As the two ladies are doing the dishes the next day, Amy who has been stealing glances at her best friend for five minutes finally turns to her saying ‘’About the guy that came yesterday…’’ Paris lets out a groan and cuts her off. ‘’I don’t want to talk about that overdressed fool, let’s just wash the dishes and order pineapple pizza’’. ‘’ No’’ Amy retorts defiantly ‘’ are you still going to take the case to court?’’. ‘’ Yes!’’ Paris replies stubbornly. ‘’ Why don’t you just take their deal? just take the money they are offering and go back to work … scratch that! You don’t need to go back; they are offering a shit load of money girl! You need to get it together Paris! so okay I get it... what happened to you was so unfair and terrible but getting a lawyer isn’t easy and it costs a lot of money, which you don’t have and besides do you think you have the strength and the physical energy to withstand endless court sessions? Did you even think this through? I heard you are expected to pay somewhere around 10,000 for a simple lawsuit and this particular family are laden, they can get the best lawyers in the world they have the money and can hurt you, what if they buy the judge? what if they kidnap you, cut off both your arms and feet? Or choke you to death? or keep you tied up in an underground tunnel? am so worried about you than how I am going to pay for my next ballet class which says a lot … so please as your best friend of fifteen years am asking you, no begging you to please just think about this’’. ‘’There is nothing to think about here Amy, I was accused of stealing diamonds I didn’t even see and the money you claim they are generously offering to me is my salary which was seized with a few million dollars thrown in to make me keep my mouth shut, it’s not just about getting revenge but it’s about my pride and dignity and... go back there?? I was accused, embarrassed, beaten up and called a gutter girl and a thief in front of everyone in the store that day, only for the said diamonds to be found the next day, do you even understand how my life turned out because of that singular incident? I got kicked out of my house by a mother who I am trying so hard to please, a mother who believes I am the worst thing that ever happened to her, the little relationship I was trying to salvage instead got shattered, she doesn’t even want to see me and she forbade me from seeing nana, the only person who truly loves me and understands me in my family, it’s been two weeks and some days and she still wouldn’t let me see nana, she wouldn’t even pick my calls. I miss her Amy, I miss her terribly, I really want to see nana and hold her hand and hug her, have her comfort me but I can’t! if you didn’t take me in I would have been homeless and out on the streets.’’ Whimpering and wiping off tears that streamed down her cheek, she moves away from the kitchen and goes to dining table , grabbing a strawberry and settling down to eat it, Amy feeling her pain and anguish dries her hand on a kitchen cloth and walks to her hugging her as Paris succumbs to her feelings and bursts out crying ‘’ I remember how ashamed and embarrassed I was, as that woman slapped me over and over again, throwing things at me and calling me a shameless thief, I won’t give up Amy , I called Baylor and he is going to be my lawyer and has refused to take a dime from me . ‘’Baylor?’’ Amy asks curiously, letting go of Paris, confusion colouring her tanned face. ‘’ You still talk to Baylor? Since when?’’. ‘’ Well it started six days ago, I met him at the fruit store where I went to buy strawberries and he said he just got back from Boston so we got talking and I found myself opening up to him and he offered to help, right there he offered to become my representative, all I now have to do is file a complaint’’. ‘’ According to Baylor to file a lawsuit in court, you have to be someone directly affected by the dispute you are suing about, apparently in legal terms it is called having ‘’ standing ‘’ to file a lawsuit.’’ Paris added. Amy nodded, pouting. ‘’Hmmm so you guys only talked and mainly about the lawsuit and that’s all?’’ Amy asked, her mouth open and an eyebrow raised. ‘’ What else would there be’’ Paris asks trying to read the look on Amy’s face. ‘’ Well nothing really!’’ came Amy’s very sharp reply, which made Paris frown. Baylor was Paris’s ex- boyfriend who she dated for five years, their relationship was intense and everything was fine until Baylor got into law school, moved to Boston and became busier as the year went by, after years of little to no contact between the lovebirds, Paris had called off the relationship. ‘’Let’s order mint chocolate ice –cream with pizza’’ says Amy who had run of things to say at that moment. ‘’I’d rather eat a live octopus than that shit that tastes like toothpaste’’ came Paris’s swift response, the two friends always fancied the same things but when it came to their food choices, they had a lot of differences, Paris hated mint Choco ice cream which happened to be Amy’s favourite ice cream flavour but loved pineapple pizza which Amy found totally disgusting, after minutes of going back and forth on their choices, they came to a common ground and decided on strawberry-chocolate ice cream with Oreo and pizza with extra cheese.
Aaron is seated opposite his mother at her store, looking at her wide eyed as she gulped down a cup of her disgusting lotus tea, with some green herbal mixture added, her absolute favourite as he could recall, Aaron never understood why the liquid which looked more like a monk’s herb, with the exception of its flowery scent than an actual drink was classified as tea, her reason for abhorring and disliking coffee will always be a mystery he might never be able to solve, sighing deeply after dropping her empty cup on the table she says, looking tired and stressed out. She looked twenty years older. ‘’ So that tramp is still intent on going to court? What do I do now?’’. Feeling conflicted, Aaron wanted answers so he asked directly ‘’ What exactly did you do to her mother?’’. ‘’ I don’t feel like talking about it son, it always stresses me out’’ says his mother who reaches out across the table and holds his hands looking up at him with bright sky blue puppy dog eyes which he had graciously inherited. ‘’Please help me son, please I can’t lose everything I have worked so hard for… please, do something, anything… please.’’ she says brokenly , with shaky hands ,looking so small and fragile that even though Aaron knew there was more to the story between her and the blondie than what she was letting on , he had no choice but to agree to help her as he after all had a duty to her as his mother who had singlehandedly raised him after his father a voiceover artist had run away a day after he clocked four years old with a south Africa based Italian female television presenter, putting on a brave smile that didn’t reach his eyes , he promised to try talking to the strawberry blonde again, wincing inwardly at how hard and unpleasant a task it was going to be.