I thought you were dead

 This flash fiction exercise was written Jan. 21, 2013 with the trigger WI thought you were dead."

 

“I thought you were dead.” Janice stood open mouthed in front of old woman. Old in age, not in appearance.

“Why would you think that, honey?”

I called and called and there was no answer not for a week. Her grandmother was the most aggravating person she knew. No matter how Janice tried to get her to slow down, the woman just wouldn’t. Monday book clubs, Tuesday bowling, Wednesday house cleaning, Thursday golf in summer, gym in winter, Friday movie no matter what was playing. Some of the things her grandmother saw at the local Cineplex were not suitable . . . James Bond for God sake’s. All that action could lead to a heart attack.

Her grandmother was bustling around the kitchen preparing tea for the two of them. At least tea preparation was something grandmothers were supposed to do, but the Oreos should have been homemade not store bought, although Janice knew that Oreos weren’t ever homemade but chocolate chip cookies would be nice.

“It wish you would ring the bell before coming in,” Grandma said. 

She was thin, too thin to make Janice happy. “Are you eating well? Enough?” Janice asked.

“You should have seen the steak, Tom and I put away last night?”

“Tom?”

“My new beau. Met him at the gym.”

Janice wondered if he were a fortune hunter, although he’d be disappointed.

“Why don’t you come with us for lunch? Bring that fella of yours. Sunday?”

Were they that serious? What would Jared say when she said they would eat with her and her grandmother and grandma’s boy friend. They couldn’t be sleeping together.

“Don’t worry, we both use protection,” Grandma said as if she could read Janice’s mind.

Janice wondered with the twinkle in her eye if she were teasing.” “You’re not . . . I mean . . .at your age.”

“My age is 69. Sometimes, my darling granddaughter, I think your mind is older than mine. You worry too much. Get over it.”