The Reading List(78)
Jumping back in the car, she barked directions off her phone, hoping that Zac was okay with doing one last trip before their evening out.
‘Right here – after that sign.’
‘Okay, boss.’
‘End of this road, take a left, following the signs to Wembley High Road.’
‘Got it, boss.’
‘Then it’s the next left, followed by the third right.’
‘Hold on, hold on, you’re going too fast.’ He switched the radio off, wound up the windows and turned the AC on. ‘That’s better, finally space to think.’
Aleisha rolled her eyes. Zac’s gaze was fixed firmly on the road.
‘Left onto here!’ she called. ‘Quick, or you’ll miss it!’
‘What! Where was the advanced warning?’ He checked his mirrors and took a tight left turn.
They pulled up at the house as her phone told her: ‘You have now reached your destination.’ A car was sitting in the drive.
‘Just wait here,’ she told Zac, and grabbed another book from her bag.
Zac kept the car idling. Aleisha felt nervous as she approached the door. She was definitely breaking library rules, using the system to find out his address. She hoped Mr P wouldn’t tell on her.
She rang the doorbell. Aleisha could hear a voice inside, but not Mr P’s. The TV was probably on. One of those Indian channels. A little while later, when Aleisha was about to turn away and give up hope, the door opened to reveal a woman, in her seventies perhaps, wearing a dark blue Punjabi suit with a white contrast scarf around her neck.
‘Hello, how may I help?’ the lady said. Her voice was quite low but held warmth.
‘Hello, I am here to give a book to Mr Patel. He didn’t pick it up from the library today … it was on my way home … thought I’d drop it off.’
‘Mukeshbhai!’ the woman called into the house. Mr P shuffled through a doorway. He was wearing jogging bottoms with a few turmeric-coloured spillages dotted on the lap area and a T-shirt once white, now a dull grey, again with a ketchup stain on the chest. Aleisha had never seen him in anything other than nice trousers, a shirt and his trusty cap.
As soon as he saw her, his face dropped. ‘Miss Aleisha! No, you shouldn’t see me like this.’
He hurried back the way he had come.
‘Hold on, darling. Can you wait?’ the woman said. Aleisha nodded. She looked back at Zac in the car. He was resting his head back on his car seat, staring at the ceiling.
She heard their muffled voices coming from what she thought must be the living room, but they were speaking in another language and Aleisha couldn’t make out their words.
Just as Aleisha thought she should probably leave, Mr P came out again, wearing a winter coat covering his spillages; he was sweating.
‘Come in. Nilakshiben has made dinner. She would like you to eat with us. I need to get a shirt on.’
The woman came back to the door as Mr Patel made his way to another room, slowly. She could see his hip was causing him pain.
‘Is he okay?’ Aleisha asked.
‘He had a bit of a fall yesterday but he’s totally fine. He was running around after his grandchildren, and now feels a little bit useless. I am looking after him today.’
‘I really don’t want to intrude. I just wanted to drop this off,’ she held the book out to Nilakshiben.
‘No, I insist. Come in and eat. It is dinner time.’
‘No, it’s fine, thank you so much, but my friend is in the car, waiting.’
‘Invite your friend in too.’
Their conversation went back and forth like that for a little while, until Aleisha gave in. This lady wasn’t taking no for an answer. She checked her watch. Her mind flew to Aidan and Leilah at home – she still had some time, but would Aidan need her much before he went to work? If she stayed for an hour, she’d make it home in plenty of time, she reasoned.
All she needed to do now was convince Zac that this was a good idea.
Chapter 26
ALEISHA
‘I HATE SOCIALIZING!’
‘Zac, he’s like eighty years old, just be nice!’ Aleisha whispered back, feeling like they were having their first domestic. She’d practically had to drag him from his car.
Nilakshiben and Mr P had been very welcoming, standing in a line from the door like a welcoming party. Zac seemed a bit creeped out by it all, shuffling awkwardly through the hallway; he probably hadn’t expected their first date to go anything like this.
Was this a date? Aleisha asked herself. Or would it have been? A drive through Richmond Park seemed pretty datey – the kind of thing Darcy and Elizabeth Bennet might do.
The table had been set for two people, but Nilakshiben was pulling out a couple more spoons, and two more plates. After she brought the big standing fan from the living room into the kitchen, they all sat down, as Nilakshiben dished a roti (she pronounced it rotli) onto each of their plates and started serving out different vegetable and dhal dishes.
‘Aleisha, do you want some dhal?’ she asked, already spooning a huge helping onto her plate.
‘Young man, any bhindi nu shaak for you?’ she asked Zac, once there was already a pile of okra dished up for him. ‘Any more?’
After washing their hands, Nilakshiben and Mr P tucked in immediately. Zac and Aleisha followed suit, observing them to make sure they’d mastered the art of eating with their hands. Their spoons sat forgotten on the table. Zac had ripped off too small a piece of the rotli to scoop some food. Aleisha noticed Mr P observing; she could tell he wanted to help Zac, but didn’t want to embarrass him either.