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Chapter 15: M.I.A.

15

M.I.A.

 

“I’m in no way going with your officemates,” Nicky exclaimed after slurping down a spoonful of mongo soup. “Besides, what do you need me for anyway? Look after Dexter and Jenny at your bosses’ birthday party?”

Nicky was still upset with her mother for not telling the truth about her father and hearing from Aunt Gracia how her mother had been sleeping around during High School. She tried to talk to her mother about it, but her mother always took the chance to avoid it. For the mean time, Nicky didn’t want to know who her father was, was he still alive, and why couldn’t he be a father to her. She didn’t want to know anymore. She was afraid of the truth. She was afraid she might not like the truth. And she was even more afraid her mother might know the truth at all. And Nicky didn’t like to linger on that thought, either.

“It’s not her birthday party,” Her mother replied as she wiped Jenny’s mouth. The three-year old was insistent on eating by herself, but the spoon was too big for her, she’d always spilled some of the soup. “It’s her son’s. It’s kind of a big party. My officemates are also bringing their family, and we—and I mean this family—are all going next Saturday.”

“But I can’t, ma,” Nicky said. “I have to work on my research papers. I’m graduating, remember?”

“You can’t or you just don’t wanna? No excuses, Nicky. You’re gonna go even if you don’t feel like it.”

“Are there gonna be balloons in the party?” Dexter asked.

“I bet there’d be,” replied Linda.

“Balloons! I want balloons!” Jenny suddenly said, hammering her small fists on the table.

“Oh, I hate balloons,” Dexter grunted, as Jenny kept on yelling, “balloons, balloons!”

Nicky looked at her younger brother and muttered, “That makes two of us.”

“We don’t have balloons right now, langga,” Their mother said sweetly to Jenny. “But we have some juice, and you gonna have some if you finish your meal, alright.”

Jenny’s small little face scowled. She shook her head and yelled, “Balloons, balloons!”

Nicky quickly got a Tupperware glass and filled it with orange juice, then handed it to Jenny. “Jen, here’s your juice,” she said softly.

Jenny went quiet, looked at the glass, then cupped it with her two hands. “Juice! Juice!” She squealed, then emptied the glass with one long gulp.

“So, how’s school, Nicky?” Her mother suddenly asked. Jenny had already gone quiet, fixated on toying with her mongo soup.

“What?”

“Is there something you want to tell me?”

“School’s okay. Is there something you want to know?”

“Well, you’re clearly not telling me you have a new boyfriend.”

“What?” Nicky asked in aghast. “What did Aunt Gracia tell you now?”

“She saw you with a boy—or a couple of boys—at the market. What are you doing at the market?”

Nicky sighed. She then told her mother the whole true story of what had happened at the market, and how Aunt Gracia could have speculated wrongly. Her mother laughed at the story and breathed a sigh of relief.

“You know, I was afraid you are having a rebound boyfriend after your break-up with Josh,” Her mother then said right after. “I was even more afraid you are two-timing.”