The Choice Of Us

Dinner with Him

TIANA

Animated expressions lit my face upon listening attentively to my mother's story. After checking on the chicken in the oven, I leaned against the counter taking a sip of my wine nearly choking on my drink when my mother cursed.

She giggled lightly," I'm telling you. Your father used to be so fucking crazy. . ." she paused grabbing the gold necklace he had given her and I watched on in awe as a fond smile spread across her face to add a level of youthfulness to her as she bit her lip recollecting that distant memory," as much as I complained about his jealousy, I loved it."

"I still can't believe he did that," I mumbled chuckling lightly.

"Well believe it, where do you think Tim's attitude when you started dating came from?" she joked lightly whilst I burst out laughing. Indeed Tim became the borderline definition of a psychopath when I started dating.

It was a nightmare at the time but now. . . I missed it.

I missed a lot of things, but I forced myself to see what I still had. Due to what was ripped out of my arms, I grew more grateful of what I could do, appreciating every smile I wore, and each laugh that tumbled out of my body. And staring at my mother, the pent up stress I had been experiencing no longer attached itself to me.

"How's the case going?" she asked placing some items on the counter.

"I'm pretty confident we'll win," I mumbled staring at the ground wondering if now was the best time to bring up the thoughts that had been racing in my mind.

"I love this time we get together, you know."

"Same here."

And I meant it.

"With that being said," she responded staring at me," if you have anything on your mind . . . go on and tell me."

Crossing my arms I took a second to gather my scattered thoughts and feelings as I say," I'm fearful really of the future- I don't know," I muttered rubbing my hands across my arms that had goose bumps from the mild draft in the kitchen.

"Maybe I'm overthinking life in general but cases like hers have risen significantly and the very systems aiming to protect, create a perpetuating behaviour of only offending. Kind of makes you wonder," I tilted my head in thought, stumbling further into the core of where my anger and frustrations laid," how is it the world manages to advance in technology yet we fail to advance in how we view or treat people," I sighed feeling a bit light at having these thoughts removed off my chest.

"A true tragedy isn't it," she sadly replied shaking her head in disapproval. Her lips were set in a firm line that made me nervous at the drastic change from her earlier mood.

"It hurt me to leave the only place I knew. But what injured me most was how my own country that was beautifully emancipated was on a path of becoming the backbone in gold and diamonds," she swallowed hard past the glazed look she now had," only to have those resources greedily taken away. The place that walked ten steps forward was pushed a hundred steps back. Even when good is meant to follow- it just doesn't, sometimes that's how it is," she stated carefully looking me in the eye. "But it doesn't mean that's the way it should be. So do you know what you just do?"

"What?" I whispered entranced by what she said as she grasped my chin tightly.

Bearing her brown orbs on me, a fire was burning behind them as she said in a deeper tone," Keep fighting."

***

Excitement begins to stir inside me as my eyes take in the food laid across our table; it had been a while since I had a home cooked meal. When it came to cooking I openly exercised the bone of laziness we were all equipped with.