A Tale Of Two Cousins (Flash Fiction Part 16)

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Flash Fiction #163

This is the 16th part. The previous 15 parts are here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8,9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15.

Cousin Arjin, Right Now

“It was not a swimming accident.” Nalan says.

“Really? How did you know? That was 19 years ago.” I don’t believe Nalan. She was in high school at the time. How could she know? She must be making up stories.

“Before I tell you everything, I want you to know that our grandma was a bitter narcissist, who brought up 9 children with various degrees of narcissism. Among them, my mother was her golden girl and your father was her golden boy. Thus the two are the most narcissistic among all the siblings.” Nalan says.

“Oh, give me a break. I don’t know why you want to pick on your own family. I don’t understand why you try to label us as a crazy family. We are normal people, just like everybody else.” I roll my eyes at Nalan’s crazy statement.

“We are not normal. Have you ever heard any of our uncles or aunts crack a little joke, smile a relaxed smile, or express a little bit of affection? Have you?” She asks.

“Oh, all right. We are introverted. We are not as expressive as others. So what? That doesn’t mean that we are abnormal?” I pour more rice wine into my bowl and start drinking. Nalan brings out some roasted peanuts.

“Our grandma hated children and grandchildren. Remember the bitter anxious look she gave us? She never smiled. She only looked at us to criticize. Did you notice the angry glance she gave you?” Nalan says.

“Please don’t criticize Grandma. I love her very much and she always gave me pocket money. Well… now I think of it she was always in a bad mood, but that was just her personality. That doesn’t mean she’s a bad mother or bad grandma.” I shake my head at Nalan’s ridiculous assertion.

“Remember when Aunt San cried after her fight with her husband. Grandma shamed her and ridiculed her. Grandma never comforted anybody. She just blamed her children for their failures and criticized them non-stop. She was a cold-hearted narcissist who hated everybody and who set up impossible goals for her children. I remember once I was crying. Your father saw me and ran to the kitchen. Our grandma yelled at me for bringing inconvenience to her. She antagonized everybody. Remember how my parents treated you? They shamed you constantly about your grade. Remember?” Nalan says.

“Parents are like that. They try to push you to study. Well, good heart and poor strategy. No big deal.” I grumble at Nalan’s lame psychoanalysis.

“Well, narcissists take advantage of cultural norms and parental authority to shame their children. They hide behind the curtain of normalcy and responsibility to wreak havoc on the fragile psyche of their children. They mix up poisonous words with their duty to confuse their victims. Their aim is to damage their children and control their children and mold their children into a slave to serve themselves. Remember you were never angry with your teachers who also criticized you, but you were very angry at my parents who shamed you.” Nalan says to me.

“Look, I think you are exaggerating.” I really don’t believe Nalan.

“OK, I am not good at convincing you. Here is the deal. You need to go to see a psychiatrist to get rid of all those narcissistic traits you have learned from your father and our grandma. If you do that, your wife Fanfan says she would come back.” Nalan says.

“What? A psychiatrist? I am not crazy. I have no mental problem. Did you tell Fanfan that I have mental problem and I need to see a psychiatrist? Did you do that? Goodness, you are crazy. You are really crazy.” I let out some angry curses. I just can’t help it. My cousin Nalan is unbelievable, isn’t she? How can she come up with such a crazy idea?

“No, I refuse to do that. I am normal and I don’t need a psychiatrist.” I say to Nalan, “now tell me what you know about my mother’s death. I tell you I don’t believe a word you are saying or suggesting, but I am curious to know what you have to say about my mother.”

“OK, it is not a swimming accident…” Nalan says.

(To Be Continued Here)