Grandma

It’s only been a day since Destiny and Axel left, and I’m already worried sick. My beloved grandchildren. How could I send them on such a dangerous quest?! I know I had to, but I hoped that I wouldn’t. At least, some good will come out of this. Mainly, watching my daughter and son-in-law doing their own chores instead of making Destiny them.

“Mother, dinner’s ready!” I heard my daughter yell.

“I may be old, but I’m not deaf!” I replied.

We sat in silence at the table, which I didn’t mind. However, glancing over, I could see the tension starting to grow between my daughter and son-in-law. Suddenly, my daughter slammed her hands on the table.

“This is all your fault!” she shouted.

“My fault?” my son-in-law replied.

“Yes, yours! If you’d only kept an eye on that brat then we wouldn’t be in this situation!”

“Oh, please! Don’t act so high and mighty, Winter! You gave birth to that thing, so isn’t she your responsibility?”

“Why don’t you be a man, Mani, because that brat’s your child too!”

I, calmly, sipped my tea and tried not to pop a vessel. My anger grew more and more as the two argued.

“I should’ve just killed that child the day she was born!”

SLAP!

I snapped. Winter stared at me with her jaw dropped, while Mani was in a daze. His cheek was swollen with a hand mark imprinted on it. Mani slowly turned to face me. My eyes and face only showed anger. Mani took a step back, fear being shown all over his face.

“Mother,” Winter said softly.

I turned to her with the same look. She jumped a little, much to my pleasure.

“Now both of you listen and listen well. Destiny did not ask to be born mortal, nor did she ask to be born at all. You have no right to talk that way about a child you know nothing about. All these years, you’ve criticized and treated her like a maid! I’m amazed she didn’t leave earlier.”

“Then why didn’t she? Clearly, she was well aware that we didn’t want her,” Mani said holding his cheek.

“Do you want another slap?”

He shook vigorously.

“Good. Now shut up and listen! She didn’t leave because you are her family. She was and is loyal to you. That’s why she didn’t leave. If she left then she would’ve felt guilty the rest of her life for leaving you two. Her only parents despise her, but she still loves them. If anyone should be ashamed of themselves, it’s definitely you two!”

I walked to the stairs to make my exit. Burning with rage, I stopped halfway to face them one last time. “You disgust me.”

The looks on their faces were the same Destiny’s when she was faced with the same hate. Except this time, the monsters got what they deserved. I continued up the stairs to my room, where I looked out the window thinking about my grandchildren. I regretted sending them to Otamd’s castle, but it had to be done. I felt tears starting to form in my eyes, my heart ached just thinking about them.

“Destiny. Axel. Please. Please, please, please, return home. I want to see your smiling faces, I want to see Axel’s head so I can smack it. I want to eat breakfast with you again. I want to eat dinner with you again. I raised you both to be strong, and yet I’m not strong.”