Rishi's summer Holidays with Diya Didi in Himalayas

[ashuezy2]

Scene 18

I took a deep breath. "Okay, Didi," I said. My voice was almost normal. "I am coming."
She smiled again, a big, bright, "normal" smile. "Good boy, Rishi beta!" she said loudly, for my mom to hear. "Wash your face! You look so sleepy!"

She turned and walked into the main room. I heard her laugh. "He is awake, Masi-ji! The sleepy boy is finally awake. Wow!"
I stood up from my bed. My legs still felt a little weak, but I was okay. I went to the small bathroom. I looked at myself in the cracked mirror.

My face was red. My hair was messy and a little damp. My eyes looked… different. They looked older.
I splashed cold water on my face. The water was very cold from the mountain spring. It felt good. It helped me wake up.
I took one more deep breath. I had to act normal. I had to keep the secret. Our special, yummy secret.
I walked out of my room.

My mother was sitting up on the sofa. She was folding a blanket. Diya Didi was in the kitchen. She was pouring hot tea into three small steel cups.
"There you are," my mom said. She smiled at me. "You slept for a long time."
"Yes, Momma," I said. "I was tired."
Diya Didi came in with a tray. She was humming her song. She looked so happy. She put the tray on the small wooden table.

"Here we go!" she said. "Hot tea for everyone! And biscuits, too! Yummy!"
She gave one cup to my mom. She gave one cup to me. As I took the cup, her fingers brushed against mine.
I looked up at her, fast.

She was looking right at me. Her eyes were sparkling. She had that secret smile, just for a second.
"Careful, Rishi beta," she whispered, so low my mom could not hear. "It's very… hot."

Then she turned to my mom. "Masi-ji, I was thinking," she said in her loud, happy voice. "Tomorrow, maybe I will take Rishi beta for a long walk. We can see the old temple on the hill. Yes? It will be so much fun!"
I just sat there, holding my hot tea. My hand was shaking. A walk. Alone with her. Tomorrow.