A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 14)

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Flash Fiction #163

This is the 14th part. The previous 13 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13.

Cousin Arjin, Right Now

Nalan says to me, “I don’t know about you, but I am starving. My blood sugar is getting low since I have type II diabetes. I have to eat something now, whether you join me or not.”

She goes to the kitchen and brings out her dinner. How impolite she is! I am still standing there while she starts to eat her own dinner. My grandma often complains about Nalan being rude. She is very silent, but she disregards people of her own family and shows a very inappropriate self will. Her type II diabetes must be just an excuse.

“Diabetes? You are only 35, right? Isn’t it too young to have diabetes at your age?” I try to poke a hole in her lie. She has too many lies–she pretends to be a good girl, but she tells lies and badmouths about people all the time behind their back.

“Well, for the general population, it is too young to get diabetes at the age of 35, but for victims of narcissistic abuse, binge eating is very common and a lot of people develop insulin-resistence diabetes because of it.” She says and starts to eat her dinner.

“Well, I did observe you eating apples and tomatoes and pears like a crazed woman during the summer I lived in the Steppe.” I have to acknowledge this to be true. I did witness it. Twenty-five years ago, the transportation was no good and canning industry was non-existent in the Steppe. All the ripe fruits and vegetables of the rural area were sold in bulks–one went to the store with a big container to take apples or tomatoes back home. Nalan just ate them like more than 20 apples and tomatoes in a day.

“But you eat them voluntarily. Nobody was abusing you or forcing you to eat.” I say to her.

“Narcissists abuse people in stealth. My parents are two narcissists. Your father is a narcissist. And our grandmother was narcissist. You and I are both victims of narcissistic parents.” Nalan says.

“Oh, give me a break. Grandma often said that you are against your family and it is true. You are against your own family. How can you say they are all narcissists? They are all bad? And you are the only sane person in our family? Grandma said you are a mad girl and she was correct. You are ungrateful. You just pretend to be an obedient girl.” I am getting more angry every minute.

“Wake up, Arjin. Narcissism killed my mother, killed your mother, and almost succeeded in forcing you to kill me. Now narcissism is trying to kill your wife too. Why can’t you wake up? I know as a golden boy of our narcissistic grandmother and your narcissistic father for all these years, you are not willing to admit to the fact that you are a victim of narcissism.” Nalan says.

“Wait a second here. Who is trying to kill who? I didn’t know there are so many murders in our family. Are you crazy? Are you out of your mind? Wait, I need to sit down and have a drink first.” I sit down and pour some rice wine into an empty bowl.

(to be continued here)