Viper

The Confrontation

WARNING - STRONG LANGUAGE

The following day, Grams was up early to make breakfast as usual. She prepared coffee, eggs, buttered toast, and beans like always. She called on Liz's door as well as David's, not aware of the argument that had taken place the night before.

"Liz levantate (get up)! Ya es hora de la escuela (it's time for school)," knocked Grams on the door not at all concerned with the tone or manner in which she approached it.

"David, ya es de manana (it's morning), hora de tus medicinas (time for your medicines)," Grams called on him even though he had no schedule to keep. But she was a firm believer of early rise and doing family functions together as much as possible.

She continued to yell out for her kids to get up as she continued her way down the stairs and through her morning routine. Not once missing a beat.

"Liz, David se les esta hacienda tarde (it's getting late)!" Grams said even though she had just called on them.

"Pus que estos no oyen (Well can't they hear me)?" she asked herself.

Truth was they had heard her the first time. Both of them were awake well before Grams had called on either of them. Both laid on their beds dressed to start the day but were hiding from one another. They both had a hard time sleeping, thinking over what had been said and the actions they had decided to take for themselves. They questioned the path each had set.

If they were they the right one? If their lives where headed where they wanted them to be? And if they were, then why were they so apprehensive and so dissatisfied with it? What was that nagging sensation nipping at their souls? If they had made up their minds, than why were thy so difficult to carry on with them? The two minute warning Grams gave them between calls wouldn't be enough time to resolve these pending questions.

Now almost ten minutes since Grams first knocked, she was about to head back up the stairs to knock once more when Liz and David walked down the stairs. Liz came down fist with David following behind her. Neither acknowledging the other on the hallway or on the stairs. The tension between them repulsing like two magnets pushing on each other through an invisible force.

"Bueno y ahora (What's this now)? Que horas son estas de levantarse (What time is this to be getting up)?" asked Grams.

Liz offered no response and went straight to the kitchen.

"Sorry Grams I guess some of this medication really knocks me out," offered David, greeting Grams.

"Dios mio (my God) David, what happened to your cast?" asked Grams noticing the damage on it from its unfortunate encounter with the wall.

"I had an itch on it last night and I had to get it. It was driving me crazy. Don't worry I'll get it fixed up today," said David, becoming more uncomfortable with the amount of covering up he had been doing lately. More reason why he wanted to get back to military life where he didn't have to tiptoe around anyone or anything.

"Quieres que valla con tigo (want me to go with you)?" asked Grams offering her help.

"No, it's ok. I can take care of it on my own," David replied tiring of the invalid treatment and wanting to exercise his independence.

"Hay mijo, tienes que tener mas cuidado (son, you have to be more careful). No puedes serguir lastimandote asi (you can't keep hurting yourself like that)," Grams offered her unsolicited opinion.

Cold stares were shot through the breakfast table, and an uncomfortable silence hovered that was intermittently broken when Grams would attempt small talk with either of her children.