Making Up
"HEY IRINA, I honestly think that you should talk things out with Libby. And this time, I won't let you and Pat gang up on me and divert the topic from patching things up to erm... well."
"To what? I can't remember what we talked about... oh, it had something to do with you and Iri," Pat should really take a course in acting. She is doing an amazing job feigning amnesia right now.
"Oh, Pat, give him a break. Joaquim is right after all." I look away from Pat's widening eyes but honestly, one of the things that kept my much-needed sleep at bay was the fight I had with Libby. I had been so triggered that I lost control of myself and threw a tantrum.
I had (again) made Joaquim extremely distressed and reduced him to a bundle of nerves due to my volatile behaviour. I wasn't like this when Libby and Joaq entered my life.
I don't know if things were better when it was just me and Pat. When all I had was her, I was a more constrained, nonchalant version of myself. Yes, I may have been more cold-hearted, but at least I was reliant on myself only.
With Pat, Joaq and Libby in my life, something triggered my emotions and the threads where it all wound and bounded them together in a tight knot before are now becoming to gradually unravel.
Obviously, I don't like that.
The only way where I can regain my composure and become a more inhibited version of myself is to, as Joaq phrases it, to 'patch things up' with Libby.
"You should figure out why you lambasted Libby and find out what and why Libby disclosed set you off. This is the best way to return to a healthy friendship. If you all don't get along anymore, you may not only resign but also cut off ties with her. We can't let that happen, Iri." Patricia reminds me, and I wished I hadn't relayed the happenings in the office to her.
In order to protect Libby's and Laetitia's privacy, I only vouchsafed the part regarding Libby's extraordinary childhood and her rejecting UOS and going to OU instead. Though Patricia was dumbfounded at the latter part, she did not share her opinions on her matter.
According to Pat, she would rather have me settle my quarrel with Libby first and discuss with me later. "I'm afraid that whatever I say will influence you to do reckless things. You're finally living a proper, sociable life. I won't do anything that may cause you to lose this."
And thus it was decided. I would arrange a meeting with the two sisters and rebuild the friendship.
___
"Irina, hi. How are you?"
"Me? I'm fine. I'm good, and you?"
"I'm good too. All is well."
This moment will rank high in my 'Top 5 Awkwardest Moments in My Life'. My nerves are frayed and I cannot help but fidget uneasily in my seat. I can't even look at my friend.
If she wasn't literally the boss of me, things would not be so edgy or tense. Never fight with your employer, guys. Many things will be at stake if you do.
Just as I am about to eat humble pie, Libby takes the initiative and begins first. "First off, I'm sorry about the tasteless things I've said. It must have galled you when I caviled about my education and luxurious life. I understand that my bringing up your mother must have vexed you to no end. I'm really sorry, Irina." Libby looks at her hands and touches a blue sapphire filigree ring. "Please forgive me."
"No, no. It is I who should apologise to you. I have no idea why I snapped that way and I should never have done that. I behaved in a way that was not befitting as your employee and staff of the reputable 'Libby's Bath'. What's worse is that as a friend, I didn't even bother to put myself in your shoes and even made rash assumptions about you. I'm really sorry, Libby."
Libby and I beam at each other after we finished our sincere vindications of each other. I feel lighter and better after amending our relationship- I truly didn't know that I was so guilt-ridden about this.
Someone knocks the door of Libby's office, and Libby mouths to me "It's Lae". To her sister, she raises her voice and says, "Come in if you have bubble tea with you. If you don't, come back with them."
We hear a scoff and Lae retorts, "I'm your sister!"
"Oh, you are? Come back in fifteen minutes then. And buy Irina bubble tea too."
"Really?" I ask, and Libby smirks and nods.
"What drink do you want?"
"Erm, brown sugar milk tea with pearls, 20% sugar."
"Did you get that, Lae? 1 brown sugar milk tea with pearls, 20% sugar, and 1 classic milk tea with white pearl for me. 30% sugar." Libby evilly orders.
"You will be the death of me, I swear," Lae kvetches and actually listens to her sister and walks off.
"Only I can do this to her. This is the power of being the older sister. Oh, sweet sweet power."
___
To my utter astonishment, Laetitia actually returns to the office with two bubble teas and a Starbucks drink. "I loathe the taste of those gooey pearls. It feels like it's stuck in my teeth most of the time and just picturing what it does to my pearly whites makes my skin crawl. No, I can't have that, so I got myself a flat white."
"Mmm, I can never relate to you, Laetitia. Bubble tea is life," I pop in my straw and take in a rich sip of the succulent, caramelised pearls and moan in pleasure when I bite into its chewy texture. The brown sugar just oozes out and makes my taste buds go wild the moment they recognise the saccharine taste.
