Chapter 24
Nora: #Mom’sFoodIsTheBest
G abs stops the car outside my childhood home. It seems even smaller than it used to be, especially after spending the previous day at his parents’ enormous home. The house is as it has always been, a smallish two-floor white-colored house with brown doors. Nothing to set it apart from all the other houses on the street except the garden.
The garden is beautiful as ever, with a couple of garden gnomes, well-manicured grass, and neat bushes encircling it. Mom always loved it and tended to it like it was her child. Guess she still does.
“Takes you back in time, doesn’t it?” Gabs remarks as we approach the door.
“Kinda. Though I hope it didn’t. Not many pleasant memories here.”
“Really? I have quite a few. You stood right here, outside your door, when I first saw you. I was riding my bike and fell off, and you ran over to help me.”
I chuckle. “Oh yeah. I’d almost forgotten. I remember I thought what a stupid boy who can’t even ride a bike.”
“In my defense, it wasn’t every day I saw a girl like you.”
What? What does he mean by this? That he had never seen a girl dressed in weird sweaters? Or in pigtails? Or what? I scrutinize his face, trying to understand what he means, but he looks away.
“You had a bench earlier in that corner of the garden,” he continues momentarily. “Remember, we used to discuss books out there with your mom? And there, the pipe right outside your room window. The one we used so often to climb up and down from your room.”
“And Dad caught you once. He was about to beat you up when Mom came and rescued you, saying we were only playing and she knew you were with me.”
“Oh boy! I remember that. I was so thankful for your mom that day. Of course, I apologized to her later and reassured her we were in reality only talking. I always liked her, y’know. Your mom. She was so unlike mine, who was never present. But your mom was always there for you and for me, too.”
It’s strange hearing a different perspective of the same person and time. Somehow, I don’t remember it like that. I always remember her crying. But he’s right. Except for those days when my parents fought, Mom was always there for us—helping with homework, cooking our favorite dinner, playing with us, recommending books to read, and discussing them later. How could I forget those times?
Why is it that humans remember the hurt and pain more than the happy times?
The door opens as if on cue, and Mom is standing there with outstretched arms.
“Oh, what are you both doing outside,” she says, hugging us together. “Oh, my my. You both seem to have lost weight. The city is taking its toll. You should stay here for some time and I will put you back in shape.”
I hear Carla’s hurried steps approaching. We disengage from Mom and fall into Carla’s hug. Yeah! My people are huggers. Big ones.
Kevin is standing in a corner, wondering if he’s expected to follow the same protocol. Gabs puts him out of his quandary by shaking his hand. Thankfully. I don’t like him enough to hug him.
“I’m preparing pork pie for lunch. I hope it’s still your favorite, Gabriel,” Mom says, walking over to the open kitchen.
“It is. But I have to meet up with some friends.”
“Aw, I was hoping we’d chat a little like old times.”
“Next time. I promise. As for the pie, I won’t give up my share so easily. Nora can pack it up and I’ll eat it for dinner.”
Carla steps up with her hands on her hips. “What? You aren’t spending the day here? Nora spent yesterday with your family. Why can’t you do the same today?”
“Um, well,” Gabs is clearly at a loss. He looks at me for help, but I shrug my shoulders.
He’s still thinking what to say when Carla breaks into peels of laughter, as I knew she would. That’s classic Carla. Make people uncomfortable and then laugh at their faces.
Gabriel smiles. “You got me this time, Carla. Anyway, Nora told me she has a lot to catch up with you guys, so I’ll take your leave. Next time, we’ll plan to spend some time together. All of us,” Gabs says, before hugging Mom and Carla. He turns to me and we get into an awkward handshake, then hug, then kiss routine, quite unsure of what we should do.
“Well,” Carla says, plopping on the couch and pulling me with her once Gabs drives off. “So, how did it finally happen?”
“I always knew it would,” Mom says from the kitchen.
“No, you didn’t,” I retort. “You said the same when I moved in with Rick.”
“Um, well, I did say that to your face, but I knew Rick wouldn’t last. In fact, I’m astonished that the relationship lasted as long as it did.”
“Why didn’t you say so?”
“It wasn’t my place to say. You need to figure out these things yourself.”
“Anyway, how did it happen? And since when?” Carla repeats and Mom brings us some coffee and takes a seat opposite us.
“I made coffee for Kevin too. Where is he?”
“Probably working. He’s gotta finish something today, I guess. Don’t bother. Let’s focus on the important stuff.”
She looks at me, the steaming mug in her hands, her feet up on the couch, her eyes wide with excitement.
