"Bye Ariya!" Mum waves from the foyer as Dad and I carried my luggage to the car standing in the driveway.
"Bye." I struggle not grunt rudely in response.
I'm still annoyed at the fact that she was sending me away like I was some disposable ragdoll that she was done playing with.
I know I am overreacting but a girl gets to do at least that, right?
I'm surprised to see Dad in a loose flannel and faded jeans, a far cry from his all black attire of choice. Even his Ray Bans have been replaced with rimless spectacles that make him look oddly unrecognizable.
Something about him seems different and I can't seem to place my finger on what yet. I frown to myself as I watch him load my heaviest suitcase into the boot of the car.
He doesn't stand taut like he always does-one of the tell-tale signs of him being in the armed forces and he's been awfully touchy since he arrived. Not in a bad way. He's just been more huggy and helpful- more like a normal father and not a commanding officer.
"Is that all, kiddo?" he calls out, wiping away the shine from his forehead with the sleeve of his button down.
"Yep." I answer, climbing into the backseat of the car before texting Mum goodbye.
She obviously doesn't understand that I'm pissed at her because she runs down the stairs to my window and pulls my face towards hers to place an overly affectionate kiss on my forehead.
"Bye sweety." She smiles, "I expect you to call me every single day, okay?"
"Hmph." I nod quickly, fiddling with my fingers on my lap as I avoid eye contact.
"Now Ariya, I want you to take care of yourself and your father. Also when you get your period..." Mum launches into her usual set of instructions when Dad interrupts.
"Carol, we should get going now if we want to reach by sundown." He states, adjusting the rear view mirror and turning the car key into ignition.
"Right, of course." Mum nods, taking a step away, "All the best Ariya! Don't give your father too much trouble!"
Biting back and small smile, I lean back and make myself comfortable in my seat as Dad drives out and navigates the car to the nearest highway.
A comfortable silence descends over us. It's always been like that with Dad and me. He was a man of little words, preferring to be precise in his banter. Even his affection seemed calculated but I knew for a fact that he was a total softie within.
I glance at his graying hair briefly before gazing at the lush green expanse lining the highway.
My mind tirelessly jumps from scenario to scenario as they play out inside my head.
I've already decided to make the most of this opportunity. I didn't want to waste it wallowing in self pity or grovelling through assignments. I had eight months before I graduated and I was going to have fun.
I was going to socialise, learn surfing and hunt for pretty shells on the beach, practice yoga, find my style and volunteer for women's rights.
As my mind reels with all the possibilities, a thin black cord near my feet catches my eye. It is half hidden under the black waterproof mat of the car floor.
Casting a suspicious glare at the back of Dad's head, I squint and try to get a better look at the wire without bending down.
The wire travels up along the metal frame of the care, hidden for most part of its length except near my feet. It disappears into the boot but I find a minuscule box with a faint red light flickering behind the seatbelt holder. It is exactly what I suspected it to be. A combined recording and transmission device- quite similar to the ones that Dad had taught me to identify a few summers ago.
I frown, biting the corner of my lip as I study the gadget cautiously.
Something was going on that I didn't know about. Dad was acting weirdly sweet and there was a secret transmission device wired inside the car, not to mention his choice of fashion had suddenly changed to a completely different one over summer.
Was the man driving even my father?
I slowly take my phone and turn on the GPS. Surprisingly we're still on the route that he mentioned before we left.
"Dad?" I call out and he looks at me through the rear view mirror and raises his brow in response.
"What Ariya? If you're going to ask how much longer, you might as well check the maps application that you already have open on your phone."
What the fuck? How did he even see that?
With a considerable effort I manage to keep my face devoid of any surprise as I look up. I need to make sure that this man is my father first.
"No, I wanted to ask if we can stop somewhere for breakfast. I only had a glass of milk this morning and I'm hungry." I spout the first believable excuse that strikes me, my stomach grumbles quietly as if on cue.
He nods his head in agreement.
