NORTON

Loss & Growth

CHAPTER 8

__________________

Kim ran to her bedroom as soon as she saw her mother-in-law's vehicle parked outside a week later. She dialled her sister's number and waited for what seemed like forever for an answer. Winnie picked up sounding irate because her sister caught her at a bad time. Kim rushed through the details of how she had defied Aayan's mother and how she had just arrived looking cross. Suvika was already banging at the front door and Zam was still at Penelope's house. Kim feared her mother-in-law might demand to know where the child is so she took her time opening the door. The banging stopped for only a minute and during that time, Kim could hear the woman talking on the phone. After the brief phone conversation, the loud knocking returned accompanied by Mrs. Norton's voice shouting Kim's name. Kim couldn't afford to have the neighbours bear witness to her crazy situation so she rushed and opened the door.

Suvika budged in and walked through, inspecting every room in the house then returned and threw her hand bag on one of the couches. "You must have another man because only a loose, cheating woman behaves like you!" Suvika started off the confrontation. Kim looked Suvika straight in the eye and asked her what she was talking about. The furious women demanded to know what makes Kim think she can decide for a man what he can and cannot do in his own house. She reminded her that Aayan was the head of the house and that her job was to keep him happy, period. Kim listened to the insults while debating in her head if she should take Penelope's advice. Don't let her tell your husband what to do. You don't interfere in her business so don't let her do that to you. Kim's thoughts were so far from the present situation, she barely heard most of what was verbally thrown at her. When Penelope's voice stopped in her heard, Kim looked up and shouted "Shut up!"

Suvika stopped abruptly in her tracks and stood frozen with her mouth and eyes wide open. "Listen here you, old miserable woman" Kim continued in her normal very low tone. "Your son is my husband. Not yours. And this house you're standing in, is my home. This better be the last time you show up here with that kind of attitude, you hear me. Aayan will not be taking a second wife because I said so, so deal with it quietly and away from my family. Now do me a favour and get your bitter self out of my house before I call the police on you." Suvika's dump found state took another five seconds to register what Kim had just said then slowly she regained her mind. "Who do you think you're talking to like that Kim?" "I'm not thinking. I'm talking to an evil woman who wants every woman to experience the same misery she did in her marriage." Aayan's mother gasped and held her open mouth. Kim left her standing in the sitting room and opened the front door again. "You're done here, get out." At that moment, Mrs. Norton senior's phone rang and she answered it with a full report of the disrespect she had just experienced. "She's chasing me out. She called me every name in the book and told me she's in charge of your brother." Kim stood shocked and worried. She left the door and rushed for her bedroom, scared of what was going to happen when Aayan returned.

The house phone rang and it was Winnie. Kim begged her to fetch Zam from the neighbour when she comes so it will look like she had her the whole time. Winnie demanded more details and told her sister to call the cops. Kim knew this would make a spectacle of her home and didn't make the call. She sat trying to hear where her mother-in-law was but there was silence. Her car was still parked at the front gate so Kim knew she didn't have to go lock the door. Another vehicle arrived and there were voices that sounded high and angry. Her phone rang again and she hoped it was Winnie telling her she had arrived too but it was Penelope. The neighbour asked if everything was okay and Kim told her she took her advice and told Aayan's mom to butt out of her business. Penelope asked if anyone else was present when she told the witch off and was happy with the answer. She told Kim to calm down and wait for her husband to arrive before facing his mother again. Then she told her to lie through the whole confrontation. Kim couldn't believe her ears but Penelope was dead serious. When Aayan knocked at the door a minute later, Kim knew that his brothers must have picked him up from work. She opened and faced the floor. "What happened, Kim?" he asked and Kim simply said, "your mother is angry with me. She wants you married again." Aayan told her to follow him and she obeyed.