“Nothing spectacular. He broke up with Paula the same day I broke up with Rick.”
“Because of each other?”
“Nooo. I hadn’t even thought about it before that. It was Paula who said that he could never be in a relationship because we both are into each other. I guess that statement made us think. And we thought, well, let’s give it a try. That’s it.”
“Really? That’s lame,” Carla says, the excitement vanishing from her face.
“Unfortunately, I agree,” Mom says. “I was expecting something more dramatic. But, I’m happy for you, Nora.”
I hate lying to them. I hate lying to anyone, but especially to them. So, when I see the happiness and excitement that this news brings, I somehow don’t feel like going through with it. I mean, it’s my family. They deserve the truth.
“Well, how’s this for dramatic? We’re not really together. We’re faking it because his mom has planned for some arranged marriage for him otherwise.”
“What? Who? Is that true?”
I nod. “Sophia. She’s some French heiress of a big business. But you can’t tell anyone. Okay? Everyone needs to believe this.”
They’re both quiet for some time. “No wonder you both were so awkward together,” Mom remarks.
“Just a moment ago, weren’t you saying you always knew this would happen?” She’s really bizarre, this woman.
“Oh, don’t get me wrong. I still do. I think you’re perfect for each other. But you have to find that out for yourself. And sometimes, finding that out takes a long, long time.”
Something tells me she’s not talking about me right now. Her eyes seem to focus on nothingness, lost in a past that she’d rather never have lived. Was there a time when she thought Dad and she were good together? Did she take so much time to figure out it wasn’t working? I, of course, spared no words to tell her what I felt when I was old enough to understand.
She closes her eyes for a moment and when she opens them again; I see her studying my face with a strange look. “But coming back, you can’t keep up this ruse forever. What happens when you find someone or he does?”
I shrug. “I don’t know. Hopefully that Sophia girl will also find someone else till then. At least we buy some time for Gabs to figure out what can be done. Daphne wanted to fix it all up during dinner last night and in the coming weeks. We’ll take it one step at a time. But guys,” I say, my gaze oscillating between them. “Remember, please don’t tell anyone. This cannot go out. Not a single soul besides the two of you know it.”
“Of course, we won’t tell anyone. But tell me, does that mean you two haven’t… y’know what I mean? I mean, you both stay together, right?” Carla says, wiggling her eyebrows.
Of course, I know what she means. But I can’t tell her we did, despite this being a fake. “Grow up Carla. Asking such questions! Anyway, enough about me. You tell me, how are things here?”
And just like that, the conversation veers to more palatable topics, away from me picturing Gabs over me, his tongue licking me, him whispering in my ears. Ugh! I hate myself for being so impacted by one night. What am I? A schoolgirl?
Thankfully, the topic doesn’t come up again during the day. I talk to Kevin after a delectable lunch of pork pie. I get some mouth-watering pictures of the food that I share online. Hashtag Mom’s-Food-Is-The-Best. Good food always makes for some great photos, especially when the presentation is so awesome. Mom works as a chef in a nearby restaurant, so this is her area of expertise. She packs the leftovers for Gabs, though I’m not sure I’d like to share it with him. On second thoughts, I might.
I discuss digital marketing with Kevin and the things he can do. From what little he has done till now, I don’t see how he’s reaching any customers. He’s barely present on social media with less than a hundred followers and posts once a week, sometimes not even that. His business website is one page! One page. And that too is not optimized for searches. Jesus! There’s a lot to do.
“So, how do you find your clients right now?” I ask him while studying his one-page website and noting down the things he should add.
“It’s more of a word-of-mouth thing. I actually have a friend who gives me work, and he has recommended me to a few people. That’s it for now.”
“Okay. That’s good. Getting references through your existing clients speaks well. But how does someone who needs an illustrator find you?”
He’s at a loss and shrugs. “I’m listed on some of these freelance websites.”
“Look, Kevin. You have a business where you can have clients from across the globe. But they need to find you when they search for an illustrator.” I try to keep my tone upbeat and approachable. “Digital marketing is all about reaching your customers online. It’s where most people spend their time these days—on social media, reading emails, browsing websites.”
I spend over an hour with him giving him ideas, and showing him how he can make quick reels and posts on free software, the pages he can add to his website, the promotions he can run, and the frequency with which he should post.
“You need to be consistent,” I tell him repeatedly. “Regular posting keeps you in your audience’s mind. Use visuals—photos, videos, infographics—they grab attention. The best part is that you’re already good at designing. Engage with your followers; respond to comments and messages. Build a community, not just a following.”
“That’s the problem, Nora. I’m not consistent. With anything. I like to wing it and it’s worked for me so far.”
