Caviar

Grandma stared at me with sparkling eyes adorned by her tattooed eyeliner. With a winning smile, she shoved a cracker topped with cheese and caviar into my hand. “Eat, honey bun. I bought this before I came here! Enjoy!”

“Thank you, Grandma,” I mumbled, giving her my most awkward smile. She nodded and turned to my uncle to probably tell her famous hardware story. I took it as the perfect chance to go back to my room, and slipped away as quietly as I could.

As soon as I stepped into the hallway, however, Mom grabbed me at my elbow and hissed, “Your grandmother came home for the holidays. You know she isn’t always here. Can’t you just stay with her for a few hours?”

I sighed and shook my head. What can I do? I had an important exam tomorrow that I needed to study for. “I hope you change your mind. Finish up soon so you can join us.” She was shaking her head as she walked back to  the rowdy crowd.

After a few more steps, my older cousin bumped into me. A bit of beer spilled from their cup and on to my shirt. “Cuz, let’s party!” He grinned widely and shoved his drink into my hands. “Drink, drink!” With a laugh, he went back to Grandma’s side. I rolled my eyes and continued on my way.

I opened the door to my bedroom and quickly stepped in. The boisterous laughter of my relatives was instantly muted, and I sighed with relief. I sat in front of my book-laden desk, bit into my caviar-encrusted biscuit, and took a sip of beer.

Then, with a deep breath, I put on my headphones, took up my pen, and went back to studying.

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Image source: eatsmarter.com/recipes/scallop-and-caviar-canapes
First written December 1, 2017.
#61