Chapter 2

“Oh, my wonderful mother, thank you so much for taking me to Milan, the City of Fashion and so much culture during my half-term,” Reina dramatically spread her arms wide. “Is what any normal teenage girl should be saying.” She stated as her 13-year-old daughter who glowered from across the table.

“Most teenage daughters aren’t kidnapped during the middle of exam studies, and put on a plane to the middle of Europe without warning.” Anjie responded as she drank a cappuccino, before wincing.

“Too bitter?” Reina asked concerned, as she leaned forward on the café table, reaching her hand out.

“No, I’m a justifiable amount of bitter!” Anjie shouted back, recoiling from her mother, drawing attention from of the other patrons of the café.

“Anjanette that’s not what I meant-” Reina started as she looked embarrassed by the attention the shouting was drawing.

“Does dad even know I’m here?” Anjie interrupted. “Or is this another one of your secrets?”

“Your father-I mean, he knows about the Milan trip,” Reina began stuttering before Anjie interrupted.

“Did he know I was coming?” Reina hesitates and Anjie shook her head. “Of course he doesn’t. You lied to him again.”

“I never lied-” Reina started, then stopped as she slumped back in her chair. With a ‘hmph’ Anjie stared at her phone, frowning as she wiped off the water from the touch screen with a napkin.

From a distance the two women looked almost identical, barring the age difference. Both were light skinned, with that exotic look that could pass for multiple ethnicities; they could be Spanish or South American, Iranian or mixed or almost anything. They both startling blue eyes, although Anjie wore a pair of glasses that were starting to make a groove on her otherwise shapely nose. Reina wore a light-yellow summer dress, but was unfortunately already damp from the rain pouring outside, while Anjie seems comfortable in her dark green jumper and tracksuit bottoms, with a stylish but impractically thin scarf around her neck.

The café the two shared this uncomfortable silence in was a small family run one built close to the Cairoli metro station, so it was busy with visitors who’d come in from out of the rain that was pouring outside. The owner, an older Italian man in an apron too big for him, nervously stood by the till as he watched the interaction.

“I’m going to get another cappuccino.” Anjie said as she stood up.

“I think one was more than enough-” Reina turned in her seat to stop her daughter, but faltered when she saw her daughter had already walked off. Reina rested her head in her hands, sighing.

What was I thinking? She wondered as she looked out the window next to her, the rain splattering against the window making it difficult to see outside. You weren’t thinking were you Reina? A grand dramatic gesture will make up for everything? This isn’t a movie. She reaches into her pocket, and pulled out her keychain. The keychain had two items tied to it, neither of which were keys. One was a smiling lego headpiece, which had brown hair and red lip drawn on with crayon. The other…

“Ah cricket.” The elderly café owner exclaimed out of the blue, startling Reina, as the man was suddenly standing at her table holding a plate. “You Indiano?” He asks Reina in a heavy Italian accent, pointing at the second keychain item. It was a finger-length fake gold cricket bat, with the letters SK emblazed on them.

“Uh, yes.” Reina began confused, as she put down the keychain. “I mean, my father is Indian. I grew up in England.”

“Ah England, cricket is big there no?” He says, smiling warmly.

“Yes, it was actually created there, with records attributing it to Saxon time to an area between Kent and Sussex…” Reina began, leaning forward and gesticulating as she began describing the history of Cricket. The whole time the owner politely smiles, taking the seat opposite her.

“…and that’s why it’s so interesting that India uses Cricket, which was once a form of colonial suppression and indoctrination, as a tool for their own diplomacy with ‘cricket diplomacy’.” Reina takes a deep breath as she finishes her lecture.

If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

“I like football.” The café owner says with a smile.

“Oh I am so sorry,” Reina ears go red in embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to talk your ear off like that-”

“Hah! Is no problem!” The elderly man laughs. “Is good to talk about what you are passionate about.” He holds his hand out. “I am Arnaldo. You having a good time?”

“Reina.” She shakes his hand. “Your café is lovely.”

“So nice of you to say. Here, eat.” He puts down the plate he was holding in front of Reina. It was some Panna Cotta, a creamy desert dotted with strawberries.

“Oh wow, thank you.” She said stunned, as she took a fork. “You Italians are so nice. Please, have some with me?”

“Sei sicuro?” He asked in confusion and surprise.

“Si, I insist.” Reina nodded firmly. Arnaldo smiled before taking a fork and digging in.

“Hah, I sometimes forget how good I taste!” Arnaldo remarks, causing Reina to snort in laughter. “What’s so funny?” He asks.

“Heh, it’s just, how good you taste means…never mind.” Reina quickly takes a bite to cover her embarrassment. She then points at a picture on the wall. “Is that Ronaldinho?”

“Ah yes, it is.” Arnaldo said as he turned to look at the picture. It showed the Brazilian football star Ronaldinho in a suit shaking hands with a much fatter Arnaldo, while an excitable young boy sat on the café owner’s shoulders holding out his own hand to shake. “He played for AC Milan back in 2009. My boy Gino didn’t even watch football back then, but demanded to take a picture. He must have had a nose for talent.” Arnaldo’s smile lessened, as his eyes looked sad.

“Arnaldo, pardon me for asking,” Reina said cautiously. “But is everything alright?”

“Si, is fine.” Arnaldo took a deep breath to compose himself. “Just memories.” He smiled warmly and looked at Reina. “Children are a blessing no.”

“They are.” Reina acknowledges. “But they can be tough too. My daughter, sometimes it can be tough to know what she’s thinking, or how to get through to her-”

“You have a daughter?” Arnaldo asked shocked.

“I do. My daughter Anjanette is 13, she just went to-”

“No! You are so young!” Arnaldo looks more shocked. “The girl with you, I thought you were sisters!”

“Oh please.” Reina laughs and slaps his arm good naturedly. She then frowned and looked around. “Where is she by the way? She just went to get a cappuccino.”

“Oh yes she said she was going to go buy a sim card.” Arnaldo explained. “After ordering you the Panna Cotta.” He pointed at the dessert they were eating.

“That wasn’t a gift-damn it Anjanette!” Reina stood up scanning the café quickly and seeing no sign of her.

“Signora?” Arnaldo asked confused as he stood up. Reina however rushed out the café.

“Anjanette! Anjanette!” She called out, as the pouring rain drenched her.

***

Anjie pulled her scarf over her head as she moved quickly away from the station and café, past a long line of trees that were planted right by the road.

Soon as I find a sim card, I can call dad and get out of here. Anjie thought to herself as she kept an eye out. I don’t know what kind of Eat Pray Love kick my mum is on, but I am done getting dragged into her midlife crisis.

As she looked at the stores for one that looked like a phone shop, she was completely unaware of something staring at her from on top of one of the trees. A pair of golden cat eyes glowed as they followed her movement.

So much Power. Must Have..  The creature licked its lips. It saw a bright blue orb, as big as an apple, glowing within Anjie’s torso. For Next Level!

The cat eyes flashed red as it lunged from the tree.

To be continued…