AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“Who collects coupons to buy a food processor?” asked Jaya.
Sita scowled at her. “Someone who understands how to budget. It would have been a total bargain if he’d collected the last one. In fact, fuck it. I’m keeping them. I’m going to collect the next one and get the goddamn processor. There’s no point coming so far and falling at the last hurdle because—well, because he died.”
“That’s a nice idea,” said Reeva. “I get the sense Dad would have appreciated that.”
Sita gave her a rare smile. “Yeah.”
“I wish we knew more about him,” said Jaya. “Don’t you rememberanything, Reeva? You were the oldest.”
Reeva bit her bottom lip. “I can’t tell what are my memories and what I’ve seen in photographs. I kind of remember his face—mainly his eighties mustache. And I think I remember him holding me. Hugging me. But I’m not really sure.”
“He hugged you,” repeated Jaya softly.
“I’m pretty sure he hugged you too,” said Sita. “Parents do generally hold their children. Seeing as babies can’t, you know, do anything without being held.”
Jaya’s eyes moistened. “It’s crazy to think of him truly holding me. Like, now we’re here in his house. And I’m folding his linens.”
Sita shook her head impatiently, but Reeva nodded. “I know what you mean. I thought about him so much as a kid, but then I just... you know, life. He became an idea, not a person. And being here, in his house... he’s real again.”
“Exactly,” cried Jaya. “I just want to know who he was. Do you remember anything about what he was like with Mum? If they were, like, relationship goals? Or the couple who should have divorced?”
“I’m guessing the latter,” said Sita. “Seeing as they ended up faking his death. Probably because he cheated.”
“They did start out with that romantic forbidden-love story,” pointed out Reeva. “Eloping and hiding it from their parents. But... I don’t think that lasted. All I know is what Mum’s always told us when we asked about him—that he loved us all, but he wasn’t the easiest husband to live with. Which probably just translated to him not letting her spend the food budget in Selfridges.”
Sita snorted. “Exactly.”
“I wish I could remember more,” said Jaya sadly. “I hate how Mum never wanted to talk about him.”
“It’s typical her—if it’s in the past, leave it there.” Sita shrugged. “I vaguely remember her saying they argued a lot, but she argues with everyone.”
Reeva nodded. “I feel like I have hazy memories of them arguing, but I think it was just normal husband-wife stuff. Oh, and I have one nice memory. Of us all sitting on the sofa watchingThe Jungle Book. And maybe an argument about a babysitter?”
“The one who stole!” cried Sita.
“How do you know that?”
“Mum told me. It’s why she always locked her stuff up in a safe.”
“Oh my god!” Jaya’s face lit up. “Reeva, maybe you’re the key to all of this. We could get you hypnotherapy! I bet you know more than you think. You probably overheard them talking about the big secret. His affair.”
Reeva rolled her eyes. “Five-year-old me is not the key to this. I barely remember what I had for lunch, let alone our parents’ adult conversations from the nineties.”
“You never know,” said Jaya excitedly. “I vote you do it. We’ve got nothing to lose, and it’s not like we have any other leads.”
“Sita, tell her that’s a ridiculous idea,” said Reeva, looking at her sister. “Sita? Hello?”
Sita turned around slowly. She was holding a large brown folder. “I think you guys need to see this.”
Jaya instantly sprang up while Reeva cautiously made her way across the room. “What is it?”
“I don’t know,” replied Sita. “Let’s find out.”
The sisters sat down on the carpet and opened the folder. It had dozens of colored dividers inside, all clearly labeled with dates going all the way from before the girls’ births to the previous year before he died.
“Look how organized it is,” cried Jaya. “Tell me now he’s not a spy.”
“He’s not a spy,” said Sita automatically. She pulled out a file, and all three sisters gasped as photos of the three of them as babies spilled out. Photos of their dad holding them. Even a photo of their mum laughing next to him in the sunshine. “It’s... us,” said Sita. “He has photos of us.”
