HER

28. In laws and Projects

Rahmat woke up with a start. Someone was pounding on the door and her head was hurting. Richard wasn't on his side of the bed. She turned around sighing. Getting out of bed She slipped her slippers on.
She needed, food and more sleep

She heard the front door open as she walked Into her bathroom to brush her teeth. She could hear voices in her living room.

Mark. She mused

She was sure Richard had told him not to come over this morning. Maybe this whole Mark living with them thing actually bothered her. She didn't want to be the wife that stripped her husband of his friendships, but Mark was barely giving them any space.

She put her toothbrush back in the holder and headed downstairs. She listened for voices, in the kitchen. It wasn't Mark's.

It was a woman's.

"Good morning mum" Rahmat  said when the woman finally came into view

"Rahmat, I was wondering when you'd finally wake up" her mother in law said

Rahmat winced, why was she so tired?

What is she doing here? She mouthed to Richard across the island as Mrs Johns turned to place the food she'd brought over in the freezer.

Richard shrugged, I'm sorry

Alone. They were supposed to spend the Sunday alone. Rahmat was annoyed at the interruption.

Rahmat blew air out of her mouth with a bored expression on her face.

"When are you going to make breakfast? It's past nine am."

"Mum it's actually Richard's turn to cook today" Rahmat replied jumping on the bar stool

"You'd let your husband cook ? What type of wife would you be?" Mrs Johns asked

Rahmat had seen this coming a mile away.  She wasn't about to cook this morning, this was her house, they had a deal. Richard cooked on Sundays.

"One who doesn't cook on Sundays" she replied

Or in the evenings... she thought and some weekdays

And any other days she wasn't in the mood to cook...

However she wasn't about to tell her judgemental mother-in-law that. It didn't matter though, Richard was cooking.

"It's true ma, today is my day. That's why I was awake when you came" Richard butted in

"What does she do then? sleep in?"

"Yes, or she sits here and watches me cook. Like right now" Richard replied.

"Okay fine. I'm not going to say anything" his mother said taking a carton of juice out and 
Pouring it Into a glass she had laid on the counter previously.
"But when I was young, I used to wake up before your father to help him get ready for work. Children of these days"

"Well my hands work really well and I can get myself ready for work or school or whatever, just like I had been doing for the many years before I got married"

"Okay. Okay" She said raising her hand in mock surrender. "What are you making?"

"Oats and custard, there's akara in the microwave. I didn't make that, I bought it. There's tea if you'd like, mum but Rahmat prefers coffee. And I'm making that sauce you like. Then one that's like 90 percent pepper"  he said the last part of his sentence was aimed at Rahmat as he glanced in her direction as he spoke.

Rahmat was impressed. His mother didn't say anything. The sauce had started out as a recipe that Richard saw online and decided to recreate. He messed it up, but it turned out to be the best accompaniment to akara and she loved it.
She was glad he didn't add the fact the they made oats and custard was because Rahmat could never choose which one she wanted.