report for Mr. Hanson one more time.”
Trip really did want to look over the report one more time, because he had been so tired he could not even remember writing some of it. But more importantly, he thought it was a good excuse to get out of this place. Mom seemed genuinely proud of Trip when he showed her the finished report earlier, but she said he was still grounded.
“Pappy’s going to be fine, Trip,” Mom said reassuringly. “It will do him good to hear your voice. I'll be up in a second.”
Mom walked away and left Trip in the lobby alone. He looked around at the familiar furniture and generic paintings on the walls. For the last four years he had come here nearly every day, but now things looked different somehow. He took a deep breath and walked towards Pappy’s room.
Trip entered Pappy’s room, not sure what he expected to see. He paused in the doorway and saw Pappy, frail, lying in his bed. It looked like he was sleeping. Trip was not sure how he felt seeing Pappy there like that, but before he had time to reflect, he noticed a stranger sitting in the chair next to Pappy’s bed. The man held a book in his hands, but he had fallen asleep with his chin on his chest.
The man appeared to be Pappy’s age, and he looked exactly like the type of friendly old man chosen to play the loveable grandfather in a movie. As Trip walked closer he heard the man’s gentle snoring.
“Excuse me,” Trip said softly. He didn’t want to startle the man, but the man continued snoring undisturbed.
“Excuse me,” Trip said again, this time a bit louder, but the man still did not wake up.
“Excuse me,” Trip said, even louder than intended.
The man startled awake and looked extremely confused.
“What? ”, the man said. “What is it? Who’s there? Where am I?”
The man looked around a moment, then seemed to calm down.
“I’m sorry,” Trip said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The old man took some time to struggle out of the chair, but he managed. He approached Trip and extended his hand. Now that the man was awake, Trip noticed his warm smile, which just made him look even more like a friendly grandfather from the movies. Trip shook his hand.
“I’m Harold,” the man said. “I came by to read to your Pappy since he can’t be doing any reading for himself right now. Guess I was doing more sleeping than reading, though. And you must be Trip.”
Trip was surprised the man knew who he was. Trip had never seen Harold before.
“Your Pappy told me all about you,” explained Harold. “We were old friends from way before he was in this place. He was bragging about his great-grandson from the day you were born. I’m glad to finally get the chance to meet you.”
Trip wasn’t sure what to say. He just stood there in awkward silence. Harold studied Trip for a moment.
“You know,” said Harold in a warm, friendly voice. “Your grandfather is a great man. Really cares about people.”
Trip looked over at Pappy buried in the sheets. He and Pappy spent a lot of time together, but it was hard to recall the times before Pappy was here. Pappy moved in when Trip was eight, which was about five years ago. All Trip could think about was the fun they had playing games and talking here at the retirement home.
“We were good friends,” said Harold. “He used to love going to see all the old historic sites this town has to offer, and so did I. That’s how we met. After we ran into each other a few times at Fort Matanzas, we realized we had a lot in common. It takes a real history buff to go to Fort Matanzas more than once or twice. We must have visited it a hundred times.”
Trip was still looking at Pappy in the bed. Something about what Harold said piqued Trip’s curiosity. What was it? He would think about it later. Being here with Pappy was just too distracting.
CHAPTER 19
After a full day spent
Trip really did want to look over the report one more time, because he had been so tired he could not even remember writing some of it. But more importantly, he thought it was a good excuse to get out of this place. Mom seemed genuinely proud of Trip when he showed her the finished report earlier, but she said he was still grounded.
“Pappy’s going to be fine, Trip,” Mom said reassuringly. “It will do him good to hear your voice. I'll be up in a second.”
Mom walked away and left Trip in the lobby alone. He looked around at the familiar furniture and generic paintings on the walls. For the last four years he had come here nearly every day, but now things looked different somehow. He took a deep breath and walked towards Pappy’s room.
Trip entered Pappy’s room, not sure what he expected to see. He paused in the doorway and saw Pappy, frail, lying in his bed. It looked like he was sleeping. Trip was not sure how he felt seeing Pappy there like that, but before he had time to reflect, he noticed a stranger sitting in the chair next to Pappy’s bed. The man held a book in his hands, but he had fallen asleep with his chin on his chest.
The man appeared to be Pappy’s age, and he looked exactly like the type of friendly old man chosen to play the loveable grandfather in a movie. As Trip walked closer he heard the man’s gentle snoring.
“Excuse me,” Trip said softly. He didn’t want to startle the man, but the man continued snoring undisturbed.
“Excuse me,” Trip said again, this time a bit louder, but the man still did not wake up.
“Excuse me,” Trip said, even louder than intended.
The man startled awake and looked extremely confused.
“What? ”, the man said. “What is it? Who’s there? Where am I?”
The man looked around a moment, then seemed to calm down.
“I’m sorry,” Trip said sheepishly. “I didn’t mean to scare you.”
The old man took some time to struggle out of the chair, but he managed. He approached Trip and extended his hand. Now that the man was awake, Trip noticed his warm smile, which just made him look even more like a friendly grandfather from the movies. Trip shook his hand.
“I’m Harold,” the man said. “I came by to read to your Pappy since he can’t be doing any reading for himself right now. Guess I was doing more sleeping than reading, though. And you must be Trip.”
Trip was surprised the man knew who he was. Trip had never seen Harold before.
“Your Pappy told me all about you,” explained Harold. “We were old friends from way before he was in this place. He was bragging about his great-grandson from the day you were born. I’m glad to finally get the chance to meet you.”
Trip wasn’t sure what to say. He just stood there in awkward silence. Harold studied Trip for a moment.
“You know,” said Harold in a warm, friendly voice. “Your grandfather is a great man. Really cares about people.”
Trip looked over at Pappy buried in the sheets. He and Pappy spent a lot of time together, but it was hard to recall the times before Pappy was here. Pappy moved in when Trip was eight, which was about five years ago. All Trip could think about was the fun they had playing games and talking here at the retirement home.
“We were good friends,” said Harold. “He used to love going to see all the old historic sites this town has to offer, and so did I. That’s how we met. After we ran into each other a few times at Fort Matanzas, we realized we had a lot in common. It takes a real history buff to go to Fort Matanzas more than once or twice. We must have visited it a hundred times.”
Trip was still looking at Pappy in the bed. Something about what Harold said piqued Trip’s curiosity. What was it? He would think about it later. Being here with Pappy was just too distracting.
CHAPTER 19
After a full day spent
Similar Books
