Then, suddenly, my mom's gaze swept across the room and landed on the chest freezer. Confusion crossed her face.
"Mom, when did a lock get put on the freezer?"
Only then did my dad notice it too. He hurried over for a closer look.
"What's in the freezer that you had to lock it up?"
For a split second, something seemed to flash through Grandma's mind. Her body began to tremble.
"Nothing... I was afraid that girl would sneak food out of it."
My dad could tell something was off with Grandma. "Where's the key?"
"The key... I don't remember where I put it."
Her voice turned halting, stumbling over itself.
My mom noticed the strangeness too. She guided Grandma to the couch, sat her down, and poured her a glass of water.
"Mom, just take a breath. I'll go look for the key."
"The weather's getting warm anyway. Food sitting in the freezer for too long isn't going to keep forever. Might as well take this chance to clean it out."
"No!"
Grandma sprang to her feet.
Her reaction startled both my parents.
She forced an awkward smile. "I mean... I'll clean it out myself tomorrow."
The more she resisted, the more uneasy my dad became.
"Found the key. Try it."
The words had barely left my mom's mouth before Grandma rushed over and planted herself in front of the freezer.
"How about... I just clean it out myself tomorrow? It's late. You two should go to bed."
"Mom, what is going on with you tonight? You keep blocking me from opening this freezer."
My dad's temper finally snapped. He turned to my mom. "Pull her away. I'm opening this thing right now. I want to see what's inside."
