‘You mean to say there are only dumb housewives? That only the ones who graduate badly get married? All the ones who fare well go off for higher studies?’

‘I do not want you to go for higher studies just for the sake of an additional degree. You need to be professionally qualified, just being a stupid graduate is not enough any more.’

‘So what happens if I am not professionally qualified?’

‘Don’t you remember what was decided in front of Sister Esperanca?’

‘How does it matter since I do not need to work? He is rich, very rich, you know that.’

‘You might need to work in the future.’

‘Yeah, like you, in fits and starts.’

Ma flushes, she says, ‘How do you know you are not making a mistake?’

‘Like you did?’

Ma bites her lip, she says, ‘So based on what you see as my mistake, you think you are not making one?’

‘Well, at least he is not a weak man, attached to his mother’s apron strings. He will stand up for me and my children when we need it.’

Ma laughs, ‘Now I am convinced you want to marry him for all the wrong reasons.’

‘If you are such a bloody expert, how come you screwed up your own life?’

‘Let us see, perhaps I won’t be alive, but let us see how differently you do things when you have children and yet want to take even a single decision for your own life.’

‘Yeah, right, now dump your stupidity and your husband’s weakness on us. And try and live your life through mine; whatever you bloody missed, do it by trying to control mine.’

Ma’s upper lip curls, her nostrils flare, this means she is seriously angry. ‘Okay,’ she says abruptly, ‘promise time.’

‘No promises. I am getting married, look at this big diamond ring he has given me. It’s a rock.’

‘Good, maybe soon enough he will give you more than a rock, he will give you a full quarry to wear on your fingers since that is all you seem to be interested in.’

‘Well, what else is there to life for a girl, for God’s sake! Grow up, marry, have babies, look after them the best you can, give and attend good parties, grow old as gracefully as possible and play cards at some posh and pricey club in the sunset years of your life.’

‘You forgot to say look good and stay slim.’

‘Don’t rub it in, ma. I know I am very fat, okay? Besides, he is huge himself and if neither of us mind, why should you have a problem with it?’

‘I don’t have what you call a problem. Marry him, play cards at the club. Do it, do it all. But first get professionally qualified, work for one or two years after that. Stay engaged to him till then, spend weekends with him. I will not object and I am sure neither will his mother. Marry after you are twenty-one, I will say nothing, promise.’