Chapter Five

Misses Holly lifted up an empty pot and she finds the knife she was looking for, while Amandla shakes her head, “Boyfriend? Seriously mother, you know that topic is not a place for me to be attentive”, Amandla recapped an awareness at her mother. “But Mint, you will be happy if you have someone to love and be loved,” And Amandla continued her chores with the thought of having a boyfriend, Aviana, and Misses Holly really dared to press a button in trying to see what she was missing in life huh? It cannot be that tomorrow Aviana will be coming back with another batch of Billionaires and her mother will come back with a man who wants to have a time with her and become lovers—that would be a mess, hoping that it would not be happening in reality. The world will crumble and the sea will rise if one of the two options in her head will happen.

“It will happen Amandla, you are going to be a mother in the future. You cannot always avoid some things that are bound to really occur.” Misses Holly called her daughter’s name, which means it was not just any suggestion from her, it was something serious to think about. Then she walks around to get the chopping board on the opposite cabinet that was near the kitchen area entrance.

Amandla had lived with her mother for twenty-two years but a conversation that she did not expect from Misses Holly was echoing in her feelings. She could understand if that was Aviana but it was her mother talking. She cannot focus on her ongoing chores.

“One boyfriend would be enough for now,” Misses Holly added randomly. Amandla felt like she has to give her body and soul to someone for a fast transaction of love. “Mother, you sounded like you want me to leave you without notice. You do not need me anymore?” Misses Holly, pointed the knife at Amandla with a smile, which got her look like a creepy tribal member. “Two, for you to learn that being independent would help you grow more mature and handle love affairs, which would not be nice but you can carry it. You are stronger than me.” Misses Holly goes back to her job of seizing the chopping board after she noted some confrontations with Amandla. “Why did you have to count one and two with opinions? So suddenly Mother, I mean…you know, you say this getting a boyfriend thing?” As Amandla studied her mother’s actions, she notices that she was not quite sure about Misses Holly, “I just remembered what I heard from Aviana when I was arranging my things inside my room.” Amandla messed up her face with questions overflowing, like why would her mother hide something so obvious because Misses Holly cannot directly look into her eyes. She thought that maybe her mother did not know that there are so many people who teased her before and she got immune to it. Boyfriends are only a headache and she must have to work for them, harder than a job. In all the years that her life goes on, not one boy tried to pursue or help her, no one even had come over to their house when she was still a student. She still recalled her numb feelings every time when she tries to reject a boy who felt nice. “Uh, huh,” Amandla said unclearly. “Well, I think between the two of us, you are the one who needs a new lover, a new husband. So, when you reach your sixties, somebody will take good care of you.” Amandla said, trying to keep a tie on giving her mother an opinion too. “Like look at the wide picture inside your head Mother, if you get me a boyfriend and if I get married to the same guy, you will be living in this house alone. And I do not want you to feel that you are a prisoner because you will retire from your job at that point. There will be room of bringing heavy things, coming home late, everything would be so much different than before. You cannot just go anywhere else. So go get a husband. Find one that is younger than you, maybe five years younger. Do not pick those who are much older than you.”

“Are you done?”

“Mother, I am just saying—”

“That you need to put the other cabbage near me, so I can start chopping now. We have to get our dinner done before six.”

Amandla pressed her lips together to keep her smile on hold. Her mother quickly changes the topic when it was her time to share some of her opinions. No doubt, it was mother and daughter moment for them.

Misses Holly holds the knife tightly around her right hand and started chopping the cabbages, chopping it hard. Amandla did not want to interrupt her mothers work to think that it was normal to see her. She had to keep her comments about what her mother was trying to do at the moment, she was still hiding her smile. If it was somebody’s daughter watching Misses Holly, it would be not impossible that they want her to be their mother too, a mother that they cannot have and never will be there because it was Amandla’s mother alone. Amandla would have believed in sincere love when her father did not run away. Her Father must be happy without them bothering his life. It was actually better to think her father died than to think that he lives in the city. There had been times when she has nightmares and that she cried because of her father. The recollection of dreams had made her choke in her own saliva and Misses Holly immediately place the knife down and goes closer to Amandla, panicking.  

“What were you thinking, Mint?” Misses Holly sadly said, as she moderately gives five back blows.

Amandla motioned her mother to stop because it was not a major problem.