Chapter 18

I linger on the terrace long after he is gone. All alone again. Is this how it is supposed to be? Am I meant to be alone forever?

I guess this is my normal state. My mother was always alone, working two or more jobs just to keep us afloat. Father was never in the picture. I vaguely remember another presence in our lives, no face just a feeling. A presence in our lives. And I remember my mother smiling, no not just smiling but laughing wholeheartedly. Sound of her voice vibrating all around me.

But that is not the woman I remember, the woman that raised me. The woman that invested her life to put me through school and helped me through college.

“Don’t trust in men Madison, trust in your education and a steady job.”

This was my mother’s mantra.