NINE

So, I called her and stood from my chair facing the wall. "Hello?" I could hear myself croak, so I cleared my throat and repeated. "Hello, Nani?" She told me to call her that when we first met each other. The term means grandmother in India, and she wanted me to be affectionate towards her.

"I assumed you know why I had you call me at this hour?" Seema's voice was stern and angry, although she calmly answered and gave me a chill.

I thought grandparents were supposed to be loving and hug all the time like Grandma Birdie, but Seema and Birdie are the total opposite of each other. It is how they were raised differently.

"Yes, Nani."

"How on earth are you engaged to another man?" Her voice squealed like a pig. High tone. "It doesn't make sense that some other man claims to be your fiancé and works for Odin King. How do you know him?"

"Odin King happens to be Effie's grandfather," I said to her.

"I can not believe all this," she scowled on the other end. Then I heard you speak her dialect