Night Of Love

Chapter Ten

"Namaste, mama," I say to her as I pull her into a warm hug. My mama and I look similar except the roots of her hair are turning grayer and grayer every year. She refuses to get any color added claiming she has earned it.

"Boy Trouble," she says, looking me up and down. I don't know how mothers do this, how do they always know? It's like they have something more powerful than the force.

"No mama, I am just a bit overworked," I lie, wincing inside because I know I am a horrible liar. When I was little my mama told me my eyes would change color when I lied. So when I lied as a kid I would close my eyes. I wouldntry to keep them shut. I don't know what it is about Indian mothers, but they know all and somehow see all. 

"Don't lie to me Ali, I know when you lie so I don't think you should do it," she explains, folding her arms together and giving me a look I know way too well. The look that means seriously, she is struggling to pull this act off.

"Mama, trust me I am fine." She sighs in defeat and I can tell she has decided to drop it for now.

"Let's get inside and get everything ready for the party." She grabs me and drags me into the house. My dad isn't here. Like always that man is going to show up late to the party.

She ushers me inside the kitchen and my brothers are most likely in their rooms playing video games. I quickly run into the birthday boy's bedroom. I have to do my normal 'big sisters annoying their brothers' routine visit. If not, I lose my street cred and they start one-upping me. Meaning they will try and take my crown. I show these kids who is the sheriff in the house. When I come home they know who is boss, the way it should be.

"Deven, my little birthday boy." I walk into his room without knocking, a pleasure I have always endured with both of them. Deven is thirteen now and Wyatt is my favorite ten-year-old. He runs to hug me, he has gotten taller since my last visit.

"Wyatt, you have gotten taller," I say as I place my hand on the top of his head and move it to hit my chest which is where he measures at now.

Wyatt shrugs and says, "I know." He walks away to go back to playing either Fortnite or Roblox. He may be ten but he is still a sticky iPad kid. The amount of screen time these kids have these days. I was outside until the street lights turned on. I was begging my mom to let me stay outside, not begging my mom to let me keep my charger in my room.

Deven has recently stopped giving me hugs unless our mama forces him to. He seems to think people mature from the wrath of his big sisters' love. Sadly, he will have to stop thinking that. He was always the snuggling baby, I think he likes it but is trying to act all macho to cover it up.

"Oh a teenager, that explains the smell." He gives me a side glance and smiles, his big brown eyes full of so much happiness and joy.

"I know I hate it, I miss the days I didn't have to shower every day to look the least bit clean." He throws a pillow over his face.

I join him on his bed and pull him into a big hug. "Girls got it so much easier." He says it is muffled by the pillows. I laugh not wanting to go through this debate. We all go through changes in puberty. I don't understand how sometimes it's a war. One of us is spilling blood, the other’s voice gets deeper and they have to deal with boners, it's not the puberty wars. The transition takes a few years too for everyone. I honestly couldn't handle a boner, especially the random ones they get a day. Imagine standing up and it is sticking out like it should be paying taxes or something.

"Life is hard, I know. But pretty soon you will be driving," I explain and he perks up. He is the car guy of the family. Dad is a mechanical engineer for a local car shop. So he has taken a huge liking to cars.