A Simple Understanding

*Tap Tap Tap*

Freaking drivers. Can't even open a signal when they want to turn into a lane.

Was is the traffic jam or the upcoming meeting that irritated her mind, it is unknown. But one definite thing was the headache the 'reckless' drivers were radiating towards a driving Laura, even when they forgotten to put on signals. Should've taken the shortcut... freaking Waize...

But as the monsoon rain flowed down the as-always busy KESAS Highway, she anyhow continued the drive down the expectedly jammed expressway, taking ten minutes for the traffic to even move a single meter.

When am I ever going to get there...

As he continued tapping on the leather wheel, the thoughts of returning back to her home after all these years... it was, although physically not as scary, making her stomach go squeamish from even thinking about it.

How long had it been... three years... five years?

Anyhow, she needed to face the music. It was almost time, and despite her protest clearly showing towards her adamant siblings, it was... inevitable, she guessed.

Oh well, she thought, it was just one day, nothing big...

~~~~~~~~~~

Finally.

After a couple of twist and turns, waiting further longer in another traffic jam, and turning even more, the lime-green Myvee car parked on one of the unoccupied, unowned residential sidewalk, finally reaching a recognizable semi-detached house in the domestic area of Taman Seria. Even after time took over course, the surroundings were still somewhat familiar to the hazy memory.

The towering trees that were either bald-ed by city workers, or left to grow tingly-tangly with the walls of other neighboring houses... some of the brick-stone-built side paths 'graffitied' by children and chalk... it was nice to remember she did this before, long ago.

Long ago...

Walking along, with hands in her black overcoat pockets, she looked around, some houses having lights brightly lit through the rectangular windows, or are dark and empty like the nightly shadows. Drive throughs were either occupied by vehicles big and small, or vacant from any motor-powered machineries.

But definitely, there were yet again signature objects that had shown apparent signs all had not changed much. There was still the flowering purple asters planted and hooked on Mrs. Syaz's front fences painted in pine-colored green; the smell of mouth-watering curry sourcing from Madam Tan's grey-walled corner house; the old Protun Car covered in a large silver-colored tarp in Mr. Aayush' driveway... Some things just never change even when time passes with absolute haste...

And finally, right on Laura's right side, was the distinguishable, almost naked-like gates painted in dark brown, with nothing covering it, unlike other gates in the region that are protected by wooden, mossy planks or any other protective material.

Pressing the bell a few more distances away, it took a few ten seconds before someone had answered back.

Well, more of an answer of silence, as the sounds of whirring gears sounded with the opening of the double-gates. Cautiously, Laura walked into its enclosed area, observing for anything that might attract her attention.

Hm... these vases, at the sides of the gate... cracked, filled with wetted dirt, but still intact, just like last time...

Walking through, something vibrated intesely in Laura's shoulder-held handbag, the ringtone-less phone lighting up as she looked on the lit-up screen.

Nathaniel...

"Hey uh," a tired, exhausted voice answered, "Where are you?"

"We a bit lewat (late) ah," it was obvious he just came out of his house, basing it from his rushed tone, "maybe you can talk to her first, so long a'ready."

"*Sigh* Fine.."

*Click*

What a joke...

"Is that you, Laur'?"

And... that familiar voice still fueled with energy and vigor.

And a very much audible tone that reminded her of all those years before...

"Yes, Ma, it's me."

~~~~~~~~~~

*Tick Tick Tick Tick*

The dull-red wall clock ticked into the silence, with only the sounds of classical music sounding from the house's kitchen. And while sounds of sizzling and visuals of smoke sourced from the other side of the house, a finger-twiddling Lauren sat straight on the peach-pastel leather of the sofa on this side of the house.

"So, how are you, Laur'? Everything okay?"

"...!"

All a sudden, the sounds of cooking dimmed to nothing, and the unexpected arrival of her mother, Mrs. Esther, would've made her jump out her seat, if it wasn't for her fingers clutching together that made her balance her surprise out with the pressure.

"H-How is it at the America's?" she asked, sitting down on a nearby similarly-white barrel chair.

