Tags

, , , , , , , ,

A strange car pulled up outside our house and parked on the street. Wondering who it was, I walked over to the living-room picture-window and, recognizing my grandparents as they slowly filed out of the big, burgundy, Toyota, said to Valentine Michael Smith, “Hey, it’s Lola and Paki!” before calling to Libby, “Lola and Paki are here!”

In response to my declaration concerning my grandparents’ arrival Valentine scurried across the floor and down the steps to hide in the basement while Libby responded with, “What, Jack?” from the family room. Wondering why it was that so many people have such a hard time understanding simple, declarative sentences I repeated myself as she crossed through the kitchen to the front room. “Look! Lola and Paki!” I said, ecstatic to see them.

I’d been waiting for their arrival forever. During breakfast Libby had given me the news that I wouldn’t be going over to Dara’s today so I wouldn’t see Drew or James or Sam which made me very sad. Playing with my friends is great and when I don’t get to I get upset but when she told me I was staying home because Lola and Paki were coming for a short stay I got very excited and happy again. I love Lola and Paki and when she said they’d be taking me home with them to Lola’s house for a visit I was super excited! The problem was that they still weren’t here by lunchtime and all the waiting was no fun at all.

“Lola! Paki!” I said a third time, excitedly pointing out the window as my gaze alternated between the scene outside and the approach of Libby and Quesa. “Look!” I added, thinking how difficult life can be when you’re three.

“Oh,  they’re here!” Libby replied. “Great,” she added, opening our front door.

Lola bounded up the single step leading to our front stoop and as she cleared the doorway she scooped me up in her arms and greeted me, as always, with, “Mr. cutie-pie!” lifting me off the ground and hugging me to her and adding, “It’s so great to see you!”

Paki limped in, smiled at Libby, and took me from Lola, declaring, “What’s up, buttercup?!” as he always did.

I was excited to see them both and replied, “It’s great to see you both! I love you so much!” but as usual they missed half of what I said and I wondered for the zillionth time how it was that no one seemed capable of understanding the nuances of language. All I received in return was the two of them saying, “We love you too!” and forming the thumb out with pinkie and index fingers raised ASL ‘I love you’ salute which I returned, garnering squeals of delight from the grands which made me laugh- it takes so little to entertain those two!

“Libby!” Paki declared, grabbing both of my ankles, and gently flipping me head downwards as he held my feet shoulder high, dangling me above the floor, soles to sky, giving me that delicious fear mixed with exhilaration and absolute trust rush that Paki’s rough-and-tumble while simultaneously soft-and-caring rough-housing elicited from me. “Here!” he added before lifting me higher, placing a wet-raspberry-schmerbert on my belly and then draping me upside down over Lola’s shoulder, “You take him!”

Paki took a single step toward Libby and the two hugged each other while she asked about their drive.

“Oh, not too bad,” Paki said as Lola gently turned me right side up and placed me on her hip before hugging me and placing me on the ground. “Pretty light traffic. Otta still at work?”

“Yep. Just texted me not five minutes ago that he was leaving soon so shouldn’t be more than ten more minutes. One advantage of COVID, huh? Hey, Lola!” she added, walking into grandma’s embrace.

“‘Hey’ back at you!” Lola said, hugging Libby. “Great to see you. Yeah, for the most part traffic was great the whole way, just some construction stuff in western Indiana that slowed us down. Oh my gosh, Mr. Cutie-pie’s so big!”

“I know! Four inches since January! Crazy, huh?”

“Four inches in six months!?” Lola exclaimed. “Whoa! At this rate he’ll be as big as Otta was when he started kindergarten.”

“Yep. It’s nice that he’s catching up,” Mama replied.

“So good to see you,” Paki said scratching the top of Quesa’s head as she waited patiently for some attention, adding, “I’ll be right back,” and then headed to the bathroom.