Midnight Ocean 》P. Lahote

c. 1

|| Forks, Last week of September ~ Senior Year 

'Suma, thé!' Her father's French accent warmed her heart, the accent a gentle reminder that her family and her stood out amongst her new neighbors.

'A rahe hai!' She grabbed her black foldover backpack with customized thin white straps, courtesy of her mother as a 'thank you for handling the move so well.' Sumati looked around her new bedroom once more, surveying how countless hours watching home-decorating episodes had finally come in handy.

The bedroom itself was fairly large, on the east of the house. Sumati's mother had chosen the first-floor bedroom for her daughter, knowing how much her daughter would appreciate the egg-shell colored walls and the windows placed on the left. They were a replica of the ones in their home back in France, and with the added green plants to the sides of the large windows, Sumati was left reminiscing of her childhood home. Her mother, full-time Obstetrician and part-time home decorator, chose a full-size bed for her only daughter, dark chestnut railings holding the bed in the center of the bed with white colored sheets. Two small tables accompanied each end of the bed, and at the foot, a bench from her mother's home in Bengaluru. On the right of the bedroom were several shelves she and her mother had installed for the dozens of memorialia Sumati had collected over the years as well as all her books and journals. To her side was the entry to the bathroom, to her other side her closet.

Her mother had asked her why she hadn't asked for a desk, Sumati's response:

'Mummi, I have your desk.'

Her mother's responded by rolling her eyes.

'Suma!'

'Daddy, à venir!' She walked out of her bedroom, her backpack hanging from her shoulder as she entered the kitchen. Her bedroom was just a few feet from the sleek kitchen, her second favorite place.

Her father sat at the four-seated kitchen table, his eyes squinting to read the newspaper in his hands. Sumati pressed a soft kiss on her father's forehead, before sitting next to him.

'Vos lunettes?' Her father huffed, earning a giggle from his eighteen year old who sipped on the tea her father had prepped for the two. 'Mummi?'

'Here.' Sumati's mother sat in front of her father, squeezing her daughter's hand as she grabbed a piece of toast. Her mother took one look at her father before shaking her head. 'Where are your glasses?' Sumati smiled softly as she sipped on the sweet tea.

'I can read just fine.' Her father huffed, before folding the newspaper and placing it next to his teacup. Her father looked at Sumati and smiled. 'Excited for the new school year?'

'Oui, I'm looking forward to what Forks High School has to offer.' The trio laughed as her mother suddenly stood.

'Oh! We're going to be late. Aao, aao- you can't be late for your first day as a Senior!' Sumati stood, grabbing her and her mother's cup, leaving her parents to say their goodbye's for the day as she placed the cups in the sink. She walked back over to the kitchen table, grabbing her backpack as her father spoke.

'Have a good day, Suma. I expect a full report on the cafeteria food, your favorite teachers, and new friends when you come home.' Suma laughed as her father stood, kissing her forehead.

'Deal.' She turned, walking out the front door- closing it behind her and watching her mother's Jaguar pull out to the curb.

One thing Sumati never could understand was the need for the expensive cars. Not that she would ever complain- the sleek, jet black car beautiful and standing out from the rest of Forks, vintage compared to her mother's car.

'Suma!' Her mother's patience wore thin, a not-so morning person unlike Sumati and her father. She walked to her mother's car, sliding into the passenger seat, placing the backpack on her lap and putting her seatbelt on. Her mother put the car on 'D,' before speeding down the street. 'You're wearing your Nana's sweater.' Sumati had worn her Nana Ji's almond colored sweater with black jeans, black combat boots, and a navy blue jacket.

'I need him today.' She whispered, staring out the passenger window, watching the trees pass by.

Sumati's Nana Ji was a gentle man, a Historian like her own father and had spent much of her childhood recounting his mother country's battles. He would walk her to school each morning, and would wait for her underneath the Elm Tree that sat in front of her school back in Massachusetts.

Her mother tightened her grip around the steering wheel at the mention of her father. Kavi Singh had taken his typical five o'clock afternoon nap one November day two years ago, a nap he claimed prepared him for his evening card game with his neighborhood friends.

He never made it to the game, passing away at the age of 82.

The mother-daughter duo kept quiet for the rest of the ride, their minds running wild with the idea of Kavi Singh's presence- how he would react to his only granddaughter's first day at a new high school.

The two arrived at Forks High School with smiles, knowing he'd make it his personal job to escort his granddaughter into the school and remind each staff member that his Roshanee was special, the change this world desperately needed.

'Have a good day, Suma.' Her mother kissed her forehead, before watching her daughter leave the car, closing the door behind her. 'Go straight to the Office.' Sumati nodded, waving her mother off. Sumati didn't move until the Jaguar was no longer a speck in the distance.

'Your name?'

'Sumati Beauchêne.' The older woman raised her eyebrow at her name, before searching for schedule. 'Ah, here we are Sue-mat-ee.' Sumati's left eye twitched, the secretary missing it as she passed Sumati her school schedule.

'Sumati, my name is Soo-mah-tee.' The woman blushed, as she quickly handed me a small square paper.

'Please have each of your teachers sign this slip and return it to me at the end of the day.' Sumati looked at the slip now in her hands, curious for the reason behind it. 'Standard procedure for new students.' Sumati looked at the red-haired woman who adjusted her glasses, Sumati smiling.

'Thank you.' The secretary nodded, before gasping.

'Oh! Here, here!' She rummaged through a pile of documents to one side of the desk, pulling out a map. 'A map of the school.' Sumati thanked the woman once more, grabbing the map before leaving the office.

Glancing down at her schedule, she noticed her first class of the day was Advanced Physics.

Great way to start her first day.

translations

[thé - tea

a rahe hai - coming

à venir - i'm coming

Vos lunettes - your glasses

Shona - jewel

oui - yes

aao - come

Nana Ji - mother's father

roshanee - light]