at Julia. “What about you, Julia? How long have you lived here?”
“All of my life. My dad, too. He grew up a few blocks over from here.”
Tanner wondered what his mom thought about Julia. Julia had worn her hair in its natural color, but she had glued it up in the crazy faux-hawk style.
“I heard people live here forever,” Tanner’s mom said. “We were lucky to find the place. I guess poor Mr. Charlie Doman wasn’t so lucky. His daughter said they had to put him a nursing home.”
Julia had a pleasant, happy smile on her face. “Old man Doo—that’s what the kids used to call him. He would wash his car in his underwear.”
“His underwear,” Bonnie repeated. “That’s funny.”
They all laughed followed by his mom asking about Julia’s hair. Julia’s eyes lit up as she explained the mechanics of it. Tanner watched his mom’s amazement when she found out Julia had cut his hair. Yep, Tanner thought, Mom likes her. How could she not? Julia was so… Julia.
***
After dinner, Tanner retrieved the NLP book, and he and Julia sat on the front porch steps.
“I talked to my dad about Poppi’s parents when I got home,” Julia said. “Graham is their last name. He said he went to school with both of Poppi’s parents. Apparently, they were the “it” couple. He said after he went to college he didn’t hear anything else about them, except what we already know.”
“At least we have the last name.”
“Right. I called my nana and asked about my great aunt who lives in Mexico City.”
“Cool. And?”
“Well, apparently, she died last winter. I feel really bad that I forgot.”
“Yikes.”
“Nana did say that she would call some old friends of the family and see if she can find out if they still live there.”
“Well that’s a start,” he said as he opened the book. “All right, I did some work myself. I read about half way through this book before you got here. I don’t see how any of this is going to help. I don’t know any more now than I did before I opened it.”
“I told you it wouldn’t be easy, Julia said. “Let’s see. We need the grandmother to trust us so she will think it is her idea to let Poppi leave. You know, like how Zachary made you think you wanted to pick the red cup.”
Tanner exhaled and shut the book. “Okay, I remember something about that. I sort of see how the book is saying how to do that. What do we do first?”
“First,” she said as she stood up. “I’m going to go do some planting.”
“Planting? Wait… Where are you going?”
“I’ll be back,” she said as she walked backwards across the street. “I’m just going to talk to her.”
“I don’t know, Julia.”
She turned and waved her hand behind her.
After Julia reached Poppi’s front door, she knocked and was making silly faces at Tanner until she suddenly stopped, straightened up and seemed to be talking to someone, most likely the grandmother. She waved her arms about and actually reached her hand inside the house. She took a step toward the door, and without even looking back at Tanner, walked inside the house.
Tanner stood up. “Ooooh crap!”
Chapter 18
Julia’s plan had been to plant some words in Poppi’s grandmother’s head. After telling her she was visiting from a local church, she had told her key words like “let the spirit out,” and “don’t keep your feelings in,” and “freedom from the world.” Obviously, the lady got the message reversed and invited Julia in. She so should have practiced more.
Julia had never seen Poppi’s grandmother before. By the way everyone, even Tanner, had described her, Julia had been expecting the epitome of evil. However, she merely saw a little old lady who wore her white hair up in a little old lady bun. She hunched over when she walked and used a cane—moving very, very slowly—and of course she had plenty of wrinkles and frown lines. Old. But not scary.
On the other hand, Julia thought the house
“All of my life. My dad, too. He grew up a few blocks over from here.”
Tanner wondered what his mom thought about Julia. Julia had worn her hair in its natural color, but she had glued it up in the crazy faux-hawk style.
“I heard people live here forever,” Tanner’s mom said. “We were lucky to find the place. I guess poor Mr. Charlie Doman wasn’t so lucky. His daughter said they had to put him a nursing home.”
Julia had a pleasant, happy smile on her face. “Old man Doo—that’s what the kids used to call him. He would wash his car in his underwear.”
“His underwear,” Bonnie repeated. “That’s funny.”
They all laughed followed by his mom asking about Julia’s hair. Julia’s eyes lit up as she explained the mechanics of it. Tanner watched his mom’s amazement when she found out Julia had cut his hair. Yep, Tanner thought, Mom likes her. How could she not? Julia was so… Julia.
***
After dinner, Tanner retrieved the NLP book, and he and Julia sat on the front porch steps.
“I talked to my dad about Poppi’s parents when I got home,” Julia said. “Graham is their last name. He said he went to school with both of Poppi’s parents. Apparently, they were the “it” couple. He said after he went to college he didn’t hear anything else about them, except what we already know.”
“At least we have the last name.”
“Right. I called my nana and asked about my great aunt who lives in Mexico City.”
“Cool. And?”
“Well, apparently, she died last winter. I feel really bad that I forgot.”
“Yikes.”
“Nana did say that she would call some old friends of the family and see if she can find out if they still live there.”
“Well that’s a start,” he said as he opened the book. “All right, I did some work myself. I read about half way through this book before you got here. I don’t see how any of this is going to help. I don’t know any more now than I did before I opened it.”
“I told you it wouldn’t be easy, Julia said. “Let’s see. We need the grandmother to trust us so she will think it is her idea to let Poppi leave. You know, like how Zachary made you think you wanted to pick the red cup.”
Tanner exhaled and shut the book. “Okay, I remember something about that. I sort of see how the book is saying how to do that. What do we do first?”
“First,” she said as she stood up. “I’m going to go do some planting.”
“Planting? Wait… Where are you going?”
“I’ll be back,” she said as she walked backwards across the street. “I’m just going to talk to her.”
“I don’t know, Julia.”
She turned and waved her hand behind her.
After Julia reached Poppi’s front door, she knocked and was making silly faces at Tanner until she suddenly stopped, straightened up and seemed to be talking to someone, most likely the grandmother. She waved her arms about and actually reached her hand inside the house. She took a step toward the door, and without even looking back at Tanner, walked inside the house.
Tanner stood up. “Ooooh crap!”
Chapter 18
Julia’s plan had been to plant some words in Poppi’s grandmother’s head. After telling her she was visiting from a local church, she had told her key words like “let the spirit out,” and “don’t keep your feelings in,” and “freedom from the world.” Obviously, the lady got the message reversed and invited Julia in. She so should have practiced more.
Julia had never seen Poppi’s grandmother before. By the way everyone, even Tanner, had described her, Julia had been expecting the epitome of evil. However, she merely saw a little old lady who wore her white hair up in a little old lady bun. She hunched over when she walked and used a cane—moving very, very slowly—and of course she had plenty of wrinkles and frown lines. Old. But not scary.
On the other hand, Julia thought the house
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