CHAPTER 2 : Ashley's sweet eyes

*

It was nine o'clock that morning and I was alone in the room. Alone because Raphael had already left for work; my mother was the second to leave. My father, as I had announced at the beginning, is on a mission.

After getting up from my bed, I went to the shower to take my morning bath because it is during this bath that I brush my teeth. This means that if I don't brush, I keep my teeth unwashed and too bad for anyone who comes close to me to smell my bad breath.

After my bath that morning, I headed to the table to see what Mom had in store for me before she left.

That's right! Since I'm the youngest in the family, I don't do anything before I eat. Mom has always been a good mother because she does most of the housework early in the morning and then makes a really good meal. She takes her share in a cooler and puts mine in another and instead of leaving it in the kitchen, she brings it to the dining table. The rest she leaves in the pan. Raphael is given his breakfast, which means that he no longer has the right to a morning meal at home.

This morning, when I opened the cooler, I found rice with fat and pieces of cheese and sausage.

Oh yes! That's my mom's favorite meal.

With the TV on in the right corner of the living room, I sat down and nibbled on my dish of fatty rice when a figure entered the room; it was Ashley.

- Hello uncle Nico, are you at the table? she said with a smile as she walked towards me.

I left my fork hanging and gave her my beautiful smile before answering her with a "yes".

- Wow! Flavored rice!" she exclaimed, pulling out a chair to sit down too.

- Do you want me to serve you?" I asked, a mute smile on my tongue.

- No, we can eat what you serve together!

- Okay!

And since on the table, there was a basket in which were grouped forks and spoons, she took one and we started to eat together.

Ashley was in a tight dress; a dress that hid her private parts; a dress that would make a man drool; a dress that could also provoke a man's nerves.

Since I was aware of how the devil was almost capable of anything, instead of looking at her, I instead had my eyes on the cartoon that was playing on the TV screen.

- Why is it that instead of looking at your plate, you're looking at the TV?

- It's because I don't want to miss the episode.

- And that's why you prefer to swallow a fly?

- A fly? How do you swallow a fly?

- Yes, with your eyes on the screen, you could easily swallow a fly!

- Oh, you managed to make me smile otherwise, there is no ladle here!

And together we laughed.

Actually, Ashley always looks humorous. I even wonder sometimes where she gets her humor inspiration from. She is a woman who often makes my mom laugh when the two of them get together.

- I'm full of it," I whispered to her.

- And so am I!

- So you're going back to your room then?

- Do you want me to go?

- No! It's because I know it's not your custom to come and share your time with me when Mom's not here.

- You're right! But you agree that what we have never done, will happen one day when he tries it!

- No doubt! I agree.

- Or are you afraid that your darling will come and surprise me with you?

- Oh, what a silly idea! You're my mother-in-law after all and I don't see how she's going to have that damned thought!

- Don't say that! I am after all a woman and I know what I am talking about! You won't be able to understand until you are a woman.

- Oh, okay, I see!

At this exclamation, I fell silent without saying a word. I had abandoned my rice a few minutes later, pretending to be full. Ashley, the little she had served in her dish, she had already finished it and instead of following the television, she was rather confusing me.

- Say," she continued, "besides your sweetheart coming here, do you have another sweetheart?

It seems that this woman didn't want to let me follow my cartoon. Probably because she hates them, she didn't want me to follow them in her presence.

- No, I only have her," I replied, staring into her eyes.

- And do you love her?

- Yes, I love her!

- And she loves you too?

Oh, fuck! Where does this woman come from this morning with her headless stories.

- Yes, she loves me!

- That's great! You can't fool her, right?

- That idea never crossed my mind if you only knew!

- That's great! Since you have your mind focused on the passing program, I'll let you finish. Maybe I'll come back later.

- No worries and see you later.

Before my eyes, my little mother withdrew. She went back to her room leaving me in the living room. I moved to the couches to listen to the voice of the animated drawings.

Since a lazy person does nothing but sleep, sleep came to absorb me without my realizing it. I was sleeping peacefully in the fresh air of the fan when suddenly I received a small blow on my right foot. I jumped up and saw Ashley once again. Ashley had changed her outfit. She had worn this time a beautiful dress that hid almost all her shape. This meant that the one she had worn about two hours ago when she came to share my dish with me might have been the night one.

- My phone," she began, "I don't know what I pressed and when I'm called, it doesn't sing.

So it was because of her phone that she had come to snatch my sleep. It takes a woman and her kind to behave like that.

- What did you press?" I asked her as I grabbed the device and sat on my butt.

- I don't even know how this happened! Do you have your phone with you? If so, call my number and see.

Not being convinced of what she was telling me, I grabbed my phone and asking for her number, I tried to call her.

Indeed, on the screen, there was a silent call.

- Do you see what I'm saying?" she asked.

- Yes, I'm going to do that to you now.

I put my phone down on the table and started to search her phone. I searched and searched. It took me about ten minutes to disable the phone's active mode.

It was a complicated phone, actually; a Lumia phone. These kinds of phones have always been complicated.

- Thank you dear!" she said with a yellow smile.

- And you don't want to sit down?

- Oh no, I don't want to disturb your sleep and besides, I apologize for waking you up earlier. I thought it was a serious problem, so I got scared and came to wake you up.

- You don't have to worry, my dear.

- Thank you! I'm making couscous; are you going to eat it?

- If you give me some!

- Is that the answer to my question?

- I'm sorry! I know you know me very well and you know that I like to eat it more than anything. So, I think it would be pointless to ask my opinion if I should eat your couscous or not.

- Okay, I'll serve you some.

- Thank you so much.

And Ashley left me.

In her eyes, I had just read things I had never read before. Yes, I had to read in my companion's eyes, things that I often read in Rosina's eyes when she wants me.

Should I really have this idea of my father's wife? I don't think so; surely I'm wrong. And besides, appearance is sometimes deceiving. Oh yes, a mango could look good on the skin and be rotten on the inside. I didn't pay any attention to my father's wife's antics until I received a call from her.

How can we be in the same house and still call each other?

I picked up the call and answered "Hello?

- The couscous is already ready," she answered.

- Should I come over there?

- Yes, come here.

- Yes, come here.

And I, in my turn, got up calmly to go back to my father's room, the one he admitted to his second wife.

I sat down on the table like a king; no, like my father. Ashley served me his food and wished me good tasting.

- Thank you Madam! I exclaimed.

- No, Miss! rectified she.

Miss under the roof of a man? I asked myself inside.

- Ah, it is true! I murmured.

- Then repeat!

- Thank you miss! I ironized.

We burst out laughing.

I began to eat my meal little by little when my interlocutor asked me how I found her meal.

- Too appetizing, I answered suddenly.

- Thank you!

Meanwhile, she was sitting next to me like my mother does to my father when she doesn't feel like eating.

Yes, my mother always stays next to my father and watches him in his excitement. This was exactly what Ashley was doing to me. Which meant that since my dad isn't there, I am.