"Anything specific you'd like to eat?" he asks, scanning the sides of the highway.
"Pancakes with syrup would be nice. Remember that small diner you used to take me to every time we drove to the coast?" I ask, casually studying his face for any difference, "We should go there. I love the pancakes there."
He hums in response and continues driving. The breakfast diner I brought up isn't really that great. It serves all sorts of greasy delights and decent pancakes but it's hardly eye catching and quite easily missed if you aren't looking for it.
Dad has a near photographic memory, so if the man fails to locate it something is definitely fishy. The man in the front seat could be fucking spy who got a perfect plastic surgery for all I know and my father could be dying in a ditch somewhere.
To my surprise the car stops in front of the diner I asked for after about fifteen minutes. Ok, so nine chances out of ten this was definitely my father. For now I could live with that. I step out quickly, eager to stretch my stiff limbs but Dad remains seated.
I raise one eyebrow at him.
"Why don't you go ahead and order?" his eyes crinkle at the edges as he smiles, "I'll just park properly and be inside in a few minutes."
"Ok." I shrug and turn to walk into the diner.
It's relatively early, a little after seven thirty and the diner is empty. It's a quaint place, decor consisting mostly of hues of brown and red that add to its cozy charm. The wall near the kitchen exhaust is black with years of soot and oil vapour deposit.
I sit down at a table beside the large window that overlooks the highway beyond the diner's small parking lot. I quickly order pancakes with chocolate syrup and cream, as well as strawberry milkshakes for us.
It's been more than five minutes and Dad still hasn't come. I peer outside the window but the car windshield is too tinted for me to make out whether he's inside or not.
Dad slips into the booth just as the waitress arrives with our freshly cooked breakfast. The sweet smell of the warm chocolate syrup wafts around us and my mouth immediately starts to water.
"What took you so long?" I ask, as I cut out portions for the two of us.
"A call from work." He answers curtly, but makes no attempt to dwell on the topic.
Letting out a soft sigh, I dig into my breakfast. It's delicious, I take back everything I said about the diner's mediocrity. The pancakes are fluffy and smooth and the warm chocolate syrup dribbling down the sides melts on my tongue the moment I take my first bite. I suppose traveling plays with your appetite in weird ways.
Just as I'm scratching off the last bit of chocolate from my plate, I hear a very faint buzzing sound that I would never have heard if I wasn't as scared of bees as I am. Bees terrified me and I hated the effects of bee bites. So three bee bites and years of conditioning later, my ears were very sensitive to any buzzing sound around me.
I scan my surroundings cautiously, but cannot spot a single bee. There aren't any flies or mosquitoes either.
When the buzzing returns, I can't help but notice that it is coming from Dad. More specifically, a tiny silver grey disc fitted inside his ear.
Call it paranoia, delusion or whatever you want to but I am starting to freak out. It is probably the actor effect of binge watching an entire season of Prodigal Son recently but I honestly can't be too sure.
Dad seems extraordinarily aloof as he slurps his milkshake and scoops up the small pieces of strawberry with his spoon when he finishes it.
'You better do something now Ariya!' I tell myself, 'Don't want to find yourself stuck underground in the middle of Timbuctoo for fuck's sake.'
"Uh Dad? Please pass me the car keys," I thrust my palm forward, "I need to fetch my water bottle. I can get refill here."
"There's no need for that. Just get a large bottle of packaged water and we can go." He replies dismissively, calling for the bill.
"No!" I say quickly, sounding like a stubborn child, "Microplastics are harmful for our bodies and haven't you heard of sustainable living?"
Shaking his head, Dad throws the keys at me reluctantly. I catch them easily and chirp a quick thank you before running out. I don't care about the water, I just needed an excuse to get into the car alone.
Now I have both- the keys and an upper hand in case something is actually wrong.
For my sake, I sincerely hope it's just my paranoia.
•><•
Another update, just as promised!
I just spent the entire day watching a web series with my family when I'm supposed to be studying for my assignments. Online assignments suck -_-
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