As long As You Live

The Unexpected Page

There was a sleek woman sitting on the couch, dressed in all black. She looked dazzling. I was almost spell bound by her beauty. But then I noticed the gun with some kind of extension in the front. Not so appealing. I recognized it immediately. A silencer. My heart began to pound. But I didn't want to be a disgrace to my father. So I put up my bravest face, tried to sound brave and said

" What are you doing in my house, woman?" Miserable failure. I sounded like a tiny mouse. But I didn't change my reaction. I couldn't afford to. 

But the woman calmly replied" You're quite brave for a 14 year old." I tensed up. She was underestimating me, and telling me I'm too young. Grave mistake. So I shot back:

"I think I asked you a question. Didn't they teach you to answer?"

"I'm the boss here, kid. So I ask the questions around here."

"Well, you haven't asked me yet."

The woman was taken aback. She clearly didn't expect this kind of response. So to cover up, she pointed the gun at me, and trying to sound deathly, whispered"Where do you think you're going, miss?"

"And who do you think you're talking to, lady?"

I almost fractured my neck with the way I craned my neck towards the source of the voice. I was relieved to see the familiar face of my mother. But I was baffled. My mom was totally different by now. She was dressed in formals, and had a revolver in her hand. She looked about 7 years younger than usual. But what surprised me the most was the way my mother held her gun- steady, and professional. Her hair was tied back in a pony-tail, and her eyes wore strong traces of fury.

The new entry was caught off guard. "I... I nev...never expected t...to see you h... here, ma'am."

"Well yea, how are you doing?" my mother said, her words brimming with sarcasm. Something you get to see only once in a blue moon. "Now get out of my house."

The woman took off immediately, as if waiting for her order. Radha was spellbound. She came out of the blue, and disappeared into it.

"Pack up, darling," my mother said her voice and expression getting back to normal. "We have a flight to catch."

"Tell me where we're going. And WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON?" I demanded.

"It's better not told. It's a small surprise on my behalf." she said.

"Well, at least tell me who that woman was." I questioned.

"Oh her, she's just one of the villain's cronies. She knew you were a descendent of the members of the operation. Probably she didn't expect me. Nasty surprise."

I narrowed my eyes. She gave me an affirmative nod. So I understood that I would get to know what I need when the time comes.

I immediately dashed into the room, slammed the door and began packing. I packed jeans- Blue jean, black jean, multi colored jean, jean tops, jean Capri pants, jean over coats, and all things nice and jean. I felt the most comfortable in wearing those. Plus it looked like I was going on a long adventure. I couldn't afford to waste time in changing clothes and wardrobe malfunctioning. And in 20 minutes, I was in the living room, with my bag, my look finished with sports shoes. My mom gently laughed, and said "You look ready for the adventure, darling. I like you're enthusiasm in spite of all the chaos you've been through." But just as I was about to leave, I remembered something- we needed money. So I told my mother I was going in to get some money, she laughed, and said "Oh no, dear, you won't need those in the place we're going. Plus anyway, they wouldn't be useful there." And then she did something that made my jaw dropped- she winked at me. I had never expected to receive such a gesture from her. I had always pictured her to be a strict college professor, having nil acceptance of parent- child relationship turning into a friendship-y thing.

All through the taxi ride, I kept questioning her for explanation, but she simply kept repeating one thing- the taxi was not a private place where we could discuss sensitive and confidential issues. So I had to wait three long hours before they reached their airport. Now I had to wait for a private place. Once we were done with all the formalities, I was pondering the airport for a private location. So I kept bouncing ideas off my mother.

"What about the cafeteria?

"No. too many people."

"You're right," I agreed I was growing impatient. All sorts of silly places turned up in my mind.

"What about the restrooms?" I said, screaming a bit.

My mother shot a dirty look at me. That was enough to make me shut up for another hour.

I woke up to an announcement about some flight which was to arrive later than scheduled due to air turbulences. I realized I was leaning on to my mother, who was staring at the ceiling. I jolted up right and looked at the time- 10 am.

I just sat there, staring at the crowd, rewinding my previous day. The video footage, the surprising change in my mom, the woman in black, and the card, the flight travel to a place I still didn't know. I put my hand in my pocket, and took the card out. I kept staring at it intensely, as if it would come to life and tell my why the card was familiar to me. I decided to ask my mom what the symbol meant. But when I turned towards my mother, something caught my attention towards her neck. I moved her hair aside, and I was shocked out of my life.

My mother had a similar tattoo on her neck.