Mutually Assured Destruction (M.A.D.)
Ricardo was cutting an apple. He put the apple slices on a plate with an enchilada from the fridge and brought it out to his grandmother.
“Nana, it’s lunchtime.”
“Not now, I don’t want it.”
“Come on… do you want juice? I’ll get you some juice.”
“Your grandfather,” she said loudly, “was the most ornery man I have ever met in my life.”
Ricardo laughed.
“I don’t know why you’re telling me this now.” He went to get the juice.
“He wouldn’t let me alone… you know we got married during the cold war.”
“Yes,” said Ricardo, coming back with orange juice.
“Oh, thank you… and…”
“Eat your lunch.”
“I will… just listen to me. Your grandpa… I think… you know, he couldn’t let an argument be, if you disagreed with him, he couldn’t let it be a disagreement.”
“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?”
“Well, I don’t know. He was always funny that way. He wanted me to like the same things he did. He always wanted to be together.”
“Sounds like he loved you.”
“Well, maybe, but,” she picked up the apple slice and wrinkled her nose up at it, “I feel like he may be here, sitting here waiting for me to die. He wouldn’t have liked to die without me. I think he’s wishing I’ll get into some kind of accident.”
Ricardo smiled.
“It irritates me, that’s all,” his grandmother added. She put the apple slice into her mouth and let her lips fold over it.