The Most Beautiful Woman in the World

I walk up the wet cement driveway past the garage towards the door of my grand- and great-grandmothers' house. We (me, my parents, and my little brother) just call them Nana and Gigi.

I open the squeaky glass door and knock on the big red one behind it. A few seconds later, a wrinkled, veiny hand with slightly yellowed fingernails peels back the white lacy curtain of the side window. An olive green eye peers out. The hand and eye quickly withdraw and there is a soft click of the lock before the door swings open.

I have barely enough time to set down my bags before I am crushed against Gigi's soft belly by a warm embrace. "Cameron!", Gigi exclaims. "Oooh, it's so good to see you," and she squeezes harder. As she leads me away to the living room, she proceeds to inform me about her (and mine) favorite television cartoon. "Look, Tom and Jerry just came on!" she announces.

Later, as I am unpacking, I overhear the following conversation:

"Hand me the remote, please." (That's Nana)
"What?!" (That's Gigi)
"Hand me the remote," Nana says a little louder.
"What?!"
"The remote. Hand me the remote!"
"Sit on the commode?!!"
"No Mama, I said -"
"What's the use of sittin' on the commode if you don't have to use it?!"

I don't pay much attention to this misunderstanding; that kind of conversation is commonplace with Gigi.

Late that night while everyone else sleeps, there is one light still on in the house. Inside that room, the stakes are rising.

I lay down two cards in the "trash pile", an eight and a jack, both spades. The remaining three cards in my hand are the king of hearts and two fives, one clubs and the other spades. I draw two red-backed cards from the deck. The first one is the king of diamonds, the second is the five of hearts. Nice. That makes a full house.

I must not have a good "poker face" because Gigi gives me a suspicious look. I lay down my hand face up on the comforter of the bed, breaking into a wide grin while announcing, "Full House." Gigi lays down her hand and says slowly, to emphasize my utter destruction, "Four Aces." One of her cheery little smiles breaks onto her face, kind of what you would imagine Santa's smile is like. Her smiles are one of those things you do not fully appreciate until after its gone.

From a purely neutral viewpoint, Gigi is not the most attractive person alive, but to her six year-old great-grandson, she's the most beautiful woman in the world.

© Copyright 2009, The Noodle's Writing Spot/ C.N.Messinides. All Rights Reserved.