Chapter Twenty-five

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Lisa rings the doorbell and waits for the staff to answer the door. She knows it won't be long, Lisa is a familiar face around here and she knows the opening-the-door routine as if it was part of her A-Level syllabus (disappointingly, it's not).

Behind her Jennie shuffles from foot to foot impatiently.

Lisa knows that Jennie does not really want to be here, and she's half tempted to tell Jennie to just go home if she really wants to. But there's something stopping Lisa, probably her own selfish desire to spend more time with Jennie. And so she keeps quiet and waits patiently.

When the door is finally flung open, Minnie stands there with a smile on her face.

"Lisa!" she shouts. "Happy Birthday! Your grandma's been reminding us you were coming round all day."

Lisa simply rolls her eyes.

"Thanks Minnie."

"And who's your friend?"

"Oh this is Jennie, she's in my class."

Minnie offers Lisa a not so subtle wink and Lisa is pretty sure she feels any love she had for Minnie disintegrate instantly.

"Well follow me; your grandma might kill me if I don't get you to her soon."

"Lead the way."

Lisa follows behind Minnie as they make their way through the foyer, and then the three of them clamber up the staircase.

"She's with Albert," Minne warns her, "they actually have an announcement for you."

Lisa rolls her eyes. She knows exactly what the announcement is as they seem to make the same one every single month. Lisa should find it weird, scrap that, Lisa does find it weird but she goes along with it none the less.

"Lalisa!" her grandma shouts when she sees her from across the room.

Lisa is quickly pulled into a hug and can do nothing but wrap her arm around her grandma too and wait for her to release her.

Lisa turns around to introduce Jennie only to find Jennie with her mouth hanging open wide, Lisa can't say she's surprised, her grandma tends to have that effect on people and so Lisa is used to them reacting like this.

After all, Lisa is pretty sure that most people's grandmothers don't dye their hair violet, or wear leather jackets (or leather trousers whilst we're on clothing) and Lisa is definitely sure that most people's grandmother's didn't spend their sixty-fifth birthday in Brazil, kayaking down the Amazon. Lisa is certain that her grandmother doesn't even need to be in an old people's home, it's not like she needs looking after all, but apparently she likes the company and so who is Lisa to question her decision?

"So does the coloured hair run in the family?" Jennie jokes.

"Lisa just can't stop copying me," Lisa's grandma replies in much the same tone.

"This is Jennie," Lisa quickly says before Jennie and her grandmother become best friends, "Jennie, this is my grandma."

"You can call me Grandma Grace."

"Well, I guess you can call me Jennie."

"This is Albert," Grandma Grace says before pausing for emphasis, "my fiancée."

Lisa's expression does not change, the pair make this announcement every time she visits, or at least it would seem that way. And then they fall out and the engagement is called off and then suddenly it's back on again. Sometimes Lisa feels as if she's watching her grandma's life through a television screen, that none of this could possibly be real.

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