Page 77 of The Bad Boyfriend Curse
Nani takes a sip of ice water, then puts her crystal goblet down and dabs her mouth with her fabric napkin. She smiles at us. “I’ve left your father. Nanabapa. I’m getting a divorce.”
Mom and I freeze. My brain feels like the rainbow loading wheel on my old computer.What?I turn quickly to Mom. I mean, this is a shock to me, but they’re only my grandparents. These are Mom’sparents.
I’m about to tell her I’m sorry and put my hand on her arm, when Mom stops a nearby waiter. “Can you add a bottle of champagne to my tab?” She looks at me, who’s underage, and at Nani, who’s a pretty religious Muslim and doesn’t drink. “Make it the nonalcoholic one.”
The waiter nods. “Of course, Mrs. LeClair.”
Nani takes Mom’s hand in hers, smiling. I can’t read Mom’s expression, but her eyes are glassy and there are tears on her cheeks. I look between them, bewildered. “Why are we having champagne? Is this good news?” I ask.
Nani smiles at me. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her so happy. “It’s very good news, sweetheart. Because now I can be the person I was always meant to be.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINERevelations and Retreats
I’m very confused. Why is Mom so happy that she’s literally crying about Nani divorcing Nanabapa? And why is Nani not surprised that Mom orderedchampagnewhen she heard that her parents are splitting?
It is quite clear that there’s a lot my mother and grandmother haven’t told me.
The waiter comes back with nonalcoholic champagne and glasses on a tray. After opening the bottle, he pours three glasses, then leaves the rest of the bottle in a bucket of ice on the table.
I take a sip. It’s actually pretty good, way better than that wine I drank with Sadie. Like bubbly grape juice. “Can you guys tell me what’s going on? Mom? Are youhappyabout this?”
Mom nods, dabbing at the corner of her eye with a napkin. “Very happy.” She turns to Nani. “Why did you finally decide to leave?”
Nani smiles. “After the two of you left the city, I decided I would do all the things I’ve always wanted to do, but that husband of mine never let me. Volunteer more at the mosque, join a book club, take yoga classes. Even shopping! But—”
“Nanabapa still didn’tletyou?” I ask. I know that mygrandfather is much stricter than Nani. That’s why I’ve always been closer to her than to him. He’s always seemed so… old-fashioned. Actually, he seemssexist.Like, he makes comments about how girls dress these days and complain that women want to have everything now. But I had no idea he didn’t let Nani do harmless things like volunteering or shopping.
“Oh, he technicallyletme,” Nani says. “But I heard nothing but complaints about it. He doesn’t have hobbies or a social life, so he thinks I shouldn’t either. I thought I had no choice but to listen. For a long time, I was grateful that at least I wasn’t alone because of the curse. But then you, my brilliant granddaughter, said something to me that made me think. You said,If we’re all cursed to be miserable, then what’s the point of even trying to be happy?You said we deserved happiness.”
Mom looks at me, a small smile on her face. “Sheisthe smartest girl this family has ever seen.”
I frown. “Okay, but because ofoneconversation with me, you’re getting a divorce?”
Nani shakes her head. “Not just one conversation. I’ve made some great friends in my book club. Some of them are divorced, and they say they’reso much happier. Freer. Do you know who rates the highest on happiness questionnaires? Single women with cats. Imagine! But that man wouldn’t even let me have a cat!”
Nani seems serious, so I try not to laugh. And then I realize that Iama single woman with a cat—but I’m definitely not happy right now.
“One of my new friends,” Nani continues, “Shamila, saidthat the status quo doesn’t have to be my life. She has a therapist and recommended that I try therapy too. I had one session and decided it was time I left the status quo behind me.”
Holy crap. Did my issues with Mom blow up the whole family? But looking at Nani excitedly talk about her new life and Mom looking so happy for her, I don’t think they consider this change a bad one.
“When did you tell him?” Mom asks.
“Yesterday after you asked me to come get Meera. We had a big fight. He thinks I’m going to change my mind, but I’m not.” Nani smiles at us. “I packed my bags and left.”
Mom exhales. “You should have done this a long time ago. You…Wecould have avoided…” Her voice trembles, and I think she’s going to start really crying. She looks down. My mother doesn’t show emotions a lot, so this is big. Nani puts her hand on Mom’s hand. Mom squeezes back.
“I know, Neelam,” Nani says. “I’m sorry. I know I should have done this years ago.”
Years ago?I get that this is a special moment between Mom and Nani, but I still have no idea what’s going on. “What could you have avoided?”
Mom smiles sadly. She dabs her eyes with her napkin. “Meera.” She exhales. “Your grandfather… he wasn’t great to me when I was a teenager. I was troubled and rebellious, and he…” She shakes her head. “He said some terrible things to me. I mean, I was a nightmare teenager… even before…” She sighs. “We fought a lot. I tried to run away from home so many times that the police knew me by name. And of course, when I got pregnant, he became worse. He belittled me,constantly called me names, said no one would love me now.” She looks down, holding on to Nani’s hand.
My eyes widen. I knew Mom had been a bit of a rebel, but I didn’t know that this was how Nanabapa had treated her. He always seemed strict, but what Mom’s describing is beyond strict. It’sabuse. “Mom, that’s terrible. I didn’t know.”
Mom shakes her head. “I didn’twantyou to know. I thought he’d changed after you were born. He always thought I was a disgrace. But he was so much better with you.”
Nanabapa wasn’t as affectionate as Nani, but he was a pretty good grandfather. He always brought me candy from his gas station and was so proud of my good grades. He never belittled me or called me names… until I was arrested. I remember what he said the day before I left the city—that I’d turned into my mother.
