Just Perfect! (Persaud Girl) Read online

  Theresa felt a chill. Andie was pregnant? TATTLER never lied, but this time he had to be wrong. Theresa had not been able to concentrate since she had read that bit of news. It could not be true – could it? She thought of Andie and her boyfriend, Nathan. They had been together for more than two years now, and Andie was madly in love with him. Nathan was a really nice boy. He had good manners, he was smart and a very good eater – traits that Theresa really admired in a young man. But if he had gotten Andie pregnant, she was going to poison him.

  Theresa was not normally a prying person, but that afternoon, she thought she might do some sleuthing of her own. If TATTLER had it on good authority that Andie was pregnant, there should be some evidence lying around her room. The house was deserted. Rosilda was in the laundry room ironing and Nursey had gone to pick up Christopher from school. Mrs Persaud was at Izzy, Dr Persaud was at Persaud Financials, where he spent his days when University was on a break, and Andie and Samantha were out doing Heaven knows what.

  Theresa snuck upstairs and decided to check Andie's bedroom first. She was not even sure what she was looking for, but prayed she would not get caught. That would be the end of her job. Nothing was out of the ordinary in Andie's room... She slipped into the bathroom and opened the cupboards, thinking that perhaps TATTLER was indeed wrong. If he was, she hoped the Persauds would sue him.... Then she spotted a paper bag tucked far away in the back corner under the sink. She pulled it out and looked inside. It was indeed a pregnancy test. The box was empty, which could only imply that it was used. The child was indeed pregnant. Tears filled her eyes. She could not believe that that nasty mongrel boy had come into the house and bred her little Andie. Andie had a bright future in front of her. She was going away to do her masters in August. She was going to come back in two years and run her grandfather’s company. Nothing in her plans involved having a baby at twenty!

  Theresa replaced the box into the paper bag and slipped it into the pocket of her apron. She could not put it back into the cupboard, lest Rosilda found it when she was cleaning. She hurriedly returned to her position in the kitchen. As she cooked, her mind was in turmoil. Should she tell Mrs Persaud, or should she forget it? After burning the roux sauce, she decided to leave it alone. If Andie was woman enough to get pregnant, she was woman enough to deal with it herself. Besides, she was just one of the domestics. Not because she had helped to ‘grow’ the children meant that she had any right to intrude like that.

  Half hour later, she changed her mind again. Andie and Samantha had come home and the boy, Nathan, was with them. Andie was all laughing and happy.

  “Nathan is staying for dinner, Theresa!” She said giddily. “Make sure Rosie sets a place for him at the table.”

  She was holding a pot of hot oil, and wanted more than anything to douse him with it. But she had kept her cool, deciding, as the two young lovers, soon to be parents, made their way upstairs to Andie’s room that the minute Mrs Persaud came in, she would tell her.

  By the time Mrs Persaud had come in, she had lost her nerve again, and was fumbling around the kitchen as though she was not at home there. Mrs Persaud had even asked her if she was feeling well.

  Finally, she was able to get dinner on the table. She and Rosilda served the Persauds, and while Rosie’s screw face was natural, hers was causing her face to hurt. Finally, over desert, she could not take it anymore. The boy was grinning off his head, one arm around Andie’s shoulder, while he bragged about the job he had gotten at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the apartment in New Kingston he would be moving into next week.

  “Mrs Persaud, ma’am, I have to tell you something,” she said.

  “What is it, Theresa?” Mrs Persaud asked. She was more than concerned. Theresa’s usually bright face was clouded and sad.

  “In private, ma’am!” Theresa said.

  “Whatever it is, can’t it wait until after dinner, Theresa?” Dr Persaud asked.

  “No, Dr Persaud, sir.” Theresa insisted.

  Dr Persaud looked at his wife. “Perhaps you should hear what she has to say, Jan.”

  Mrs Persaud excused herself and ushered Theresa to the kitchen. Thankfully, Rosilda had stepped out.

  “There was something in TATTLER today about Miss Andie, Mrs Persaud…” Theresa began.

  "Now, Theresa, you know we don't read TATTLER," Mrs Persaud reprimanded gently. "He's a menace, and half of what he says isn't even true!"

  Theresa opened the cupboard below the kitchen sink, and pulled out the paper bag with the First Response box.

