The Lost Hour

Words: 876 for "The Writer's Cramp" 

"This hurts," Revathi mumbled.

"Shhh, keep your mouth closed or I might cut your lip."

"Revathi, can't you sit still and do as you are told?" her mother grumbled.

With her mouth closed, Revathi couldn't reply. She didn't dare flap her hands in protest either lest she knock Verity's elbow and cause Verity to cause her, Revathi, more pain.

It isn't easy for a pre-teen who has gone to the beauty parlour for the first time to get her upper lip and chin threaded. She knew there were a hundred less painful ways to do this, her friends used them, but Mom had insisted that what was good enough for Mom was good enough for Revathi.

Today was a good day to get the young lady's 'moustache' and 'beard' removed as they were going for cousin Tara's wedding reception that evening and Revathi was going to be wearing a saree for the first time, and already had nail-polish on. Mom had promised to let her use some lipstick as well, and maybe some light face make-up. They'd gone shopping for her first pair of high-heels, too, the previous day.

At last it was done and Verity gave Revathi a hand-mirror. "Check," she said.

Mom put her magazine down and came over. She peered hard at Revathi's upper lip and chin. "You missed a couple here," she told Verity, who put the thread in her mouth once more and got them off.

A bit of cold cream and Revathi was finally allowed to get off the chair. "It still stings," she complained.

"Now," Mom said, "we'll drive straight home and get showered and dressed. Dad has said to be absolutely ready by the time he gets home from office, and he'll change in five minutes and we'll all go to the reception together."

"Men can change in five minutes and we have to get all threaded," was the response.

"Stop grumbling. It's over, isn't it?" Mom replied, getting into the driver's seat and putting her seat-belt on while Revathi did the same at the passenger seat.

As they drove, Revathi said suddenly, "Mom, did you feel a bump?"

"I think so, dear, and a wobble."

They had a flat. Mom opened the boot and checked. There was no spare.

"Oh dear. Well I'll just drive to the side and call the garage, that's all."

They called the garage. They got a recorded message saying their call was very important and would they please hold as all the customer-care executives were currently busy. They listened to the recorded message till the phone company thought they'd heard it enough times and disconnected them.

Mom called Dad. She got a recorded message saying her call was being diverted to voice mail and would she please leave a message at the beep. She did.

They tried another garage. They got a recorded message saying would they please press One for English and Two for Hindi. Mom pressed One.

"I'm sorry, I don't understand," the recorded voice said. "Please press One for English and Two for Hindi."

Mom decided to try a different tactic. She pressed Two for Hindi.

"I didn't hear any response," the recorded voice informed her, quite politely. "Please press One for English and Two for Hindi."

Mom pressed 12. It was a combination of One and Two, wasn't it?

"Your call is on hold. Please wait or try again later," the recorded voice said. Then they heard 'Strawberry Fields Forever' for what felt like forever till the phone beeped off.

"Mom, Dad'll be home from office," Revathi said. "Let's ditch the car and book a cab and get home."

"We can't do that. Dad'll laugh at me. He always laughs when I take the car. Right from when we were dating, he has laughed at my driving. If I ditch the car now ..." Mom shuddered.

"But you were going to call him earlier, so you were going to tell him," she protested.

"Yeah, telling him is not the same as ditching the car. He wouldn't have laughed at me for telling him."

Revathi was sure that she'd never understand grown ups, not even when she was one herself.

"Why'd it have to go flat on this empty road? Nobody's been by for an HOUR," she muttered.

Mom checked the time on her mobile phone.

"Goodness gracious, Revathi, for once your grumble is correct. We've been here a whole hour."

"The hair on my upper lip and chin has grown back," Revathi muttered.

"Will you stop talking about your upper lip and chin!"

"Yesterday YOU couldn't stop talking about my upper lip and chin and how i needed to get the hair off them to look pretty for today. Well, we've waited here so long, the hairs have grown back."

Mom's phone rang. She knew the ring-tone.

"Dear! Yes, Darling!" she exclaimed, answering it. "We've had a flat coming out of the beauty parlour and can't get through to anyone!"

Revathi grabbed Mom's hand and quickly poked 'Speaker' on the phone. She wanted to hear Dad's reply herself.

Down the phone came a huge bellow of laughter.

Revathi's eyes twinkled.

Mom looked downcast. Yes, the ordeal would soon be over ... but ... but

It wasn't supposed to end that way.