Evil Granny

Recently I called up my granny, who at 77 is still one of the most beautiful--and active-- women I have ever met. After exchanging the obligatory pleasantries, both of us were stuck for a while as neither really had anything to say to the other. After a few seconds of awkward silence, granny re-started the conversation...

Granny:  So how’s your job going on?? All exciting and rocking?

Me: Err no. It’s not at all good, I am fed up.

(Not that I actually meant to say this and upset granny, but sometimes the truth spills out unintentionally)

Granny: Oh!! Good, good. I am glad you like your job.

Huhh??? Didn't she get what I was saying?

Me (this time intentionally): Well granny, I said I am NOT satisfied with it, I wish I could resign!

Granny: Hey, that’s great!! So you really love your job? You can also write on tourism.

HUHHH??? 

Me (frustrated, but trying not to sound irritated): Granny! I am fed up of my current job. I would have left but....

Granny (interrupts me mid-sentence): Yes, you go get a job that involves writing on tourism.

HUHHH???

No, she is not senile, and neither is she hard-of-hearing. Of course, she knows that I work for a publishing house that publishes textbooks. And she is very much aware of the fact that due to a crisis in my family I can't leave this job now even if I wanted to. 

So what explains her behaviour? Pure indifference. Since she is in no way affected by the issues I am going through, she is least bothered. She didn't even listen to what I was saying!! Sure shot sign that she is not concerned about me in any way!

OK. This brings up the issue--why does she need to be concerned about me in the first place? Just because she gave birth to the woman who gave birth to me? Of course not!! I don't suppose she is obliged to "love" me! But why does she pretend to do so then? Why does she keep on asking me when I would visit her? Why does she say that she misses me? Why does she want me to call often? Why all this pretenses when she is not even concerned about me at the very least? To project to the society that she is a caring grandmother? To impress her daughter (my mother) that she is interested in the well-being of her children? Whatever!!

And do I love her? Maybe I did when I was little, and too innocent about the ways of the world. To be frank, I wouldn’t say I am very close to her as on today—not after those of her manipulative attempts to brainwash/blackmail me when I still was naive enough to trust her—though I really do care about her, and am concerned about her welfare. Now that we had never really been close, I guess this incident simply adds to the already expanding chasm between us.