As the evening progressed, Ella closed the shop and made her final accounts for the day. Seven hundred bucks, not bad, thought Ella. She took her own share and kept the rest for Helen. Taking some bucks, she went to get something for dinner for Helen.
"What would like to have for dinner?" asked Ella while finding Helen reading up on some recipe book.
"Get me a whiskey."
"That's not dinner," said Ella while crossing her arms and leaning in the doorway.
"It is. A very expensive one!" said dazedly. Ella had strictly limited the intake of alcohol for Mrs. Willow, especially after the incident when she had drunk a lot and scared away all of her customers who were looking at the cakes and muffins made by her, thinking maybe that they were going to eat her!
"Fortunately, I can't afford that much. So either you say what you want or I'll get what I want to, for you," said Ella sweetly.
"Fine! I'll have a greasy sandwich," grumbled Helen, knowing it very well that Ella won't have it any other way. Helen then asked, "Can I get a Redbull?" meekly. Ella raised one of her brows while staring at her.
"Oh, come on don't be a party pooper! I haven't tasted anything close to any drinks for a long time. And my tongue has become bitter with those beers!" she complained.
"There's no party going on here. And it's not healthy for you to have drinks. Remember the last doctor visit. One more visit there and you are surely going to rehab."
"Please? I'll listen to you every time, I promise!"
"I know you have your fingers crossed," said Ella bored as this wasn't the first time for the old lady to behave like a child.
"What?! No!" Helen exclaimed innocently.
"Fine! I'll get you one."
Ella continued, "After that you are going to sleep and no more wandering around the night. Tomorrow you will bake more of the items and I don't want any excuses."
"Of course, You have my word," said Helen delightfully.
After handing the dinner to Mrs. Willow, Ella headed towards her home. When her mother opened the door she asked, "Did she eat?"
"Yes. Always so dramatic!"
"Well it's not like that the woman is having many people to interact with. Have you asked her to consider shifting here? We have a spare-"
"I did, she denied. And it's understandable as that place is the only one in her inheritance. She didn't say it directly, but it was obvious that she wants to keep the memories of her and her family by living there."
Her mother, Emma nodded her head understandingly. They both knew how important was it to keep on grasping memories or it might make your life very lonely.
"What's for dinner?" asked Ella while looking through all the dishes her mother had prepared which wasn't much but enough for the both.
"Mashed potatoes and asparagus," answered her mother.
"Is it gri-?" asked Ella pointing at the asparagus.
"Yes, I know you like them grilled," Emma smiled at that.
"Freshen up and hurry now!"
Ella took a bath and joined her mother at the dining. While eating it was customary to watch TV for them. So, her mother was already on it. They were going through the news while eating, when the channel was reporting a debate between the ministers. Ella got bored then, after the incessant repetition of most of the points, just to get high TRPs and this would make the public watching to be going around circles, just like her mother now who seemed very intent in it. It was one of the ways the politicians would like to have attention to themselves, Ella knew it as she had learnt it from her father. She had learnt that not all the things shown on a Television are true or are a fact.
What many reporters have failed to achieve nowadays is the integrity in their reports. So, Ella understood when an information is a news and when it is a garbage.
She continued eating when she saw her mom completely engrossed in the debate. Ella snatched the remote and changed the channel saying, "Eat, mom."
"But the minister was talking about changing the laws of Foreign travelers!"
"Yes, he was only talking for the past 20 minutes. When it will be implemented, only then it will be treated as a change of the laws. Don't compromise your food for such baseless debates."
"Sometimes I forget that you were well acquainted with such things," her mother said with pride.
"Yeah well, it's been a long time. One will tend to forget," said Ella quietly while changing the channels. It seemed Ella was so engrossed in changing the channels that she didn't realize what she wanted to watch actually, until she stopped at one of them involuntarily. Not because she was interested in knowing about the celebs as it was a lifestyle channel, but what made her stop and froze her on her seat was his face. Unfortunately for her, she can recognize his face anyhow, no matter what different styles he applied on himself.
Emma was in the middle of putting a spoonful of the potatoes in her mouth when she found Ella stop eating and sitting erectly; Emma turned over to the TV and found the source of such state of her daughter. She herself stopped eating as well, looking at what the TV was showing.
'...has honored us by appearing in the Interview of STARS. I must say Mr. Knight you had given us a very tedious time to be able to catch up with you. Any particular reason for you to change your mind and accepting to spend your time here?'
'I couldn't make you wait for long Miss...' he glanced discreetly at the interviewer woman's ID 'Adams. Pleasure to make your acquaintance.' he said with a smile which would make swoon all the ladies present there.
If Ella didn't know him better, then even she would have believed his flirtatious looks. But she knew him. She knew him well enough to know that he wasn't among the ones to make public appearances and most certainly he wasn't the one to go for interviews. It was after all a common art practiced between her and him which was needed to sway people to accept what you want.
When all these changes started showing one after another, Ella wondered what was happening for him to have been doing all the things he hated.
Suddenly a voice said, 'We'll return back after the break to resume our Interview of STARS, presenting Roy Knight. Hook up for more lates-' Ella turned off the TV resuming her meal saying, "Too much rubbish goes around nowadays."
Emma knew exactly what was going on around her daughter's mind. She didn't comment anything on it and continued to finish her meal.