A Grandmother’s Prerogative

“And where do you think you’re off to, young lady?” Moira Regan demanded.

Ellie Mangan, fourteen months younger than her brother Dan, stopped short at the kitchen door of Ten Acres where they lived with their grandmother. She slowly turned to face said grandmother, a look of slight apprehension on her face.

“I thought, maybe, that you knew already that we’re having a meeting at the clubhouse, with all the other Bob-Whites, and we both of us, I mean Dan and me, said that we would be there and so I thought that he’d told you, but of course, he might not have, because you know Dan, so I’m telling you now, and honestly, I would have told you myself, if I’d known that he hadn’t, which he mustn’t have, if you don’t already know all about it.”

“I see.” Moira waited, to see whether Ellie would add anything else.

“We won’t be all that long, I don’t suppose,” the teenager continued, looking even more nervous, “and I’ll definitely be back well before it gets dark, and if you want me to, I can make sure that Dan does as well, though I’m not sure how much he’d like me making him do anything, and he’ll probably be home on time anyway, whether I say anything to him, or not.”

This wasn’t the confession that Moira had been aiming for, so she waited again.

“So, is it okay if I go, now, so that I won’t be late for the meeting, which I said I would be at, and it would be rude not to turn up, after promising that I would, wouldn’t it?” she asked hopefully, while edging closer to the door.

“It might have been better to ask before you promised,” Moira pointed out.

“Oh, I will, next time,” Ellie promised, with another step towards the door. “I’m really sorry about the mix-up, Grandma, and I’ll make sure you know all our plans in future, because I wouldn’t want you to worry about us.”

“Hold on a minute. I didn’t say you could go.”

Moira stifled a laugh at the look of dismay on Ellie’s face.

“Can I at least run up and explain, please?”

“I meant, I didn’t say you could go yet. I just want to clear something up first.” She gestured to Ellie’s hand. “What have you got there?”

“This?” Ellie looked at the item she was holding as if she had never seen it before in her life. “Oh, it’s just something that I said I would take to the meeting, which I’m going to now, which is why I have it with me, so that it will be at the meeting with me, when I get there.”

“And why, may I ask, do you need a jar of mayonnaise?”

Ellie’s eyes searched all around the kitchen, as if looking for the answer. “It’s a lunch meeting?”

Moira frowned. “Are you meaning to eat it straight out of the jar?”

“What? No, of course we aren’t. We’re making sandwiches and everyone is bringing something to contribute, you know, like bread, or tomatoes, or sliced ham, and this is what I said I would bring and I’m pretty sure that Mart, at least, is going to be disappointed if I don’t, and probably other people, too, because we all like mayo on our sandwiches, unless, of course, they’re peanut butter sandwiches, or something, only no one was bringing peanut butter, so it would be disappointing if I don’t bring this.”

“I’m not suggesting that you disappoint anyone.” She crossed to the fridge and pulled out a jar. “I’m just thinking that not even the eight of you need an entire family size jar, when there’s one more than half-full already open.”

Ellie’s mouth dropped open. Without speaking, she crossed the room to the pantry and replaced the full jar. She took the open jar from her grandmother’s hand.

“Thanks, Grandma.”

“You’re welcome. Have a good meeting, and do try to be home before dark.”

Ellie smiled. “Thanks. I will.”

The End

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