Joy comes in the morning

Susan tried to respond to her mother's last sentence.
But she couldn't. She didn't know what to say. "saram ila mole, ichiri nerathe aayi poyi enne ullu" (It's ok daughter, it's just a bit early that's all)

Slowly and deliberately, Susan deviated from the subject and ended the call. Knowing what she had to do, she picked her phone again to dial a familiar number. "I need a train ticket to Cochin as soon as possible. Could you arrange it?" "Lemme see." came the reply and the line went dead. Susan was thankful for this confidant who never asked for explanations at the wrong time.

Susan wasn't good at taming her emotions very well. Neither now, nor before. "Kazhikkan vaayo kunje"  (come to eat child) said Mary chechi from the kitchen. Coming out of her daze, Susan looked at herself in the mirror, tucked away her new, peeking gray's and tried not to think of the coming week.