All the Things We Never Said by Yasmin Rahman

Author:Yasmin Rahman
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781471408304
Publisher: Bonnier Publishing Fiction
Published: 2019-09-04T16:00:00+00:00

Mum’s humming away in the kitchen when we go in. I hate that she’s humming. I hate that she’s happy because of this bastard. She’s already got the bread out on the table and has her head stuck in the fridge.

‘Oh, hi, girls,’ she says when she turns around and sees us. ‘I’m just about to make those sandwiches.’

Olivia nudges me, but I can’t get out any of the lines we rehearsed. All I can do is stare at Mum’s smile.

‘Um, Cara was just telling us about this great Chinese food you guys had last week,’ Mehreen says quickly, nervously.

‘From Green Garden?’ Mum asks. ‘Oh yeah, that chow mein was delish.’

‘Cara was making fun of the fact I’ve never actually had chow mein,’ Olivia says. She’s more casual than Mehreen, who’s basically wetting herself.

‘Never?’ Mum asks. ‘How can you have gone this long without trying chow mein?’ She laughs.

‘Can we get some?’ I ask quickly. ‘I mean, from Green Garden.’

Mum frowns. ‘It’s collection only, Cara. And a bit of a trek. How about we go out to the Chinese buffet in town instead?’

‘No,’ I say forcefully. ‘It has to be Green Garden.’

Olivia nudges me again, harder this time.

‘I mean, I’m really craving it. Please, Mum.’

She stares at me for ages, and I wait for her to say no.

‘Oh, go on then,’ she says instead. ‘You’ve twisted my arm.’

She doesn’t move though, and I’m scared she’s going to try and drag us all along, but thankfully Olivia pipes up again.

‘Is there anything you’d like us to do while you’re gone?’ she asks.

Mum shakes her head slowly. ‘No, thank you, dear.’ Dear. She’s never called me dear. That’s a name people use for old people, adults. Sweetie, honey – those are words used on little kids. Kids like me.

‘Can you get some chocolate cake too?’ I ask. ‘Y’know, that one from Costco?’

That’ll add some time to her journey. Plus, Costco is next to the graveyard Dad’s buried at. Hopefully she’ll realise and feel bad about being a cheating skank.

She smirks at me. ‘Anything else, madam?’

I just turn around to go back to my room.

A few minutes later I hear the front door open and close.

She’s gone.

No lectures about not leaving the house or answering the door to strangers. Nothing about making sure I don’t fall down in the loo and piss myself again.

She just leaves.

Just like that.

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