Getting ready to annoy Myrtle

“You know, Mishka’s father is under the impression that his mother is also like a mother to his children, but he has never taken the trouble to find out if he’s right,” Joan remarked as she finished up with dishing up.

“This Mexican food looks so tempting, but I think I should have only half now and the rest when I come back from the gymn,” Gillian remarked as she sat down at the wooden table.

“I will never forget the joy of sitting down at a kitchen table with everyone so close around it instead of sitting in a dining room with everyone seated so far apart,” Mishka remarked as she took her place next to Gillian.

“You mean one day when you’re living far away you’ll remember this?” Gillian asked as she began to help herself to the home-cooked food.

“Why should she live far away when she has a mansion with her name on it?” Joan asked with a huff.

“Maybe she gets another one in China. It is possible with a wealthy father like hers,” Gillian insisted.

“Alright then, Mishka, enjoy the cottage table meal while you have the privilege,” Joan agreed with a light-hearted chuckle.

Joan and her husband would eat later when he returned from work. Gillian usually also waited for him so that they could eat together in their small dining room as a family.

But, today she was taking Mishka home and it was still raining, although it was now a gentler rain. So, she had to eat earlier or end up not finishing her routines on time. Joan was very aware of this fact.

“We’re just gonna show my grandma that times are changing and that I will change accordingly,” Mishka remarked as she began to help herself to her plate.

“Very well then, you girls try your way and I can still try my way, can’t I?” Joan asked with her eyebrows raised at Mishka.

“By all means. It could only be good if I had more help,” Mishka responded quickly. “It can speed things up for me,” she added with a serious look on her face.

“Yes, we should see what kind of mood your grandma is in tonight and then take it from there,” Gillian agreed.

“No, we will just carry on with our plan and let her see us act like free young people,” Mishka responded.

“I’m just a little bit careful about stressing an old person into a heart attack or a stroke,” Gillian remarked while she kept her eyes on her food.

“What? My grandmother have a stroke or heart attack?” Mishka laughed. “You don’t know how many eastern herbs and fruit she’s taking to keep her strong. She even has a corner in her nursery where she works on her plants apart from her flowers. She’s gonna live until a hundred,” she added.

Mishka then met Joan’s eyes at this moment. She had a serious and thoughtful look on her face.

“Oh, gosh! She’s thinking about her cousin, Bruce who could very easily be ancient, for all we know,” Mishka told herself reflectively.

Suddenly everything around her was not so funny anymore.

Gillian rose from the table at that point because her food was half finished.

“Oh, yes,” I should also perhaps still go and have at least dessert at home, otherwise the cook and grandma will be upset with me,” Mishka remarked.

“I will finish my food when I come back. Thanks Mom,” Gillian promised.

“Since you’re coming into our house with me you can also have dessert there with me,” Mishka suggested.

“Oh, yes, I could,” Gillian responded.

“Now, you mentioned a plan. What plan are we gonna execute, exactly?” she asked as she reached for her car keys.

“Well, I think that you should skip the gymn please,” Mishka responded. “Then we can have my usual dance class exercises in the studio and then we can go to the club for a short while before we return home,” Mishka replied.

“Night club during the week?” Gillian asked. “Won’t we oversleep for work in the morning?” she asked as she began to walk out of the kitchen.

“We’re just gonna be there for an hour tonight to shock grandma a bit,” Mishka replied.

“Oh, but then we have to stick to the time strictly. It’s what; dessert, then a dance session and then the club. One after another,” Gillian remarked with a worried frown between her shapely black brows.

“You know that I’m very strict about time, so, don’t worry,” Mishka responded in a reassuring tone.

“Goodnight, Aunty Joan and thank you for the food, the coffee and the company,” she then remarked as she hugged Joan.

“Oh, we forgot about the coffee that I prepared,” Gillian complained with a longing look at the coffee brewer.

“You can have some when you come back, then you can tell me all about your little evening out,” Joan responded.

“Okay then, so, we’re definitely not gonna stay out for long,” Gillian responded with a warning smile in Mishka’s direction.

“If you really wanna drive the point home with your grandma you can come back here with Gillian and sleep over. Then you can both leave for your respective jobs from here in the morning,” Joan suggested, her eyes lighting up with mischief.

“That’s daring, but it can actually be fun to have a sleepover in the middle of the week,” Gillian responded.

“Then you’re taking the day and the night off,” Joan suggested with her brows raised expectantly.

“Now the two of you are more daring than I am,” Mishka responded.

“We will see about that. I might take you on about that if grandma is sulky and unpleasant tonight.

But, more importantly, you should make a point of driving past that mansion now, so I can catch a glimpse of it,” she added as she began to follow Gillian towards the front door.

“You mean the designer’s mansion?” Gillian asked excitedly.

“Yes, Bruce’s mansion,” Mishka agreed.

“Oh, is his name Bruce?” Gillian asked, turning on her heel to look at Mishka.

“Yes, that’s what he said,” Mishka responded with a backwards glance at Joan who had escorted them down the passage to the front door.

Joan returned Mishka’s gaze with a steady smile on her face.