Joan’s secret connection to Bruce

“I’m just thinking that it’s something that I’ve never entertained before. Meeting up with a mythical creature or stretching my imagination enough to be able to believe that things beyond my usual existence can actually be true,” Mishka responded to Joan’s concerned question.

“You shouldn’t stress about it. Think about it and then let it be. Otherwise you will come up with more than there actually is,” Joan responded.

“What do you mean?” Mishka asked in confusion.

What I’m trying to say is that your imagination might go wild,” Joan advised with a gentle smile.

“Oh, that food is almost done. You can just as well stay for dinner when Gillian comes,” she added as she rose to check on her pots.

“I’m so excited though, that I can’t wait to tell Gillian about my plans for us to visit Bruce. He sounds so much more interesting now, apart from being talented and handsome,” Mishka announced with a smile which made her eyes twinkle.

“Yes, the danger element is also always alluring to young minds. So, the two of you should be very careful and go there with open minds,” Joan responded.

“I hope we can go soon. A pity that we have to wait for the weekend. I’m going back to work tomorrow, so I won’t be in the woods for a few days,” Mishka remarked with a pining look in her eyes.

“Oh, but please don’t tell Gillian about anything we discussed here tonight,” Joan said quickly.

There were a set of vehicle lights at the gate. Mishka assumed that it was Gillian arriving from work because her father usually arrived home later than her.

Mishka shook her head in confusion.

“But why shouldn’t I tell Gillian? She’s grown up and can make her own decisions. She’s also already seen Bruce, right?” she asked.

“You guys can go there alright, but Gillian mustn’t know everything about Bruce. She shouldn’t involve herself with him at all,” Joan responded.

“But, why? She doesn’t have a boyfriend or anything, so why can’t she get to know Bruce if she happens to like him?” Mishka asked with a frown of disapproval.

“She can’t be involved with him because he’s family. He’s my cousin, but she mustn’t know anything about this. It can be dangerous for her to know anything about him,” Joan responded looking very serious.

Mishka stood with her mouth open in shock. She couldn’t say anything because Gillian was already unlocking the front door and letting herself in.

“Hi, Mom! This rain is persistent, but refreshing for a change,” she said as she shook herself from cold shivers and the few raindrops which had sprinkled her when she ran up to the porch from her car.

“Oh, my goodness!” Gillian exclaimed when she saw Mishka coming down the passage to meet her.

“Fancy meeting you here! You didn’t say that you were coming here after work?” Gillian remarked as she gave Mishka a quick hug and then looked her over.

“Is everything okay?” she asked.

“I’m very okay right now, after spending some time walking in the woods and then coming here for shelter,” Mishka responded with a broad smile.

“Oh, you were walking in the woods? What time did you finish at work then?” Gillian asked as she and Mishka walked down the hallway.

“Mishka took the day off to collect herself a bit,” Joan said from the kitchen doorway. She smiled at her daughter in such a relaxed way that nobody would have guessed that she and Mishka had just had such an intense conversation.

“Oh, didn’t you feel well then?” Gillian asked as she placed her handbag on the kitchen table. “That food smells divine, by the way,” she added, looking at the steaming pots on the stove.

“I was emotionally run down by the workload at the office, so I just had to give myself a break and recharge my batteries,” Mishka replied. “So I decided to go and do voice training in the woods,” she added as she observed Gillian.

Mishka could not believe what Joan had just said a few moments ago. She was Bruce’s cousin. But, he looked so much younger than her. Was that the issue between them? Was he really a wolf with the gift of longevity? Eternal youth or something like that?” she asked herself.

“Voice training in the woods must be the best that a singer can try. All the clear, fresh air for your lungs and the sound must be a better quality as well,” Gillian responded. She did not notice Mishka’ and her mother’s guarded actions as she walked towards the coffee brewer.

“You should record a music video in the woods for a change. It can be awesome,” she added as she added water to the brewer.

“That sounds like an amazing idea.

So, my day was excellent. How was yours?” Mishka asked in a genuine tone because she needed a complete change in the atmosphere. She wanted to set her mind free of the cobwebs which were brought on by her and Joan’s unusual conversation.

“I had my usual grilling by that man who thinks that the world belongs to him,” Gillian responded with an angry scowl.

“But, let’s not talk about him. As soon as I’m qualified, I’m gonna be out of there,” she continued with a smile.

“I would rather discuss something very interesting with you. We haven’t seen each other in a long while. You’re really tied down by that job of yours at your father’s company. If you were working for someone else you wouldn’t have so many obligations and so much stress,” Gillian remarked as she added coffee beans to the brewer.

“What do you want to discuss? Actually I wanted you to come into our house when you drop me there later, because I didn’t come with my own car,” Mishka announced.

“Yes, I know. You were walking through the woods, so you didn’t come with a car.

But, I wanted to talk to you about something interesting which has hit our neighbourhood recently,” Gillian remarked with a mischievous glint in her eyes.

Joan winked at Mishka at this. Mishka knew what was coming next.

“Oh, something new in our neighbourhood?” she asked.

“Yes, but I couldn’t tell you on the phone because such things don’t come to mind when we’re just chatting to catch up,” Gillian said as she picked up her bag from the table and walked back into the passage.

Mishka knew that Gillian expected her to follow her to her bedroom where she was going to change and then give her the news that she was dying to share.

Mishka glanced at Joan before following Gillian down the passage. Joan gave her a wink in response.

“Now I have to share a secret with my friend’s mother and keep it away from my actual friend. How weird!” Mishka told herself.