[4 Her Grandson]

We had a long day before Mrs. Wilson’s grandson returned home, that’s why we ended up making three cakes with different flavors and shapes; one round strawberry cake, one square chocolate cake, and one rectangular rainbow cake. I got to taste only the rainbow cake because she said she wanted to let her grandson be the first to taste the two other cakes which were his favorite.

She also invited me to come, celebrating his grandson’s birthday. At first, I made an excuse so as to avoid meeting and getting to know his grandson. Well, it’s true I’d never met him since the first time I stayed here, but it might be because we didn’t know each other yet. But the probability of meeting each other again after the first meeting would increase unless I got a new job the next day. However, this fancy old lady displayed a pitiful expression that I couldn’t say no.

That was the reason why now I found myself sitting on the couch with Mrs. Wilson in a royal lady-like look, waiting for her grandson to be home. Jeanette laughed when she saw me stick around this lady like a loyal friend.

“Would you excuse me for a while, Mrs. Wilson?” I told her and I ran after Jeanette into her room.

Jeanette sat on the edge of her bed and covered her face while laughing.

“Hey. Stop laughing,” I told her. “You’re so mean.”

“I am mean? You’re the one who brought her here,” she responded. “And why are you wearing a dress... and a pair of stockings? And your hair--” She pointed at this black-striped white dress I was wearing and my updo hair.

“She did this all to me,” I cut her off then lay on the bed. “She wanted me to look presentable before her grandson. He’s having a birthday today and she wants me to give him a birthday surprise. And you know I can only wear trousers, so I wear stockings to cover my legs.”

“And you easily agreed? You could’ve said no politely.”

I looked at the ceiling. “You said I have to control my emotions. I was about to burst in anger but I controlled it,” I said with guilty feelings. “She’s a nice lady, though. I just didn’t think she would go this far.”

Jeanette elbowed me. “Alright then. If you don’t feel like going, just tell her the truth. Don’t give her false hope. Be true to yourself too. Follow your heart.” It's a wonderful piece of advice she gave me.

I got up from the bed and looked at my reflection before the mirror next to the bed. “Okay. I’m going to tell her the truth,” I made a decision with a clenched hand gesture. “I’ll be right back.”

She chuckled. “No need to rush. I want to spend some time in the bathtub too,” she said as I left her room.

I made up my mind and was sure of what I was going to say. The problem was that I didn’t have the chance to say anything when I finally stood beside her.

“Bianca, please help me bring one of the cakes. My grandson just came home,” Mrs. Wilson opened the door and took one of the cakes. “Come on. I don’t want to make him worried about me.”

Having no other chance, I did what she requested. I followed her, closing the door behind me while bringing the cake.

I heard a man’s voice calling out to her from inside the next-door apartment. Mrs. Wilson gestured with her head, asking me to help open the door for her, which I quickly did. She came in first and I followed after her.

“Happy birthday, dear Joel. Happy birthday, dear Joel,” then Mrs. Wilson elbowed me, asking me to sing along with her.

As if being cast a spell, I did sing, “Happy birthday, dear Joel. Happy birthday to you.”

A familiar guy showed up from inside a room. He smiled seeing his grandma bringing a cake but frowned when he laid his eyes on me. “Aren’t you the girl at Moonbucks?” he made a guess.

I only shrugged.

Mrs. Wilson looked at Joel and me in turns. “So you knew each other already? That’s sweet. You met each other somewhere and then it turned out that you are neighbors,” she commented in excitement. “What if we take a seat?” Then she put the cake on the table and I did the same thing.

When I was about to sit next to her, she lightly pushed my arm. “Please sit near Joel. I have a problem turning my head to the left side,” she reasoned.

“Then I can just sit on your right,” I reasoned back at her, avoiding such a close distance between me and this guy.

“Please, sit there, Bianca. I am too tired even to turn my head,” she was completely indisputable.

I sighed silently and made my way to the couch where Joel was sitting. “Could you move a little further to the left?” Dang it. My voice sounded so nervous.

He didn’t ask me why and just did what I requested, while I slowly sat on the couch with an uncomfortable feeling.

Mrs. Wilson clapped her hands, making me a bit startled. “So Joel, happy birthday to you. Bianca helped me make these two favorite cakes of yours. I hope you like them,” she lightly pushed those two cakes towards him. “Ah, we need a knife. And some plates and forks. Please wait for a minute.” She left me with Joel and made me even more nervous.

My hands were clenched and sweats started to come out. “Please don’t get any close,” I requested as I felt his move.

“Oh, I’m sorry. But I won’t do you any harm,” he said.

I snorted and mumbled, “That’s what he said too.”

“Excuse me?”

“Nothing,” I briefly replied. There’s no way I told him about what that jerk had done to me.

Joel was about to say something but then Mrs. Wilson appeared. She was bringing several cutleries and small plates as she mentioned before and then put them on the table. “Which one do you want to taste first, dear?” asked her.

“The chocolate one,” he answered.

I knew Joel was looking at me through the end of his right eye. I pretended to not know about it and cast my eyes on Mrs. Wilson’s hands cutting the chocolate cake into several slices.

“Here you go,” she put two slices on the plate and handed it to Joel.

“Thanks, Nan,” he received it and took a bite. “Hm, this tastes like heaven!”

