Chapter 5: Meeting Grandma and Learning About Coffee

Karime jumped out and ran up on the porch, kissed Grandma on the cheek and ran inside saying she was going to miss her bus if she did not hurry. As Liesbet and I walked up the old lady was muttering something about Karime’s immortal soul and how this would not be happening if her mother was still alive. Liesbet winked at me then kissed her Grandma on the cheek. The old lady just could not let it go. She turned and yelled through the door, “You better not get pregnant!” Karime’s reply was, “Don’t worry! We use protection!” The old lady muttered something then crossed herself before turning her attention to me. She started to say something when Liesbet cut her off. She recounted their day ending with how it was too late to drive back through the mountains and I was going to sleep here in Karime’s bed. The old lady exploded, “That is not happening! Not while I am alive! He will sleep in my bedroom. I’ll not permit...”

I interrupted her, “Don’t worry Grandma. That’s the plan. I am going to sleep in the room with you.” She let out a sigh, then winked at me, “Sleep, that’s all we’ll do.” Liesbet exclaimed, “Grandma!” as the old lady got up out of her chair and went into the house. Liesbet and I returned to talking about coffee. Thirty minutes later Karime came out and asked if I would give her a ride to the bus stop. We got back in the truck and 10 minutes later Liesbet and I watched an excited 17-year-old girl board a bus going to meet her lover.

“How long has this been going on?”

“A little over a year, it started right after Dad died. I think she uses sex to cope.”

“How about you?”

“Me? I work, never had time for a social life.”

I did not say another word. We stopped by El Pollo and ordered 3 plates to go. At home Liesbet sat the table and we ate the chicken with a cup of coffee, then Liesbet and I sat on the front porch and talked about Geisha coffee again. Later I would compare Liesbet talking about coffee to Bubba telling Forest about shrimp in the movie ‘Forest Gump’. I learned a lot and will not bore you with it all.

About 9pm we went inside. Liesbet hugged me and kissed me on the cheek thanking me for all I had done for her today. She showed me to the bathroom and handed me a towel. I showered, put my boxers back on, then wrapped the towel around me and walked into Grandma’s bedroom. The old lady was sitting on the side of the bed holding her rosary beads in her hand. “Say the Rosary with me,” she said, not a question. It had been years but I remembered and followed her lead. When it was over, she put her hand in her mouth and took out her false teeth and put them in a bowl on the table by the bed. She looked at me, grinned a toothless grin and said goodnight. With that she turned on the overhead fan, pulled a sheet over her and was snoring to wake the dead in less than 5 minutes.