Episode 24 - Vindaloo
Midge didn't sleep a wink. She lay staring at the ceiling, a million thoughts going through her mind. Part of her was elated that she had humiliated Laura as she did; another made her cringe how badly she had treated her. She dragged herself out of bed and got herself to work.
She rang a friend who knew Laura as well and was informed that Laura had been kicked out of her share house after stealing money from one of the other tenants. Any guilt Midge had felt suddenly disappeared. Laura was only trying to use her...as usual. Laura had a habit of believing that the rest of the human race was put on this earth purely for her own use and disposal.
She debated on telling Jez about what had happened. She knew she would get a kick out of it but Midge was also highly embarrassed that she had been so easy. She decided last night's event would remain yet another dark secret that she harboured.
She had managed to keep the sight of her stitched head from the duty sergeant until just before she finished her shift. She was in the locker rooms when he came in and she hadn't noticed him pause behind her.
'Delia, what the hell happened to you?' She cringed at the sound of her real name rather than his booming voice.
'I had a bit of an incident at soccer practise, Sarge.' she lied. He grumbled that she should take up netball and walked off to terrorize another junior. She let out a sigh and quickly got out of the station.
She stopped off at the local video store and flirted with the clerk who completeley ignored her, rented Bound for the 38th time and picked up some takeaway at the local Indian restaraunt. She saw Sara across the road and called out to her. Sara spun around looking up and down the street for the voice that called her name. To Midge she looked terrified. She called out again and Sara saw her. She gave her a curt wave. Midge, feeling cocky with her renewed interest in sex, jogged across the road, her curry bouncing up and down in the plastic bag.
'Hi, how are you?' she said, smiling.
'Hungry,' Sara replied, 'Are there any fish and chip shops around here?
Midge laughed,
'Nope, this suburb is too trendy to have a humble greaso shop. It's Thai, Japanese, Vietnamese or my personal fav...' she presented the bag of food, '...Indian.'
Sara wrinkled up her nose. Her taste buds were used to her mum's homey cooking or fried chips and battered fish. She felt adventurous ordering dim sims.
'Hmmm, well looks like it's cheese on toast again until I get some shopping done.' Sara sighed. Midge seized her chance,
'You're welcome to share this with me, Sara. I always order too much and it will just go mouldy in the back of the fridge.'
'What is it?' Sara asked, looking at the bag dubiously.
'Just a plain vindaloo, some papadams and rice.' She noticed the confused look in Sara's face. 'Its like a lamb curry with big potato chips.' Sara's confused expression turned to disgust. Midge laughed.
'What are you laughing at?' Sara said, a bit defensivly.
'You. From the look on your face you would have thought I offered you a plate of toenail clippings. Trust me, I'm a steak and veg gal myself. This is good eating. And if you don't like it, I'll make you a toasted cheese sandwhich myself.'
Sara contemplated the offer for a moment.
What the hell, she thought.
'Ok, but I can't stay. I have an early start tomorrow,' she warned. Midge told her she did too and they arranged to meet at Midge's apartment.
Midge was elated on the drive home, then became horrified at the thought of the state her apartment was in. She wasn't big on house work and her kitchen sink was piled high with festering plates and coffee mugs. She had a sneaking suspician that she had dirty underwear crawling around on the living room floor. One bonus of having Paulie around was that he was a neat freak and cleaned up after her.
She stepped on the accelerator, came to a screeching halt in her parking space and ran up the stairs. She raced around, picking up undies and socks and stuffed them in her hamper. She grabbed armfuls of her dishes and threw them in the shower, pulling the curtain closed.
There was a knock on the door and Midge, who was breathing hard from the exertion, answered it. She let Sara in and excused the state of the place;
'I really am rather clean, I've just been busy lately.' she fibbed. Sara wrinkled her nose a little at an odd odour coming from the kitchen and hoped it wasn't the takeaway.
Midge told her to sit down while she dished up the food. She opened up her crockery cupboard and it was empty. All her plates were on the shower floor. She decided to divide the food in the plastic containers rather than retrieve some plates from her bathroom.
'Dinner is served, Madam!' Midge announced grandly as she put the containers on the coffee table. Luckily the restaurant had provided plastic knives and forks as she only had one clean set in her cutlery draw. Sara looked at the brown, smouldering vindaloo and hesitantly picked at it with her fork. Midge was already stuffing her face with gusto. Sara cautiously tasted it and although it was very spicy, she was pleased to find that it was very paletable. She tested a papadum and thought it was like eating cardboard.
She finished off the rice and lamb and sat back, completely stuffed. Midge patted her belly and burped. They both laughed. Sara's mouth tingled with the spices and she asked if she could have a glass of water. Midge went to get it, hoping she had a clean glass somewhere.
As she brought the water back to the living room there was another knock at her door. She peeked through the peep hole and saw the distorted face of Laura staring back at her.
to be continued... |
