Grandma’s House by sandstorm3636 ,
Jack is at collage just before break.
As the afternoon lecture wrapped up, Jack yawned and stretched as he waited for the professor to dismiss the students. It was the last lecture before the break and he was feeling listless. He had no plans on going home to his family and was not sure how he planned to spend his time now that he was free of school for the first time since moving out on his own.
He was one of the last students to make it out of the lecture hall as he was in no rush. He stared with uncertainty at the bus that could take him away from the campus and back to the city where his closest relative was his grandmother. While he was bored enough to visit her, he did not want to be alone with her as she was bound to drive him mad with her endless talking.
He was just about to give up on thinking for the day and retire to his dorm when his cell phone rang in his pocket. He recognized the number as his mother’s and very nearly contemplated leaving it go to voicemail. However, he was already bored and even an annoying phone call could spice up his situation for a moment.
“Finally!” His mother’s voice was shrill and obnoxious as usual. “Do you know how may times it rang before you picked up.”
“I only just got out of class,” Jack argued.
“I know when your class ends, that’s why I called now. I’ll be in town at seven, so you better be ready.”
“What do you mean? You’re not coming to campus, are you? Everyone is just about to head home for break.”
“Of course not. I mean your grandmother’s house. Tilly flew in from Toledo and is staying with Mom for a week. She has all of the kids from her husband’s side of their family with her for some group vacation. Their parents probably just shoved them onto her to look after so they could have a childless vacation, but she likes feeling useful to them and staying with Mom was cheaper than going to Disney land or anything like that.”
“I’m sure the kids would’ve preferred that over Grandma’s,” Jack sighed.
“Some of them might’ve. Others aren’t keen on rides and some aren’t old enough to remember this. But it’s still boring for the older kids and a strain on Mom and Tilly, so you’re gonna help out for a week, got it?”
“Isn’t there already a lack of room? Why are you taking space away to give to me?”
“You won’t be staying overnight. Just commute from the dorms.”
“I don’t have a car. You gave me an IOU for my graduation, remember?”
“You know we can’t afford a car for you. We just wrote that on the card so our relatives wouldn’t call us cheap. If you find a car you like, we’ll put half down on it for you, but you’ll need good credit first. You told me the bus goes right by Mom’s cul-de-sac once, remember?”
“You know, most of my classmates’ parents don’t remember when they get out of class or when where the busses go.”
“Does that make me more attentive or nosy?”
“If I hadn’t told you but you still knew, then you’d be nosy,” he assured her. “I’m just surprised you’ve taken any interest in my schooling at all.”
“Rude, that’s what you are. Come on Jackie, the bus leaves 20 minutes after your last lecture and we’ve been talking for ten. I’ll pay you for a week long pass when I get there but you need to buy the first ticket yourself. Don’t tell me you don’t have the money or I’ll be pissed.”
“I always keep at least enough for one ride on me,” he assured her. “I’ll be at Grandma’s when you arrive.”
“You better be!” she did not believe his sincerity.
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While Jack had been to his grandmother’s house many times and he theoretically knew how to get there from the bus stop, he’d not actually used the bus to get there ever before, and it was a much further walk than he had anticipated. The sun was already low and turning orange before he saw the familiar large house.
A wave of nostalgia hit him as he saw and heard children screaming and running around in the massive yard. Whenever he visited when he was young, his cousin’s were always there and made the place so lively. The last time he had been was only with his mother and it felt empty and lonely. It was nice to see the place so full of life again.
He was brimming from ear to ear when he opened the front door. He knew it would not be locked while there were unsupervised kids in the yard. It was the same as his youth and it brought back more memories; an inflatable pool in the yard, water balloons and mini firecrackers, popsicles and hot dogs and Frisbees.
Darlene Henderson, his grandmother, was startled to see someone taller than her standing in the doorway when she looked up from a tray of cookies she had just removed from the oven. “Oh goodness, Jackie, you startled me.”
“Hey Mah-mah,” he greeted her with the same pet name he had always used. “Didn’t Haley tell you I was coming?”
“She did, but it’s still a pleasant surprise.” She hugged him without warning. As he had been walking and she had been baking, they with both sticky with summer sweat. The fact she was wearing oven mitts did not help either.
He pretended not to be uncomfortable and just patted her on the back awkwardly. “Do you need help with anything?” he wanted to be useful right away.
“Just rest up for a moment, then you can go outside and look after the younger kids. Goodness, I don’t remember it being this much of a hassle looking after you and George and the rest.” Jack smiled as he remembered that he and his cousin Jorge were always her favorites. Even if she called them George and Jackie, instead of their real names, it was more effort than she expended for their female cousins.
“With each generation the number gets bigger, but I honestly did not expect Tilly to bring her husband’s nieces and nephews with her too. I’m getting too old to be the matriarch of this family. It’s a thankless job.”
“And yet you’ll never give it up until you’re in hospice,” Jack teased her.
“Damn right,” she jeered. “Here, taste one of these and tell me what you think?” She shoved a cookie in his face.
“Kids aren’t critics. As long as there is sugar they will eat it… unless any of them are diabetic.”
“Oh look at you, being responsible. If any of them were, I’d kick them out right now. We’ll have none of that weak blood in my house.”
Jack couldn’t tell if his grandmother was joking. She was raised in a time when a child admitting they were ill was often met with punishment for whining rather than genuine concern. “Wait, isn’t it almost six? What about dinner?”
“I don’t have enough food for all of these mouths. Tilly’s gone to the store to get quick meals but for now they get what I can bake in a hurry.”
“Tilly really sprung this on you last second, didn’t she? You’re not even related to half these kids, are you?”
“I’m sure that lazy husband sprung this on Tilly last second too. When this sort of thing happens, you can either place blame or realize the issue is still present regardless and it will be easier to come up with a solution if you haven’t pissed off the other people who might help you.” Jack took her words to mean she was definitely going to scold Tilly after she left, but she did not want to spend a week with Tilly in a bad mood.