  “What’s this?” Mrs Persaud asked.

  “A pregnancy test, ma’am,” Theresa said sadly.

  Mrs Persaud looked at Theresa in shock. She was fifty-two years old – certainly not at an age to be taking pregnancy tests. “Are you pregnant, Theresa?”

  “Me, ma’am? No, ma’am!” Theresa exclaimed. “TATTLER said is Miss Andie, and I find it in the girls’ bathroom...”

  The colour instantly drained from Mrs Persaud’s face, and Theresa was momentarily scared that she had given her boss a heart attack.

  “Are you sure it's Andie’s?” She asked.

  Theresa nodded sadly. “Yes, ma’am. TATTLER nuff, but him nuh lie.”

  Mrs Persaud took a deep breath and tried to regain her composure. “Thank you, Theresa,” she said finally. “Dr Persaud and I will deal with this. Can you send Nursey to come take Christopher from the table, please?”

  “Yes, ma’am.” Theresa said. She was relieved that Mrs Persaud had not called her on going through Andie's things. She was doubly relieved that she and Dr Persaud would deal with Andie.

  She delivered Mrs Persaud’s message to Nursey, ensured that Nursey had indeed taken Christopher away, then begun helping Rosie to tidy up the kitchen. She ignored Rosie, as Rosie badgered her into telling her what was happening. She was glad, for the first time in her life, that she had no daughters of her own.

  ***

  Janise Persaud made her way back to the dining room, her pretty face marred with distress and concern. She watched as Nursey ushered Christopher upstairs. He was protesting being treated like a baby.

  “Is everything alright, hon?” Her husband asked as she reclaimed her seat next to him.

  “Not at all,” Mrs Persaud said. She glanced at Andie and Nathan, who were giggling at something that Grandma Sylvia had said. “She told me something very disturbing.”

  “What’s wrong, Jan?” Grandpa Ravi asked. “Is Theresa ill?”

  “No, Ravi, she’s fine." She looked at Andie and Nathan again. “But someone at this table has something to tell us.”

  Everyone was suddenly quiet. Andie glanced at Samantha. Her face was ashen.

  “Andie, Nathan?” Mrs Persaud turned to them. “Do you want to tell us what’s going on?”

  Nathan looked at Andie, confused.

  “Uh…” He had no idea what Mrs Persaud was talking about. “I don’t know…” he said finally.

  “What’s this about, Jan?” Dr Persaud asked.

  “TATTLER's infallible sources have struck again," she explained. "Apparently Andie is pregnant."

  “What?” Everyone at the table with the exception of Samantha and her mother exclaimed. They all begun talking at once.

  “Andie?” Nathan looked at his girlfriend. “What is your mother talking about?”

  “I’m not pregnant!” Andie declared. “Nathan, how could I be pregnant? Samantha, tell them I’m not pregnant.”

  Samantha could not say a word. She was finding it difficult to even breathe, let alone speak. She took a sip of her water.

  “If it was only TATTLER, you might have a shot of denying this, Andie," her mother said. "But Theresa found your pregnancy test!"

  Andie could not believe what was happening. “Theresa found my pregnancy test?”

  “You took a pregnancy test?” Nathan asked, his face turning red.

  “Yes, – I mean no I didn't!” Andie spluttered. “Samantha…”

  “The
resa saw it, Andie,” Mrs Persaud said patiently.

  “What!” Nathan exclaimed.

  “I’m not pregnant!” Andie repeated vehemently.

  Mrs Persaud turned to her husband for assistance. “Andrew…”

  “Anne-Dru…” Dr Persaud looked at his daughter sternly.

  “Daddy, I’m not pregnant!” She turned to Nathan. “Nate, don’t look at me like that…”

  “How do you expect me to look at you?” Nathan was turning redder and redder by the second.

  “How on earth does TATTLER manage to find out these things?" Grandma Sylvia asked in awe. "How far along are you, dear?"

  “I’m not pregnant, Grandma!” Andie insisted. “Samantha, don’t you have anything to say?”

  Samantha looked up from her water for the first time since the argument begun.

  “Uh -- shame on you, Andie…” She muttered.

  Andie was as red as Nathan. “Samantha!”

  Dr and Mrs Persaud were furious. Andie was livid. Ravi and Sylvia Persaud and poor Nathan Hansen were in shock.

