So Not Cute-cumber

My sisters and I notice that we all have a reaction whenever we eat cucumbers. We develop facial swellings and sores when we eat anything that contains cucumbers. I have the least of the reactions, developing what look like large pimples to the sides of my chin. My younger sister will have a much larger ulcer on her cheek, while our eldest sister has both reactions and also has thyroid swellings. We all decline dishes that include cucumbers when offered, even though we all like the flavour.

Our grandmother is plating up some salads for our dinner.

Me: “Please don’t put cucumber on [Younger Sister]’s, [Elder Sister]’s, or my plates. We have an allergy to it.”

Grandmother: *Scoffs* “Hmph, there’s no such thing as allergies. I had four children and none of them ever had allergies. No one in our family ever had allergies. You can’t have allergies to cucumber; you just don’t like it.”

Mother: “Just don’t put it on their plates.”

Grandmother: “They have to eat it; it’s good for them.”

Mother: “Well, why haven’t you put any on [Brother]’s plate?”

Grandmother: “He doesn’t like it.”

Mother: *Gesturing to my grandfather’s plate* “Well, what about Dad’s? You haven’t put any on his plate, either.”

Grandmother: “He likes cucumber but can’t eat it because it doesn’t agree with him.”

That means he has some sort of reaction when he eats it.  

Mother: “So, he has an allergic reaction to it?”

Grandmother: “No, it’s different; it just doesn’t agree with him.”