Teen friendships

16. Lunch talks

After having a great gossip about those boys, it was almost time to have our lunch. I went into the kitchen and saw that there was nothing prepared. Normally on weekdays, it's me who prepared lunch in the morning and went to school. After all, I myself had to eat my lunch after I came back home as my mom had her lunch in her office which was provided. So she would not take anything from home. On Sundays she prepares and I too wake up late. But today I directly went to the café and mom also didn't prepare as she went to her friend's house. So on the spot, I had to prepare something.

Steffie came into the kitchen to see what I was doing. She saw that I was worried and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you standing still?" 

I replied, "Actually there is nothing prepared for lunch and I was thinking what shall I do." 

She offered her help and said, "Don't worry. Let's prepare something together. You check the rice cooker and I'll make the salad. Will that be okay for you?" 

It should be actually me to ask the question of being okay, but since she asked I said Okay.

We were ready with our lunch and sat to eat. Together we had a great time sharing our thoughts of what type of boys we would like to have in future. She became a very close friend of mine and told me about all the boys who would chase her in her school days. 

I simply came up with something that I thought of asking her, "I know that you have a crush on Mark. But besides that do you have a boyfriend right now?"

She replied confidently, "No dear. No boy came face to face to confess but rather all the proposals in my school days were delivered by their agents. To be more clear I meant that, suppose a boy likes me, he won't come directly near me saying that 'I like you', but he would send his best friend to me passing that same message and making arrangements. I don't like it that way. If a person truly loves someone, he or she should directly confess."

I had just asked her just one question and she told me a sermon on what a person should be like when proposes. After all, I had got my answer but still, I don't know why thousands of questions started running in my mind when the topic of boys was brought up. 

I asked her again but this time I was direct. "If this is so, why don't you confess to Mark face to face?" 

This question of mine made her spit out the food from the mouth and replied ferociously, "Are you serious? Do you even know what will be the outcome of such an action? There are chances to lose our current relationships and become enemies. I can't take that risk of losing." 

I felt guilty and replied, "Oh okay okay, I am sorry for such an irregular question."

We spoke no more about them and continued to eat. We finished our lunch and Steffie said that she will go back home. I went upstairs to my 'room sweet room' and watched a movie on my Laptop. It was evening and mom was about to return home. So I first had the bath, and not to get scolded again, I readied a glass of water for her. 

She entered and kept smiling. It seemed that she was in a good mood. I served her the water and she said 'Thank you'. 

Oh my Goshh! She was a different person. The lady who scolded me for nothing said such a sweet word 'Thank you' for the first time.

She was freshening up herself and meantime I was watching television. It was time to have our dinner. We usually eat bread because it's said, "Breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince, and dinner like a beggar." But this time it was something different. 

She called me in the kitchen and my eyes remained opened. There was a bowl full of rice and a plate with chicken legs. Yum! I was so happy but I wondered when did she prepare all this? 

She said, "It is the food that was prepared for lunch at my friend's place. So she told me to take some home."

My mom was such a selfish person, if somebody gives something, she brings it immediately. But when it's our time to give something, she will think and think and then decide.