Author's Note

Inspiration can come from anywhere.

Thanks, Dad. All it costed was my car.

Cries of the Senior

Zugzwang

Maintaining her composer in a physical sense, Matilda's fury was drilling into Cranky. With the mental barricade known as his pride now weakened, she reestablishes a dominant control over him, "The doctor said that your eyes were going out, I implored you to listen to him, but you still decide to keep your independence by pulling the cart."

"..."

"And tonight, what happened?"

"...I crashed the cart."

"Into another cart, and now you have to pay to repair for something more than just a mailbox this time."

"It won't happen again, Matilda."

Matilda keeps her silent berating undeterred, "..."

"I realize that my eyes are not what they used to be, so I'm changing myself."

"..."

"From now on, I'll no longer pull the cart."

"..."

"...at night."

Matilda gives a sharp huff of disapproval, but this is what she expected from him, a stubborn mule that refuses to face the reality of himself.