"Grandpa!" "Oh, hey- hic- hey there, Mimi! Whatcha- hic- whatcha doing here?" "Are you his granddaughter, Miss?" "I am, Misaki Ayuzawa." "You're a minor, so you won't be able to sign Mr. Ayuzawa's bail." "I… see….."
Grandpa and I had to take a cab home once he got releasing from holding. He was still drunk as all hell and had little recollection of what just happened. I was tasked with guiding our cab driver home, all while he kept shooting Grandpa looks in the mirror. Halfway through the ride, Grandpa's head turned to me as he began slurring words together.
"Ya know, Mimi, all- hic- all men are assholes. Seriously, you should have seen these douches that tried- hic- tried to beat me up. Men are real dicks… dicks- hic- that only want to use you for sex or money." "Ok, Grandpa," I knew there was no point in arguing with him when he's like this. "You- hic- you gotta promise Grandpa somethin', Mimi. Promise me you'll never- hic- fall for any of god-forsaken parasites. The only men who'll ever love you are me and your dad… well, he did, anyway." My eyes lowered softly. "Yes…. Grandpa." "Mark my words. Men are bad news; you're better off without them. Trust me, they won't miss you, so you- hic- don't learn to miss them."
Two Years Later-
"I got in! I can't believe I got in!" I couldn't stop jumping all around the room. Grandpa was sitting on the couch, grinning over at me. "See? I told you you'd get in." "I can't believe I'm going to Amsterdam…. This is a dream come true! I'm moving to Europe! I'm actually moving to Europe!" In all my excitement, I accidently crushed the acceptance letter in my hand. Grandpa stood up to come hug me in congratulations.
"I'm so proud of you, Mimi," he cooed in a tender fashion. I hugged his back, squeezing my eyes shut. "Thanks, Grandpa." "So, I guess that's it then? Once you're done your senior year, we'll pack up and move to Holland!" He loosened his arms so he could see me. "I can't wait! Only…." "What is it, grandbaby?" "Erm, do we… have the money for that? Daddy's insurance dried up a couple of years ago and….."
"Come on, Mimi. You think I would have encouraged you to apply to the University of Amsterdam if I knew we couldn't afford it?" "I know, but….. it's just…. can we?" I winced ever so slightly. "Sure, we can! You know I've had steady employment at the lab since I stopped drinking. Plus, I put away some cash for just such an occasion; turns out you save a lot when you don't piss it away on alcohol every day." "Yeah….."
Grandpa gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, honey; we'll make this work. Going to school abroad has been your dream since forever, and you'll fit right in with all those Amsterdam liberals. All you have to worry about is acing your last year of high school." "Mmmmm, I don't know. I still feel like I should be doing something; moving to a new continent isn't a little thing…. But I don't know where a student like me could find a job. Or at least a decent-paying one."
He thought for a moment. "How 'bout that new maid café?" "A maid café?" I blinked startled. "Sure! You're cute, charming, non-judgment- perfect maid matter!" "I don't know….. I've never… done anything like that before," my hand rubbed the back of my neck awkwardly as I glanced to the side. Grandpa nodded his head with certainty. "I think that's the best bet you're gonna get at a job; at least for now. It'll only be a part-time gig, and besides, if you don't like it, you can quit. Simple as that." "I guess so…"
Then my grandfather laughed. "Boy! It's a good thing you don't have a boyfriend, or he'd get super jealous with you working at a maid café." "Probably…." My eyes rolled downwards. "I still don't get why you never dated anyone in high school. Oh well, guess it's for the best now." "Yeah…." "Mark my words. Men are bad news; you're better off without them." "I know you're right, Grandpa."