Chapter 8.1

Reflections 

"Don't let your husband take charge of you; you mean more to yourself,"

Kitty never forgot it. Leah's words rang inside her head from the moment Kitty wrapped cling-on plastic to the chopped squash; it lasted up to the end of her shift. As she clocked out of work, it was still in her system until Kitty returned to the apartment.

The advice ate at her. It was on Kitty's mind before she dozed off to sleep and woke up the following day. It was like a child swallowing a piece of gum after chewing out its sweetness, unaware of when it would be out of their insides. 

It's Thursday at 3:30 pm today. Monday was when she met the older woman trying to blackmail her. On Tuesday, they had a little heated spat, and yesterday she wasn't in the shop. Kitty had a while to digest what Leah was telling her. She didn't think about it much when she was at work, but Kitty thought of it whenever she was alone.

Kitting turned off the upright vacuum in the middle of cleaning and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. She looked at it for a moment. She concluded. It wasn't her business to know how Leah spent her time.

Leah-having accumulated experience as a housewife for more than ten years might be on to something. Kitty hates to admit it, but Leah was right about self-love and happiness, but she was also wrong for cheating. It made her think about why Leah enjoyed it so much as to hook up with strangers in broad daylight; for that, Kitty thought of apologizing.

"What's the best way?"

-And then it hit her! Kitty unplugged the vacuum and left it in the closet near the entrance. She wiped her hands and went beside the tv where she left her phone. I picked it up and searched for Lea's name in her contacts. Kitty was hesitant but managed to call her. 

Ring. Ring. Ring.

She didn't pick up.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello," Leah picked up. 

"Hi Leah, listen, I'm sorry for the other day."

"Don't worry about it; it's fine." Kitty could tell Leah was in a good mood, which was a relief to her.

"What can I do to make it up to yo-"

"Kitty, don't bother," Leah giggled coyly. 

"No, I insist. How about coffee? My treat."

There was a pause, a good three minutes.

"I guess she was thinking about it," Kitty thought nervously.

"Kitten, are you still there?"

Kitty nearly dropped her phone but was lucky to clutch it on her arm.

"Yes, yes? I'm still here."

"I thought about it," Leah said playfully. "On second thought, I have a better idea."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Yes."

"What?" Kitty was flustered. 

Leah laughed, "You'll have to wait and see."

Kitty was as impatient and concerned as ever but was left to see what Leah has up her sleeve. Somehow she knew she was in good hands. 

"Just trust me, Kitten," Leah insisted. "As I said before, us girls stick together."

Kitty exhaled deeply, "Okay, I'll trust you." She could tell Leah was smiling at the other end of the call.

"Good. Now step out to the balcony."

"What?"

"Just do it, Kitten," Leah giggled. 

Kitty was skeptical, but she did what the older woman said. She put on the blue rubber slides that lay on the drown rug near the sliding door. With the phone still by her ear, she slides open the door with her free hand. 

Kitty steps outside. The sky was cloudy. Down below, just behind the apartment complex, was a quiet residential. Most of the houses were two stories, modernized with a moderately sized lawn and others had at least a pool in their backyard-those rich folks lived there with their children. 

"Oh, Kitten, do you see me?"

Kitty kept her eyes peeled. On one of the rows of houses nearest the apartment, she saw her. There, on a veranda, was Leah. She was waving at her with her phone by ear. Kitty waved back, smiling.

"You never told me you lived nearby," Kitty stopped waving.

"It would be weird if I told you."

"You have a point."

Leah giggled. "I see you sometimes when I'm hanging laundry."

"Oh, I see," Kitty laughed nervously.

"I have dinner to make; see ya around, Kitten." Leah waved goodbye.

"Okay, bye." Kitty waved back and hung the call.

Leah picked up a laundry humper and headed back inside. Kitty was out; elbows prompt on the railing staring at the cloudy blue afternoon sky. 

"Things are alright," Kitty thought, smiling.

---

Knock. Knock, Knock.

Kitty snapped back to reality. "Just a minute," she scrambled, hurriedly leaving the rubber slippers on the rug and running to the door. She looked through the peephole; it was Bianca, her mother-in-law.

Bianca wore a floral button-down blue dress over a khaki knitted cloak. Her gray ate out most of her blond hair; Kitty thought it looked like highlights. The older woman's face was like a blue ocean, it was sogging, but traces of her youth remained when she smiled.

Kitty unlocked the door and let her in. 

"Hi, mom, what brings you here?" Kitty smiled. 

"Oh Kitty, I just dropped by for a quick chat," Bianca said smiling.

"Sure, make yourself at home." Kitty went to the kitchen and filled up the electric kettle. "Tea or Coffee?"

"Oh, you'll need coffee for what I'm going to tell you," the older woman said, sitting down on one of the dining room chairs.

Kitty paused for a moment and filled up the coffeemaker. She sat across from Bianca as she waited for a few minutes. Soon after, they could hear the water empty, and the filtered beans started to smell. 

"Cream and sugar?"

"I'll have it brewed, dear" Bianca smiled.

Kitty filled up two mugs with freshly brewed coffee. She brought it to the table, and Bianca took one and blew on it. Returning to her seat, Kitty made her sugar to the cream and laxly stirred her cup. She relaxed and took a sip.

"So," Bianca began. "When will you and Kenny, you know, do it?"

Kitty nearly splurts out the liquid she was drinking. She coughed.

"Mom, that's a hard question," Kitty said in between coughs. 

"Kitty, I'm serious. I want to see my grandkids," Bianca's face hardened.

"I mean, you started cute when I met you, but how come there are no kids?"

"We," Kitty cleared her throat. She blushed. "We didn't do the deed yet, mom."

"Oh," Bianca blushed. "Do you know how to have sex?"

Kitty's face went red. "Here she goes again."

"No, mom, we never even kissed yet."

"I think you mean french, Kitty."

"Y-yes, that's the word," Kitty rolled her eyes.

The two in-laws continued their chat about sex and marriage. Kitty was out of it; at this point, she was apathetic. Whenever Bianca comes over, and Kitty is alone in the house, she gets to have the sex talk. It feels like she was in sex ed. all over again. 

Kitty gets it; she didn't want to be rude. Bianca Lewis was a 66-year-old senior citizen who had been a widow for thirty-six years. She was lonely. Kenneth was an only child, and he was everything to Bianca. Kitty knew the feeling since she never knew her father and mother died of cancer before moving to the city. 

So, she let the older woman talk Kitty's ears out. Kitty was sympathetic to her. Bianca's talks might be repetitive and cringy at times, but that was her outlet. She had no one to talk to in her house. Being alone is hard; it was the least she could do for Bianca. In a way, she cares for her.