Elle Vampa

no reason, no limits
eat sleep rage repeat smile wave play pretend growl
whatever goals you set, take your eyes off the finish line

there is no why
there is no when
there is only
now and again

Elle Vampa

---

Just for good measures (and because you cannot ever really be certain, can you?) I sniff my soda.

A few stray bubbles gently hit my nose as they travel upwards with the savoury scent of lemon – we’re all good here, my drink has not been spiced.

But WHY have I been acting all cranky lately?

And why are both my parents acting prickly, too?

Like a bunch of cacti that have grown up too close, we keep hurting one other.

It’s been like this for a week, more or less. One second we’re fine, being all kinds of merry. The next we’re biting each other’s heads off.

The box of Pandora opened and our old tricks have flown out with a vengeance: mine turning me into a ticking time-bomb, introducing Tantrums Reunited 2.0.

Then there’s my father, who’s constantly spinning a depressing ending to any story – that he keeps repeating at least 12 times. Mindcrushingly annoying and an instant detonator for my time-bomb self.

Lastly, my mother’s been waving her victim card around again, flashing it to all and then some. Forever complaining, yet never satisfiable. Nothing anyone does is good enough.

On top of it ALL, the buffet restaurant where we’ve been feasting on food for decades (notice the plural – I celebrated my 18^th birthday here!) has a new teppanyaki chef.

To which my annoyingly talkative dad mentioned he has “three beautiful daughters.”

Which had me ending up with an annoyingly talkative chef, who boldly admitted: “I’ve never seen your sisters, but he sure was right about you!”

…

I only wanted the scampi! Leave me alone!

My goodness, could he have taken any longer cooking my food?

This week… Just smile and wave. Smile and wave.

For as it turns out: we’re all on our worst behaviour. Me, mum, dad.

And a chef with overly poor timing.