We gulp our drinks in a pleasant quiet for a while, Laetitia ends it by remarking, "You've changed, Lissa. The sister who only dined at Michelin restaurants and drank the finest wines can even drink bubble tea. You've changed."
Libby nods and doesn't deny her sister's claims. "I have. You know, mum and dad misunderstood me. So did you," she directs this to me. "My going to OU wasn't just because to rebel against them. I wanted to learn design so I went OU. But the main purpose was to tell our parents that 'I want out of this family and this artificial life. I want to live a less scrutinised and ordinary life'. That's why I'm here in Panjilia, not Orina."
"Is that why you're so annoyed at mum and dad because they didn't get what you were trying to convey?"
"Yes. so when you go back, tell them that I love them, but don't mind if they disown me or cut me off the family registrar. I'll take my trust fund money in full with me and never show up again. I am living a great life now."
___
That night, I take an old, dusty box off my bookshelf and open it for the first time in sixteen years. Perhaps I am wondering about what my mother left me especially after today's talk with the two sisters. Even though Libby is estranged from them, I'm pretty sure a part of her cares about them. She make speak of them in a steely tone, but she never suffered an arduous time like I did.
And I'm glad she didn't.
The box's contents lies an old family photograph, my mother's letter, and an old ring, and some other miscellaneous items like a receipt from a toy store, a teddy bear and a pair of earrings. Honestly, I have no memory of how they manage to come into my possession.
I can only guess that, for some reason, 6 year-old Irina Pan had kept these safely in a plain brown box and brought it along with her everywhere she went. She succeeded in her mission to secure it so well that if it weren't for the layers of dust, the box would be in a relatively mint condition.
It is mind-boggling that nobody ever questioned what was in the box or why nobody took it. I mean, I would have thought that Ander would do whatever he could to get his MMA apprenticeship. I wouldn't put him above selling my mother's belongings- if there's anything of importance there in the first day anyway.
I may give some to him if I do find any. Why would I keep the belongings of a woman I absolutely despise? People might think me cruel and heartless, but tell me, how can a child still love her mother even when the mother abandoned her own flesh and blood?
Anyone who is able to still interact with that kind of person should be knighted and be allowed to be appointed as a Saint as they would be the true epitome of compassion. You may think that I am exaggerating, but believe me, I'm not.
A mother giving up on her child- one of the most heinous things that one can do on this planet.
Of all people, it had to happen to me. It really makes you wonder and ponder about how and why certain people can attain success without even working for it, and why some people, no matter how hard they work their butt off, achieve less success than they deserve.
There really is no such thing as fairness in this world.
I take my mother's ring and use a baby wipe to wipe the dust off it. After cleaning, I felt like I hit the jackpot as what I am seeing with my own eyes is the most glamorous and exquisite ring I've ever seen in my life.
An orange-red gem the size of a cherry is embedded on top of a gold band. There is no doubt in my mind that if the gem and gold is real, this ring could fetch a great ton of money.
Such a precious and valuable ring belonged to my mother. If she had pawned or auctioned it off, I am confident that she could have hired a reliable and established lawyer who's an expert in divorce to gain custody of Ander and I and help us escape from our diabolic life there.
The fact that my mother would rather keep this ring safe in an innocent 6 years old's hands makes hot under the collar.
My mother's remaining jewelry- the pair of earrings- piques my curiousity too. Could it be another seemingly priceless pair of jewelry? If it is, I'll really be at the end of my tether.
I do the same thing to the earrings as I did with the ring and I am disappointed. It is apparent that the earring is definitely of value- even to someone who can't tell the difference from a real diamond to a cubic zirconium one, I know that the pearls of the earrings are authentic.
It would really be a feat for man to even try and reproduce such a gigantic pearl too. And the pearl colour is not the common kind- instead, it is a vivid dark blue instead of a white one. I don't need to do a Google search to know that the pearl is a rare one.
What a mother.
I know this chapter is a little draggy and I'm sorry about that. Libby's sub-plot and the introduction of Lae is important and they will prove their significance in a later part of the story. So this chapter is necessary and I'm really sorry for those readers who disliked this chapter.
The next chapter- chapter 22- will be a better one I promise!
What's your opinion of Irina's mother? Why do you think that those pieces of jewelry are in the box? Do any of you have any theories as to how it came into Irina's possession? What do you think Irina will do with them?
Let me know by commenting! Please vote if you feel that my book deserves more reads (don't be a silent reader!)
Love you all and please stay safe and healthy especially in such a worrying time.
Bạn đang đọc truyện trên: Truyen247.Pro