Beautiful Beast (Gypsy Heroes)

‘Mother, obviously.’

‘I see.’

‘So you couldn’t make it there then, not even as a pre-school

teacher,’ he notes gleefully.

‘No, I could not make it there,’ I say dully.

‘You shouldn’t have bothered to come back here. There’s absolutely fuck all to do. And don’t start making plans to set up here forever either. I’m in the process of persuading Mother to sell this house and buy a smaller one for the three of us. I want to use the remainder of the money to set me up in a business.’

I go up the stairs and knock on my father’s door. Even from outside I can hear the TV turned up loud.

‘Who is it?’ my father growls impatiently.

I open the door and enter his room.

His bad tempered scowling face freezes for a second. Then he stands up and exclaims in shock, ‘Snow?’

Kupu is right. My father has lost a lot of weight. His face is sunken in and his shirt is hanging off him. ‘Yeah, it’s me, Papa.’

He fumbles around the low table in front of him for the TV remote. He mutes it and turns towards me eagerly. ‘When did you come?’

‘I just arrived.’

‘But why didn’t you let us know? Who picked you up from the airport? Does your mother know?’

‘I took a taxi from the airport, Dad, and no, Mum doesn’t know. It was a spur of the moment decision to come home.’

‘Are you all right?’ he asks worriedly.

‘Yes, I’m fine.’

‘Are you sure?’ he insists, frowning. ‘I … I mean, we … have been so worried about you.’

‘Yes, Papa. As you can see I am just fine.’

He nods a few times. ‘Come in. Come in. Come and sit down with me. Are you tired? Do you want something to eat? Vijaya can make something for you.’

I go and sit down next to him. ‘No, I’m not tired. I slept on the plane and I am not hungry. Are you all right?’

‘Yes, I am all right.’ He looks at me and sighs. ‘You left a child and you have come back a woman. It is a man, isn’t it?’

‘Yes,’ I whisper.

His eyes narrow. ‘Are you pregnant?’

I shake my head.

‘Are you sure?’

‘Yes, I’m very sure.’

‘Thank God. Oh, thank God for that,’ he says with relief.

I find my eyes filling with tears.

‘Don’t worry, Snow. I will find you a good husband. You are young and beautiful. Many boys from good families will come for you. Don’t ever tell anyone about this man who cheated you. You know how it is. People will talk. The less they know the better.’