Have you ever been in a situation where you had believed things would turn out nasty, but then it turned out pretty well? That was what happened when I met Desiree and her mother.
Instead of focusing on the quite offensive remarks she just gave me, I decided to stop thinking and observe. I told her that her mother looked amiable. It was true. She had this pleasant air around her that reminded me of a simpler and warm place. Home. On the other hand, these days, her daughter looked as if she just popped out of a trashy soap opera. Always a bit melodramatic. And fake.
"So, how are you, Aruna?"
I was staring blankly at her daughter when Desiree's mom returned with two cups of tea.
"Fine, thank you. How are you?"
"I'm fine, too, thank you. What are you up to?" she asked.
It was weird that Desiree didn't chime in.
"Oh, nothing, actually. I was just having my day and all."
Normally, I would hate fashioned small talks like that, but anything was better than over-thinking about the fact that I was alone and Desiree found me. Besides, the small talk eventually progressed into chatting.
"Have you heard that Desiree won a debate competition? I'm sure you have. My Desiree was always competitive."
So, I thought, we came to this.
"Sure. Congratulations."
I watched Desiree from the corner of my eyes, waiting for her to burst with pride. If only pride was a poisonous matter, she would've died early. What a desirable sight.
"She was the runner-up, Mom. I almost lost."
Wait, what?
[M]
