The Waking of the Grandfather

by Mel Elizondo

The last chocolate cheesecake pastry at the party no one wanted to be at but had to attend for reasons concerning the imminent time that fell on them lay on the chipped imitation gold plate. It was avoided by all and as a rule was noticed by everyone. After the incident where the door to the kitchen was opened and some of the kitchen and hospitality staff had to descend into the stagnant room where no one moved, one of the workers — new, not accustomed to the party, the past few hours, the occurrence with the clocks — entered. She grabbed the imitation gold plate, noticed the pastry, and, on her way back to the kitchen, popped it into her mouth. At once, there was a striking of the old Grandfather, a return to frenetic motion, a dialing up of the temperature. “Now you’ve done it, Eloise!” was said by one of the workers — and though the incident was later forgotten, buried in human subconscious was the memory of what came at taking the Last Piece Of Pastry at a party — and the waking of the Grandfather that came after.

6S

Mel Elizondo hopes you are well and in good health.