| Family Fiction posted February 3, 2022 |
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Time Passes and People Change
Gramps
by Begin Again
"Mommy. I saw Grandpa today." Patti sat on the tall stool near the countertop, wiping each dish.
"Honey, Grandpa is in Heaven, remember? Naomi swallowed and closed her eyes as recent memories flashed through her mind. Her voice quivered when she spoke again. "Did you see someone who looked like Grandpa? Or were you looking at the pictures?"
"No, it was grandpa. I saw him at the park."
Naomi squeezed the water from her sponge and laid it by the faucet. Her eyes scanned the backyard, the old swing, Grandpa's garden, and his flowers. She missed his rough voice and his smiles. "Patti, I miss Grandpa too. It's okay to imagine you see him and talk to him."
"I know, but I'm not talking about Grandpa Harold, Mommy. I saw my other grandpa. And it wasn't the first time either."
Naomi's eyes widened. "Patti, come sit at the table. We need to talk."
"Oh Mommy, you get so sappy when you try to have one of those dumb mother-daughter talks." Patti climbed off the stool and moved to the table. "Can we at least have cookies and milk?"
Naomi gathered her thoughts as she got the milk and cookies and placed them on the table. "So, you think I'm sappy?" Patti giggled and snatched a cookie and dipped it in her cup of milk. "You know I love you, and sometimes mommy's get overwhelmed with all that love, and it spills out."
"Oh, I know. That's why Gramps said I should keep it a secret. He said losing Grandpa Harold and me meeting him might be too much. He told me to call him Gramps, so we didn't get the two grandpas confused."
"Patti, I don't mean to get angry, but I've told you not to talk to strangers, especially in the park. You don't know this man. He could hurt you or take you away."
"Gramps wouldn't do that! Besides, he's not a stranger. He helps at the food pantry, filling bags of food for everyone. And when a kid comes through with their mom or dad, he gives them a lunch bag filled with juice, chips, and a sandwich. One day, he gave a bunch of kids a package of cookies, and they sat outside eating them. He's nice to everyone."
"He sounds like a nice man, Patti, but that doesn't mean you know him. Sometimes people are nice, so they can gain your trust, and then snatch you, and we'd never see you again. I wouldn't know how to go on living if that happened to you. You understand why you need to be careful, right?"
"Mommy, he wouldn't do that to you or me. Besides, you know him. He showed me a picture of Grandma and another one of all three of you in his wallet."
A shiver ran up Naomi's spine. "He had pictures?"
"Yeah, it was a long time ago. You looked funny in bib overalls. He said you were about my age. You had blonde hair instead of brown, but your face looked like mine, so I knew it was you."
"Listen to me, Patti. I want you to stay away from this man. I'll ask at the market, and maybe I can meet him."
"I thought you would say that." Patti grinned as the doorbell rang. "That's why I invited him for lunch. I'll get it."
The young girl raced to the front door, shouting, "Gramps!"
Naomi hurried behind her but paused as she saw the man in the doorway. His shoulders drooped, and his thinning hair was no longer black, but his eyes were the same. Tears were streaming down his face. His lips quivered as he spoke. "Naomi."
Naomi's eyes flashed with anger. Her father had left and never returned over twenty years ago. Every birthday and Christmas a present arrived, but never a phone call or even a note. She wanted to hate him, scream for him to go away and never speak to either of them again, but the sadness in his eyes stopped her. His wrinkled face and scarred hands spoke volumes of the hard life he must have lived. His clothes were clean but thread worn. His hand steadied himself with the door jam as Patti jumped up and down, tugging at his arm.
As tears spilled from her eyes, she held out her hand and whispered, "Dad?"
"Mommy. I saw Grandpa today." Patti sat on the tall stool near the countertop, wiping each dish.
"Honey, Grandpa is in Heaven, remember? Naomi swallowed and closed her eyes as recent memories flashed through her mind. Her voice quivered when she spoke again. "Did you see someone who looked like Grandpa? Or were you looking at the pictures?"
"No, it was grandpa. I saw him at the park."
Naomi squeezed the water from her sponge and laid it by the faucet. Her eyes scanned the backyard, the old swing, Grandpa's garden, and his flowers. She missed his rough voice and his smiles. "Patti, I miss Grandpa too. It's okay to imagine you see him and talk to him."
"I know, but I'm not talking about Grandpa Harold, Mommy. I saw my other grandpa. And it wasn't the first time either."
Naomi's eyes widened. "Patti, come sit at the table. We need to talk."
"Oh Mommy, you get so sappy when you try to have one of those dumb mother-daughter talks." Patti climbed off the stool and moved to the table. "Can we at least have cookies and milk?"
Naomi gathered her thoughts as she got the milk and cookies and placed them on the table. "So, you think I'm sappy?" Patti giggled and snatched a cookie and dipped it in her cup of milk. "You know I love you, and sometimes mommy's get overwhelmed with all that love, and it spills out."
"Oh, I know. That's why Gramps said I should keep it a secret. He said losing Grandpa Harold and me meeting him might be too much. He told me to call him Gramps, so we didn't get the two grandpas confused."
"Patti, I don't mean to get angry, but I've told you not to talk to strangers, especially in the park. You don't know this man. He could hurt you or take you away."
