No, he didn't want me to talk to him. I don't need to force him to talk. I won't force anyone for anything anymore.
I kept aside my phone and waited for the cab to reach my home. When I headed inside, I saw maids still working.
Maybe I'm back home too fast. Or else, why would they be working till so late?
"Good evening, Rita," I greeted, as she headed past me in a hurry.
She stalled in her tracks to look at me.
"A very good evening, Miss. Would you like to drink something? Are you thirsty?"
"Uh, yeah. Some water would be nice."
"I'll tell Tina to give you some. Sit down please."
"Uh…. sure."
I took a seat on the couch relaxingly. Rita came a few minutes later and gave me some water to drink.
"How was your day?" she asked, standing in front of me.
I sipped on some water and replied, "It was good. College is somewhat, you can say busy at the first half and picks up the pace as the years progresses."
"You must be having a hard time coping with everything then."
"What? No, no. I'm trying my best to keep a life, and study balance. And it's gradually working out, don't worry."
"I see, good to hear that. I'm leaving then. Call me if you need any help with."
"Yeah, sure."
My phone rang again, and Mom called from her room.
Oops! I forgot she was waiting for me.
I went upstairs in a hurry and knocked on her door.
"It's me, Aileen."
"Come in, why are you knocking?"
Yeah, right.
"Are you ready already?" I asked, opening the door to peek inside.
"Not yet!" she responds, calmly sitting in front of the mirror. "Where were you when I called? I think I heard a car head inside and thought it was you."
I went over to her side and stood right behind her.
"Uh, yeah, it was me. I was chatting with Tina a bit."
"You know we are running low on time. Dave still hasn't arrived yet."
"He didn't? When are we leaving then?"
"I…. don't know. I called him, but he's not picking up. Maybe he'll come in a few minutes. See, I got his clothes out hanging all ironed."
"Yeah, I can see that." I hope he arrives on time.
I noticed her clothes a second later to see, she was wearing a rose pink sparkly dress with straps at the back with a slit in the side.
"You seem to have changed your clothes already. The dress looks good, when did you buy it?" I asked casually.
"This one? I didn't buy it."
"Then?"
"Dave gave it to me as a gift for my birthday last year. It's been sitting in my closet for too long. That's why I thought I should wear it. Does it really look good?"
"Yeah, it does!"
"He really seems to have a good eye for clothing then," she said, blushing a bit.
"Yeah…. he does…."
I don't know why…. but I had this stinging feeling in my chest when I heard that he gave this to her as a gift.
I said I wouldn't feel jealous of Mom anymore. Then, what is this feeling? Jealousy? Hatred? Sadness? What is it?
I don't want to feel this but I keep experiencing this even against my will!
What is happening to me?
"Aileen, come and help me with my make-up. You have to get ready yourself afterward!" Mom's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Oh, right. I forgot about it. What do you need help with?"
"Uh, I think my foundation is looking too cakey or unfinished. Can you do something about it? And lips are looking chapped as well. What should I do to hide it?"
"Let me see, you can….. done. How does it look?"
She glanced at her face, examining it a bit closely then became impressed.
"Woah, I'm looking like a man killer now. Hurry up and do my lips and put on a little bit of blush on the cheeks as well."
"Okay, give me a minute."
When I finished Mom was very much happy about how the results turned out.
She even told me to take some pictures of her.
"I finally feel a bit confident in my skin all thanks to you Aileen. Thank you, sweetie," Mom said, patting my head.
"It's okay Mom. You don't need to thank me," I said to her. "I'm glad I made you feel a bit better about yourself. You are happy. That's what it all matters to me."
She smiled, caressing my face. "I'm really proud to have a daughter like you. And lucky as well. Thanks for supporting me in every decision that I took."
"It was for our good. So, I don't mind it," I replied. "Anyway, I'm going to get ready. See you in a bit."
"Yeah, sure. See you."
I left the room after glancing at Dave's suit. Closing the door behind me, I heaved a sigh in relief.
How long do I have to deal with this uncertainty and keep a smiling face?