CHAPTER XIV

Now Manya, she was something else. Conceived on the third night of the waning moon in the month of Ashaada, she was always going to be a minx. But it was not that which made her special, it was her ability to memorize phonebooks. Entire phonebooks, and rattle their contents out alphabetically ordered on pin code. She even tried getting into the Guinness Journal, but only managed to get an honorable mention. It irritates her every time she thinks about the inventor of the motorized pogo-stick. She’s an intelligent girl though, makes complete use of her talents. Her first boyfriend worked at the local coffee shop, which had placed a half-page ad in the Yellow Pages. She’s now caffeinated for life, in a state of a perpetual buzz. Then there was the caddy, who gave her stolen golf balls, which were later used for her fake bosoms from her first serious relationship – with the plastic surgeon. The dimples on her cheek seemed to go well with the ones on her breast. She had contemplated taking them out when they broke up, but she met Tom. He liked them, in his own weird dimpled way. And what was she going to get from him? She didn’t know yet, or maybe she did but just wouldn’t tell. And what was he going to get from her – that’s another story isn’t it? – V.V.