Mrs. Wilson grinned in satisfaction. “If it tasted like hell, I know you would say the same thing. You never disappoint me, Joel,” she said.

“Well, I’ve never tasted a single cake you made that tasted like hell. So I have no chance to comment on it.”

Both grandma and grandson laughed gleefully. I could tell that they were very close. But at the same time, it raised my curiosity. Why does Joel live with her grandma?

Mrs. Wilson yawned, her right hand covering her mouth. “Oh, I’m very tired. I think I need to have some rest now,” she said. “I’m gonna leave you two here. Please don’t leave the cakes unfinished, or I’ll never make any cakes anymore.” She got up from the couch, walked past me and patted on my shoulder then disappeared into the room on my right.

“She was joking about never making cakes if we don’t finish these, right?” I asked for confirmation but didn’t turn my head at all.

Joel made a move and I spontaneously cornered myself to the edge of the couch. I thought he tried to move closer to me but he actually moved to the couch across. “Of course not. She likes making jokes,” he confirmed. “By the way, I don’t think you’ve had dinner. It’s barely six now. So, have some slices before leaving. I don’t think I will finish all of these even after three days.”

“Why? Don’t you like her cakes?”

“I do, but I’m an omnivore. I don’t eat cakes only,” he tried to crack a joke and it somehow tickled me.

However, my pride was so high that I didn’t even let out a smile. “Oh, I see,” that’s the only thing I said. Then I put two big slices on the other unused plate and ate them bit by bit. Goodness, this is way too good.

“Try the strawberry one too,” Joel cut the other cake into slices. “Lower your plate, please.”

I did what he commanded then he put a big slice onto my plate. He also put more slices on his plate and started to eat them too. As a result, there was silence between us for a while.

“So you live next door?” Joel broke the silence.

“Hm,” I nodded. “Don’t try to come for a visit.”

In all of a sudden, he cackled with laughter. “You’re so--you’re,” he leaned back against the couch while still holding his plate and fork. “It’s between you’re being mean and over-confident. I can’t tell.”

Well, I think he’s right. That was quirky. But of course, I wouldn’t want to admit it. I kept eating and sometimes stole a glance at him who was seemingly enjoying my unintentional humor. All I wanted to do at that moment was finish what’s on my plate and go back home. It’s just my throat that didn’t function properly that the chewed cake stuck in it.

“Hey, are you okay?” he was aware of what was happening with me.

“Could you,” I put my plate on the table as I coughed, “get me some water?”

As quickly as a reindeer ran, he left his plate on the couch and returned with a glass of water. He knelt beside me as I drank the water. When I didn’t think one glass was enough, he brought me another glass which I finished in just ten seconds.

I sighed in relief and said, “Thanks.” When I saw him not moving from my side, I told him, “You can go back to your seat.”

“Oh,” he chuckled and then sat on the couch again. “You’re okay now?”

“Hm,” I confirmed with a nod. “I’m sorry, I don’t think I can finish this. So I’ll just take the plate with the leftovers and I’ll return it by tomorrow morning.”

He wiggled his hand. “Just leave it here. It’s alright,” he said.

“Okay.” His idea was good, so I didn’t need to meet him again tomorrow. “Then, I’m leaving now.”

“Just like that?”

I frowned at his words. “Well, what am I supposed to do here anyways? There’s nothing to do,” I replied.

“We’re having a conversation now. Isn’t that an activity?”

“But I’m not interested.”

“Whoa, you’re very blunt,” he laughed in disbelief.

“Sorry. I don’t mean to be rude,” I was a bit afraid if I offended him. He might be upset and then do something bad to me. “Please don’t take it personally. I just can’t control my mouth sometimes.”

“Hey. It’s alright, Bianca,” he mentioned my name. “I am not easily offended. I even think that was like a joke.”

“Oh,” was all I said to respond to what he said. Then I got up from the couch. “Bye.”

“Let me walk you home,” he also got up and followed me from behind.

I opened the door and stepped out. “You don’t need to. It’s just probably ten steps away. Look,” I walked toward my apartment’s door while counting with my fingers up in the air. “Yes, it’s ten. So bye, again.”

I saw him giggling and waved at me before I finally entered my apartment. There I saw Jeanette was sitting on the kitchen table and having dinner.

“So you finally came along?” That was the first thing she said when I joined her at the table. “Did you enjoy your time there?”

I sighed. “I hadn’t had the chance to say anything, to be honest. And it was just okay back there. Mrs. Wilson stayed only for like fifteen minutes and then left me with Joel to finish the cakes. That’s strange. What’s the use of making a surprise for him then? It felt so awkward being alone with him and that’s why I decided to come back early,” I found myself talking more freely when I was around Jeanette.

“Why? He didn’t treat you well?”

“He was... nice, but you know how I am around men,” I took two potato fries from her plate. “I’m hungry. Do you still have more for me?”

She nodded. “Yea. Serve yourself,” she pointed at the kitchen counter where a bowl of fries was placed. “I’m sorry I can’t stay long with you here, though. I have an important meeting tomorrow so I need to work on some slides for my presentation.” She put her plate and fork in the sink.

“No problem. Take your time. I’ll wash the dishes for you too,” I let her do her things. Her job paid the bills very well after all. I just hope that I’d get a new job soon to support myself too and not be a burden to her.