Viper

Home Cooked Meal

After walking for a while, Cheeto constantly talking about what popped into his mind, they both parted ways with David going back home. He walked the streets seeing little to no opportunities around, just a lot of little businesses trying to stay afloat, trying to survive and a lot of dirt and grit, crowded streets and rundown structures everywhere. The neighborhoods had no green lawns and few trees were brown and dying. As he looked he kept thinking "This is what I went overseas for?"

But again as he got closer to home he could see the oasis of a garden that Grams maintained with such fervor. The simple flowers, the trim lawn, her vegetable garden with tomatillos and chiles and other wild herbs all accented by a small overhanging American flag. All stood out amongst the dirt lawns and trash in the street.

"Was this there this morning?" he asked himself as he got closer.

Walking into the house was an odd sensation. He was staying there but he didn't feel at home. He lived there as a child but did not grow up there. His remaining relatives lived there now but his real family, his military, was out of reach for him now. He walked in because that's where he was staying, not because that's where he thought he should be.

David wanted to get some water, maybe something to eat but he didn't feel comfortable just walking into the kitchen so he headed into his room to lay.

"Ni avisas que lla llegastes (You don't let anyone know when you come in). Come Pancho por su casa (Strutting in like you own the place)." he heard a voice seemingly out of nowhere say. Grams had just come in to the kitchen from the backyard just in time to see David walk by, but not for him to see her. Somehow mothers and grandmothers can just sneak up on anyone just like that, even military personnel.

"Oh, abuela no la vi (Gram's I didn't see you). Acabo de llegar un poco cansado (Just came in, a bit tired). No vi a nadie so iva a mi cuarto (Didn't see anyone so was headed to my room)," he said with some difficulty since Spanish was not something he spoke to often.

"Si si como no (Sure, sure, whatever). Ven pa'que te haga algo de comer (Come over here so I can fix you something to eat). Como vas a hir a tu cuarto sin comer (How are you going up to your room without eating first)." She kept going on and on so David went back to the kitchen sensing he would have no way to persuade her otherwise. He was also hungry.

"Gracias (Thank you)" he replied.

"Y entonses donde estavas (So where did you go)? Que tanto hicistes (What were you up too)?" she asked in a demanding tone.

"No mas por ayi (Just around)," he hesitantly replied.

"Por ayi. Que respuesta es esa. Igual que tu hermana. Mira so las 6 de la tarde y ni su sombra. Aber si cuando llege ablas con ella. (Just around? What kind of an answer is that? Just like your sister. Look! It's 6 pm and nowhere to be found. You need to talk to her when she comes back.)"

"Abuelita, I don't know what to tell her."

"Es tu hermana y la unica familia despues de esta vieja co un pie en el oyo (She's your sister, and the only other relative besides this old hag with one foot in the hole)" she replied in a cynical tone that grandmothers do when they roll a guilt trip a lecture into a one liner masterfully.

"Ok, Grams I'll try," He relented.

"You'll try, uh-hum. Entonses a donde fuistes (So where did you go)?" she snuck her question in once more, trying to catch him off-guard.

"Just walked around looking for a job, meet some old friends. Se acuerda de Cheeto (You remember Cheeto)?"

"Good for nothing, yes I remember him."

"He's not so bad" David said defending his friend.

"No tiene direction. Es un perdido. Si se applicara como tu, entonce (He's got no direction. He's a lost cause. If he only applied himself like you, then)... he would be something!" she said with fingers pointing up as she cut and mixed things in a pan.

"Y que mas (What else)?" she kept pushing.

"I meet one of his friends, Claudia."

"Ohhh Clauidia que linda (sweet girl). Ella si es buena gente (She is good people)."

"Si muy buena (Yes, very kind)," agreed David.

"I also meet her kids in the center." He begun to open up more. It was the most he had talked to anyone all day. For some reason he continued.

"Aye que bueno" she led him on as she now was grilling and stirring.

"A quien conosistes (Who did you meet)?" she asked.

"Sammy, Allen.."

"Sammy, que angelito. Sabes su hermana cumple 15 esta samana (such an angel. You know his sister is turning 15 this week)?" she asked.

"Yeah I know he invited me."

"Haha que lindo," she said with a smile.

"He's a nice kid, no creo que valla (I doubt I'll go)." Said David.

"Porque no? Tienes que ir. Ese nino necesita mucha alluda. Tienes que ir si el mismo te invito, (Why not? You have to go. That boy needs all the help he can get. You have to go if he invited you)," she told him with a sense of duty.

"But I don't know anybody. Como voy a llegar asi (How am I going to go there just like that)?" he questioned her.

"Take a gift. Mijo tienes que ir, ese nino es muy chico para que no tenga apoyo (Son, that boy is too young to not have support)."

"But he has Claudia and Cheeto and.."

"Si, pero mas apoyo nunca cay mal (Yes, but more support doesn't hurt)" she interrupted him and planted a sense of moral consciousness that begun to gnaw at him.

"Hmm, I'll think about it. How much food are you making Grams?" David asked realizing she had been cooking all this time.

"Pues luch que mas (Well lunch what else)?" she replied matter of fact.

She had made huevos rancheros, longanisa , tortillas, coffee, and pan tostado to go along with.

"Grams I'm not that hungry I can't eat all of that!" he exclaimed.

"Pues es pa' mi tambien. No e comido nada todo el dia y acavo de llegar de trabajar. (It's for me too. I haven't eaten all day and I just came in from work)" She replied.

She had just come back from cleaning two houses a few cities up town.

"You do too much abuelita," he said realizing how hard it must have been for her to earn her few dollars this day.

"Pues lo tengo que acer. Nadie le regala nada a esta vieja para mantener esta casa (I have to do it. Nobody is giving this old woman anything to maintain this home)," she replied.

David didn't know if that was directed at him or not but again he couldn't help but feel like part of it was.

"Bueno olvida eso, I cuenta me mas (Well, forget about it and tell me more)," she asked of him.

Perhapsit was the first real home meal David had in a while that he could enjoy. Maybeit was the little digs grams took at him for wanting to leave so soon, but hebegun to talk about his day. The game, Cheeto, Claudia, some of his experiencesoverseas that he felt he could share. He had a nice peaceful meal with hisgrandma right there in the kitchen counter and he enjoyed it more than he couldhave imagined.