Melodramatic Monkey

It arrived without much fanfare - with a flip of her hair and a pop of her hip my Mini-Monkey turned into a Tween.  Musicallys, makeup and everything melodrama.

The first sign was the retreat to her room. Initially to avoid the male monkeys who torture her mercilessly- making fun of everything she dares to do but eventually we stopped seeing her altogether. She emerges only to inquire about food or present the latest video edits upon which she spends all of her time.

She casually requests expensive calligraphy pen purchases and expresses a desire to make "snow cream" with the last of the milk. Disgruntled about being denied she delivers an eye roll so hard my grandchildren will feel it. "Fine," she replies flatly, "I'll be on the trampoline." and she's gone again.

We drive to gymnastics and the silence in the car is deafening. She doesn’t even notice. She is seated inches from me but the space between feels immense. Face buried in her phone, lost in a world of Tik-Toks and texting - I stab at the buttons on the radio randomly to convey my displeasure at the lack of conversation. She is unfazed while I silently stew, anger boiling inside.

Our relationship is complicated. Always has been. Right from birth. She does things on her terms, on her time. She arrived a week early and still begrudges ever being late. I am mid-musing when suddenly she begins to speak.

She talks at great length about her disappointment in her teacher for her abject failure to discipline the rowdy students. She shares her disapproval of the chatty kids in the hallway that make her job as safety patrol So Much Harder. She relates to me on an adult level, teacher to teacher. "Kids these days..." 

My mind races for the right response.  What should I say and how should I say it?  I search for the right words when I realize  that I am simply along for the ride. 

Feedback is not required, not desired. She is not interested in my opinions, simply demands my audience and I oblige. I don't need to and will never really understand this new creature who has taken Mini-Monkey's place I just have to bridge the gap between and hope for the best.

All the while my father’s famous words echo in my head, “You’ll get yours kid, just you wait.”

Damn, did I ever.