Jinn & Curses

Chapter 2- Changes

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Chapter 2- Changes

It had been three months since I first met Abdul when he came over for dinner.

 It made me laugh when I thought of it now. Laugh with disgust and anger at how stupid I had been and how even more fake he seemed to me now.

 Halfway through dinner he had turned to me saying, “I really want us to get on and hopefully be good friends.”

 I had forced a smile in reply, dreading what his intentions were with my mother.

 And I couldn’t have hit the nail any harder on the head.

 By the end of the meal I'd learnt that not only were they very 'serious' about each other but they'd been “dating” for sixmonths before I’d even moved in.

 My knuckles whitened as I gripped the undersides of the table.

 How could you!?I wanted to shriek as my mother held his hand in front of me and gazed, all starry eyed into his face. I was this close to puking up in my mouth.

 I had a slight over-dramatic teenage fit in my head, and imagined myself leaping onto the table and kicking him in his perfect, super-straight, Hollywood teeth.

 Not straight no more!

 “I know this may come as a surprise to you…” Helena began.

 Surprise!? Really? I mean really? Are you kiddin’ me!?

 “There is the age gap,” she continued, “and it is so sudden since you’re big move here.”

 My dad’s distraught face came into my head. The image made me bite my lip to a point where I thought I had drawn blood. I tried to keep the thought from being revealed in my expression. I stopped biting my lip once I felt I had control of myself and glanced down at the table. Then looking at Abdul directly, with curiosity I asked, “How old areyou exactly?” Not like it mattered. I was just being difficult -and a little rude- because I knew I’d hit an awkward spot and wanted to see them both squirm.

 There was a slight pause.

 His face was stuck in Smile Mode as he tried to think of an escape route. Watching this was interesting but it still wasn't nearly satisfying enough for me.

 I'd been hoping for more. Something dramatic and exposing. For him to rip away all the layers of falsity and reveal the true Abdul underneath.

 Instead, there was a fleeting moment where his jaw locked and his eyes hardened and then, as if by magic, he beamed his signature grin and replied, “I’m twenty-nine years old.”

 You couldn’t make this crap up.

 I looked at Helena objectionably just because I could- and because I was angry at her for being with him. I didn't give a crap how old he was.

 She gave me a pleading look that shot me straight through the heart. I stopped playing Devil's advocate. I relaxed my jaw that I hadn’t realized I’d been clenching and with as much enthusiasm and politeness as I could, I said, “Oh. Well I’m not one to judge. It’s not obvious.” That part was true at least. He was definitely wiser for his years I’d give him that. Well apart from the fact he either pretended or really didn’t comprehend the stress this was putting the family under.