bed and made her sit on the bed while Mr. Alexander read the article with a slight change of color on his face.

'Oh, come on, please tell me something. I am getting perturbed here,' Mrs. Alexander panicked while Mr. Alexander dropped the newspaper.

'The news is good and bad, Stella,' Mr. Alexander replied after glancing at Selena, still uncontrollable.

'What happened, tell me?' Mrs. Alexander insisted.

'Indian army has invaded Goa, and it will not be too late before Goa gets her independence. However, the locals are demanding the Portuguese return to their country.'

'So?'

'Selena will have to leave India with her father, and now the prime concern is if he is safe. The authorities have not revealed any names of the persons injured or killed in the Portuguese and the Indian armies encounter.'

'Oh, Jesus!' Mrs. Alexander cupped her mouth in astonishment.

'Anna... Darling, don't worry. Rafael will be fine. I will call my friend in Goa in some time to get news about him, please don't worry,' Mr. Alexander took Selena's face in his hand and comforted her.

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