Puppeteer

Grandma 2

What comes into mind when you here the word "grandma" being uttered, perhaps in a story, or by your parent, or even your friend doing to a trip to their granny's house?

Stereotypes, I know, will fill your head. A nice, old lady, harmless and will welcome you with multiple sweets. We all know stereotypes are not necessarily true (in fact, it mostly is a generalization that does not fit anyone anymore), but at least the last part is true.

My mother's side grandma, Han Kim, is simply an extraordinary woman. To this date, with her pitch black hair (yes, pitch black. She hates seeing her own whitening hair, so she frequently dyes it) and straight black, she holds the council of the elders to her firm iron grasp. Legend says she was the most powerful Aura of her generation, and still is.

From this, you might be thinking, "Isn't it great to have such a legendary grandma, Evan? Why are you so grumpy and spoilt?"

Well yes, she may be a great adult and role-model for a fellow ability user. But perhaps as a grandmother? I have my doubts.

"I'm back mum!" Back into her childhood house, my mum suddenly looked 10years younger. The unconscious tension that existed forever in her eyes disappeared, the very air seemed to make her joyful, her body flowing gracefully. Dad, on the other hand, looked like a foreigner touring around a country he'd visited multiple times. 

"Oh! My babies!" Shifting her attention towards us, the short woman crushed us into a hug.

"Theo!" "Hello Grandma" returning the hug, Theo looked perfectly in place. "Evan!" "..Hello"

"What's with that greeting!" 

Smack

"Awww! Long time no see grandma! You're as healthy as usual!"

"What do you mean? My back pains have been increasing!" Growling, she gave us both a pat in the back before finally releasing us.

"So Evan-"

suddenly the bubbly atmosphere popped, making me crash down to reality once more.

"You still can't control your power, can you?" Grandma, with her short stature, suddenly became a giant hovering over me.

"I can use Puppeteer just fine.." "You know what I mean!"

flinch

"I mastered the Aura when I was 4 years old!" "Your mother, although worse than me,"

Nodding towards mum, she continued

"She mastered it when she was 5!" "Mum-" Desperation dripping, mum grabbed at grandma's arm.

Thrusting out her now-restricted arm, she exclaimed. 

"And your friend! What was his name...Ast! HE mastered it when he was just three years old!"

"And what excuse do you have?"

The world started spinning. Did I leave my body? No- that's not it. But why do I feel so distant?

Should I just go-

"Grandma!" Theo

"Let's not...okay?" His usual face of total relaxation had disappeared. 

"Hmph. Don't let me see him till he gets all his abilities under control." "MUM!"

tsking, she left, with our family staring at her in horror.

"How are you supposed to control two abilities at once..." Theo groaned more at himself that me, yet I could not stop the echo shaking me.

'Failure'

My right eye, uncovered this time, started to burn up

from tears or from the extreme emotions surrounding me, I wouldn't know.