Chapter 1 #2
“Yeah, I know that…” I mean, I kind of do.
Considering how they've interacted with each other, it doesn’t seem all that pleasant or loving.
And loyalty? Well, I’m not sure my parents would do much for them honestly, much less do anything for them, but I wasn’t about to tell her that.
I’m also pretty sure my grandparents wouldn’t do much for my parents, either, but there’s no point in arguing.
My grandmother gives a slow, almost encouraging nod, that ever-present smile still on her face.
Between that and her scrutinizing gaze, she looks a bit terrifying.
Were matrons of families supposed to be so…
terrifying? What ever happened to grandmothers who bake cookies?
“Would you do anything for us, your family, Amy?”
The question, at first thought, seems innocent enough. But something about it feels like I just had a bucket of ice water dumped on me. A chill grips me, and I have to suppress a shudder. “Yeah…?” I definitely don’t sound sure of my answer, and I’m not sure I want to.
She sits back in her seat, her face relaxing, making the smile look softer. “Good.” She folds her hands demurely in her lap, like a perfect lady. Her back is so straight that it makes mine hurt. “Very good.”
I arch a brow, confused where this is going. “Yes? It’s good?”
“Yes. Of course.”
I suck in a breath. So this surprise extra visit wasn’t free.
Just like my tuition, it has strings attached.
I should’ve known better than to think that this visit was predicated on anything other than a transaction of some sort and not simply a gesture of familial good will.
Before, the strings were always attached to my parents.
Will my grandparents try to tie those same strings onto me, now that I’m an adult?
Why can’t people just be straightforward with what they want?
Why do they have to trick and manipulate you into getting what they’re after, trapping people until it’s too late to back out?
It’s the story of my life, it seems, and it’s so frustrating.
I don’t want to have to look for strings hanging above every social interaction.
It makes me feel like a fly, caught in some spiraling web.
I slowly exhale, gathering my courage. I know I have to ask, that she’s probably waiting for me to ask, but I’m almost tempted to not even bother just so she has to clarify.
But… that probably isn’t right of me to do.
“Is it good that I’m willing to do anything for my family for a particular reason, or… ? Just in general?”
My grandmother tilts her head, her smile growing. “I’m glad you asked, sweetheart. As a matter of fact, there’s something your grandfather and I would like to discuss with you.”
“Okay. Should we go find him to discuss it?”
My grandmother softly chuckles. It feels almost condescending, honestly. Deep down, it makes my skin crawl, although I hide any outward sign of it. “Oh, no, honey. Your grandfather has important business meetings. That’s why I’m here to talk with you.”
I suck in a sharp breath. “Okay…”
She adjusts her legs so that she’s tilted just a bit towards me, as if she’s about to tell me a secret. “What do you know about your grandfather’s work?” She says it so sweetly, tilting her head at me like she just asked if I knew about their pet dog rather than their criminal activity.
I clear my throat. “Um, I’ve figured some things out,” I mumble.
She finds this amusing based on the pull of her smile and the flicker of mirth in her eyes.
I’m not really sure what her merriment means, though.
“Good. Then you know how important it is for your grandfather to do his business correctly. You also know, I’m sure, how vital a role the family plays in his sort of business ventures.
Reputation, connections, and legacy are everything in a business like ours, and these sorts of things can only be perpetuated when things stay in the family. ”
I understand enough to know that I don’t like where this is going. I don’t want anything to do with their business. I don’t want to get close to it– getting involved in any sort of criminal activity feels like a stupid thing to do. “Right…?” I ask warily.
I’m starting to think that maybe my parents aren’t as petty as I thought. Maybe there’s a reason why they didn’t want me near my grandparents. Allowing them to pay for my tuition and see me once a year might’ve felt like making a deal with the devil.
My grandmother sucks in a deep breath, creases at her eyes forming as her expression tenses.
I’ve seen that face before, when she’s wanted me to just infer what she was trying to say without her having to actually say it.
It was one of the few times she actually showed frustration with me outwardly.
As a child, I dreaded that face and avoided it if at all possible.
As an adult, I know it’s not possible to avoid it, nor is it fair to me to feel the need to. But that didn’t mean I dread it any less.
She clears her throat. “Your grandfather is a powerful man. He runs quite the business. One that your father unfortunately doesn’t have an interest in taking over.”
Oh no. She doesn’t want me to train in the business, does she? I have no desire to go anywhere near that, much less learn to lead it. I’m not cut out to be a mafia boss, are you kidding? I get overwhelmed by having a full schedule of classes alone as it is!
My grandmother doesn’t seem to notice my panic.
“In fact, your father refuses to contribute almost anything to our family anymore. When he was involved, he only took and drained our resources.” She sighs, shaking her head.
“I don’t mean to speak ill of your father to you, dear.
He is my son, after all. But you do need to understand the predicament we’re in, because family is supposed to be there for each other.
We stand by each other when times are tough. ”
You’ve never been around or checked in on me during my tough times. But I don’t point that out to her, of course. I just let her continue.
“But I know you’re not like your father. You don’t take. You give.”
It’s frustrating because it’s true. People know I’m reliable.
My parents lean on me, my grandparents know I never ask for anything, I’m a great support for my friends.
I always know how to take care of myself.
But hearing my grandmother say it so outright feels like a punch in the gut.
I feel proud that I’m a giver, but right now, it kind of feels like it's being used against me and taken advantage of. But she’s my grandmother, so it’s hard for me to say no to whatever request is inevitably coming.
Not that I won’t say no, just that it’s hard.
My grandmother clenches her hands together tightly. I notice she’s shaking. Shaking. My unshakable, perfect grandmother is trembling. Why? Why is she nervous about talking with me?
“Amy. We need your help.”
I’ve already gathered that…but her anxiety is a layer I didn’t expect. She’s trying to hide it, too, which bothers me more. “With what, Grandma?”
She takes a deep breath, looking up at the ceiling as she formulates her words. She exhales slowly, her gaze flickering down to me again. “There’s a man. A fellow…businessman like your grandfather. He’s powerful, even more powerful than your grandfather. He’s not a man you want to cross.”
The way she’s talking about this guy sends chills down my spine. “Yeah?”
She nods. “But your father did. And we’re all going to pay the price if it isn’t fixed,” she says bitterly, scrunching her nose up in disgust.
I raise my eyebrows. “My dad did? But he said he wanted nothing to do with…uh, grandpa’s business.”
My grandmother’s brows pinch as she purses her lips in displeasure. “Yes. And he hasn’t. But it’s found its way to him. In a way…this man is using your father to get to your grandfather. He’s manipulating the situation.”