Misconstrue

"...Jimmy TWO Times..."

"...nicknamed, because he said everything twice-"

"Oh, dear Lord-"

"-like: I'm gonna go get the papers, get the papers."

"Leave her be honey." I refuse to meet the eyes of my father's wife. "Would you like anything else to drink Ermenjarta?"

"Two beers for two weary travelers."

I smile up at my father as he dramatically places his chin in his palm, I look at him in amusement as he pretends to think long and hard. Even though we spent many years apart, he's one of the few persons in my life that I'm not uncomfortable with. I have a great relationship with my father, the same can't be said when I think about my childhood peers. 

"I give up!"

I sigh softly as I play along. "First one is The Goodfellas, and the other is Django Unchained." My step-mother seems to have decided to ignore the both of us as she occupies herself with Dad's untouched fries. 

"I don't think I'll ever catch up to you." I nod my head nonchalantly. "So, how's work?"

"Yes, tell us: how's work?" I fiddle with my thumbs as I think of an appropriate answer. Nothing comes to mind as I register the look on both their faces, so I turn to what I know best...

"It's hard work and I try to keep up-"*

"Enough of this Ermenjarta." I chew on my bottom lip as the woman before me begins her verbal chastisement. "If it weren't for your good grades, do you think you would be able to get a good job? You can't keep conversing like this. How are you going to get a husband?"

Here we go again.

Whenever I'm in the presence of my father and his wife, it's like there's a part of me that can't function. The constant pressure I feel is enough to drive me crazy - well to be honest - I think I'm already crazy. It did take me some time to warm up to the idea that my father had remarried, at the time I didn't really understand what was going on. I just knew he had moved to a different country because of his work, and my mother choose to remain back home.

"...too many movies - are you even listening?"

I muster up the courage to meet her gaze, and when my eyes meet her own, I shrink in the chair due to the intensity. My mother was always gentle with me, and my grandmother tried her best to teach me how to be tough. But my step-mother? I can never get used to her.

"I'm too busy to go on dates." I rub my sweaty palms in my jeans. "It's a lot of work, so I've been busy this past month."

"Victoria..." She doesn't say anything further once Dad intervenes, but I know things will get even more uncomfortable from here on out. "...Balei, you know you can talk to me about anything right?" I nod my head. "Good. How's Steve these days?"

I blink a few times as the name doesn't sound familiar at all. "I don't know a Steve." He gives me a knowing look and it doesn't take long for all the pieces to fit together. "Seriously? You said you wouldn't butt in!"

He leans back as he holds up both hands in defense. My father works as the Head of Finance at the General Medical Council, he's no doctor, but due to the field that he's in, my father has his fair share of medical connections. And he also came here as an international student, so there's a possibility that some of the staff at St. Andrew's were his batch-mates.

"I'm not, I'm just asking about his well-being."

I shake my head at him as I stuff my cellphone in my bag. "Dr. O'Connell's fine." I glance at the both of them. "And I'm fine." I stand quickly. "I'll see you both next week."