Please

2.

Muriel

Dinners with my family had the number one spot on the list of things I hate with the passion of a thousand burning suns. Its Sunday so we are all at grandma's, seated at the huge dining table. There were tons of food spread out on the table.

Present at the dinner, was my father, his new wife, my elder brothers. The domestic staff had all gone, preferably to have their dinner, grandma didn't like it  when they waited for her to be done eating.

"Why do you look tired? Are you sick?" My elder brother asked. Eugene was tall, 28 years of age and his hair was stylishly gelled back. No one was dressed in comfy clothes, I had on a custom suit with silver swirls all over.

"I'm not sick." I replied, lifting the glass of water to my lips and taking a sip.

"How could he be tired, he barely gets any work done." Kalo quips but I barely glance his way, choosing instead to remain quiet and take another sip of water. There were a lot of things I wanted to say but now was not the best time.

For majority of the dinner, I rarely spoke, just listened and ate the wonderful food prepared. I wondered if I could steal grandma's chef away but there was a high chance Ma would come after me with a pitchfork. She has one. I've seen it.

Father hardly spoke to us and his new wife had just kept taking pictures. Selfies of herself, pictures of the food. Where as his second wife had been natural and tall, father's new wife had more botox in than I'd ever seen in anyone.

Dinner ends but I remain behind, standing one step behind my grandma as we watched the family members leave.

"Where did I go wrong?" Grandma whispers and I sigh. I took a step forward and wrapped my arms around her. She laughs, shaky hands coming up to hold onto mine.

"They're not that bad."

"They're greedy sons of bitches."

"Gran, you gave birth to dad."

"And that's how I know, button." She replied.

It's silent for a while and then I turn her around so we could go in, it was getting colder the longer we stand outside. The domestic staff were moving in and out of the dining room, cleaning up, so I led Ma to the sitting room.

With golden girls playing on the huge screen I took off my jacket, unbuttoned my shirt a bit and toed off my shoes before cuddling close to her. Gran has always and will always be my favourite person. She was everything. Friend, family, confidant, adviser. She really was the best.

"I can't wait to see their faces at the inauguration next week."

I raise my head and looked at her, my heart hammering in my chest. "Next week? I thought we agreed on next January?"

"I'm getting old and I want to play a bit."

"You're eighty."

"A whooping fifty five years older than you." She looks at me as she respond and I chuckle. She leans in and pressed a kiss to my forehead and lightly tapped my chest. "You've been running this company for two years now. You've got this."

"Next week it is, then."

"I already made some calls, you're gonna be alright."

"I trust you."

We watch several episodes of Golden Girls together, laughing and cooing but sure enough, soon enough, Ma began to doze off, letting out a little whistling sound as she sleeps. I almost didn't want to wake her but she couldn't sleep on the couch, it would make her back hurt in the morning.