Magic Granddad  ~ Part 1

On the 11^th June 1986, one month before their eighth birthday, their happy family was torn apart by angry words.   Mum and Dad argued and Dad left in the middle of the night.   The twins were upset, they lay awake listening to mum crying, unable to do anything about it.   Next morning she told them their father would be working away from home for a while, so they would be going to stay with her father, their grandfather.

“When?” they asked.

“At the weekend,” She said.  “Granddad Steve lives in Felton where I lived when I was your age.”

They soon discovered that this would mean changing school.   They were sad about leaving their friends, and their teacher, Mrs Brown. 

“Cheer up,” said Mrs Brown, “You’ll soon have lots of new friends, and a new teacher who you will like as much as you like me, maybe more.”

All their furniture and toys were loaded into a removal van.   The driver said it was called a Luton, but he didn’t know why.   Most of their things were to be stored, but they were each allowed to take a favourite toy with them.   Tina took a beautiful blonde vinyl doll she called ‘Linda blue eyes’ and a small case containing Linda’s changes of clothing.   Jack took a large paint box, pencils, and a drawing pad.

Clutching their treasures they boarded the 127b bus bound for the station.   Jack looked back feeling a little sad, but excitement soon overcame that.   They were, after all, at the start of an adventure.

.-…-.

They left the train at Felton Central Station.   The ticket collector asked for their tickets.   Mum and Jack handed theirs over.

 “I want to keep mine, as a souvenir,” said Tina.

“Don’t be a silly,” said mum “you have to give up your ticket if you want to leave the station.”

The ticket collector smiled, “I always keep a large bag of sweets for passengers who don’t want to part with their tickets; do you object to being bribed?”

Tina soon brightened up and handed over her ticket.   Jack watched with envy, but was soon smiling when the collector offered him one too.

Outside the station, taxis, and cars were parked in neat rows.   There were many different makes and models.  

An elderly grey haired man standing beside an old black car, smiled at them.

“E-S-C-O-R-T,” Jack spelled the name of his car out loud.

“Hi Dad,” mum said, giving the man a hug and a peck on the cheek.

“This is your granddad Steve,” she told them “and, these are your grandchildren Jack and Tina.”

He sat on his heels to be at their level, and put out his arms to welcome them.   The twins looked at him doubtfully.   They had seen his picture in mum and dad’s wedding album, but he didn’t look very much like that now, he was older and crinkled.

When he saw their uncertainty he stood up and opened the back door of his car for them.   They wrinkled their noses in disgust.

“You smoke!”   They said accusingly.

“I also eat, drink and breath,” he said defensively, “but there’s not much I can do about that is there?”

“Dad they’re only children,” said mum.

“And I’m only a Granddad!” he said, with his lower lip a quiver, Tina managed an tentative smile.

“Come along with you, into the car before you catch your death!” he said with a chuckle.   “If you want, you can open the windows to let out the smell of tobacco, and I’ll promise only to smoke my pipe outside in future, will that be OK with you little miss perfect?” he asked.  

Tina considered this gravely, she nodded and, got into the car.   Jack was already seated and unwrapping his sweet.

“Aah!   They eat sweets!” granddad gasped, in horror, they all laughed.

Mum got into the passenger seat beside him.  

“Buckle up everyone,” she called over her shoulder.

“Clink, Click, every trip!” they replied.

.-…-.

“Off we go to 47 Bern Street,” said granddad Steve.    “I have your mum’s favourites for tea; blackcurrant jam and crusty white rolls from Arthur’s bakery in the high street.   We also have ice cream sundaes – banana splits or knickerbocker glory’s for afters,” he announced with enthusiasm.   The twins pulled faces and looked at mum, as if to say, what is he talking about?   Mum smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

“It’s a bit early for tea dad, shouldn’t we have lunch first?”

“Now I wondered if you would ask me that, or just let me surprise you.   I thought maybe we could drop into McDonnigals for cheese burgers, chips and Frostie Cola?   But, that’s only if you two approve, I really wouldn’t want to upset your diets or anything…”

“No, I don’t think they would be very keen on that dad,”  Mum answered, playing along with him.

“Yes, we would!   We would, don’t listen to her granddad, we love burgers!”   They yelled in defence.

“OK…”   said mum, “but only if you promise to try granddad's tea tonight!”

“Were they really your favourites mum?” asked Tina curiously.

“Still are,” she replied a broad smile on her face.   “But, if I’m not mistaken we will all be expected to help prepare the meal.   At least, that’s how it used to be when I was your age.”

“Come on let’s get some burgers before they sell out,” said granddad Steve, pulling into McDonnigals car park.   “Save some for me!” he yelled through the car window.

