Grandpa
Autor: Henry | Publicado: 2012-03-25T15:58:00-07:00

authors -Eduardo Amos, Elisabeth Prescher, Ernesto Pasqualin    CHAPTER 1     ´´How´s your mom? ´´ Denise asked.  ´´She´s getting better, ´´ Clara answered. ´´The doctor told her she will be ok if she continues her treatment.´´     The two girls were talking in Clara´s bedroom. They were both 17 and they were cousins. Their parents were in the living room.  ´´What do you think our folks are talking about? ´´ asked Denise.  ´´I don´t know, but it must be serious, ´´ replied Clara  ´´Yeah, my mom and dad seem worried, ´´ Denise said.  ´´Mine too… But, anyhow… you said you had something to tell me. So, what is it? ´´ Clara was curious.  ´´A new room´´ Denise said. She was very excited. I´m going to have a new bedroom! ´´  ´´No kidding! Tell me more.´´  ´´Well, the furniture I chose is all white, ´´ Denise explained.  ´´And I am going to paint one of the walls yellow.´´  ´´Cool! ´´ Clara replied enthusiastically.  ´´And guess what? Tomorrow I´m going to choose the curtains, ´´ Denise said.  ´´What color? ´´ Clara asked.  ´´Maybe white, to go with the furniture. And here´s the best part: Dad is going to buy me a new computer, with a desk and space for all of my diskettes and CDs. Can you believe it, Clara? A computer just for me! ´´ Denise said.  ´´Aren´t Ivan and Leo jealous? ‘Clara asked.   Ivan and Leo are Denise´s young brothers. Ivan was 15, and Leo was 6, and they shared a bedroom.  ´´Sure, but I´ll let them use my computer if they behave themselves.´´  The two girls laughed.  ´´I´m just kidding! ‘Said Denise. ´´They´re going to have a new room too.´´  ´´But that will cost a fortune! ´´ replied Clara.  ´´I guess you´re right. It´s going to cost a lot, ´´ said Denise.  ´´But my dad got a promotion last month. He´s chief editor of the magazine now and he is making more money.´´  ´´Well, I’m hungry, ´´ said Clara. ´´Let´s go downstairs and get something to eat.´´  The two girls went downstairs. On their way to the kitchen they saw their parents in the living room. They looked upset.  ´´Did you see their faces´´ asked Denise as they walked into the kitchen.  ´´Yeah! ´´ said Clara. ´´ They were arguing, weren´t they? ´´  ´´I think you´re right, ´´ replied Denise.  ´´They mentioned Uncle Mario´s name. But he isn´t here. What do you think they´re talking about? ´´  I don´t know, ´´ said Denise. ´´But something very serious is going on in there.´´     Mario was Eduardo and William´s brother. He was the oldest and richest of the three brothers. He lived in a huge house on the beach. Mario didn´t see his brothers very often because his wife, Regina, didn´t gets along with his family very well.     The girls went to the kitchen, fixed some sandwiches and something to drink, and went on talking.   ´´You must be really happy about your dad´s promotion, ´´ said Clara.  ´´To tell you the truth, not really. Of course, I´m happy about my room but my dad works more now. And he has to travel a lot too.´´  ´´I know what you mean, ´´ Clara said. ´´I hate it when my dad is away on business.´´  ´´My dad´s never around when I need him. And now that Mom´s back at college, I´m all by myself most of the time. It´s awful! ´´ complained Denise.   Denise´s mother, Laura Meyer, worked as nurse during the day and studied psychology in the evening.   ´´You know, I love my parents and I´m really proud of them.´´ Denise added. ´´It´s just that I miss them.´´   ´´At least you have your brother´s for company, ´´ Clara replied. ´´I have nobody to talk to most of the time.´´  ´´You are lucky, ´´ Denise said. ´´Brothers can be annoying sometimes.´´   The girls talked for hours. It was almost dinner time when Denise´s mother called her to go home.   ´´Well, ´´ William said, ´´we have something to tell you. It´s about Grandpa.´´  ´´Is there something wrong? ´´ Denise asked. She was worried. ´´He isn´t sick, is he? ´´  ´´No, no, that´s not the problem, Denise, ´´ her father answered. ´´But you know he´s 83 now… and since Grandma passed away, he is often lonely.´´  ´´And you kids know that he lives by himself in that big house. We are worried about him there, all alone, ´´ Denise´s mom added.  ´´Yeah, he seems so sad, ´´ Denise said.  ´´I saw Grandpa crying the other day, ´´ Leo said. ´´I bet he misses Grandma.´´  ´´You´re right, Leo, ´´ said William. ´´He misses her a lot. Grandpa and Grandma lived together for 60 years.´´  ´´Is that a long time, Dad? ´´ asked Leo.  ´´Yes, Leo. It´s a long time, ´´ his father explained. ´´And now he is sad and lonely. He doesn´t have anyone to talk to.´´ Laura said. ´´ Grandpa Can´t live by himself anymore, and we don´t want to send him to a nursing home.