It is already the next day. My mother and Denise are preparing lunch. I invited Ella and told her that we still have someone there. She said she wouldn't mind and that she wanted to come anyway.
I just got up, as you can definitely see from my face. I quickly take a shower and put on sweatpants again. I think my whole wardrobe is made up of them by now.
Just then the doorbell rings. I go to the door just as Denise has already opened it. Ella, as I know her, comes into the room in her full form. She has her long blonde hair curled and a pink ribbon in her hair that matches her short pink dress perfectly. She has high beige shoes on and a matching beige blazer. She is so beautiful. I wish I could look like her. Then half my problems would be solved.
Ella hasn't seen me yet, so she only sees Denise standing next to the open door, who welcomes her with a big smile. Ella, on the other hand, only looks up once in disgust and then walks past her into the kitchen without saying anything.
What was that all about? Did I imagine that? I quickly go to Denise, who is still standing at the open door, looking thoughtfully out into the open.
"Hey, are you all right?" I ask her carefully, close the door and take her into the still empty living room. After a few seconds she shakes her head once, as if she wants to get rid of some thoughts and comes back to reality.
"Yes. I think it's all good," she pauses for a moment, but then continues, "so I didn't imagine it just now?" "No definitely not. I saw that too. I'm sure she didn't mean it. I should talk to her," I tell her reassuringly.
"Are you sure I should still eat with you? Maybe I should just wait upstairs," she says. "No. That's out of the question. You are just as invited and welcome here in this house as she is. Understood?", I say assuringly. She just nods and we go into the dining room together, where Ella is already sitting in her seat.
Denise wants to sit down next to her, but Ella prevents her from taking the chair. She looks her up and down again and then says:
" Sandra is already sitting here. Sit somewhere else." What the fuck is wrong with her? One more remark and I completely freak out.
Denise is looking at a spot on the table again, lost in thought. "Um. Denise, you can sit here next to me." I sit down directly opposite Ella, and Denise next to me.
When my mother comes in and puts the food on the table, Ella is completely different again, as she was just a moment before.
"Wow. Sandra. That smells so incredibly good. What is it?" she asks innocently with a fake smile on her face. "Thank you, very nice of you. We're having schnitzel with spaetzel. Something you eat very often in Germany," my mother replies and a little later she is also sitting at the table.
"I must say, you have really outdone yourself again with your food. I've rarely eaten as well as I did at your place," Ella says after we've all finished. She didn't give Denise a glance during the whole meal, nor did she include her in the conversation. When did she get like this? That's almost disgusting. I'm sure if she knew she was Jude's mother, she would behave very differently again.
"Sandra, would you like me to help you clear up a bit?" she offers. "No, thank you," my mother calls out to her. For the first time today, Ella turns to Denise. "But you might want to help. I mean you already look like that," she looks her up and down once again, with a disgusted look on her face.
Wait, what did she just say? It takes me a moment to realise what she just said. Is it because of her skin colour? Is she acting like this because she is dark-skinned? Holy shit. When I turn to Ella, Denise has already got up and taken her plate to the kitchen.
