Jim looked apprehensively at the huge walls surrounding the Ctarl-Ctarl mansion. It was hard to believe that tough, crude Aisha was from a wealthy family. He had always envisioned the rough Ctarl-Ctarl growing up on the mean streets of some distant city. A rural background would of explained her unsophisticated outlook and lack of refinement. Although, a rich lifestyle would explain her laziness and feelings of entitlement.

“For ever so humble, there’s no place like home,” Aisha said with a sad smile marring her usually beaming face. Jim noticed the depressed look on her face and immediately became vexed. Wasn’t someone supposed to be happy when they returned home after a long while?

“Aisha, don’t you want to o in?” Jim’s question went ignored by Aisha. She sighed and started to walk back to the rented car. Noticing her walk away, Jim caught up with her to find out what the problem was.
“Aisha, does your family…” Jim had to pause. He tried to think about the most delicate way to ask his question, but nothing sounded right. He decided to just blurt it out and find out the truth.

“Do they abuse you?” Asia’s face scrunched up in deliberation. Jim started panicking when he thought that she was going to start crying, instead she burst into sidesplitting laughter.

“Oh that is rich!” She screamed. Hitting her knee, she bent forward and continued to laugh hysterically. Utterly confused, Jim stood there staring at Aisha.

“Sorry,” Aisha said, wiping the back of her hand over her eyes to get the tears out. “It’s just, the idea of my family being abusive is so unreal. It’s like asking if Gene is becoming a priest. It’s absolutely absurd.” Aisha finished laughing and composed herself. Whatever had been bothering her had been forgotten in her laughter.

“They why don’t you want to go in?” Jim asked. After getting it wrong about the abuse, he was feeling pretty silly. Of coarse no one abused Aisha, if they did he or she would ether be in traction or on their way through her colon.

“I worried that they may want to hurt you,” she confessed. Jim nodded somberly and understood completely. He had only been in contact with three other Ctarl-Ctarls and all of them had threatened him in some way. Hell, one of them freaking ate him. After those bad experiences, trusting Ctarl-Ctarl’s beside Aisha would be hard. However, since they raised Aisha, they couldn’t be completely bad.

“Don’t worry Aisha, I’m sure they will like me,” Jim said optimistically.

“They’ll like you alright, with sweet and sour sauce.” Jim laughed at the joke, but Aisha remained gravely quiet. That hadn’t been a joke.

“I guess we have no choice but to go in. I’m not staying in a ratty hotel when I have a mansion to go home to. Come on Jim, let’s meet the family.” Taking Jim’s hand, she started walking to the gate. She stopped and turned to Connie, who had remained quiet this whole time.

“You better come to, we may need something to throw at my parents if they decide to eat Jim.” Connie frowned at Aisha and followed behind her. She was going in to look after Jim, she’d be damned if she let her friend get eaten.