Page 104 of A Dish Best Served Hot

“What is this?” Lola asked.

“An intervention,” Benny said. “You two are being stupid and we are sick of it.”

“And just when did you decide this?” Lola asked. “You two don’t even like each other.”

Papo shrugged. “He’s not that bad for a miserable bully who doesn’t know how to play dominó or let go of the past.”

Benny shot Papo a dirty look then said in Spanish, “And I decided that, for your sake,” he looked at Lola, “I can tolerate this insufferable and ignorant fool who tries too hard y siempre anda más perdido que un juey bizco.”

Lola raised an eyebrow. “For me?”

Benny nodded. “Because you want to be with him.” He pointed at Saint.

It was Lola’s turn to shoot a dirty look. Who said she wanted to be with Saint? He was a judgmental asshat who thought he was better than her.

“I didn’t think you liked me,” Saint said to Benny.

“I didn’t at first,” Benny replied. “I thought you were only slightly less insufferable than your grandfather. Then I met your little girl and I decided anyone who was raising a kid like that couldn’t be all bad. Plus, you make Lola happy. At least you did until you acted like an asshole and hurt her.”

“Benny,” Papo interjected. “We agreed to be nice.”

Benny grumbled something and crossed his arms.

“At least for now,” Papo continued. Then he looked down at the table and them. “Now, let’s discuss all the mistakes you have both made in detail.”

Lola groaned while Saint huffed out an angry breath like a bull.

Papo smiled. “Just kidding.”

“But in a real sense we are not,” Benny interjected.

“You both have the same problem,” Papo said. “You both think you need to control everything and freak out when you can’t.”

“That’s not true,” Lola protested. At least it wasn’t true about her.

Benny snorted. “Lola, nothing was ever stable for you growing up and you had no control of that. But you wrestled that control away the moment you could and since then you’ve had it in a choke hold. You won’t give it up even for a second because you are terrified it will send you right back into chaos.”

“Saint,” Papo said. “From too young an age, we put you in control of things you had no business being in control of. We made you feel like everything and everyone was your responsibility and because you accepted it, we didn’t examine what we were really doing to you. We were putting too much pressure on you and setting you up for failure, because, the fact is, no one can maintain control always.”

“Things are going to go wrong and people are not ours to control,” Benny added.

“Not even god tries to control people,” Papo told them.

“We get it, we both have control issues,” Saint said.

Papo nodded. “Sí, and those issues are preventing either of you from being a good partner to the other.”

Benny looked to Saint. “I was...” he paused and corrected himself “...I am a lot like you. I have very firm beliefs about what is right and what is wrong and I fight to uphold those beliefs. I also think there is a right and wrong way to do things and look down on anyone who doesn’t do things the way I think they should. My expectations are high, usually too high, and when people don’t meet them I judge them for it, even if I don’t mean to. Even worse, I expect the most from myself and beat myself up when I fail to uphold my own standards.”

“I’m not like that,” Saint protested, but there was uncertainty in his voice.

Benny ignored him. “Do you know what that constant judgment and pressure for perfection got me?”

Saint shook his head.

“Unhappiness. I chased my wife away, I ensured my son would resent me and keep me on the sidelines of his life, I made it so that anyone I could’ve called a friend rejected me, and my grandchildren didn’t trust me to provide them with help and protection. I spent most of my life with only myself as company and I am my own bully. It’s miserable.”

“Oh, Benny,” Lola whispered.

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