The Finer Things in Life

The finer things in life

“The finer things in life,” the old lady said from her rocking chair, holding up a glass of wine to the light and examining its deep red contents. “I can remember back thirty years ago. And you, you can’t even remember last week I know where I left them and I know you took them,” she said looking at her grandaughter.
“Would you like anymore cheese?” asked her mother holding the platter towards Alexis. She shook her head as she picked up the teapot and headed towards the stairs that led to the kitchen.
“Why anyone would want to eat that cheese is beyond me,” she said opening the door and stepping inside.
Nonna looked towards her daughter and glared at her. The hard lines on her face had started to soften in her old age, but her temper was still as volatile as it was seventy years ago. She sat up and looked firmly into her daughter’s eyes.
“That girl needs to learn some manners and get a good education Marie. I can’t stress to you enough how vitally important that is. I have done everything I can to make sure she does well for herself, but you must make sure she continues with her education. Take my word for it, if she doesn’t start smartening up her act I will not leave one penny to her.” She sat back in her chair and took another sip of her wine. “I always did what my mother and father expected of me. That girl is just disobedient. I…” she sat back out of breath. Her eyes closed as she put her hand to her chest. Marie stopped stacking the plates and looked over to the old lady.
“Are you okay Mama?” she asked.
“I’m fine, not that you care. All you care about is my will. You can’t wait to get rid of me so you can have this house all to yourself. You and that troublemaker.”
It was always like this, her mother throwing insults at her and her daughter. She wanted to say something but couldn’t. Marie blinked back tears as she picked up the plates and headed for the kitchen. The back door opened just as Marie reached for the handle.
“What’s wrong?” asked Alexis. Marie walked past her daughter and went down the hallway towards the kitchen. Alexis kept insisting that Marie told her what happened only to discover that Nonna had thrown off at her again.
Her mother turned around to face her. She looked into her daughters’ eyes and saw the strength that she drew from them. Alexis wasn’t one to be pushed around. She knew what she believed in and was willing to stand up for what was right.
“She’s an old lady Mama. She doesn’t understand what she’s saying. Truly Mama, Nonna doesn’t mean it,” said Alexis. She took her mother in her arms and held her close. “I love you Mama. It doesn’t matter what anybody else says, whether they mean it or not.”
Marie stood back and looked at Alexis. “What did I do to deserve you?” she said, “Sometimes I wonder if you were supposed to be the mother and I was supposed to be the daughter.” Marie straightened herself up. “But I need you to start doing more around the house so Nonna won’t get mad. Okay?” She turned to face the sink and filled it with hot water.
“I know. But Nonna is can be so awful sometimes! She demands respect. She thinks that all we care about is what we can get out of her. Well I’m not just going to sit back and let her complain. Just because we live with her doesn’t mean she can run our lives like she does. The world doesn’t revolve around Nonna, no matter how much she wishes it did,” said Alexis.
Marie turned around. “Don’t raise your voice. As long as we live under her roof we will do what she asks of us. Capiche?”
Alexis felt her temper rising inside her, but calmed herself before she spoke. “Well then maybe we should move out.”


“Bella! Open this door immediately. Hurry up. We have to go and see Nonna before the hospital closes,” said Marie standing in the hallways outside her daughters’ bedroom.
“I’m not going,” called Alexis from the other side. The thought of visiting her grandmother in that sterile and sickly environment made her stomach turn. For the past month she had been at the hospital every afternoon after school visiting her grandmother. This afternoon she wanted to relax and watch TV.
“And I’m not going to ask you again Alexis. Open this door,” yelled Marie. She twisted the knob but it didn’t open. She leant against the wall behind her and crossed her arms. She hated that she still lived with her mother. All her friends had moved out of home years ago. But Marie was still there, living with her mother and her daughter and no husband in sight. What sort of life is this for Alexis? She thought. Her parents were strict and old fashioned, but her daughter was young and rebellious. The handle slowly turned on the door and Alexis came out.
“I told you I’m not going. I don’t want to be around all those old people. It smells,” she said.
“Okay. But Nonna won’t be with us for much longer. Don’t you think she’d appreciate you coming to see her?” Marie asked.
“I’ve lived with her for the past sixteen years. I’ve visited her every afternoon for the past three weeks. So you tell me, why would I want to spend another afternoon with that old lady hurling insults at everyone? If you want to go, go. But I’m not going to put up with her crap,” said Alexis. This was the truth. Nonna never had a nice word to say about anyone.
“Have you ever stopped to think that maybe your grandmother is just scared?” asked Marie. Alexis considered the thought for a while. Nonna was always a strong person. Certainly never scared of anyone or anything. She always knew the answers to everything and didn’t need help from anyone. But now Nonna was sick. The doctors said it was just old age and there was nothing they could do about it.
“Nonna couldn’t possibly be scared. She’s never been scared of anything,” said Alexis.
“But Nonna’s never been dying before Alexis,” said Marie. She knew that Alexis had just been ignoring it. She was always a strong person. Like her mother, Alexis she had adopted that ‘never say die’ attitude to life. Whether Alexis saw it or not, she was very attached to her grandmother. They had grown up together. When Marie was working or out on the town with friends it was always her mother who looked after Alexis. Sometimes Marie wondered if Alexis was closer to her Nonna than her.
Alexis just stood there while she came to grips with the reality that her grandmother wasn’t going to live for much longer. She had been putting it off for weeks. Alexis always thought that whenever Nonna got sick that she’d pull through it. This time death was a reality.
“Alright. I’ll go,” she said hesitantly, “but I’m not talking to her. At least then she can whinge all she likes and won’t have to worry about being interrupted.”


