Читать книгу Under the Moonlit Sky - Nav K. Gill - Страница 10

Esha, I still can’t believe you’re going through with this,” Mandy said as she paced around my room. “I mean, India, it’s so . . . so . . .”

“Exotic?” Carrie offered.

“I doubt it’s exotic, Carrie,” Reet replied.

“Yeah, but so Third World, no? I mean, what are you going to do there, and can you even speak their language? How long will you be gone?”

“Mandy’s right, and dude, just think how annoyed we get here when we have to attend Indian stuff. Now you’ll be surrounded by it with no escape!” added Reet.

“Okay, calm down! And thanks for pointing that out, Reet. But, honestly, I don’t know how long, and I have no clue what it’ll be like. Trust me, this wasn’t my idea. As for the language, my father made sure long ago that my sister and I learned how to speak Punjabi, so I doubt that’ll be a problem.”

I was just finishing up my packing. The girls had been over since the previous night. They were dreading the idea of summer without me, but at the same time they were very excited over the prospect of me trying to survive on my own in India.

“So why are you going? Why can’t your sister or your mother go?” Mandy asked as she stood with her hands on her hips. She always was a bit overprotective with her girlfriends.

“Mands, you know why. It was my father’s wish. Besides, my sister is pregnant. She can’t travel, and Mom isn’t in any shape to travel either, and I don’t think in her state she should be getting more stressed out by having to face that family in India.”

“Oh yeah, I almost forgot about your brother . . . or . . . cousin . . . whatever. Dude, that’s messed up. What do you think he’ll be like?”

“I have no clue, but I’m sure I can handle him. I’m more concerned about carrying out my father’s request. Going to an unfamiliar place, carrying out these last rites, it’s totally not my scene. But . . . I feel terrible for the way I handled things with him,” I admitted. I put down the books I had spent the past half hour searching for and slumped onto my bed. “I mean, I wasn’t even there when he was . . . you know . . . in the end. I was too caught up in my own fear and denial.”

“Esha,” Carrie said as she placed a comforting hand on mine, “if you aren’t ready to do this, maybe you should wait a bit.”

“No. It’s already been a month,” I replied, getting back up. “I’ve thought about this a lot, and I have to make it up to my dad. I have to do this. I mean, I just have to go there, meet this son, go spread the ashes, then I can catch a flight back home. I’ll get out of there as soon as I can. It can’t be too hard, right?”

“I hope not! We’re going to miss you!” Mandy cried as she wrapped me in her arms.

“Wait! Me too!” Carrie threw her arms around both of us.

“And me!” cried Reet as she joined in.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” I said, as I thought sadly about the dreary weeks ahead of me while my friends enjoyed the wonderful summer weather in B.C.

“Summer’s going to suck without you, Esha. You better get your ass back here as soon as possible,” Mandy whined.

“You gotta do one thing for me, though,” I said as I broke away from the group hug.

“Sure!” she exclaimed with eyes wide.

“Promise me you’ll make Skanky Rachel’s summer hell and keep her away from Johnny!”

“For sure! She’s going down!” yelled Mandy with a stern face.

We all burst into laughter. I really was going to miss them.

“Esha, you ready?” My sister was standing in the doorway.

“Uh, yeah, just about, Sandeep. I’ll be right down,” I replied as I returned to my luggage.

“Hurry then, and meet us outside. We still have to go pick up the ashes from the funeral home,” she said as she turned around and went back downstairs.

“Okay, let’s jam, girls. Help me take this down.”

We each grabbed a bag and made our way downstairs. My sister, her husband, and my mother were just making their way out the front door. I threw on my shoes and gave the house a quick glance. It was time to go.

As I made my way to the door, I suddenly gave a very loud and unexpected sneeze. “Wow, sorry about that,” I said as the girls giggled.

“Oh no, Esha!” my mom yelled, running back into the house. “You sneezed before leaving! That’s a bad omen. Oh, Waheguru. Back into the house, everyone!”

“What? Wait. Mom, don’t be so superstitiously Indian! We can’t waste any more time. Come on, don’t believe this nonsense.” I grabbed my bag and walked out the door and started loading my things into the jeep.

“Esha, please, child, this is true. We cannot leave the house after someone has given a single sneeze. It is a bad omen!”

“Mom, I don’t believe that. Now I’m ready to go. Are you guys coming?”

My sister and her husband hesitated for a moment and exchanged worried glances before following me to the jeep. After a long time contemplating her options, my mother reluctantly joined us.

With the smile of victory on my face, I turned my attention to the girls, who looked somewhat bewildered by my mother’s weird reaction to the sneeze. “So I’ll see you when I get back then? Take care, have loads of fun, but try not to get into any trouble without me,” I said as I hugged all three.

“Oh, Esha, we’ll do our best,” Carrie reassured me with her usual comforting smile.

“Exactly babe, we’ll be fine. Just take care of yourself and write us a letter or something. They do that in India, right?”

“Oh, shut up, Mandy. I’ll try to call you if I can.”

“Be careful, and don’t let those people get you down,” advised Reet.

“Forget me. I’m more worried about you! Try to stay out of trouble,” I teased.

“Bye, Esha,” Reet said with a sigh. Even my teasing wasn’t going to put her in a cheery mood today. It was disconcerting to see her so down.

After one last hug, I turned away and climbed into the jeep. I waved goodbye to my three best friends as we drove away. As the image of Mandy, Carrie and Reet became smaller and eventually disappeared, I was struck by an unsettling fear.

Up to this point, travelling to India had been an idea, then a discussion. Later it had become a topic of great curiosity for my friends. Now, with no discussion, no friends and no humour, the reality of the situation began to set in. I was going through with it. I was really going to India.

I was going to be with the family that had been at the root of my fights with both of my parents for the past year. I was going to meet the family that had been created by a malicious attack, carried out by an uncle who until recently I didn’t even know existed. My every instinct screamed that I wasn’t prepared for what awaited me on the other side. This was going to be one hell of a trip.

“Shit,” I said out loud.

“Esha, this is not the time to swear,” my mother scolded. “This is the time to pray to Waheguru that you have a safe trip to India, and that your father’s last wish is realized. After which, you will once again join us. Waheguru, look over my sweet daughter.”

“Oh, Mom.” I swung my arm around her and smiled. “I’ll be just fine. You should feel sorry for the poor Indians that are going to have to put up with me. I’ll be back in no time, just you wait and see.”

She returned my smile, but as her eyes met mine, I saw her fear. I guess mothers never can stop worrying.

Indians.

I took a deep breath and looked out at the passing mountains. My whole life, I had been surrounded by the beauty of these very mountains. It saddened me to think I wouldn’t be waking up to them for the next few weeks.

Don’t worry, mountains; I’ll be back very soon.