In case you haven't noticed, my family is like Kardashian rich because why else would we be on a boat cruise in the mile of the sea with so much food and not one person has even taken a bite. I can't help staring at Doris. After last night, i don't think i can see her the same way ever again. i don't know how we missed it before, the little hand touches, eye contacts, reassuring nos, they've been right under our noses the whole damn time. I turn to Baya and she's looking at them with so much concentration.
"You couldn't be more obvious, huh?"
"Shh.."
"What exactly are you doing?
"Looking hard enough to see if her deceitfulness will blow up in her face." She continues starting intently. "Join me."
"Cut it," I laugh, hitting her. "Before her mum starts asking questions.
There isn't any dinner planned for us today in D's itinerary so dad takes the liberty to order chinese food take outs for everyone while we watch the sunset. I know he feels the same way I do about all the seafood I've had, which is enough to feed a village for an entire year.
"I'm going in," D says. "I have to put the boys to sleep, it's way past their bedtime. NIght mom, Night a." shed tells them kissing them on their cheeks and walking away.
"Ouch,", "Rude" Baya and I say simultaneously.
"Goodnight aunt Annaya," the boys say simultaneously walking away with their mother. "Night granniedspa." The boys do this thing where they join words so they don't have to use too many words. i'm surprised she's their mom because they have mine and Baya's traits. That's what we did when we were much younger and Doris despised it. I wonder how she copes now her kids are doing the exact same thing.
"NIght," we say back.
"You know for a moment there I thought we'd have become ghosts." Baya says out loud.
"Doris has a problem."
"Mhmm." shed replies making us receive stink eye from our mother. If I wasn't sure she gave birth to us I say we were adopted and Doris was her one true child because this woman criticizes everything I and Baya do… even breathing and I am not exaggerating it.
While everybody retired to their room, Baya, Dad and I made our way out of the rental and into the streets. We haven't had any time to explore since we had an itinerary and I know mum did that to stop us from getting into trouble but you can't really stop the spontaneous trio now can you? And that spontaneity has led to our many problems, mine being top of the chart.
"Where do we hit first?" Dad asks.
Baya checks her phone. "There's this underground bar a few blocks down and Sunday happens to be karaoke night."
" Aren't we lucky then." Dad says. We get to the bar at exactly nine pm sharp.
"Let's loosen up a bit shall we?" I ask to lead them to the bar without giving them much of a choice.I have had a long long life and I don't remember the last time i was in a bar.
"Six shots please." Baya cheers behind me.
"Six?" Dad asks in disbelief.
"You heard her," Baya says to the bartender and turns to dad. "Lost your touch old man?"
He takes that as a challenge and gulps down two shots at a go and says to her, "You're going down young lady."
"Woah.. Slow down" Baya says, " If we keep going like this we'd be drunk as hell before midnight."
"Isn't that the plan?" I ask no one in particular downing my own shots.
***
Last thing I remember is Baya and I giggling and singing off key to Becky G's shower and dad cheering from the crowd "Those are my girls." and everyone staring at him and in my head im screaming not "everyone has a cool dad."it
That's the last thing I remember when I wake up on the couch with a splitting headache.
"Fuck!" I exclaim massaging my forehead.
"Language," Baya groans. "There's still kids in the house."
"Here, dad." She hands him an aspirin and a bottle of water. "Coffee will be ready in a minute."
"Morning Mr. Crest", D's husband greets my dad. they never got on to the first name basis. Dad didn't really fancy the guy and honestly neither did i.
"When did you get back?" I blurt.
"Last night." he looks around. "Thought i might catch up with the last of the weekend getaway." He's definitely hiding something.
"Really?" Baya beats me to it. "That's about the dumbest shit you…" I stomp her foot. "That's fine." she fake smiles as mum comes in from the corridor.
"Morning Blair," he greets her. I have little time to get any extra ideas because my idiot brother -in -law decides to speak. "You all had some fun last night. The laughing was so loud when you got back."
Knowing him, I know it's a trap and next thing my mum is trying to give us a lecture but no way am I letting anyone pull one on me. "And how did you hear us?" I ask him. "There's no way you could have heard us from the room you and D share." I know I hit a nerve there because he grows uncomfortable but mum trying to save her son's face goes back to scolding us.
"I should get going now," he says underneath his breath and walks out before anyone notices.
"Oh no you dont," Baya mumbles, going after him.
"Oh boy," I sigh, going after them. If there's one thing I have learnt about Baya and this guy in his six years of being in the family- they never agree. Not when D was in labor and her baby was turning the wrong direction. Not during thanksgiving or even halloween. I know better than to leave them alone.
"What's your deal?" she asks him.
"Look Baya," oh boy.
"It's Barbara to you,and you look, you don't get to up and leave for a "business meeting" and waltz back in here with a cock and bull story in the middle of the night." she tells him. "Thought I'd catch up on the last night of the weekend." She mimics him.
"Really Barbara," he sighs "I do not have the time for any of this right now. you can talk to me when the alcohol is out of your system."
He did not just say that. The nerve of this man. Just when I thought he couldn't go any lower. "Don't you dare talk to my sister like that." I interject. "We know something is up and you might as well cut the bullshit and tell us before we find out ourselves."
"Of course you know the family you married into ."
"What's going on out here?" Mum interrupts.
"Nothing," Baya says. "Just wishing him good luck in his meeting."
"Yeah, just that." I concur, giving him the I'm watching you eye before turning around and heading back to the house.
***
"Peace offering?" I say to bella stretching out my hand.
"That had better be the best seafood I have ever had." she grabs the bag from my hand.
"I don't know what seafood you've had but this is tasty."
"Mhmm," she agrees, taking a bite of the Ceviche.
"So what did I miss?" I ask her seemingly uninterested.
"Nothing much," she says mouthful. "But we do have an event to attend this weekend. It's a shareholders meeting bla bla"
"That's odd," I go through my work tab. " Khalil never mentioned anything about that."
"That's because you're not exactly required to be there."
"Okay then, I'm not going."
"But I am so you're going either way, you're my date."
"No. Absolutely not."
"Girl you know you're yelling right."
I roll my eyes. "My point is.."
"There is no point. you're coming, end of discussion." She cuts me short. "Nice seafood by the way."
I look at her with so much emotion I don't know what to feel.
ANGER? it's not that serious to get angry for. Ugh… I haven't even gotten home since I got back. Came straight to work from the airport and now I have this issue to deal with. Thank you Bella .As though today couldn't get any worse, I go to my office after lunch and bump into Khalil having the time of his life with Monday - I have stuck to addressing them by their days of the week. It's easier that way honestly. - Just great.