  “Dr Persaud, Mrs Persaud, I can guarantee you that if Andie is pregnant it has nothing to do with me!” Nathan declared.

  “Thanks a lot, Nate!” Andie said sarcastically.

  “I just mean that…”

  “I know what you ‘just mean’, you coward!” Andie was furious at him. “I seriously can't believe you!”

  “Okay, let’s get this straight!” Grandpa Ravi decided to ‘throw his oar in’. He looked at Nathan. “You have never…”

  “No, sir!” Nathan declared quickly.

  Grandpa looked at him with a bit of condescension and a bit of astonishment. “Really? Never in life?”

  Nathan could not be more mortified if he tried. “Never with Andie. Never since Andie!”

  Grandpa looked at Andie. “Anne-Dru?”

  “No Grandpa. Never with anybody!”

  “So TATTLER was wrong!” Grandma Sylvia said, looking relieved.

  “No, just misguided!” Andie said, more than a bit annoyed.

  "Andie..." Samantha began.

  "What is that supposed to mean?" Dr Persaud asked.

  "Isn't it obvious?" She looked at her sister. Samantha's eyes were wide and filled with fear and tears. She was mentally pleading with her not to say anything. She sighed. "Ok, fine. I bought a pregnancy test. I was just goofing off. I felt idle and thought why not see what it was like to try one…”

  “It was a very bad joke, Anne Dru!” Dr Persaud looked at his daughter crossly.

  “I know, and I’m sorry, Daddy. But I swear to you, I am definitely not pregnant." She looked at her sister. "If ever I thought I was pregnant, I would tell you right away!"

  "Well, I for one, am relieved!" Grandpa sighed, turning back to his crème brûlée. "Do you know what a scandal this would be?"

  "Especially since you love to go bragging on Sushil Bagahloo on how well behaved your grandchildren are compared to his!" Grandma added with a chuckle. "I mean, that boy Rohan is Satan’s own incarnate!"

  "Speaking of Sushil," Grandpa turned to Dr Persaud. "Are you going to make sure my birthday party is a bigger splash than his? I don’t want him rounding off his mouth on me!"

  “Oh for goodness’ sake, Ravi!” Grandma Sylvia frowned at him. “Are the two of you teenagers? Why are you always trying to one-up each other?”

  The conversation segued to Grandpa’s birthday party that was going to be held in two weeks at the Ravi P. All the family was flying in for it, and Grandpa continued to insist that his party had to be better than his best friend’s party that had passed in March. Samantha was so relieved that she had dodged that bullet that she could cry. She caught Andie's eye.

  "Thank you!" she mouthed.

  Andie rolled her eyes, obviously pissed off, and Samantha tried not to blush. She knew she was going to have to deal with a very angry younger sister later.

  ***

  “‘Shame on you, Andie'? That's what she said?"

  "Can I tell you?" Andie trilled, and Bianca held the phone away from her ear, to prevent her cousin's angry shriek from deafening her.

  "What else did you want me to say?" Samantha stuttered from the other extension. "You put me on the spot, Andie!"

  "I put you on the spot?" Andie screeched. "Samantha, TATTLER announced to all the people bored and idle enough to read his crap column, that I’m pregnant. You let Mommy and Daddy almost jump down my throat, you nearly gave Nathan a heart attack and I had to lie to cover your ass again, and I put you on the spot?"

  "I'm sorry, Andie!" Samantha did not know what else to say. "I didn't know what to do!"

  "Hmm... Here's a hint! You could have told them the truth!"

  "Andie’s right, Sam!" Bianca said. "You sat there and you lied to them. You know how pissed they are going to be when they do find out?"

  "I know," Samantha cried, "but ... but Grandpa said this was going to be a scandal... And I’m going to be as big a loser as Renuka Baghaloo, only worse, since she never managed to get pregnant....Oh my God this is a total and utter nightmare!"

  "Nightmare or not, you have to say something!" Bianca reiterated. "Tell your parents, or even my parents for that matter. Call Jeremy and tell him, but for God's sake stop being a total moron about this."

  "I will! Stop pressuring me!"

  "Say something soon!" Andie advised. "Because tonight is the last night I am covering for you. If you don't talk up, I promise you, I will!"