Mum smiled and shook her head.

‘It’s so nice to see mum smiling again’ Tina thought, warming to her new granddad.

.-...-.

“Its five o’clock granddad,” said Tina tugging at his sleeve “its tea time,” she added smiling sweetly.

“Why so it is,” he replied, shaking his watch.   “Would you like to give me a hand?”

“Oh yes please,” she said.

“Nah, that’s girls stuff,” Jack scoffed.

“Do I look like a girl?” Steve asked stroking his whiskers noisily.   “Come on, and I’ll let you cut the rolls young man, Tina can butter, and mum can spoon on the jam.”

“Mum doesn’t let us play with knives,” said Jack. 

“Girls stuff is it?” Steve asked.

“No-ho!” Jack laughed.

“Your not playing with them your using them as tools, there is a difference.   You stand the roll on end like this, and saw through it carefully like this,” he demonstrated, then handed Jack the bread knife.

“This is the butter knife,” he said placing it in Tina’s hand.

Tina looked to mum for guidance before taking it.   Mum nodded.

“This is the jam spoon he announced; do you think we can trust your mum with it?”

“No!” they yelled with enthusiasm, but he handed the spoon to her anyway.

“Let’s start with two rolls each, now I bought a dozen, so that makes; well I hope you’re better at sums than I am…”

.-…-.

“Can I have another roll please?” asked Jack.

“That will make four, are you sure you’re saving enough room to fit in the ice cream?” Jack nodded, grinning ear to ear.

“Tina, while Jack is eating, maybe you would like to help me rustle us up some ice cream sodas to wash down the rolls?”

“That would be nice,” she said.

“Perhaps then Jack would like to help make the Sundae’s when he’s finished?”

“Don’t you mean Saturdays?” Jack chipped in, with a wink at mum.

“Ignore him granddad Steve, he thinks that’s funny,” said Tina.

Steve half filled four tall glasses with Frostie Cola, then carefully floated a scoop of, vanilla, ice cream on top of each.   It bubbled and frothed, until it completely filled the glass with coffee coloured foam.   Taking a long spoon, he stirred and mashed the mixture, smoothing the ice cream onto the inside walls of the glasses.   Then slowly he drank some of his Cola through the cream, as mum passed a glass each to Jack and Tina, taking the fourth herself.

“Ahhh magnificent!” she exclaimed placing her empty, foam rimmed, glass on the table.

“Finished already - piggy?” asked Jack, rushing to catch up.  

For minutes nobody spoke.   They just sat and watched Steve carefully slit a banana lengthways placing the two halves side by side, on a long narrow dish, with their tips turned in and touching.    He then placed a cherry in the centre, and then opened up an extra large tin of mixed fruit.   He filled the space either side of the cherry with fruit, pouring some of the juice over the banana.   Next, two extra large scoops of ice cream were placed on the ends of the banana’s, without pause, he proceeded to squirt squiggles of raspberry sauce on the top.   Finally he shook sweet coloured sprinkles all over his creation with a flourish.    “Voilla!”  He exclaimed placing it before mum; who was opening a packet of wafers.  “Now it’s your turn Jack,” he said, producing another dish.    Soon a second creation, stood beside the first.

Steve then took a tall wide mouthed glass, and placed two inches of mixed fruit at the bottom, adding a large scoop of ice cream, another layer of fruit, crushed nuts, ice cream, raspberry sauce, sprinkles, and a cherry on the top.   He watched as Jack produced a second, and then asked everyone to choose.

When they had all eaten their fill they just sat in silence, for ages.

“I really do think that was the best ice cream I’ve ever had,” Jack pronounced rubbing his belly ever so gently.

“Would anyone like to help with the washing up?” asked Steve hopefully.

There was no reply.

 “You look tired my loves, the beds won’t arrive until tomorrow at the earliest, so tonight will be an adventure, like camping out?    You will have to use granddad’s old sleeping bags, the same ones we used when I was a girl.”

“Camping, YES!” cried Jack, heading for the stairs.

“What about a kiss for granddad and me?” mum asked.

Tina ran to him and threw her arms about his neck “Goodnight my very best granddad, thank you for a wonderful day.”

“Goodnight Jack,” he said with a wink.   “See you in the morning.”

Jack smiled thinly following mum and Tina up the stairs.

“I’ll give you a hand as soon as these two are tucked up,” said Karen.

Steve began to load the dirty dishes into soapy water.   He had a far off look on his face and a wry little smile on his lips.   He was deep in thought, it was good not to be alone, and he was thinking about what they could get up to tomorrow.   Suddenly his face lit up, he had an idea…

To be continued/...