Ghost Light

"Jakie, come over here and give Grandma some sugar. I may not see you for a few days."
Jake groaned just out of Nana's hearing range. Why do we have to go through this again? She smells like Vicks! Gross! Wasn't it enough that he had to waste two precious hours out of his life?
"Jake…"
"Yeah, Mom." He grimaced. A few more minutes and he might have escaped his grandmother's steamy loft apartment without the mandatory "sugar." Oh, man. He hated that expression. Sugar? More like vinegar. Ha! Good one, Jake. The stern look from his mother, however, stopped him in mid-smirk.
He leaned over his grandmother's chair, "Bye, Nana." He gave her a peck on the cheek and quickly pulled away. Not quick enough. Nana Margaret–all 155 pounds–snatched him off his feet, and enveloped him with one of her patented ''bear hugs'' nearly squeezing the breath out of him. "I…can't…breathe, Nana!" Jake coughed. On second thought, not breathing would've been a blessing considering the powerful smell of eucalyptus burning the inside of his nose.
Nana Margaret released her grip and laughed. "Sorry, Pumpkin. I didn't mean to squeeze you so tight. I just love you to death. You know that, don't you?" She beamed at her only grandchild.
Jake was sure Nana loved him even though he cringed every time she called him Pumpkin. Besides, she was the only one in the family who always gave him a Valentine's Day card and a separate card for his February 14th birthday. Everyone else combined the two celebrations into one card, one gift. The best part about his grandmother's cards…there was money inside. Jake would unceremoniously rip open both envelopes, toss the carefully chosen best-grandson-in-the-world cards aside, and calculate how much more cash he needed for the latest Xbox video game.
"Come on, Jake. Let's go."
Whew. His mom finally made her way to the door, or…the escape hatch, as he imagined it. Freedom was but a few steps away when his mother turned around and walked back into the room. She leaned over and gave Nana a quick hug. "Bye, Mother. I'll stop by tomorrow with your groceries and prescriptions.
Tomorrow, huh? Jake would definitely have something else to do tomorrow, even if it meant spending the afternoon at the library. Even if it meant going over to Brittany Burnham's house. She was his best friend since first grade and used to challenge him to endless games of H.O.R.S.E–even beating him on occasion. But, lately, all she wanted to do was practice for cheerleader camp. Girls! Whatever. He'd still find a way to make himself scarce.
"I don't know how I'd get along, Maddy…if you didn't…I feel like I'm running you ragged. All the doctor appointments and the medications." Margaret's aging eyes welled. "I can't even cook for myself anymore! If I didn't have to use this blasted walker…"