Confrontation
I was horror-struck. Thoughts blazed through my mind like wildfire. I am over eighteen, so legally they have nothing on me. Perchance they will not see us. If they do, will they cause a scene. Should I leave? Time ran out. There they stood, leering over our table with shadows of grins spread across their faces.
"Hello," mother cautioned with a hesitant tone.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Trinket," crooned Venia, offering the chairs.
"Welcome," Seneca added hesitantly.
Alfie and I contributed nothing. Likewise, father sat awkwardly not chancing a glance our way. Venia noted the hiatus in dialogue and broke the ice.
"So, we are all here for Effie. Today, she has graduated from upper school."
"Congratulations, darling," blasted mother with an eagerness to get her words out.
"Thanks," I responded sheepishly.
Everyone looked at father, expecting him to add something. Mother had to give him a jab.
"Well done," he growled inaudibly.
Mother beamed falsely at the pair of us. Alfie gave me a questioning glance as if to question her existence. Something seemed off about her. A more careful glance showed her to be balding. She had inadvertently tried to cover up the recession by drawing on fake hair. Her skin sagged in unusual places, making her look grotesque.
"I always knew you could do it," mother crooned with wide eyes.
We ordered food quickly, my choice being the lamb stew. Alfie and Seneca ordered simple plates, Venia only a drink. Mother, however, had her pick of the menu. She requested the most expensive plate with no dietary restrictions. Father ordered nothing.
"So," I ventured, "How are things going?"
I directed the question to father with the hopes of breaking his solitude. Something about his eeriness set me on guard. Mother took the opportunity to interject her thoughts.
"Things have been rough, of course. With all the questions and the lack of suitable answers. The investigation."
At this, she directed her head toward Seneca.
"Right," he added.
"Long story short, we have been in a terrible predicament. It was horrible for you two to leave the way you did," she added, "Horrid manners, really."
My mouth hung open in surprise. Alfie hit my leg under the table, signaling me to shut my mouth. Mother looked disturbed. Father continued to sit motionless.
"Excuse me?" I choked out, dabbing at my mouth with a napkin.
"I am sorry, dear. You both took off like baby birds learning to fly. Your father and I have been so worried. And Alfie, dear," at this she turned to him, "You may be a father now, too. You would not want your young taking off now would you?"
Alfie joined me with open-mouthed horror. Who does she think she is? I stood up offended. I dashed away from the table, Alfie in tow.
"What the hell is going on?" he growled, "What gives?"
"I cannot believe the nerve. The woman just barges in, condemning us to a life of hell on a misunderstanding. I ought to cast her away."
"No, do not cause a row here. You know how the old woman gets. She was never really motherly after all," he added defensively.
"How can you say that? She has never been like this. A ludicrous example of human scum that's what she is," I snorted.
"We must be distressing her with our rude manners. Let us try not to make things worse. Maybe, she will lighten up over dinner."
She did not lighten up over dinner. Contrary, she became worse, sending passive-aggressive messages across the table. Her slanders and accusations began to worry the rest of our party. Seneca tensed at her accusation of kidnapping. Venia cringed at the mention of molestation. Alfie and I tried our hardest not to leap across the table and strangle her.
"Surely, you can recall the time beastly Effie assaulted me for my purse. She clawed and grabbed at me, snagging my purse and breaking my fingers in the process," mother cried out.
Many other patrons of the establishment found entertainment in our table. My party of four sat stunned, accepting every insult strewn our way, gaining unfavorable glances in the process. Father sat unmoving the whole time.
"We must be going, other plans you see," she sneered toward us.
She rose from the table posthaste and dragged father up. I glowed with anger. My hand shook under the table, grasping the dinner fork I concealed.
"So that's it then?" I barked.
Mother stopped, her long sought confrontation finally occurring.
"Was there something you wanted to say, dear?" she boasted, calling all attention to us.
"Why, yes. How rude of you, mother, to accept an invitation on my behalf and display no sign of apology or of pride. How dare you condemn both your only children in spite and grief. How could you, father, just sit here and watch the children you cast away?"
"Effie, stop," Seneca whispered to me.
"No," I brushed him away, "I cannot believe you. And you have the audacity to call us your kin?"
"Effie," Seneca grabbed my elbow.
"Get off," I pushed him off, annoyed at his interruption.
"Effie!" he spun me around toward him, breathless with anger, "They have been hijacked."