‘What’s up with the new look? You dyed your hair again?’
She was always experimenting and tweaking her appearance.
‘Yeah ,’ she said, touching up her locks, ‘it’s fall, so I thought I’d go brunette, just like you.’
‘Woohoo, b runettes all the way,’ I said cheerlessly, before walking into my room and shutting the door.
‘Ah, finally you’re home!’
It was Birna. She was my senior and by far the closest person to me in the whole wide world. I was the youngest of the five sisters.
‘Birns, I was hoping to have some time to myself, do you mind?’
After the club incident, I needed some time alone. I had never experienced such humiliation, and it really messed with your mind. That Calvin would pay for it. On second thought, did I really have a problem with him, or was it the genie? Sigurd was the one who had actually applied physical force, right? Correct, but he had done so under Calvin’s orders. So, who was to be held responsible for my humiliation? Hmm, probably both.
‘So , you know how Brigida’s birthday is coming up soon?’ she said, completely ignoring me. ‘I’ve been trying to put together a photo album of her baby pics and stuff, and I can’t decide which one to use. Which pink do you think is better, the bright-pale one, or the bright one?’
Birna was the Barbie in the family. And if she was the Barbie, then I was the Tom Boy.
‘Birns, sweety, I honestly can’t see the difference. They’re both just pink to me.’
‘What are you – colorblind?’
At tha t very moment Asvi, the eldest amongst us, came in. ‘Mom wants you downstairs in five, Ranka,’ she announced, in that usual serious tone of hers.
‘I don’t want to go downstairs right now. Can’t I just stay in my room? I want to be left alone.’
As if it was possible, she adopted an even harsher facial expression. ‘Do I really have to repeat myself, Ranka?’
‘Oh, for Odin’s sake – fine!’ I stomped out of the room in manner remindful of an elephant and, moving with superhuman speed, made my way to the dimly lit dungeons.
Just like any other day , Mom was seated on her throne of black marble. She was flanked by two sturdy guards in impeccable suits, both of whom had medieval swords slung across their backs and semi-automatic handguns filled with silver bullets at their thick waists.
‘Ah, my little flower,’ she said cheerily, the moment she withdrew her ice-blue eyes from the scroll she was perusing. ‘Do you know why I called you down here tonight?’ Of course the first thing that crossed my mind was the club incident. I was already wondering how on her Earth she could have possibly found out, when she said, ‘Say, dear, do you remember the Falstads?’
I suddenly realized where this conversation was headed. My mother, not unlike any other coven leader, was a big fan of arranged marriage, and had already successfully cajoled two of my sisters, Adisa and Birna, into getting engaged. Their weddings were scheduled to take place in two months, with only a short ten-day break in between.
‘Mom, don’t even go there!’ I cut her off at inception. ‘I won’t hear of it! I know you’re used to having everything done your way, but I’ve made up my mind and I’m not gonna change it for anyone.’
‘Go where?’ she exclaimed pretentiously, as if she had no idea what I was talking about. ‘I was merely trying to tell you that they’ll be coming over for a few days. That’s it.’
I look ed at her askance with distrust and suspicion. ‘That’s it?’
‘Yes , of course.’ She paused, picked one of her long, manicured nails and then added, ‘And their eldest son, Corey, will be coming of course.’
I slapped my thigh. ‘There you go again.’
‘Honey, just listen to me for a second before you say no.’
‘Honestly, Mom, there’s nothing you can say that’ll make me change my outlook on life. Marriage, if it ever even happens, cannot and should not be enforced.’
‘No
She was always experimenting and tweaking her appearance.
‘Yeah ,’ she said, touching up her locks, ‘it’s fall, so I thought I’d go brunette, just like you.’
‘Woohoo, b runettes all the way,’ I said cheerlessly, before walking into my room and shutting the door.
‘Ah, finally you’re home!’
It was Birna. She was my senior and by far the closest person to me in the whole wide world. I was the youngest of the five sisters.
‘Birns, I was hoping to have some time to myself, do you mind?’
After the club incident, I needed some time alone. I had never experienced such humiliation, and it really messed with your mind. That Calvin would pay for it. On second thought, did I really have a problem with him, or was it the genie? Sigurd was the one who had actually applied physical force, right? Correct, but he had done so under Calvin’s orders. So, who was to be held responsible for my humiliation? Hmm, probably both.
‘So , you know how Brigida’s birthday is coming up soon?’ she said, completely ignoring me. ‘I’ve been trying to put together a photo album of her baby pics and stuff, and I can’t decide which one to use. Which pink do you think is better, the bright-pale one, or the bright one?’
Birna was the Barbie in the family. And if she was the Barbie, then I was the Tom Boy.
‘Birns, sweety, I honestly can’t see the difference. They’re both just pink to me.’
‘What are you – colorblind?’
At tha t very moment Asvi, the eldest amongst us, came in. ‘Mom wants you downstairs in five, Ranka,’ she announced, in that usual serious tone of hers.
‘I don’t want to go downstairs right now. Can’t I just stay in my room? I want to be left alone.’
As if it was possible, she adopted an even harsher facial expression. ‘Do I really have to repeat myself, Ranka?’
‘Oh, for Odin’s sake – fine!’ I stomped out of the room in manner remindful of an elephant and, moving with superhuman speed, made my way to the dimly lit dungeons.
Just like any other day , Mom was seated on her throne of black marble. She was flanked by two sturdy guards in impeccable suits, both of whom had medieval swords slung across their backs and semi-automatic handguns filled with silver bullets at their thick waists.
‘Ah, my little flower,’ she said cheerily, the moment she withdrew her ice-blue eyes from the scroll she was perusing. ‘Do you know why I called you down here tonight?’ Of course the first thing that crossed my mind was the club incident. I was already wondering how on her Earth she could have possibly found out, when she said, ‘Say, dear, do you remember the Falstads?’
I suddenly realized where this conversation was headed. My mother, not unlike any other coven leader, was a big fan of arranged marriage, and had already successfully cajoled two of my sisters, Adisa and Birna, into getting engaged. Their weddings were scheduled to take place in two months, with only a short ten-day break in between.
‘Mom, don’t even go there!’ I cut her off at inception. ‘I won’t hear of it! I know you’re used to having everything done your way, but I’ve made up my mind and I’m not gonna change it for anyone.’
‘Go where?’ she exclaimed pretentiously, as if she had no idea what I was talking about. ‘I was merely trying to tell you that they’ll be coming over for a few days. That’s it.’
I look ed at her askance with distrust and suspicion. ‘That’s it?’
‘Yes , of course.’ She paused, picked one of her long, manicured nails and then added, ‘And their eldest son, Corey, will be coming of course.’
I slapped my thigh. ‘There you go again.’
‘Honey, just listen to me for a second before you say no.’
‘Honestly, Mom, there’s nothing you can say that’ll make me change my outlook on life. Marriage, if it ever even happens, cannot and should not be enforced.’
‘No
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