"..." Persistent to stay silent, a front-leaning Lauren watched the floor covered by a red batik stitched with traditional colors and symbols.

"What is going on, Laur'? Did something happen? Why are you being so..."

"It's nothing, Ma. We should just wait for everyone else to come." a slightly disgruntled voice expressed itself, quickly being caught by the ear of the now crossed-arm mother.

"What is this new attitude coming from you? What's wrong with you?"

"I'm telling you, nothing. Now can't we just wait for everyone else to come? I can get the food out for you."

"No, Laur', that's not the thing... I..."

Before she could even finish her increasingly tensed words, it almost immediately lost momentum as Lauren started walking off, into the kitchen. Sighing, she also got up with her emptied glass cup with its content already flowing down her throat.

"Which one, Ma?"

"No, don't touch them!" She unconsciously shouted out, calming down again later, "I'll take it out myself..."

~~~~~~~~~~

"The number that you called is out of service, if----"

Ugh... dumb piece of--calm down, myself, just wait a few mins. They're probably just a few meters away.

The clock ticked ever more loudly as silence only shrouded the dining table, now filled to the edges with traditional food: green curry, some kuihs, nasi briyani... a feast that would be worth to eat, if it wasn't for the lateness of the other guests.

"..."

"..."

And in the wait, quietness continues to flood the situation. Increasingly more, when Lauren was scrolling through her phone, trying her best to distract herself from the situation she was unfortunately in. Though, the

"L-Laur', talk to me."

"..."

"Lauren..." she raised her hands into a head-holder, her knuckles beginning to tense, "Is it because of last time?"

It was everything from last time...

"Did you say something? Laur"?"

"Nothing."

"Lauren, you need to lose that attitude before I come over and smack it out of you."

"Ma!" She grumbled out, "Goodness, you're exactly the same as you were last time. Again."

"What do you mean by that!?" shouted back, this time her posture went into standing, fingers pointing, "You are such an ungrateful daughter, do you know that? I gave this family everything I had, and then you decided to leave. All because of what, to go to America!? Do you understand how dangerous it was? You never think of everything!"

"I'm not an idiot, Ma, you just don't understand," Lauren sat nonchalantly.

"Talking about understanding, when you left here, do you understand how worried I was? Are you trying to be the death of me? Do you understand at all?"

"I'm not, an idiot. You weren't letting me go, so how was I suppose to be an adult? How was I suppose to grow up? You were just being selfish, as you always were. This is why I left, this is why I didn't want to be here, in this crap of a family that couldn't even let their daughter leave."

"I... you ungrateful child, You are unbelievable."

"I wish you weren't my mother., maybe I would've been better with someone else."

" Then I wished you weren't my daughter!"

~~~~~~~~~~

The tension... it was almost enough for a knife to just cut through it like melted butter and through the dining table.

One breath...

Two breaths...

Three breaths...

And finally, all things calmed as both lowered their overly-jumpy selves.

"I'm... sorry. That was..."

"No, it's my fault," voiced out softly, "I... I was not thinking about you too. It's just that... oh...."

A welling-up droplet started forming, before flowing down her brown cheeks. And instantly, without a second thought, she went ahead to embrace her tearing mother.

"I-I-I was just... so worried for you... do you understand that? I..." her voice got cloudier, her tears streaming and returning a more tighter hug to Mirza, "I was s-s-scared to lose y-you..."

"I know, Ma... I know... and I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." She couldn't help but also shed a few tears.

With a heavy voice through her mouth buried into her daughter's clothes, "Do you know I love you?"

"Y-Yes, Ma. Yes... I do."

"Oh... Oh..."

With that, both mother and daughter, had managed to cover up the hole that had plagued their life for years... and all it took, was a bit of understanding...

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Happy Mothers Day to all the wonder mothers that tolerated and fostered their children with all their patience and mental prowess to become the future leaders that we admire at the present.

Although this short might not mean much (since typical me, I rushed everything without a plan), but I hope this is enough to show my feelings with improvisation. :)