entangled in her thoughts. She couldn’t figure out what it was that upset her so much. Still unaware of her feelings, the unease within her was growing. Finally, she decided, she couldn’t afford to ponder over something that she couldn’t figure out. She brushed it aside as pangs of nervousness about moving back. What else could they be?
Then, as she walked into the kitchen to get her cup of coffee, still engrossed in her thoughts, she heard her mother’s surprised voice, “You are up early, Kim?”
And, suddenly, Kim was happy to see her mother. She couldn’t have been gladder to see her mom — anyone and anything was welcome as long as she could get away from her thoughts.
“I thought I’d see the rising sun. I don’t get to see much of it these days,” Kim managed to say with a smile. Then she moved from the window, switched on the TV and sat down on the sofa. Her mother evidently understood that there was something going on in her mind but Kim knew she wouldn’t bring up anything that she didn’t want to talk about. Judith wouldn’t disturb her anymore; she wanted her daughter to move back home.
“Sam will be going for that interview that Dave has set up for her,” said Judith. Sam, who had finished her studies was back home. She was looking for some work experience before going for her Masters in Business Management.
“I think the head office is a little far from here,” continued Judith after a long gulp of coffee. “But we’ll see about it once she gets through. He mentioned that they are looking for candidates for their new branch at the City Center too. So, maybe, they could put her there. It will be better for her to commute anyway.”
Kim listened absentmindedly as her fingers kept flicking through the TV channels. Her mother took the remote from her and continued, “Of course, that’s being presumptuous. She needs to get through first.”
“Mom,” Kim said, “do you think we are getting too dependent on Dave for every small thing?”
The doubt that had been pestering Kim since several days was now out in the open, but the moment she said it, she began to regret it. It hadn’t sounded like such a bad idea in her head.
Judith looked at her with widened eyes. She felt a wave of anger rushing in her body, so much so that she could even feel the heat on her face. But she checked herself. The anger was because she thought of all that Kim had made Richard go through when he had advised her against Dave. Now, she had doubts? Judith didn’t want to get into an argument with Kim. She reminded herself of that. But she also knew that she could not allow Kim to follow this particular train of thoughts.
“Kim, you must not think too much,” said Judith, choosing her words carefully. “It can spoil even the good things in life.” Judith was wary.
Judith did not want to say anything, even by accident, which could tick Kim off. She knew that if Kim went this time, she would not return for a long, long time, and so an uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
On the other hand, Kim knew what her mother had carefully masked in her words, and she didn’t get mad. She couldn’t get mad. There was nothing her mom had said or not said that could upset her.
Just then, Sam walked in, and they both forced a smile for her benefit.
The smiles amused Sam. She walked over and helped herself to a mug of coffee and said cheerfully, “Don’t mind me. Please continue whatever it is that you people are doing, and do stop with those fake smiles!”
Then she sat with them in the living room, but there was silence once again. However, it was not as piercing as before.
Sam had always managed to bring a sense of normalcy into the household. That was the reason that everybody else tried to keep things as normal as possible for her benefit. Sending her away when Richard was ill wasn’t an easy decision to take, but they did not want her to live with the image of her father’s deteriorating health.
Then, as she walked into the kitchen to get her cup of coffee, still engrossed in her thoughts, she heard her mother’s surprised voice, “You are up early, Kim?”
And, suddenly, Kim was happy to see her mother. She couldn’t have been gladder to see her mom — anyone and anything was welcome as long as she could get away from her thoughts.
“I thought I’d see the rising sun. I don’t get to see much of it these days,” Kim managed to say with a smile. Then she moved from the window, switched on the TV and sat down on the sofa. Her mother evidently understood that there was something going on in her mind but Kim knew she wouldn’t bring up anything that she didn’t want to talk about. Judith wouldn’t disturb her anymore; she wanted her daughter to move back home.
“Sam will be going for that interview that Dave has set up for her,” said Judith. Sam, who had finished her studies was back home. She was looking for some work experience before going for her Masters in Business Management.
“I think the head office is a little far from here,” continued Judith after a long gulp of coffee. “But we’ll see about it once she gets through. He mentioned that they are looking for candidates for their new branch at the City Center too. So, maybe, they could put her there. It will be better for her to commute anyway.”
Kim listened absentmindedly as her fingers kept flicking through the TV channels. Her mother took the remote from her and continued, “Of course, that’s being presumptuous. She needs to get through first.”
“Mom,” Kim said, “do you think we are getting too dependent on Dave for every small thing?”
The doubt that had been pestering Kim since several days was now out in the open, but the moment she said it, she began to regret it. It hadn’t sounded like such a bad idea in her head.
Judith looked at her with widened eyes. She felt a wave of anger rushing in her body, so much so that she could even feel the heat on her face. But she checked herself. The anger was because she thought of all that Kim had made Richard go through when he had advised her against Dave. Now, she had doubts? Judith didn’t want to get into an argument with Kim. She reminded herself of that. But she also knew that she could not allow Kim to follow this particular train of thoughts.
“Kim, you must not think too much,” said Judith, choosing her words carefully. “It can spoil even the good things in life.” Judith was wary.
Judith did not want to say anything, even by accident, which could tick Kim off. She knew that if Kim went this time, she would not return for a long, long time, and so an uncomfortable silence stretched between them.
On the other hand, Kim knew what her mother had carefully masked in her words, and she didn’t get mad. She couldn’t get mad. There was nothing her mom had said or not said that could upset her.
Just then, Sam walked in, and they both forced a smile for her benefit.
The smiles amused Sam. She walked over and helped herself to a mug of coffee and said cheerfully, “Don’t mind me. Please continue whatever it is that you people are doing, and do stop with those fake smiles!”
Then she sat with them in the living room, but there was silence once again. However, it was not as piercing as before.
Sam had always managed to bring a sense of normalcy into the household. That was the reason that everybody else tried to keep things as normal as possible for her benefit. Sending her away when Richard was ill wasn’t an easy decision to take, but they did not want her to live with the image of her father’s deteriorating health.
Similar Books
