Inked Desires

Chapter 2

"Hello, Grandma!" I said softly as I walked over to her bed, pressing my lips against her warm wrinkled forehead.

I used to visit my grandmother as often as I could, and now, in her final days, I tried to visit her almost every day because I didn't know how much longer I could enjoy her, so after I woke up, I got in the car, stopped to do some shopping, and then drove over to her modest little house.

"Hello, my darling!" She responded with a warm voice and a smile that would have melted even a stone heart.

I sat on the chair after putting the groceries on the table next to her bed.

"How are you doing, Grandma? How are you feeling?" I asked her as I took her hand in mine.

"I'm feeling much better now! The doctors left me half an hour ago!"

"I'm glad to hear you're feeling better; it appears that this treatment is working!" I replied with a smile before turning my attention to the beg I had brought with me.

"I did some shopping and bought you some fruit, some vegetables, and some yogurt, I'm going to put them in the fridge. Please let me know if you would like something from me. Let me give you a banana. Is that all right?" I asked as I took out a banana from the bag and place it on the bedside table next to her.

"I told you not to spend money on me, my dear. I don't eat much anyway, so a piece of fruit every now and then is welcome, but you spend all of your money on me. And on treatments, food, and liquids. You look after me like I'm a child, and I feel bad for you because you're wasting your youth!"

"Grandma, please stop right now!" I'm looking after you because you did the same for me, and because you raised me, you're my parent! You're the one who needs my support now and I'm not going to let you down, whether you like it or not!" I kissed her smooth wrinkled hand and said.

She lifted the same hand I kissed and gently caressed my face with it.

"I don't want to be an unnecessary burden to you! You are young and very beautiful, my dear; you are at the age when you should find a man who will respect and love you; you are at the age when you should start a family and have children, just as I did with your grandfather. Instead, you look after me and work to support me! To cover the cost of my treatments and medications. Instead, save your money and buy a house!"

I raised my hand to stop her, but she kept going.

"Milla, you are well aware that I do not have much time left. Please, my dear, my last wish is for you to find a man and start a family. That would be my only wish: to see you at your home with your family! Look...” she said, pulling a necklace with a pendant resembling two angel wings from her blouse.

She untied it from her neck with trembling hands and placed it in my palm, closing my fist.

"... Your grandfather gave me this necklace when we got married!" I really want you to wear it!"

I burst into tears. I knew she didn't have long to live, but they say that people feel when they have to die, and I realized that my grandmother felt this, and I couldn't accept that I could lose her at any time.

"Don't cry, my lovely girl! I want you to remember me when I was young and healthy. I want you to remember me in the good and beautiful times we shared. Last but not least, I want you to look after your life and stop bothering yourself with me! I want you to take care of yourself, go out with your friends, go on dates, and live your life as a young woman your age." she continued to tenderly caress my face.

I knelt down and began kissing her face, forehead, and cheeks. My tears ran down her lovely face.

"Grandma, I love you so much! And please stop talking to me as if you are going to die soon because I will not allow anything bad to happen to you! I'll fight for you until the bitter end, even if it means spending every penny in my bank account! You'll see, you'll get better!" I said it, but I knew deep down that I was lying to myself. "That's all there is to it!" I sniffed, wiped away my tears, and laughed softly.
"Let's not bring up the subject of death! Did that sweet old man come to see you again?" With a sly smile, I inquired.

"Who? John? Yes, he returned; he's very nice; I'm getting along better with him! He left me right before the doctors arrived! But leave me alone, I'm old. Tell me, have you met any boys yet?" she inquired, returning my smile.

"No, grandma, you know I don't have time for that, and besides, you can't find a proper man these days, who treats you like you're his queen like grandpa did with you. Men nowadays only want sex from a woman, then they vanish and you never hear from them again. Men today are misogynists, grandma; they are not like they were when you were young."

"Don't worry!" She said this while holding my hand with her own. "Your chosen one is somewhere out there, and you will meet him when he is destined for you!" She smiled, but I wasn't entirely convinced. " Go get some rest now, I'm sure you worked hard today and are exhausted."

I nodded and kissed her on the forehead again, murmuring "I love you," before turning and leaving for home, where I prepared to go to the strip club where I worked, which my grandmother was unaware of. I had told her I worked as a secretary in an office. I couldn't tell her I was undressing in front of men for money. The same men I had just labeled as misogynists. I couldn't tell her I was giving them lascivious dances and then watching them masturbate for money. Or that the money I used to buy her medicine was dirty money. I wasn't a prostitute because I didn't sleep with these men, but I still saw them as dirty money.