Exactly like Thao had predicted, soon after they changed into slippers and walked up a flight of stairs into the living room, large drops of rain began to splatter violently on the windowpanes. They entered a medium-sized living room furnished with Victorian-style furniture with a luxurious carpet beneath their feet. Shaun and Jeffrey exchanged glances, signifying that they both sensed something unusual about this isolated mansion.
Sitting on the Victorian sofa was a middle-aged lady in a bright green dress. Immediately when she perceived Thao, the woman's eyes brightened and she rose up to embrace her.
"Welcome home, my dear," said the woman in English with an American accent, who was in fact Thao's mother. "I see that you've brought your friends along."
"Yes, mom," replied Thao. "This is Jeffrey and Shaun, the supernatural detectives I told you about, who are here to investigate about the things you told me. This is Blythe - Shaun's Taiwanese cousin and Daphne, some random girl who came along for no reason."
Just when Tiffany was about to declare that her name is not Daphne and she is not "a random girl", she was interrupted by Jeffrey.
"Nice to meet you, Mrs Nguyen. I'm Jeffrey and this is my friend Shaun," said Jeffrey. "You speak English very well, Mrs Nguyen!"
"Yes, although I'm Vietnamese, I was born and raised in New York!" responded Mrs Nguyen.
"Thảo, người Mỹ đó là ai và anh ta đang làm gì trong nhà tôi?" Suddenly, a deep booming voice came from the doorway. The friends turned around only to discover a stern-looking, elderly lady about the age of sixty, who wore a green jacket and purple skirt, standing by the doorway with her arms crossed.
"Bà ơi, anh ấy không phải là người Mỹ. Anh ấy là bạn tôi từ Anh," replied Thao as she dashed towards the elderly lady to embrace her.
"This is my grandmother Mai," introduced Thao. "Granny, this is Jeffrey and his friend Shaun, who is here to try and solve the mystery you mentioned about."
"So, you are not American, mister?" demanded Mai in English with a strong Vietnamese accent.
"Um, no, Mrs Mai, I'm British," responded Jeffrey, quite taken aback by the elderly lady's aggressive attitude.
"I told you, granny," said Thao. "Sorry, my grandmother isn't usually like this. She has mistaken you for an American, which is why she was so hostile."
"What d'you have against Americans?" asked Tiffany curiously.
"It is a long story," answered Mai. "Perhaps I will tell you someday, but I am not in the mood today!" Upon finishing her words, grandmother Mai left the room abruptly.
"I apologize for my mother's rude attitude," said Lan apologetically. "Her grudge against Americans originated from when she first immigrated to that country. She has never really liked foreigners in general. Thao, show your friends their respective rooms. It's getting late and they must be tired after such a long journey. You should also get some rest, too, my dear!"
~To be Continued~
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