I close my eyes and count to ten. He’s Carla’s boyfriend. I need to be polite. “I understand,” I finally reply. “But if you want to do better at digital marketing, you have to be consistent.”
“And if I spend so much time on it, when’ll I do my work?”
“That’s the thing, Kevin. This is part of your work, an integral part of your business, which will help you get more clients. It’s not that big a deal. You can plan your posts over the weekend and schedule them for the week. Or keep them in drafts so all you have to do later is click and post. A bit of pre-planning is all that’s required.”
“You’re good at it, right? Can you do it for me? I mean, you’re always on social media in any case, right?” he says, shutting down his system with a smirk on his stupid-ass face.
Is he serious? I look at his face and realize he is.
“I could, but even if I had time, I don’t think you’ll be able to afford me right now. Best is to do it yourself. Actually, you can get a lot of these tips if you follow me or follow my blog.” I smile and reply as politely as I can. The nerve of this dude. I’m trying to help him and he’s trying to offload his work on me!
I don’t understand what Carla sees in him. But as Mom said, she has to figure that out for herself.
I think the women in my family—Mom, Carla, me—can’t see what or who is best for us. We’re somehow attracted to the wrong people, the ones who will take us down. Dad was like that. Even before he physically hurt Mom, he never let her do anything she wanted. Never even let her work. Rick was the same for me as Kevin is for Carla—not good.
And Gabs, well, he doesn’t even count, because that relationship is sacrosanct. What happened last night is the one memory I can carry of an ephemeral, fleeting sense of what a relationship with him can be. And while it was good, I can’t risk it.
Shortly afterward, Kevin and Carla leave to do some grocery shopping for the week while I sit down with Mom.
“So you really thought Dad was the one for you? All those years?”
She nods. “I loved him. I think in his own way he loved me too, at least when we got married. Things began changing, but I was too blind to see it, and when I did, it was too late. I know you hated me for not standing up to him. I know you were ashamed of me. I…”
I slide down to the floor next to her feet and hold her hand. “I didn’t hate you. And I was never ashamed of you. I hated him . All I wanted was for you to break free because I knew you’d be happier without him. That’s all. If I ever made you feel like I was ashamed of you, I’m sorry.”
She looks down at my face, tears rolling down her cheeks. “You were always so strong, Nora. You had a mind of your own. Stubborn and determined. I wasn’t like that. I was broken. He broke me. Completely. I had no friends, no qualification, no means to take care of two young girls. How could I leave him? How could I take care of both of you?”
“You stayed for us ? We could’ve worked, Mom. You should’ve told us. Is that why you stayed with him till Carla finished her schooling and I was in grad school? Dear God!”
I stand up and sit on the handrest of the couch, hugging her, tears rolling down my cheeks as well. “I’m so sorry for judging you instead of understanding you. I was so quick to shout at you and tell you what you should do instead of listening to you. I judged you when I should’ve supported you and helped you free yourself. What a terrible daughter I’ve been. I’m so sorry, Mom.”
She hugs me tighter. “Everyone understands in their own time, Nora. I know you wanted what was best for me. And I know your father and my relationship hurt you in more ways than one. But I was glad you had Gabriel. It was he who introduced me to my lawyer and held my hand during the divorce proceedings. She pulls back and looks into my eyes. “He even called me yesterday and told me I should talk to you about all this. He kinda made me promise. In fact, I also took up the cooking classes on his insistence.”
“Really? I didn’t know. He never told me. You know what, you should open your own restaurant. You cook so well. I can help you with the marketing and stuff and Carla can help with part of the operations. Gabs and I have a common friend who can help with the financing bit.”
Surprisingly, she nods. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it. Gabriel suggested that last year, but I wasn’t sure. Now , maybe I will.” She smiles and squeezes my hand. “He’s a good man, that one. Don’t lose him.”
I nod. “I won’t.”
And I mean it. I won’t do anything to lose the one constant in my life, the positive force that has helped me cross over all roadblocks. Not just me, but Mom as well, even when I wasn’t there for her.
A new respect and love swell up in my chest for Gabs. I might’ve failed her as a daughter, but he stepped up and filled that hole, holding her hand and guiding her when she needed it the most. How can I let my stupid emotions get the better of me and affect our friendship in any way? I’ll protect him as he has protected me and my family.
Gabs is back before Carla and Kevin and we leave without meeting them. Mom hugs him as if he were her son, or maybe I see it differently because of the new information. He laughs and makes her laugh, puts on some music on his phone, and does a quick one-minute dance routine with her, before bidding her goodbye.