TRUST?

"What do you want from me?"

"My, my. Aren't you full in spirits, after you've just been dumped by a girl you were fond of?"

"If there's nothing that involves my services, could you kindly get your ass away from here."

"I like the fact that you're able to have an open and honest conversation with me."

"I've been raised well, apart from the fact that I have no reason to act in a strange and peculiar manner, towards you."

"Even after what I did?"

"What you did, was to my former self. If anyone shall hold a grudge, it shall be him. That has nothing to do with me."

"You do choose your words very careful."

"I ought to. Especially when I'm speaking to one of the well-renowned advocates in this province and only a handful present in this country. Anything I say carelessly will bite me back down the near future."

"Well, that's a commendable effort, but a fort of that caliber is easy to bull doze in one go, though that's only if the operator is an expert and knows their trade very well. Speaking of which, I do fulfil all the necessary criterias for that, so sadly, your resistance is futile."

"Uh-huh. Sometimes I do wonder if you are my mom. The way you speak to me, it feels like you've reduced your age considerably. You don't seem like a 40+...."

I could feel an intense glare with considerable bloodlust run down my spine. Anything further and the next moment would be me concluding my life with an epilogue. What was this feeling? I thought I wouldn't budge to anyone, but I guess I overestimated my capabilities as always.

I need a worthy challenger. Not David vs Goliath every day. Let me have my moments of Rocky Balboa. Anyway...

"Go on."

She said that with a smile, though I could see what she meant. Another word and you're dead and I'll server you for dinner tonight. Maybe the last part isn't that accurate but whatever. As long as I got the gist of the situation, that was enough.

Without any more twists and turns, I laid out what I had in my head.

"Is there another assignment I have to take care of?"

"Glad you're finally talking about business. It's been a while since I've seen you this way."

"Who else can I thank but you for putting me in such a dire state."

"Aww, you Praise me too much. I don't deserve that much credit, truth be told. It's all thanks to your excellency that we're here. Anyway, to answer your question, I do have an assignment for you."

"And I'm guessing the old man is clueless as ever, or atleast that's how he chooses to remain as."

"Well, that is my husband. I wouldn't be any happier if he chose otherwise. Apart from that, I don't remember the permission to refer to him as 'old man' as far as I can remember."

"You didn't. But that doesn't change the fact that he is what he is."

"Be careful, someday even your kids will refer to you as that."

"Pffft!"

I chuckled at the thought of it. Such a spectacle was not something I ever had in mind.

"Is something funny?"

"Yes."

"Care to give a debrief?"

"The fact that you think I'd have kids."

"What's funny about that? Isn't that the endgame for everyone? Be an adult, get married and have a family. I don't see an otherwise."

"Well, I'll leave that to your own imagination."

"Fine. Whatever. I'm not interested in your future plans or your contemplation of whether you'd even have a future and stuff. What I care about is the present. Time's ticking."

"You certainly are a shrewd and stingy lady."

"And yet, you have been raised well. I think I deserve some heaps of praise."

"Don't overestimate your parenting skills. Granted that my younger brother has come out well, but that doesn't arbitrarily imply upon me. Don't lope me in with that kind of nonsense."

"Fair enough. I'll let that one slide. Anyway, meet me up in my room. Message me up on the chat in about 25-30 minutes. That should give me enough time."

I guess her room would have been messy and she wanted that time as an excuse to tidy it up. Well, if only it was as simple as that.

"I don't think you'd be foolish enough to consider that I might need the time as an excuse to tidy up my place. I expect much more from you than that."

"I'm happy that you have a fair view upon me but that shall burden me even further, on the long run."

With that, our endless bickering and ranting went on for a while. While it was true that me and my mother never shared a healthy relationship, we still respected each other, as we had certain needs that only the other party can fulfil. The art of equivalent exchange.

It was right around the time dusk had settled in. I ended up visiting my mother's room on the pretense of helping with her assignment. But in reality, I had an ulterior motive. Well, that was to be expected.

I entered the room with an ill-intent, but returned from there after locking myself for 3 days straight. Such was the profound effect it had on me as soon as I stepped foot in there.

I needed some sleep. As soon as possible. I barely slept. What was that? What did I even read?

Was this even true? Why do I have to suffer so much? And how long will this go on?

I went on a train of meaningless thoughts. What was I even hoping for?

I was contemplating utter nonsense at this point.

"So, what's your call?"

"I'll need some favours."

"Say no more. Ping me all the details later on."

"Sure, but we're doing it face to face."

SORRY! BUT I CAN'T TRUST YOU YET!