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“Yeah, I’m dropping you off so you can meet up with Diora.” He glanced at me briefly. “You do remember your firstborn daughter, don’t you?”
I stifled the scream that threatened to escape my lungs, figuring I’d acted like enough of a loony for one day. I had a daughter too? Just how many offspring did I bring into this world? No wonder my stomach was flabby as hell. Two kids. That’ll do it. But still, you’d think I would have had some liposuction somewhere along the way, or a tummy tuck at least.
Wait. Diora. That was the name of my favourite doll I’d had as a young girl. I’d imagined calling my own daughter Diora one day, until I came to my senses and decided I probably wouldn’t want children after all.
“Of course, I just forgot I was meeting her, that’s all,” I said to Ryan. Hopefully he bought it. Didn’t want to freak him out too much in one day by saying: actually, I don’t remember her at all, or you for that matter. You, my son, are a complete stranger as far as I’m concerned.
“I think she has a more passive activity planned for you, it’ll give you a chance to calm your nerves after the bungy jump.”
“Oh, good.” Although, it would take something pretty powerful to calm my nerves right now. “Um, where am I meeting her again?”
“Dunno, she just told me to drop you off at the shopping centre. It’ll be in your birthday itinerary though, just check.”
Um… how?
My confused silence had him glancing towards me with that look. That not again look. “In the calendar, on your e-pad,” he explained with a sigh.
I did the pinching thing and summoned the screen. Calendar, calendar… Aha! Here it was. Happy Birthday, the screen read, followed by a list of activities and their respective time slots. Eleven a.m. – Meet Diora at the south food court of City Point Shopping Centre.
A food court? What kind of daughter takes me to a dodgy food court for my birthday? She mustn’t know me very well at all. And City Point Shopping Centre? That must be new, I’d never heard of it.
Whoa! “What are you doing?” I yelled, grabbing onto the side of the car.
Ryan had leaned back in the driver’s seat, his hands behind his head. “We’re on the freeway, so I’ve switched to auto-drive.”
My eyes darted frantically around the car, my white knuckles bursting through my clenched hands. I expected to crash and burn at any moment, but the car remained on course and other cars remained in their respective lanes.
“So, it just drives itself?”
“Haven’t you ever used the auto… oh of course, right.” He cleared his throat, as though stifling his annoyance at my continual naivety. “Music please,” he said.
A little twinkle sounded. “Album: Primal Prophecy.”
And with that a strange sound emerged, which gradually got louder. Sounding very tinny and metallic, it irritated my ears. And then a sudden explosion of repetitive drums and a screaming singing voice made me jump up and bump my head on the roof of the car. So much for the seatbelt sleeve thingies.
“Ugh! What is that horrible noise? Turn it down. Or off, would be better.” I covered my ears.
“Volume down by five points,” Ryan instructed. The noise reduced. “Sorry, Mum. It was a bit loud. But what did you mean by horrible noise? Is that any way to respond to your own son’s music?”
I tried to swallow a large lump of foot in my mouth, but it wedged in my throat. “That’s your music?” I asked feebly.
He nodded. “It’s my demo album.”
Oops. “Of course, sorry. It was just so loud at first I didn’t recognise it.”
“Music off,” Ryan said. “We don’t have to have it on, you probably need a little peace and quiet before Diora talks your ears off.”
A talkative daughter, huh? I bet she’d be more like me than Ryan was. “So, your demo album… any luck getting signed up yet?” I already knew the answer, but I had to start some sort of normal conversation that didn’t involve me screaming or whining.
“Nope, but it’s only a matter of time. And people are totally loving our gigs, so the word’s getting out.”
“Oh, that’s good then.” I looked more closely at Ryan, this young man who was apparently my son, with his black and pink hair, body jewellery and… oh, there’s a tattoo of a cute little alien face on his arm. Was that what girls liked these days? Ben the bungy guru looked similar, although his hair was a yellow-blond crew-cut with a long wispy fringe.
“So, is there anyone special in your life… son?” Ugh. Too weird.
“Aren’t you the nosy one today?” Ryan smiled and he switched back to normal driving mode as we exited the freeway and drove back into the city. “Possibly, I’m just not sure yet if the feeling’s mutual.”
“Well, have you told this special person how you feel?”
