This is the fourth part in a series, so if you have not already done so, you might want to read Part I, Part II and Part III before continuing.
Zach was expecting the phone call from his sister. She was the one they always sent when the rest of the family thought he was getting “out of line”, so he was prepared.
“Zach, I just got a call from Aunt Rose, and she said she heard some pretty awful things from Grandma.”
“What did she say?” Zach did his best to sound curious – as though he didn’t already know what his sister was going to tell him.
“She said you hit Grandma so hard she fell to the floor.”
Zach snorted.
“Of course, I told her you would never do such a thing. I can’t believe she would even entertain the thought.”
“Not only did I not hit her, but she hit me.”
“What?”
“Yeah. We got into a fight over canola oil. Did I get angry? Yes. Did I hit her? Of course not. I did smack the counter in my frustration, so maybe that’s what she meant when she said I hit her. She’s just old and confused.”
“OK. ‘Cause Rose was really upset.”
“Well, Rose might need to have someone explain to her how dementia works.”
There was a pause before his sister said, “Is it really time to put her in a home?”
“First of all, no one calls them that anymore. Second of all, yeah, I think it’s past time. I have my own life to live, and I just don’t have the time to be constantly looking after an old lady.”
“OK. I’ll talk to Rose.”
“Good luck. You know how she feels about those places.”
Zach hung up and turned around to see his grandmother glaring at him. “I do not have dementia,” she said.
“Really? Because you seem to have forgotten how to be a guest in someone else’s home.”
“And I don’t need anyone else to take care of me. I’ve been taking care of myself for more than twice as long as you’ve been alive! I don’t need a kid like you telling me how to cook vegetables!”
“A kid like me?”
“You heard me!”
“Grandma, how many kids did you have by the time you were my age?”
Her only response was to glare at him.
“That’s what I thought.” He walked past her and out of the room.
“You won’t get away with this!”
He stopped and turned back to look at her. “Get away with what?”
“With this … this abuse!”
He laughed in her face before turning his back to her and walking away.
The end.