66

 

       THE GRANDFATHER

 

    They take my plate and I sit waiting for somebody to bring me some of that cake.  Janice says something about watching where I put my feet, that the little one--Derek--is crawling around down there.  I almost tell her to get him the hell out of there, but what's the use.  I watch him for a minute.  I never liked babies.  I always made all the noises and smiled when I was supposed to.  It's just something you do.  But I never liked them.  They're too much like sick little chickens.

    He bats at a long piece of grass.  His face is crusted with some kind of white stuff.  He looks up at me and grins.  I smile back before I think about it.  It's just one of those things you do.

    Susan drags a batch of poles and stuff over from her car.  Hard to tell what she's doing.  Doug and Eric just sit and laugh at her.  Janice tells her not to mind them.  Wes is walking across the yard, out toward where the dog is.  I can't see that far anymore, but I wouldn't let them know that.  I watch him till he fades and I hear the dog's chain.  I'm tired.  Art lets out a big laugh, and Jim grins at him.

    Lorraine brings the cake and sets it on the arm of the chair.  There.  There's your cake.  You want something to drink with that?

    What's Art laughing about?

    Why, I don't know.  Don't be silly.  How should I know?

    I thought you'd know.

    Yeah, well

    What are they doing?

    They're going to play a game.

    I smell smoke.  Wood smoke.  Probably John burning brush across the street.  He's always burning brush or trash or something.  Sometimes I think he buys things so's he can burn the wrapping.  His daddy was like that.  Loved to watch a fire, said it was soothing to just sit and watch it burn.  I always figured you got what you could where you could.

    Smell that?

    What?

    That smoke.

    Art is letting the charcoal burn down.  He said maybe somebody would want a marshmallow later.

    Not that          Wood smoke          Sometimes I think brains skip generations.

    No, I don't smell anything.  Here, you want this cake or don't you?

    I asked for it, didn't I?

    Well then eat it!

    I'm getting cold.

    Cold!  It's nice and warm here.  You want me to move you out into the sun?

    Tell Doug I want to go in.

    In the house?  Why would you want to do that?  If you feel a chill, I'll get you a sweater.  How's that?  I'll just run in and get you a sweater.  There's one right inside the door.  How's that?

    Tell Doug I want to go inside.

    She looks at me funny and straightens up.  If you insist.  She walks away, taking her time to get over to the table.  Doug listens to her for a minute and looks my way.  He nods and turns back to watch Susan trying to do whatever she's doing with the poles.

    The chill starts in my back and runs down my arms.  I can feel the sun on my face but I shiver anyway.