Side Effect

Chapter Twenty-Two

"What kind of a name is Maton?" her mother, Jacquie, asked.

"I'm not sure. I've never asked him," Kendall replied.

She was trying not to let the exasperation show in her voice. She'd been home at her parents' farm for a whole twenty-four hours, and the moment Kendall had mentioned she was seeing someone, her mother and her sister had not stopped with the questions.

"But if he's your boyfriend, surely, you should know these things," Jacquie continued while fussing about in the kitchen.

"We're still getting to know each other, Mum. You know, it's called dating?" she said sarcastically. "And anyway, I told you we're on a break."

"Well, what does he do for work?"

"He's an IT engineer," Kendall explained. Her mother—simple country woman that she was—would have no idea what that meant.

"What does that mean?"

There it was. "Computers and technology, that sort of thing," she explained as briefly as she could.

"Is he hot?"

"Georgia!" both Kendall and Jacquie exploded.

Kendall's younger sister was listening in on the conversation. Georgia had just turned eighteen, was about to finish her final high school exams, and was rapidly discovering the charms of the opposite sex.

"When do we get to meet him?" her mother asked.

"Yes, when?" Georgia said.

"Once all my exams are over. I told you, we're on a break so that I can focus," she said, wondering how hard it would be to get Maton to meet her parents. He had only been outside his apartment once in the past eight months. She would probably have to do a bit more work on him if she were to get him to come to the farm.

"Well, I think that's very smart," her mother said.

"I thought you might say that," Kendall uttered under her breath. Georgia raised an eyebrow at her but grinned.

"Pardon?" her mum said as she whisked some eggs in a bowl.

"I said, I take after my mother," Kendall replied, giving Georgia a stern look to keep her quiet.

"Oh," Jacquie said. "Here, help me with this cake batter."

At least her mum was easily distracted. She'd moved onto the roasted potatoes. "So, how is the house coming along, Mum?" Kendall asked.

"Great, as you can see." Jacquie looked about. "Georgia's been very helpful, too."

Kendall looked at her sister again. She remembered how hard it was living here with all of her mum's stuff, and she decided not to be so hard on her, even if she was annoying at times. She had a good heart, but Georgia was still in her adolescent, egocentric phase. She could very well imagine her younger sister's motivation behind wanting to help her mother clear out all her hoardings she'd collected over the years.

"I can help you with a bit while I'm here, too," Kendall offered.

"Oh, thank God," Georgia whispered, but Kendall heard.

"After I study for a bit." Kendall handed the bowl of cake batter to her sister.

****

Give an example of the adaptation process as coined by Jean Piaget...

Kendall threw down her pen. She couldn't focus anymore. She'd been studying for the past three hours in front of her parents' wood fire, where it was toasty and warm, but she decided she needed a break. At least her studies were taking her mind off Maton for intermittent periods. It was only her second day at her parents' farm, but she missed him so much. As soon as she looked away from her books and stared at the fire, he was back in her mind again.