  ***

  Thursday, May 22

  Jeremy was not in a good mood. He had been home two weeks, and had been successful at avoiding his father for the most part. His luck had run out. He had planned to meet some of his friends from high school at ‘The Brewery’ on Montego Bay’s Hip Strip for happy hour. He was excited to see his old friends again, and his tongue was burning for the bar’s special ‘fire water’. However, his mother informed him that he was expected to be at the Mayor’s ball that same evening. His father, who was celebrating fifteen years on the bench, was one of the guests of honour.

  Jeremy did not want to go. He hated dressing up in a suit and going out to those events, pretending that he was the perfect son in a perfect family. His father would fawn all over him and act like he was proud of his accomplished, successful son, who would be joining Persaud Enterprises. He would pretend that he was crazy in love with his wife after twenty-five years and that his teenaged daughter would take on the world any day now. Jeremy hated having to play hypocrite. He was repulsed by the thought of plastering on a fake grin and humouring his father for one entire night. But his mother would not take no for an answer. She just informed him that he would be going, and that was the end of the argument.

  Jeremy huffed as he fixed his tie in his bedroom mirror. He could not understand why his mother seemed to have all the strength in the world for him, and none for her husband who treated her like crap.

  “This dress looks nice, Jeremy?” Jasmine came into his room without knocking.

  “What I tell you about knocking before you come in here?” Jeremy snapped.

  “Sorry!” Jasmine apologised, coming in anyway. She twirled in front of her brother, showing off her pink and purple floral dress. “So how do l look?”

  “Like you fell on a palette!” Jeremy said meanly.

  Jasmine’s face fell. She looked at her brother. “Why are you being mean?”

  “I’m not being mean, I’m being honest!” Jeremy undid his tie, and attempted to tie it again. “That frock has too many colours in it. It looks like Joseph’s coat. You don’t have anything else to wear?”

  “Well I like it!” Jasmine pouted.

  “So why you ask me anything for then?” Jeremy was taking his annoyance out on his sister.

  “Why are you in such a bad mood?” Jasmine asked. “If you don’t want to go to the stupid ball you don’t have to go, y’know!”

  Jeremy rolled his eyes. Of course he did not have to go. He was a grown man. He could do whatever he w
anted. On the other hand, his mother said he had to go, so he had to put the suit on and go.

  His mood did not lighten when he stepped into the ballroom of the Ravi P, Rose Hall where the ball was being held. It seemed as though dinner and the speeches were never ending, and then, he realised he had to suffer through the mingling session of the event. As soon as dinner was over, because his belly was full, Jeremy surmised, his father transformed into a loud, booming voice. He was everywhere at once, greeting everyone and pretending to be a paragon of virtue. Jeremy took a glass of Merlot from a passing waiter and looked around the room for someone to talk to. He saw the mayor and his wife and the leader of the opposition. He would not be talking to them, he decided. He saw Michael Persaud and Kimberly DeLisser, Samantha’s aunt and uncle, and their daughter, Klao. Klao, in his opinion, looked nothing like Samantha. Klao was short and curvy, with olive skin, and a thick mane of ridiculously curly hair. She was a pretty girl, he thought, but not nearly as pretty as Samantha. His mind went immediately to his beautiful one night lover. He wondered whether she thought of him as often as he thought of her. He wondered whether he could strike up a conversation with Klao, and pry some information about Samantha from her. Then he decided that would not be such a good idea. Klao had just finished her third year of law school and from what he had heard, had a mind as sharp as a tack and the makings of a top-notch attorney. It would be tough to pull a fast one over on her. Klao met his eye and smiled at him. Jeremy did a double take. Why was Klao Persaud smiling at him? Dare he really go over and talk to her?

  As he played with the idea of approaching Klao, he spotted someone in the corner of his eye – Dr Gina Hansen, Nathan’s mother. He wondered how he had not noticed she was there during dinner. He immediately scanned the room looking to see whether his old friend was at the ball. They had not spoken since he left UWI, and Jeremy missed his best friend terribly. He knew that Nathan was still dating Andie and that he had gotten a position at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and was very happy that things seemed to be going well for him. He hoped Nathan was around. Jeremy knew he was not Dr Hansen’s favourite person, but he decided to go over and ask her about Nathan.