Grandpa was looking at the pond. He didn’t notice them till the car pulled up beside the house. Chris jumped out, and was struck still in his tracks by the sight of Grandpa.
Melanie grabbed a few plastic bags of groceries from the car and walked across to the veranda where Grandpa was sitting. Grandpa welcomed them, saying they looked just like they did on their trip last year. Melanie wanted to hug Grandpa but she never did, just like she wouldn’t hug her own parents.
Chris kicked in the sand and a white plume of dust rose up from the ground. Omegus staggered out of the car, looking at Grandpa. “He looks real old this time,” Omegus thought, but said nothing. He wanted to say that Grandpa looked healthy but somehow the words didn’t come out. He hoped Melanie would say something.
They went inside and Grandpa took Chris to the attic where he was impatient to go. There were some of his playthings that were kept in Grandpa’s big brown box. He took out a slingshot and aimed it at Grandpa. Grandpa chuckled.
Grandpa took a pink scarf from his left jeans pocket and tied it around his neck.
Chris saw a blood stain on the scarf but thought there must be some long story of Grandpa scraping his finger in the kitchen behind it.
“Why did you do that?” Chris asked.
“To ward of evil spirits,” Grandpa said.
Chris couldn’t understand. As far as he could say, there were no evil spirits. But maybe if he looked closely in the shadows he would find one? Is a shadow a spirit? Is the shadow of a person his or her soul? Chris thought all this, but didn’t say anything.
The odor of frying fish wafted up into the attic. Chris felt hungry.
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Melanie grabbed a few plastic bags of groceries from the car and walked across to the veranda where Grandpa was sitting. Grandpa welcomed them, saying they looked just like they did on their trip last year. Melanie wanted to hug Grandpa but she never did, just like she wouldn’t hug her own parents.
Chris kicked in the sand and a white plume of dust rose up from the ground. Omegus staggered out of the car, looking at Grandpa. “He looks real old this time,” Omegus thought, but said nothing. He wanted to say that Grandpa looked healthy but somehow the words didn’t come out. He hoped Melanie would say something.
They went inside and Grandpa took Chris to the attic where he was impatient to go. There were some of his playthings that were kept in Grandpa’s big brown box. He took out a slingshot and aimed it at Grandpa. Grandpa chuckled.
Grandpa took a pink scarf from his left jeans pocket and tied it around his neck.
Chris saw a blood stain on the scarf but thought there must be some long story of Grandpa scraping his finger in the kitchen behind it.
“Why did you do that?” Chris asked.
“To ward of evil spirits,” Grandpa said.
Chris couldn’t understand. As far as he could say, there were no evil spirits. But maybe if he looked closely in the shadows he would find one? Is a shadow a spirit? Is the shadow of a person his or her soul? Chris thought all this, but didn’t say anything.
The odor of frying fish wafted up into the attic. Chris felt hungry.
Buy the kindle book to continue reading.
