Page 46 of Eva Reddy’s Trip of a Lifetime
My Mother, My Friend
I take a step back and link my hands behind my head, too shocked to be angry, although I’m sure that will come soon enough.
Suddenly everything makes sense. Of course my mother is the mysterious Ernest Friend.
She never liked Jonathan. Or at least, she never liked that I married him so young.
And only Debbie Reddy would pull a stunt like this.
It is theatrical and it is an appalling breach of my privacy.
The entire enterprise has my mother’s grubby fingerprints all over it.
I can’t believe I didn’t work it out earlier.
I suppose I get why she did it. If she had told me about Jonathan’s affair face to face, I would never have believed her. Her solution was practical if unscrupulous, but that still doesn’t excuse her behaviour.
Just one big question remains unanswered.
‘How did you know Jonathan was cheating?’
My mother grins proudly. She has overcome her initial guilt and has reverted to factory settings, which is to say smug and annoying.
‘I was worried about you. You’d lost what little spark you had left. You were gaining weight. You looked unhealthy and—I mean this in a helpful way—you had become really very dreary. You looked like someone whose husband would look elsewhere. So, I hired a private detective to find out.’
‘You did what?’ My brain hits boiling point and I’m about to find out if steam does really come out of people’s ears. A furious lecture on respecting boundaries is on the tip of my tongue when the truth hits me.
‘Utkarsh! You hired Utkarsh to follow me. Jonathan had nothing to do with it!’
‘I think you should thank me. He’s rather dishy looking, don’t you think?’
I feel the telltale red rash creeping up from my neck.
‘Oh, Bunny! You didn’t?’
Now my face is burning.
‘You did! Well, that explains a few things. I did wonder why you looked so good. I guess it’s overstepping to ask what it was like.’
‘Ooh, yuck, Mum. Yes, absolutely, it’s overstepping. And I didn’t tell you anything happened.’
‘Of course not, dear. Although, I really don’t think you should be getting all huffy about it. I rather think I did you a favour.’
‘Let’s not talk about it, okay?’ I start walking again.
‘You really are no fun, Bunny.’
‘And you are a nightmare.’
As she bustles to catch up with me, my mother beams as if I have just paid her a massive compliment.
I try again. ‘I am so, so angry with you. I’m not a child. I am fifty years old. You need to respect that and let me live my life.’
‘Even when your life is as boring as a bag of plain rice cakes? Sometimes the ends do justify the means, Bunny.’ She gives her nose ring a little twist, looking all the world like Snidely Whiplash twirling his moustache.
‘As my alter ego pointed out, this is the most exciting thing that’s happened to you in years.
And just look at you! The Eva of two weeks ago wouldn’t recognise the strong, confident woman here with me now. ’
She’s right.
‘Whatever. Just know that I’m going to take my time forgiving you.’
She shrugs. Either she doesn’t care or she knows that I am bluffing.
The road stops at the entrance to a smallish temple. The garden is empty of people and there is a seat and table in the shade. We sit down facing one another.
‘So, you know the worst of it. What do I do?’ I lean forward, my chin resting on my hands.
Hopefully my mother recognises that I am looking for advice now and not a laundry list of my many flaws.
‘Jonathan is bombarding me with emails. He wants to meet me and save our marriage. And I really don’t know if that is what I want.
I can’t get past the fact that he had an affair.
I get that he wasn’t happy, but I wasn’t happy either.
I’m only now realising how unhappy I was.
But should I meet him? Do I give him another chance? ’
‘Whether you meet up with him or not is entirely up to you. But I do know he is in Varanasi.’
‘He’s in Varanasi? Really? I presumed he was still holed up in Delhi.’
‘For someone with a high flying legal career, he is a little slow on the uptake. It took him a few days, but he finally figured out that to find you, he needed to find me. So he subscribed to my TikTok account. He texted me again this morning. I haven’t posted anything from Bodh Gaya, so he hasn’t made it here yet. ’
‘But he is just down the road. What do I do?’
‘That I can’t tell you.’ She stops and gives me a look that I can only describe as fond, which also makes it quite unsettling.
‘But you need to understand your own value. If Jonathan makes you feel less than your true amazing self, then it’s time to move on.
I’m the only one who’s allowed to poke and pick at your insecurities.
I do it for your own good, not to knock you down.
Tell me, have you liked being on your own? ’
I nod. I have enjoyed making my own decisions and being my own person.
Even if that person makes a lot of mistakes.
Even mistakes that land them in hospital.
I haven’t had to weigh my words, worrying how they’ll be received.
I haven’t had to tiptoe around someone else’s moods.
The only person I have been responsible for is myself. And I’ve loved it.
‘So, here’s the question you need to ask yourself, Bunny. Can the person you are today find a place with Jonathan? Can he let you be your true self?’
My mother stands and stretches, her arms reaching for the sky before extending out and to the sides. That sari tape really does do an excellent job.
‘I’ll leave you with that thought. It’s well past cocktail hour and I need to get back to your dad.’ It’s not quite midday but I let it slide. ‘I know you’ll make the right decision. It might not seem like it a lot of the time, but you are my daughter. You weren’t made to live an ordinary life.’
‘You go.’ I wave her off. ‘I’ll see you and Dad tomorrow. I’ve got a lot to think about.’
She gazes down at me with a smile that is pure, mischievous glee.
‘And I probably should mention that Utkarsh is in Bodh Gaya too. He wanted to hand deliver his final invoice to me. I now suspect that was just a ruse to find out where you were. He really is an excellent detective, don’t you think?’
I roll my eyes. ‘Just go, Mum. I’ll see you tomorrow.’
‘I’m looking forward to it. This is so exciting. Utkarsh or Jonathan? Who will you choose? It’s just like the finale of The Bachelorette !’
Just like.
From: Me
To: Jonathan Moore
Dear Jonathan,
I am in Bodh Gaya. That’s about three hours from Varanasi by taxi. If you still want to meet, I’ll be under the Bodhi Tree at 11 tomorrow morning.
Eva
From: Me
To: Utkarsh Patel
Dear Utkarsh,
I know you are in Bodh Gaya. I presume you want to see me. I will contact you tomorrow.
Eva