Chapter 3

Dera watched silently, admiring the lawn through the window, as the limo drove gracefully into the premises of her house. She did not realize that her eyes had begun to water, as she reminisced about her memories here. She had never imagined a day like this would come — a day she would have to face her demons. They say "There's no place like home"... true, but if there was an opposition to this notion, Dera would gladly join it. For some, a home is a succour — and to some, a prison. Home was nowhere a succour to Dera. It was her tiny little prison, for having to put up with her mom everyday. Her mom was an authoritarian, who always had everything outlined for her to follow — even her love life. She had no respect for her personal interests. The limo found it's way to the garage and parked gently. At once, the chauffeur was out of the car and darted towards the side of the car, helping Dera open the door. Dera alighted from the car and began to walk towards the house with Edith hurrying after her. She halted gradually, a few steps away from the entrance; wondering if coming back was really a good decision. It had been twenty four years since she stepped foot in that house; after going to study in the US — with Henry. She shrugged, as if shaking off the thoughts and worked her way towards the entrance door. She rang the door bell once, twice and on the third, the door swung inwards ushering her into the house.

"Where's my mom?" Dera asked calmly, posing the question to the maid that waited by the door.

"She's in her room ma'am" she answered politely, bowing her head. Dera nodded to herself, and began to walk towards her mom's room. She finally located it after a few turns about the house.

"Wait outside" Dera instructed her P.A who followed her around silently, then entered the room, closing the doors behind her.

"Well, well, well!" Her mom exclaimed immediately she entered the room. "What do we have here? If it's not the runaway princess in the flesh" she announced sarcastically, sparing Dera a look from the magazine she was reading.

"At seventy you haven't aged a bit! You still look mean, just as I remember." Dera complemented spitefully.

"I'm surprised you don't have wrinkles, considering the fact you rarely put a smile on your miserable face" she added, faking a smile.

"What a nice compliment coming from an imprudent spoilt imp." her mom replied without hesitation then paused, as if studying her daughter's reaction. "So what brings you here?" she asked calmly as if her daughter's spiteful attitude had meant nothing to her.

"I heard you have cancer. I came to see if you were dead already... so I can finally take what belongs to me." Dera answered disrespectfully.

"It still marvels me how fast news travel" her mom said with a shrug. "Well as you can see, I'm alive and healthy. Doctor said I still got a couple of decades more." She replied, with a triumphant smile plastered on her face. "And oops darling, I willed this whole property to Charity. I'm sorry you aren't getting a dime" she added.

"Save your breath. I don't need them. I'm just bothered you aren't dying anytime soon" Dera replied nonchalantly.

"You know, I find it amusing that you're trying to be sarcastic. But what's really interesting here is that I can't hear your cute little husband. He didn't make it here?" Her mom asked, pointing out an observation she had made.

"You mean Henry? That good for nothing you made me marry?" Dera asked rhetorically. "We divorced five years ago"

"Judging from your shape, I'm guessing you didn't give him a child" her mom surmised, pointing out another observation.

"I did" Dera replied sharply, her eyes beginning to water over a memory that had come to her. "But it died" she added, her demeanor hard and impassive once again. Her eyes held no emotions.

"Oh I'm sorry — I wish I truly was. I guess God took it from you because He knew you didn't deserve it. Obviously you're destined to be worse than I am at parenting." Her mom replied, showing no sympathy over Dera's loss.

"How I would've loved to sit around and banter words with you. But it's been a long day for me and I'm spent." Dera replied dryly, faking a yawn. "If you don't mind, I'm spending the night here" Dera informed her mom then turned towards the door.

"What do I care. After all it's your house too. Just don't die in your room" She yelled after Dera as she left. Dera walked out of the room disappointed — things had not gone as she expected. She had intended to hurt her mom with her words but the woman seemed to have expected her and wore a thick skin in anticipation. Dera sighed as she finally noticed her P.A was no longer waiting by the door. She made a few calls using the intercom by the door and got information that her P.A was in the dining. She returned the device and went in search of her P.A. Dera finally found her P.A in the dining room, the latter helping herself generously off a buffet filled with food. Edith was so busy stuffing grilled beef in her mouth that she did not notice Dera standing before her.

"Try not to choke" Dera finally spoke, taking a seat beside her.

"I'm terribly hungry, and the food's really good" she said still stuffing herself with the beef

"I miss the lady in you" Dera teased her as she took some sliced bread and jam, treating herself to a nice sandwich. Edith kept a straight face as she ate — she did not find the joke funny.

"So are you some kind of princess?" She asked, still focused on her meal.

"Far from that" Dera replied, taking a bite from her sandwich.

"You're living the good life... wish I was in your shoes"

"Careful what you wish for. I wouldn't waste a second to switch sides with you" Dera censured her P.A gently. There was silence amongst the two for a while — Dera focused on her sandwich while Edith pondered over what she had told her. True, they were best friends, but Dera was still an enigma to her — there was so much about her she did not know and was uncertain she would someday. She could not help but wonder what skeletons Dera had in her closets that she wanted to get rid of so bad that she didn't mind being in her miserable shoes.

At just thirty-seven, life had dealt so terribly with her. So much that it was still a miracle she had not snapped nor considered taking her life. She became a single mother at a very young age — after being abandoned by all who loved her, including her parents and her man who had gotten her pregnant. It's funny how men love sex, but hate to stick around to bear the consequences of their actions. But her parents had abandoned her because they had a family name and prestige they had to protect. They justified their actions by claiming they had warned her about the goofy man she was falling in love with. Turns out her parents were right, and she regretted not listening to them. In all, she kept hold of her sanity and fended for herself and her child, filling the gap of both a father and mother. She made sure her child never lacked anything nor needed that jerk of a father.

"The LG Chairman is celebrating his birthday by 6pm tomorrow." Edith spoke, breaking the silence and changing the topic. "I bought us an invitation card to the party and hired a chopper too" she added.

"Oh okay. But why hire a chopper when I have a limo?"

"The chopper's faster. I don't want to spend much time on the road — it's exhausting" she sighed

"But I don't think this is right"

"What?" "Bringing work to a personal party"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind." she replied, giving Dera a mischievous smile.

Dera and her P.A spent the rest of the evening relaxing and discussing about irrelevant stuffs. She used this medium to escape reality and her problems, but her P.A did not realize this. Sometimes she felt for her — she felt for her, for always having to put up with her to earn the fat paychecks she gave her. Edith was always at her beck and call, like a puppy, and it took her just this moment to realize that of all the people that had been in her life, Edith was the only one that had stayed true and had not abandoned her. She really admired her a lot and looked up to her as a role model for her strength, and resilience she exercised over the shits life threw at her.