Daughter of Maat by Sandy Esene

Author:Sandy Esene
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781732810501
Publisher: Blue Benu Press

CHAPTER TWENTY

When Alex got to her room, she tried to call her mother at home just in case she’d gotten out on good behavior. It rang into infinity due to Roxanne’s inability to move into the realm of message recorders. She would burst into bemused laughter at the merest suggestion of a cell phone. Roxanne didn’t want to be available to the world at a whim, and did not think the responsibility should rest on the receiver of the call. If someone wanted to get a hold of her badly enough, eventually they would. The sad outcome of this telecommunication philosophy was that most of Roxanne’s friends eventually dropped off, making her even more dependent on Alex.

Alex came to realize that her mother’s shrinking world was tightening the tether she had on her daughter. After being on the verge of a mental breakdown when she tried to balance her master’s dissertation alongside being her mother’s full-time keeper, Alex realized she needed to slowly wean Roxanne off her dependency on Alex. They’d made slow progress.

But now this. Rehab again.

Her mother was trying once more to reel her into her drama and sickness. She knew she had to stay resolved. The codependency of their relationship did neither of them any good.

Alex finally got somewhere when she called the rehab center. The nurse on duty informed her Roxanne was still sleeping. “It is only five in the morning,” the nurse added in a brusque tone. No wonder her mother always stayed there during recovery. The passive-aggressive culture must make her feel right at home.

The small room began to feel like a human-sized cage. She slipped the book Buxton gave her into her scribe’s bag and headed out. She would need to be bright eyed and observant of her surroundings. Knowing she was a person of interest to Raymond did give her pause, but the area around the Nile had throngs of tourists. She doubted he would be bold enough to try anything in broad daylight.

Alex strode through the outer gate of Chicago House and onto the busy Corniche that ran alongside the Nile through Luxor. It bustled with the hectic circus of Egyptian midday traffic.

Tour buses and taxi cabs kicked up dust as they whizzed by. Beyond the busy roadway lay the promenade that was dotted with benches and street vendors. Further in the distance, Alex could make out the great and mighty Nile.

She darted through the vehicles as their drivers vigorously honked at her. Once on the promenade she took advantage of one of the benches to catch her breath. She underestimated the lack of concern the Luxorian drivers would have for a pedestrian crossing. The sun-soaked stone bench radiated a pleasant burn against her legs as she basked in the brilliant and hot sunlight that rained down. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of nearby river birds calling to one another as they flew by, people shouting, and the water lapping against the shore.

Alex took a deep breath and opened her eyes.

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