Chapter 40

"How many hours more?" I whisper in Lai's ear. 

"A few minutes more. Mom is finishing." She whispers back with her eyes close and hands joined in prayer. 

I sigh and close my eyes again and do not dare to move from my praying position. 

I hear the bell ring. It is definitely aunty ringing the holly bell over the idols of our Hindu Gods. 

I feel someone poke my right arm,so I open my eyes and find aunty standing in front of me with her hands forwarded towards me. I understand what she means and I fold my palms ,one over the other to review the sweet. It's called 'prashad' in our place. 

I pour it in my mouth and jerk off the excess,not forgetting to touch the sweet on my forehead before I gulp it in. Well,I was taught all of it in India. Puja was more common there. My dad used to do it regularly. While me and Sonia tried to disturb him. Stran