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So I did the next best thing. I invited my new friend Lakshmi over for a coffee.
This was exactly what I needed.
Curled up on the sofa, my hands wrapped around the chai tea Lakshmi had made with me, I listened to her stories of India. The smell of cardamon and cinnamon hung heavy in the air, making Rosa wrinkle her nose. Maybe she regretted her idea, but her smile from the kitchen told me she didn’t.
My mind wandered occasionally to the words uttered by Armando and Angelo right before I would jump back to some new story of Lakshmi’s family, and she had a lot of them back in India. Her uncle with four wives, her cousin who was trying out for a Bollywood film, her grandmother's family who refused to have toilets inside the house. But there were also stories of a cousin starting a small business, another one not only looking after her elderly parents but also her elderly in-laws.
“You see, beti, there is nothing good or bad in this world. It is just different. That is very important to understand when you are associating with different cultures. No?”
I nodded, enthralled by her words. Nothing good or bad, just different.
“What does beti mean?”
“Daughter. You feel like a daughter to me. Do you mind if I call you that?” she asked sweetly.
“No, of course not.”
“So, where is this husband of yours?”
“At work.” Doing lots of illegal stuff.
She nodded. “Ramesh said your husband has quite the reputation.”
My heart screeched to a stop like I’d not seen that bus before me.
“Apparently, he has some big accounts in his company,” she paused, confusion crossing her face at my open-mouthed shock. “You know men. Ramesh thinks he knows a thing or two about private investment banking. He did some digging into your husband’s company, and now he thinks he knows everything.”
Oh!
I heard my heart beating in my ears, Lab-dab lab-dab. It wasn’t a bus, after all.
“I told him I don’t care about his business. The way that man looks at you, one has to be blind not to know his heart is beating for you.”
I thought it a pity that my new friend turned out to be blind. I hoped Antonio was shortsighted as well. What was worse than falling for the man? Him finding out.
“So, when are you off for your honeymoon?”
The daze around me cleared for a minute.
“Ugh… honeymoon.” I wouldn’t mind that. Just the two of us with Cora… except it wasn’t an actual marriage. “He doesn’t have much time… you know… with work and all.” My words trailed off. How did The Mafia work? Did he get, like, a three-week, paid holiday?
“Oh, beti, you have to take the time to enjoy. Life could end just like that, you know. Might as well enjoy it while you can.”
Just like that, I was back to that phone call from Mrs Smith, listening to the voice on the other end telling me to come home. Grief dropped to the pit of my stomach like a heavy stone. I blinked a few times.
If this was my last day today, what would I want to do?
Be with him.
Both the angel and the devil on my shoulders seemed to agree.
I was so sick of not being with him. I deserved him. I deserved to enjoy life too.
I picked up my phone next to me, Lakshmi’s words fading to a buzz.
I was thinking …
Armando interrupted me by showing Ramesh in.
