Read Online Dessi's Romance by Goldie Alexander - Free Book Online Page A

it was a disaster of scorched eggs and burnt
toast.
    ‘Like this, Em.’
He shows me how to fork the flesh out of the bugs. Darl makes ‘Mmmm’ sounds. At
least while we’re eating, we don’t have to talk. When we finish a meal where
every mouthful sticks in my throat, she nods meaningfully and says, ‘You two go
and relax in the lounge room while I make coffee.’
    This is it, I
suppose.
    ‘Em, I suppose
you’ve guessed what I’m about to say,’ he begins with a hopeful look. ‘Uh, your
room and…er, everything.’
    He’s expecting
me to respond. Only I don’t.
    If only my
stupid hands would stop trembling.
    ‘I, er, we thought it might be a good
idea for you to, ah, live up here for a while. With…us.’
    I watch a
trickle of sweat run down his temple. Isn’t he amazing? I haven’t seen him for
three years, hardly spoken in fact, and now he’s making plans for me. But he
knows nothing about me any more. And in all that time he didn’t even care.
    ‘I don’t expect
you to make up your mind this minute.’ He reaches out to pat my head. ‘You’ll
need to think about it. I know that. But we were hoping that…’
    ‘Hold on a
minute, Dad,’ I rush in. ‘I’ve got a life. And it’s not here. I’m hoping
to get into RMIT. I can’t just drop everything because you think it’s a good idea for
me to move up here.’ And suddenly all my anger and hurt billow out, ‘You didn’t
give a shit about me when you pissed off and I hardly heard from you…’
    ‘Please don’t
swear, Em,’ he says with a pained expression. ‘You don’t know what it’s been
like… Your mother did everything in her power to keep me away…’
    Thankfully Laura
comes in with a tray. I spring to my feet and pretend to examine the shelves
filled with pigs.
    Not the only
pigs around here!
    ‘Coffee? How do
you take yours, Emma…’ Laura trails off. ‘Is anything…wrong?’
    He shakes his
head from side to side.
    ‘Rob? Emma? What’s
the matter?’
    ‘She doesn’t
want to be here. That’s pretty damned obvious. I may as well drive her back…’
his voice cracks.
    Laura tries to
pacify us. ‘Don’t be so harsh, Rob. Give the girl a chance. This must all be
terribly sudden. Why don’t you both sit down and have a coffee, cool off.
There. That’s better.’
    I find myself
doing what Laura suggests. But with one proviso. ‘Could I possibly have a beer
instead of coffee?’
    Laura nods
briskly. ‘Good idea.’ She picks up the tray and smiles ruefully. ‘Stuff this.
What we need is a decent drink.’
    To my amazement,
I realise I’m smiling back. Maybe Laura isn’t so bad? For the first time I feel
myself relax.
     

15. DESSI, Melbourne
     
    More relaxed, I’d like this ride to go
on forever. But somewhere deep down I can’t help wondering why Abdul is
interested in me. Isn’t it unusual for someone three years older not to have a
permanent woman? I ask, ‘Where are your folks from?’
    ‘North Lebanon. Batroun.
They came here when Ahmed was four and I was two.’
    ‘You’ve got
a brother?’
    ‘Sure have.
Ahmed’s bright. Got into medicine and topped all his exams. Right now, he’s
doing his internship.’
    ‘How come
you’re not doing medicine? Didn’t you get in?’
    ‘Didn’t
try. Doctors don’t have a life.’
    Again that
appraising glance as if he’s trying to figure something out. Is it whether I
will or won’t? Is it all about sex? That wouldn’t surprise me as sex, or rather
differing attitudes to sex, is what comes between me and Emma. Basically, I’m a
romantic and I guess that’s Graham’s influence. He’s very old fashioned when it
comes to his family. He was forty when I was born, Hannah twenty-nine. Though I
find it hard to view my parents as lovers, I hear certain sounds from their
bedroom that tell me they are. Rather, I used to hear those sounds. Lately,
they can barely manage a civil word to each other.      
    What if
they split? Emma and Julie had such an awful