a family oasis

          
We ♥ It

Olivia liked traveling with Ravi who was up for any pit-stop she might want, off the beaten track. They would look at this tourist trap or run through a field of sunflowers. After all, they were in Kansas now and had some how got lost in the middle of the state. Really, it was nice to kiss him in the heat of the day, or in the shadow of looking at someone's odd art in their back yard. It was a trip to remember.

Finally, they arrived at his parents, almost at sun-down. Naturally, his father was so happy to see her. It startled Olivia. The hugging and the smiling.

"We made a cake for you." He sounded slightly off, but then maybe that was just the way he was. After a dinner of spicy dishes, he took them down in the basement to show her all the things he was growing under growth lights. Lavender for the most part.

"People love the stuff." He told her.

Naturally, Ravi was mute for the most part, but as she looked at the little leaves, she had a feeling that might not be lavender he was growing. It didn't smell like lavender, but Olivia didn't say anything.  As if was, she was afraid she might offend someone. His mother was quiet. And Olivia wasn't so sure if his mother liked her or not.

It was just too quiet. His little sisters were, of course, excited to see Ravi. They adored him and couldn't wait to get him into the pool at the motel that his parents owned and operated. So it was an evening of splashing and watching how his sisters were so enamored with him. Not wanting to even notice she was there. It was as if he had his own little fan club and he didn't even know it.

Finally, way into the night. Olivia was ready to crash.

"You two want a room?" His father asked Olivia point blank. She looked at Ravi, wondering if it were a trick question.

"Dad? Are you-" Ravi winced. Then said. "Well, of course, we do, Dad." He grinned since his Dad was all smiles.

He handed them over the keys then. Ravi gave him a nod. Soon enough, they were in their own motel room.

"I think my Dad's high." Ravi told her as he went to check out how clean the bathroom was. Olivia laid there on the bed as if she'd fallen into a blanket of plush grass to rest in.

"What?" Olivia rose up on her elbows.

"The weed. He has some eye problems. All I know, its his quick fix when he gets depressed." Ravi winced as he sat down on the edge of the bed. "Its pretty clear to me, that my mom is running the place. He's just a bum." Ravi sighed. "I didn't know he'd do this."

"Stop worrying. He's pretty happy." Olivia took his hand.

They kissed, and fell into each other as if it might be a dream, already. True, the motel room wasn't a three star hotel, but it was clean. Simple, and a cheap place to go when a traveler needed a place to crash next to the interstate.

"You know you must be doing something right, your sisters love you." She told him. They laid there too tired to move.

"Yeah, so all this can be mine some day, when he either ends up as a loon or my mom has had enough." Ravi sighed. "Oh, and then there is my sister, Cher, you haven't met."

"Am I gonna meet her?"

"Not if I can help it." Ravi smiled. "She's from Dad's first wife. She pretty much hates all of us."

Olivia kissed Ravi's eyelids then. It was time to go to sleep. She told him she hoped Cher wasn't as bad as he made her out to be.