Level Three. Grandparent Questions.
By Michelle Lloyd.
Everyone seemed to have them or know of them, New One knew that, and he had heard often stated that they could be incredibly positive people to have in life. Although this had been told to him, New One had his fears about the life of a grandparent. What did it really mean to be a grandparent?
New One’s Gran, what was she like? Well one word could describe her and that was inspirational. She was a lovely sort and a bit of a diamond.
How was this known? A certain Grandpa had described her as such and it all started with a bit of a mistake of a meeting.
New One loved his Gran going to his school to pick him up because she always had treats with her and he could have grandparent and grandchild, one on one alone time. VERY humorous to listen to because of her stories about the past, when Gran took New One home they always had time for smiles!
On one occasion when Gran had gone to school to get him, they had by accident bumped into Little Herbert and his Grandpa. Politely Grandma had been introduced but then upon trying to leave with her grandson, she had been stopped time and again by the newly acquainted Grandpa.
Grandpa was an absolute riot when he started to talk about and show his inventions and as they saw so little of him New One really did want to have tea with him. He told his Gran so and with everyone having put their pleas out to her, she relented and off to tea they went.
The tea started off well but that was until sugary treats were offered and Gran declined. According to Grandpa there was nothing to New One’s Gran and she should dig in. Gran took offence to this stating that she thought it was extremely rude of him to comment on her appearance and size. New One and Little Herbert were a little lost at what they should do. There was silence at the table. Little Herbert’s Dad tried to get the conversation going again with a bit of a chat about the weather but then Grandpa told him not to intervene on his behalf and he thought that at their age they had earned their right to speak up about what they thought. New One’s Gran had heard enough, having her appearance mentioned and her age was too much for her and she announced that they would be leaving, at which time Grandpa far from looking crest fallen told her not to be so chiding about everything and to go with the flow a bit more. New One and Little Herbert thought this hilarious. But Gran did not.
Firmly taken in hand was New One and off they swept only to be stopped once again by a Grandpa who told them they could not leave yet as they had not seen his latest invention. Gran was about to say in no uncertain terms and that she had no inclination to see his invention, but it was too late, the beeping had started and New One and Little Herbert both knew what that meant.
Little Herbert’s Dad told the waitress they were extremely sorry and helped to clean up as the broken plates were swept off the floor. Grandpa’s latest invention, a kind of cross between a robot and a mini-plane had shot out of his front coat pocket and in a mad whirl of motion that chaotically cleared their table of any crockery.
New One’s Gran had nearly been knocked off her feet and Grandpa had told her he thought maybe he had a few teething problems. Little Herbert and New One had been in fits of hysterics but Gran was not at all amused.
It took a lot of persuading and New One pleading but finally Gran agreed to stay and listen to Grandpa’s sorry, one that Little Herbert’s Dad, was keen for him to make. Grandpa found it difficult to do much talking and on deciding that maybe flowers would lift her spirits instead, he went into his side pocket and pulled out a plastic stem that shot out a gentle stream of water right into Gran’s eye. Grandpa looked at a rather irate looking Dad and exclaimed that he had forgotten it did that!
Needless to say, nobody had expected the blossoming relationship of the grandparents to unfold. But it did. It did in quite spectacular fashion and everybody was invited to the wedding as proof of what the love had signified for the both of them.