Chapter Twenty-One

Deborah was in school, thinking about that she should talk to her cooking teacher again. Today again there was cooking, during the lunch break, which they had occasionally. Two weeks had passed since Deborah's last cooking class, when she had that talk with her about how her big brother repressed that he was a playboy. Now she wanted to say something to his defence, because after all he had been a fairly good sport, that man, now.

Again she made an effort to be fast with her cooking, in order to ask the teacher to share it with her. Their exercise this time was a fish-based meal, for which Debbie had chosen to bring some salmon and vegetables. Helen accepted her invitation again, asking if it was about her brother again, which Deborah told her that it was, but continued:

ـِـ I really want to take it back, she told her, when they had started eating.

ـِـ What?! Now that I've made so many arrangements against this man!

Deborah looked astonished.

ـِـ What kinds of arrangements?!

ـِـ I've had all my girlfriends say it to their girlfriends, and tried to make the word spread among us all! Now, what is it really that you want to take back? ... and perhaps I can be able to modify some of the rumours that I started on your account.

Deborah stared at her.

ـِـ You told all your girlfriend to tell all their girlfriends and then saw to it that the rumours spread so that he doesn't have any chance to be seen as OK, even?

ـِـ What else do you think can work against a real playboy who is skilled at repressing what he wants?!

Nonplussed, Deborah said:

ـِـ I think it's not he that was the real cause of it all! Now that he found out, he's really being a sport!

ـِـ So he's now flattering you with trying to seem nice, is that what?!

ـِـ You could call it that! But I think there's a genuine attempt in him to care for women, and men, who really try to be smart at being nice, instead of like charming – such as his dad!

ـِـ Oh, his dad! Yeah! I guess I should have focused at him then? Is that what you're trying to tell me?

ـِـ Sort of.

ـِـ Do you mean that it's only that Peter Ebanes to be reckoned with? that his children don't matter?

ـِـ Not quite. ... I mean that my brother is trying to be into that there are also women behind that there are bad attitudes there. I mean the women that he's had have been taking him as the prince son of Peter Ebanes, without letting him decide anything about it, simply (I suspect) expecting him to be like his father. ...

ـِـ That bastard Ebanes who seduced your mother when he was only sixteen.

ـِـ Yes. ... Now, by the way, my have split up. My mom has moved home to her parent.

ـِـ She has?

ـِـ Yes. Somehow she defended Peter so much that even I couldn't take her side of it!

ـِـ I see.

ـِـ It's really not my brother – oh, half-brother – who did! Not very much anyway.

ـِـ He didn't?

ـِـ No, that's why I'm trying to take it back, what I said the other week!

ـِـ I see. ... Why are they always trying to defend their exes these women?

ـِـ Why? ... Well, I don't know exactly. ... Or, Helen, I think it's because they, my mother and such, feel they want the adventure of them or like the cunning of them, I think. ...

ـِـ Is that what your mother is like?!

ـِـ Yeah, I think so! ... By the way, I think she had that relationship with Peter for making believe my father was an imbecile! I feel that even my brother might think that! ... What is Peter has done to make me – and others, isn't it, Helen?! – feel that he was no problem?

ـِـ I've heard about him that some Hungarian girl had it that he was a magician, and that he since then has been about that, and not about woman, in many people's eyes!

ـِـ Magician? ... Why would she think that!?

Helen giggled.

ـِـ I'm not very sure about it! ... But it does seem to be that some can think that of like womanizers and the such!

ـِـ Hungarian? Why would it ... I mean are they that superstitious in like Hungary?!

ـِـ I have no idea! But this girl from Hungary seemed to have it that charm was actually of magic, and that therefore the womanizer in him was actually a great magician!

ـِـ Gosh!

Helen now came to think of that she was having cooking class, and therefore excused herself from Deborah by that she had other students. But before she left she commented on Deborah's meal, saying that it was fine again. Her dill, salt and lemon together made an OK spice combination, but that for a real good grade she should have used for example pink pepper with it. Then she rushed away to her other students.