up.
“What’s so funny, Perry?” John yells.
“He’s just nervous. He’s not responsible. Someone has to take care of him, watch out for him,” David says. “Elaine says he can stay with us.”
“Elaine says! Elaine says! Elaine says!” John makes his voice high like a girl’s and pushes David’s shoulder. “Is that all you can say? Perry needs to stay with me and CeCe!”
I did not need to be taken care of or watched when Gram died. But now I do.
“I think you both have worn out your welcome.” Keith is not tall when he is on his hands and knees, but when he gets to his feet, he looks fierce. Just like the Hulk, only he is not green and his shirt is not ripped.
John and David end up going out the door very fast. Keith’s foot is right behind them. He is a good boxer even without his hands. Keith slams the door so hard the window shudders.
“I can sue you for assault! I can sue!” I hear John shout as his feet make loud tromps down the stairs. Sue means that you will get back at someone when they do something you do not like. Sue is also a girl’s name.
“Over my dead body, assholes! Over my dead body! You two don’t fool me!” Keith yells through the door. “No siree, Bob! I’m not fooled!”
Not being fooled is what everybody says when they are.
16
Gram started a baby book, my first book, when I was born. It had my picture from the hospital when I looked like a monkey.
“All babies look like monkeys, Perry, every single one,” Gram said.
“Do monkey babies look like humans to other monkeys?” It was something I wondered.
“Don’t be smart!” Gram said.
I learned to print my name with Gram’s help when I was six. Gram helped me write in my baby book. Inside we put pictures of me and Gram and Gramp. Each time we finished a page we would go on to the next. When I was seven my book was full and Gram bought another.
Now I have to buy my own books. I keep my words and ideas in them. I have lots of ideas and lots of books. Gram told me if I wrote smaller I would not need so many, but I like to write big. And pictures. I like to put pictures in. I have nineteen books. I am on book twenty.
With Gram gone I have to not forget. Not forgetting is hard. I have to work hard to not forget. Remembering is different than not forgetting. It is the opposite of. Remembering is like a little movie that comes back to you. It is something special and unexpected. Like when I remembered the first time Gramp took me sailing. A little movie.
Not forgetting is business. Like you have to not forget that your laundry is in the dryer or not forget to pay your bills. Remembering is fun. Not forgetting is hard. Writing helps me to not forget.
I came to live with Gram when I was just a baby. I do not remember when I was one year old, or two, or three, but Gram did. I like to read my first book again from the very beginning, whenever I miss Gram.
Sat up by himself—ten months.
Walked—two years.
First word Ga! for Gramp—two and a half years. George was so proud of him!
George was my Gramp. I like to know that he was proud of me.
I read silently but sometimes my lips move over the hard words. I can feel them.
Gram wrote chapters in my first book like this.
One year old.
Two ” ”
Three ” ”
Those little marks save time. They look like teeth. They are like words. That is so cool. They mean that things are all the same. Or they mean whatever you want them to. I do not remember much about when I was that little. It is fortunate that Gram wrote everything down in my baby book. That way I can read it over and over.
There are other things inside my book. Letters in Gram’s handwriting stamped with Return to sender on the envelope.
Dear Louise,
Gramp and I have no problem keeping Perry, but you have to be a part of his life. All boys need their mothers. . . .
G.J.,
We need to hear from you. We need to know why . . .
G.J. is my father. That is what Gram said. I think his name was George too.
“What’s so funny, Perry?” John yells.
“He’s just nervous. He’s not responsible. Someone has to take care of him, watch out for him,” David says. “Elaine says he can stay with us.”
“Elaine says! Elaine says! Elaine says!” John makes his voice high like a girl’s and pushes David’s shoulder. “Is that all you can say? Perry needs to stay with me and CeCe!”
I did not need to be taken care of or watched when Gram died. But now I do.
“I think you both have worn out your welcome.” Keith is not tall when he is on his hands and knees, but when he gets to his feet, he looks fierce. Just like the Hulk, only he is not green and his shirt is not ripped.
John and David end up going out the door very fast. Keith’s foot is right behind them. He is a good boxer even without his hands. Keith slams the door so hard the window shudders.
“I can sue you for assault! I can sue!” I hear John shout as his feet make loud tromps down the stairs. Sue means that you will get back at someone when they do something you do not like. Sue is also a girl’s name.
“Over my dead body, assholes! Over my dead body! You two don’t fool me!” Keith yells through the door. “No siree, Bob! I’m not fooled!”
Not being fooled is what everybody says when they are.
16
Gram started a baby book, my first book, when I was born. It had my picture from the hospital when I looked like a monkey.
“All babies look like monkeys, Perry, every single one,” Gram said.
“Do monkey babies look like humans to other monkeys?” It was something I wondered.
“Don’t be smart!” Gram said.
I learned to print my name with Gram’s help when I was six. Gram helped me write in my baby book. Inside we put pictures of me and Gram and Gramp. Each time we finished a page we would go on to the next. When I was seven my book was full and Gram bought another.
Now I have to buy my own books. I keep my words and ideas in them. I have lots of ideas and lots of books. Gram told me if I wrote smaller I would not need so many, but I like to write big. And pictures. I like to put pictures in. I have nineteen books. I am on book twenty.
With Gram gone I have to not forget. Not forgetting is hard. I have to work hard to not forget. Remembering is different than not forgetting. It is the opposite of. Remembering is like a little movie that comes back to you. It is something special and unexpected. Like when I remembered the first time Gramp took me sailing. A little movie.
Not forgetting is business. Like you have to not forget that your laundry is in the dryer or not forget to pay your bills. Remembering is fun. Not forgetting is hard. Writing helps me to not forget.
I came to live with Gram when I was just a baby. I do not remember when I was one year old, or two, or three, but Gram did. I like to read my first book again from the very beginning, whenever I miss Gram.
Sat up by himself—ten months.
Walked—two years.
First word Ga! for Gramp—two and a half years. George was so proud of him!
George was my Gramp. I like to know that he was proud of me.
I read silently but sometimes my lips move over the hard words. I can feel them.
Gram wrote chapters in my first book like this.
One year old.
Two ” ”
Three ” ”
Those little marks save time. They look like teeth. They are like words. That is so cool. They mean that things are all the same. Or they mean whatever you want them to. I do not remember much about when I was that little. It is fortunate that Gram wrote everything down in my baby book. That way I can read it over and over.
There are other things inside my book. Letters in Gram’s handwriting stamped with Return to sender on the envelope.
Dear Louise,
Gramp and I have no problem keeping Perry, but you have to be a part of his life. All boys need their mothers. . . .
G.J.,
We need to hear from you. We need to know why . . .
G.J. is my father. That is what Gram said. I think his name was George too.
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