Excellent, Excellent

by Mehreen Ahmed

In the Egyptian State of the Niles Baby Cleo was up at 3 AM demanding a feed when no one else was around to come to her aid but her Grandmother who loved her as did the clinging Cleo when the feeling grew between them the Grandmother who did what was needed to be done knowing full well that the state of the Niles exploited her them all the Grandmothers alike to serve the grandchildren when a benign state would have provided free night nannies or day nannies to help the lactating, sleep deprived mothers but had foisted it upon Grandmothers instead for it was common knowledge in the ancient state Grandmothers couldn't refuse and the state egged them on ironically with lavish high-pitched compliments ‘excellent’ 'excellent' ever so often for fostering Cleo whose Grandmother was only too happy to do it regardless of all the ameliorative lollipops handed out by the state as if they were toddlers the state knew that it was a psychological exploit to take their services for granted Cleo's Grandmother did what needed to be done stay up night after night no rest for the wicked because that was who she was to Cleo a love slave to the grandchild whom she called Her Holiness Her Lady of the Lights and all the pukes the Holy Youghurt; cleaned her face every day bathed her fed her change her nappies at three AM that's what she did for love to serve her Lady she did what was needed to be done for she was now really skeptical of the adult world of the lying conniving altruistic selfish and greedy baby Cleo was nothing in comparison behold the innocent behold the pure that she was what the Grandmother thought she was a slave to her cute the love of her heart for baby Cleo until one day Cleo grew up to leave for that monstrous adult world Grandmother did what was needed to be done until she was done.