The hospital had the same sterile smell she. There were grandmothers in wheelchairs and old men pacing up and down, muttering.
“I hate this place,” said Alexis.
“I gathered as much since you put up such a fight to come here,” said Marie as she went to the reception desk. She inquired as to how her Nonna was doing. The nurse called a doctor over to talk to her.
“I can’t say she’s doing any better Mrs Besestri. I think you should go and sit with her. We’re in for a long night,” said the doctor directing Marie to her mother’s room.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alexis asked the doctor. He looked over to Marie, his face questioning whether or not to tell the teenager. Marie nodded. He looked over to Alexis.
“Well it means that she probably won’t see the night through,” he said and left.
Alexis looked to her mother. “Will you be okay in here?”
Marie gathered herself together and looked at her mother lying on the bed. “Yes Alexis. You’ll be good won’t you?” she asked. Alexis nodded.
Hand in hand, Marie and Alexis walked into the small room together. In the bed was an old lady whose skin had turned a ghostly white and as Marie went to stand by the bed, she stirred slightly.
“Is that you Alex? No Mama, it’s me Marie, your daughter,” said Marie, taking her mothers hand into her own.
“Oh, I thought that Alex was here. Where is he? Why didn’t you bring him with you?” asked Nonna. Marie looked over to Alexis. Alex was Nonna’s husband who had died years ago.
“Nonno’s dead Mama. Remember?” said Marie. She hated seeing her mother this way. She wondered if her mother even knew who she was.
“No he’s not. He was right here with me. Didn’t you see him?” She asked.
Alexis took a seat as far away from the bed as possible. Marie sat back in her chair, not knowing what to say. The old lady was quiet for a while. Seconds turned into minutes and minutes turned into hours. Marie stood up to stretch.
“I think I’ll go and get a cup of coffee. Do you want one?” she asked Alexis.
“Um yeah, that’d be great. Do you want me to get it? She said standing up. Marie looked towards her mother.
“No it’ll be okay. These rooms making me feel a bit sick anyway. Two sugars?”
“Just one and can you make it really strong? Thanks,” said Alexis. Marie left and Alexis walked over to the window. There were people climbing into taxis and others stepping out and walking towards the main entrance. She noticed a little girl walking out of the hospital next to an elderly lady. Their hands were together as the little girl walked her grandmother to a waiting car. The girl put her arms around her grandma and squeezed her tight. Alexis look away with tears in her eyes.
How come the smallest bit of affection between grandmother and grandaughter made her cry? she wondered.
Alexis ran her eyes towards where her own grandmother lay. She walked over to the bed and sat in the chair that her mother had been in just a few minutes ago. She watched her grandmother breathe in and out and watched the monitor for her heartbeat. It seemed to work so simply, but in reality it was complicated.
“I’m sorry,” she said out loud. The room was still silent except for the low beep of the monitor. “I said I’m sorry Nonna. Capiche?”
A single tear flowed down her cheek as she rested her head on her grandmothers’ hand. She felt the pain deep inside her. Pain was like a tunnel leading to a black bottomless pit. It swirled around, growing bigger and bigger. Her tears flowed constantly now, her chest was heavy and her breathing came in short gasps. Alexis just wanted to scream and let out all the pain she’d been feeling over the past sixteen years. She raced over to the window and opened it quickly, breathing in the fresh air that cooled her face and filled her lungs. She had almost lost control of her feelings, but the crisp night air soothed her and eased her sobbing.
Marie walked in and saw Alexis by the window. She walked over to her and put her arms around her. “It’ll be okay, I promise.” They stood in each other’s arms for what seemed like eternity.
Alarms disturbed their peace as they looked over to see Nonna’s monitor flashing wildly. Loud shouts could be heard down the corridor as the doctors and nurses raced into the room. A nurse ushered them out as they watch the doctors try to save the old lady’s life.
“No,” said Alexis being pulled away, “She never answered me, she hasn’t forgiven me.” She just wanted to hear her grandmother say that she understood. It had taken everything in her to apologise turning away was too hard.
The doors closed as Alexis fell to her knees. I forgot to tell her I loved her I love her she thought. She just sat there and stared at the floor until the doctor came out to tell them the news.
“I’m very sorry for you loss,” he said and turned to walk away, “I almost forgot,” he said turning around, “she did say something before she died. It sounded like ‘amore é capiche’. I don’t know if this means anything to you, but I thought you might like to know.
Alexis gave him a small smile. “Thank you Doctor. That means more than you’ll ever know,” she said. She looked up at her mother. “I think Nonna and I have come to an understanding now.”
Marie put her arms around Alexis and together they walked out in to the night.