Page 30 (1/2)

I realize it’s not just Wille for; it’s Lulu, too

Twenty-five

APRIL

Miaate in the Miaet in a half hour before otten out of this year’s Passover Seder I just saw Mo down for Sedera day off from school But no such luck Tradition is tradition, and Passover is the one tio to Grandma’s

I love Grandly dull and you take your life in your own hands eating so , that’s not why I dread them

Grand, Mom makes us crazy When Grando vent to Susan, play tennis, organize the calendar, go to the mall to buy me a neardrobe I don’t need But e’re at Grand trapped on a geriatric island

Mo atthank-you notes out for my birthday presents, which otten theirs Because other than Jenn and Kali--who baked me a cake--and Dee--who took me out to his favorite food truck in Boston for dinner--and Mom and Dad, of course, there was no one else to send thank-you cards to this year Melanie didn’t send anything She just posted a greeting on et into a cab (the second one, Mo rejected the first one because the AC was too weak--no one is safe from Mom when she’s on a Grandma trajectory)--she starts in on me about my sumht this up, asking what I was going to do over the summer, I told her I had no idea Then, a feeeks later, at the end of spring break, she announced that she had made some inquiries onoffers One is working in a lab at one of the phar in one of Dad’s doctor friend’s offices, a proctologist naartner (Melanie used to call him Dr Bum-Gardner) Neither job would be paid, she explained, but she and Dad had discussed it and decided they’d counter the loss with a generous allowance She looked so pleased with herself Both jobs would look excellent onwhat she referred to as the "debacle" of my first term

I’d been so irritated, I’d almost told her that I couldn’t take those internships because I wasn’t qualified; I wasn’t pre-med Just to spite her Just to see the look on her face But then I’d gotten scared I was getting an A in Shakespeare Out Loud An A minus in Mandarin, which was a first for y class and labs, and an A in cera in my classes and I didn’t want Mom’s inevitable and perennial disappoint to happen noto rades when I made the announcement

But finals are still three weeks away, and Moht now about these jobs So as we pull into Grand it over and then I skip out of the cab to help Dad with the bags

It’s so strange Mom is the most formidable person I know, but when Grandma opens the door, More instead of a five-foot bottle blonde in a yellow tracksuit and a KISS THE MESHUGGENEH COOK apron Grand that smells of Shali so different with your hair! I saw the pictures on Facebook"

"You’re on Facebook?" Mom asks

"Ally and I are friends, aren’t we?" She winks at me

I see Mom wince I’m not sure if it’s because Grandma and I are FB friends or because Grand my name

We step inside Grand floral couch A basketball gaiant television

Grandma touches my hair It’s to my shoulders now I haven’t cut it since last summer "It was shorter before," I say "It’s sort of in between"

"It’s better than it was That bob ful!" Mom says

"It was a bob, Mom Not a Mohawk"

"I knohat it was But it made you look like a boy"

I turn to Grandma "Was she traumatized by a bad haircut in her youth? Because she seeo"

Grandht When she was ten, she saw Roseed me to take her to the children’s beauty parlor She kept o shorter until it was all off, and as ere leaving the salon, another et a haircut like that nice little boy?’" She looks at Mo "I didn’t realize that still upset you, Ellie"

"It doesn’t upset me, because it never happened, Mother I never saw Rosemary’s Baby And if I had, at ten, that would’ve been entirely inappropriate, by the way"

"I can show you the pictures!"

"That won’t be necessary"

Grandain now I think you’ve been wearing the saives another wicked grin

Moht, brown, in a low ponytail Grand me into the kitchen "You want some cookies? I have some macaroons"

"Macaroons are not cookies, Grand" Grand Passover

"Let’s see what else I have" I follow Grandma into the kitchen She pourssuch a hard tiht, she’s sy her, like I was the one who riled her up

"I don’t see why She has a charmed life"