Chapter 12

As I took the flowers into the house, I took them closer to my nose to perceive the aroma. Frankly, it smelled nice, but I can't determine the name. The puzzle I had was where it keeps the flower. I knew not where to keep them, and my mum won't see them. I knew that if my mum happens to see them, many interrogations must ensue, and I'm not I have nothing to say that might convince her that I bought the flowers. Hence, she would be angry, and I can't imagine what would be her reaction.

Even the wardrobe wasn't safe, since she used to open the wardrobe frequently. I saw an old bag on top of the wardrobe. Just a look at it would reveal that it has been a while since someone used the bag.

I opened the bag only to see an android phone, some old pictures, and documents inside it. At first, I was baffled but since I knew my mum, nothing appears to be impossible for her. The main puzzle I had currently been to identify the people who were captured in the picture. For a few seconds, I kept looking at the pictures, but I could only recognize my mother.

I took the bag to the main room where I sat comfortably and was checking everything that was kept inside the bag.

"Rose! Are you there?"

I heard my mother saying…

Already I knew I can't hide anything from her. Both the documents, the pictures, and the flowers were all on the couch closer to me. I first pretended as though nothing was running through my mind and welcomed her with great pleasantries. While walking towards me, she took some steps and stood still. Her instant quietness was questionable. But since I could guest her reason, made a face of pretense.

Just as I was when she first came into the house, she was mute for a few seconds, thinking about what may be known to her alone. Simultaneously, as I looked at her, she shook her head and turned to leave the room for me.

" Mum!" Really, I had nothing to discuss with her, but I needed her attention. At least, I required something to bring up the conversation.

"Rose, who sent you to that bag? I hate it when a kid can't obey a simple instruction."

I'm sorry, Mum, it's not what you think. Furthermore, I was just looking for something else.

That was just unlike my mum. Since I apologized, she turned her back and left me in the room. I managed to rearrange everything that was in the bag and put the flowers inside of it, then hung it where I found it.

My mother's mood never remained the same that evening. She was just being quite unnecessarily. Earlier, I couldn't ask her the cause. But as time went by, and she was still maintaining the mood, I was unable to bear it any longer. I had to stylishly find out her reasons for being in such a mood. That was when she told me that the pictures I saw in the bag were of herself and my father. Other people, I saw there, were their friends. I had to inquire more to know the exact thing that always gets her angry whenever the issue of my father is being raised. But she seized to answer me. Instead, she went and brought down the bag again.

Just for her to unzip the bag, and she saw the flower I put inside the bag. I couldn't allow her to comment concerning the flowers before explaining it as though I bought them for my late father. She threw a pitiful look at me, but that was none of my concern. I was just interested in how to escape from receiving flowers from a stranger.

She started pointing out some people from the picture and mentioning their names.

At a spot, I noticed that my mum just kept quiet all of a sudden. Since I already have a slice of the information behind the pictures, I didn't bother to ask for the reason behind her mood swing. Instead, I hugged her passionately. Then I realized that even the elders cry profusely. Hot drops of tears were rolling down her chin. After noticing the first drop, she closed her eyes and shook her head in other to stop the tears, but they couldn't possibly stop rolling down as she expected. I used my bare hand and wipe the tears while she was also holding me passionately. In a jiffy, I rearranged the pictures and took them back to where they were being kept.

Through the remaining hours of the day, mum was never herself. She kept hissing and hissing. I tried all I could to cheer her up so that we may enjoy our dinner as we always do. But mummy wasn't just in that mood. If not because she had a stressful day and definitely must be hungry, I knew she might not even touch the food. But she only ate a small portion out of the mountain of food I dished out for ourselves. Immediately she drooped her spoon, unlike my mum, she left me there while I was still eating and went to take her bath. Then I realized that the game was no longer funny. I rushed the meal and rearranged the house before you were done bathing.

That's how we went to bed, turning our house into almost a graveyard. No one could talk to the other. Everyone was on his own. I even pitied my mum because she needed rest but couldn't have enough of it.