recollection :: two

she [my grandmother] could easily have been the principal of the school of spoiling. children need discipline and boundaries and to be taught that they can't, indeed, have everything that they want. but i also believe that they should all have a grandmother who wants to give them the world and then some. that feeling - unconditional complete love and hope for you to have everything that you heart desires, and that you deserve what you want [even if you actually DON'T get it] - is akin to none other. 

she [said grandmother] would pick me up from elementary school occasionally [in a car that was similar to this]. randomly, with no prior notice or suggestion she would arrive holding 2 ice cream cones in one hand. they would always be from swensen's [whose sugar cones i can still conjure in my tastebud memory]. 

the swensen's that was in the strip mall on the corner of national and sepulveda is no longer there. although the hallmark store where i would covet sanrio items, and the bagel shop are. the strawhat pizza is not [it is now a pizza hut]. 

usually she would bring chocolate for herself [if i remember correctly swensen's use to have a double chocolate or dark chocolate, some kind of more than plain chocolate that she and my mom used to get]. for me, i had my favorites, mint chocolate chip amongst the top five. i also liked regular chocolate chip, cookies and cream, occasionally bubble gum [oh that fake pink with the rainbow colors. sugar gum that i wasn't allowed to have in any other circumstance]. funny how tastes change - i wouldn't automatically reach for mint chocolate chip now [although that color of green is something i still love]. 

they would be angled. in one hand. dripping. i'd open the car door and she would be beaming at me. and would hand me mine. we would sit and quickly lick to subside the melting from the short drive over [we'd usually offer one another a taste too]. i imagine that the look on my face must have been pure joy. because that's what i felt. it didn't matter what else happened that day. in that moment, in the car, she brought me ice cream. and i imagine the sheer grin of joy on my face was why she did it.