"Gramps wouldn't do that! Besides, he's not a stranger. He helps at the food pantry, filling bags of food for everyone. And when a kid comes through with their mom or dad, he gives them a lunch bag filled with juice, chips, and a sandwich. One day, he gave a bunch of kids a package of cookies, and they sat outside eating them. He's nice to everyone."
"He sounds like a nice man, Patti, but that doesn't mean you know him. Sometimes people are nice, so they can gain your trust, and then snatch you, and we'd never see you again. I wouldn't know how to go on living if that happened to you. You understand why you need to be careful, right?"
"Mommy, he wouldn't do that to you or me. Besides, you know him. He showed me a picture of Grandma and another one of all three of you in his wallet."
A shiver ran up Naomi's spine. "He had pictures?"
"Yeah, it was a long time ago. You looked funny in bib overalls. He said you were about my age. You had blonde hair instead of brown, but your face looked like mine, so I knew it was you."
"Listen to me, Patti. I want you to stay away from this man. I'll ask at the market, and maybe I can meet him."
"I thought you would say that." Patti grinned as the doorbell rang. "That's why I invited him for lunch. I'll get it."
The young girl raced to the front door, shouting, "Gramps!"
Naomi hurried behind her but paused as she saw the man in the doorway. His shoulders drooped, and his thinning hair was no longer black, but his eyes were the same. Tears were streaming down his face. His lips quivered as he spoke. "Naomi."
Naomi's eyes flashed with anger. Her father had left and never returned over twenty years ago. Every birthday and Christmas a present arrived, but never a phone call or even a note. She wanted to hate him, scream for him to go away and never speak to either of them again, but the sadness in his eyes stopped her. His wrinkled face and scarred hands spoke volumes of the hard life he must have lived. His clothes were clean but thread worn. His hand steadied himself with the door jam as Patti jumped up and down, tugging at his arm.
As tears spilled from her eyes, she held out her hand and whispered, "Dad?"
"Honey, Grandpa is in Heaven, remember? Naomi swallowed and closed her eyes as recent memories flashed through her mind. Her voice quivered when she spoke again. "Did you see someone who looked like Grandpa? Or were you looking at the pictures?"
"No, it was grandpa. I saw him at the park."
Naomi squeezed the water from her sponge and laid it by the faucet. Her eyes scanned the backyard, the old swing, Grandpa's garden, and his flowers. She missed his rough voice and his smiles. "Patti, I miss Grandpa too. It's okay to imagine you see him and talk to him."
"I know, but I'm not talking about Grandpa Harold, Mommy. I saw my other grandpa. And it wasn't the first time either."
Naomi's eyes widened. "Patti, come sit at the table. We need to talk."
"Oh Mommy, you get so sappy when you try to have one of those dumb mother-daughter talks." Patti climbed off the stool and moved to the table. "Can we at least have cookies and milk?"
Naomi gathered her thoughts as she got the milk and cookies and placed them on the table. "So, you think I'm sappy?" Patti giggled and snatched a cookie and dipped it in her cup of milk. "You know I love you, and sometimes mommy's get overwhelmed with all that love, and it spills out."
"Oh, I know. That's why Gramps said I should keep it a secret. He said losing Grandpa Harold and me meeting him might be too much. He told me to call him Gramps, so we didn't get the two grandpas confused."
"Patti, I don't mean to get angry, but I've told you not to talk to strangers, especially in the park. You don't know this man. He could hurt you or take you away."
"Gramps wouldn't do that! Besides, he's not a stranger. He helps at the food pantry, filling bags of food for everyone. And when a kid comes through with their mom or dad, he gives them a lunch bag filled with juice, chips, and a sandwich. One day, he gave a bunch of kids a package of cookies, and they sat outside eating them. He's nice to everyone."
"He sounds like a nice man, Patti, but that doesn't mean you know him. Sometimes people are nice, so they can gain your trust, and then snatch you, and we'd never see you again. I wouldn't know how to go on living if that happened to you. You understand why you need to be careful, right?"
"Mommy, he wouldn't do that to you or me. Besides, you know him. He showed me a picture of Grandma and another one of all three of you in his wallet."
A shiver ran up Naomi's spine. "He had pictures?"
"Yeah, it was a long time ago. You looked funny in bib overalls. He said you were about my age. You had blonde hair instead of brown, but your face looked like mine, so I knew it was you."
"Listen to me, Patti. I want you to stay away from this man. I'll ask at the market, and maybe I can meet him."
"I thought you would say that." Patti grinned as the doorbell rang. "That's why I invited him for lunch. I'll get it."
The young girl raced to the front door, shouting, "Gramps!"
Naomi hurried behind her but paused as she saw the man in the doorway. His shoulders drooped, and his thinning hair was no longer black, but his eyes were the same. Tears were streaming down his face. His lips quivered as he spoke. "Naomi."
Naomi's eyes flashed with anger. Her father had left and never returned over twenty years ago. Every birthday and Christmas a present arrived, but never a phone call or even a note. She wanted to hate him, scream for him to go away and never speak to either of them again, but the sadness in his eyes stopped her. His wrinkled face and scarred hands spoke volumes of the hard life he must have lived. His clothes were clean but thread worn. His hand steadied himself with the door jam as Patti jumped up and down, tugging at his arm.
As tears spilled from her eyes, she held out her hand and whispered, "Dad?"
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