´´  ´´Why can´t he live with Uncle Mario? ´´ asked Ivan. ´´His house is so big and he doesn´t have any kids.´´  ´´I´m afraid Grandpa Can´t stay with Uncle Mario, Ivan, ´´ William said gravely. ´´You know Aunt Regina! ´´  ´´Yeah, I know. She doesn´t like our family, ´´ completed Ivan.  ´´The thing is…´´ William continued, ´´we decided that Grandpa is going to stay with us.´´     For a long time, Denise and Ivan just stared at each other in silence. Ivan was the first to speak.     ´´What do you mean? ´´ He asked.  ´´You mean Grandpa is going to live here… in our house! ´´ Denise couldn´t believe her ears.  ´´That´s right, Denise, ´´ answered Laura.  ´´Wow! ´´ Leo shouted. ´´Grandpa is going to live with us! ´´  ´´But where´s he going to sleep? ´´ asked Ivan. ´´The room I share with Leo is too small.´´  ´´And I´m not going to share my room with Grandpa. I need peace and quiet to study, ´´ Denise cried.  Nobody noticed but Leo was following every word. Suddenly he spoke out.  ´´I can stay with Grandpa! I can stay with Grandpa in one room. Ivan and Denise can share the other room.´´  ´´But what about our new rooms? ´´ asked Denise.  ´´We´ll have to change our plans, guys, ´´ their mother answered.  ´´Neat! ´´ cried Leo enthusiastically.  ´´No way! ´´ grunted Ivan.  ´´Forget it! ´´ said Denise angrily.  ´´We have no other choice, ´´ William declared.’ Grandpa needs us now.´´  Denise just walked away to her room, her eyes filled with tears.     Denise and Ivan were upset by the change of plans but they knew they had to accept their parent´s decision. They soon began to arrange the room they were going to share from now on.  ´´I can´t believe this is happening! I was already planning my new room, ´´ Denise said angrily.  ´´So was I, ´´ said Ivan.  ´´And I don´t want to share a room with you, ´´ she said.  ´´Neither do I. But there´s nothing we can do about it, ´´ Ivan replied.  ´´Let´s get some things clear. I don´t want your friends in here! ´´ Denise said.  ´´And I don´t want your friends here either, ´´ Ivan said.  ´´And you´ll have to leave your tennis shoes in the bathroom. They stink! ´´ She said.     Only Leo was really happy about Grandpa´s arrival. He didn´t stop asking questions all afternoon.  ´´Do you think Grandpa is going to like our room, Mom? ´´ He asked.  ´´Of course, sweaty. He´s going to love it.´´  ´´It´s going to be great with Grandpa here! He told me we´re going to play together every day, ´´ the little boy said.  ´´Really? ´´  ´´Yes and I´m going to show him my new video game.´´  ´´That´s nice, honey. I´m sure Grandpa is going to have a lot of fun, ´´ his mother said.  ´´He said he´s going to make popcorn for me. I know can´t eat popcorn because of his teeth, but he can eat ice cream, can´t he, mom? Leo couldn´t stop talking. ´´I told Grandpa I´m afraid of the dark, but he said he´ll read to me until I go to sleep. And he said…´´        CHAPATER 3        On Saturday morning, William arrived home with Grandpa.  Ivan and Denise helped with the suitcases and Laura carried in some boxes. Even Leo helped. He took Attila, Grandpa´s cat, out the of the car and brought it into the house.  William was uneasy. Of course, he felt sorry for his father. He knew it was hard for him to leave his old house. But he was also worried about his family. He knew it was going to be hard for all of them, but especially for Denise and Ivan.     In the beginning, things were fine. Denise was afraid of cats but she kept away from Attila. Ivan didn´t listen to his CDs when Grandpa was there watching TV. William tried to talk about the things Grandpa enjoyed. And Leo? Well…     As time went by, Grandpa and Leo got closer and closer. There was always something new to discover together.  One day, they went to the zoo. On another, they had a lot of fun at the Museum of Modern Art. Grandpa Didn´t likes the sculptures very much, but Leo thought they were funny.  And on Saturday, at the amusement park, they rode merry-go-round and ate cotton candy.     And one day, Grandpa decided to build Leo a swing. They worked in the garage for days. When the swing was almost ready, Grandpa asked, ´´ Can you help me paint it, Leo? ´´.  ´´Sure, Grandpa! I love painting, ´´ answered Leo. He was very excited.  That was one of the happiest days for Leo… and for Grandpa.     Things, however, were getting difficult between Grandpa and the older kids.     One day, Grandpa was working in the garage when Ivan arrived home from school. He wanted to use the garage to prepare an arts project and Grandpa Didn´t want to stop what he was doing. They argued for a long time and Grandpa finally walked out. He was very upset.     On another occasion, it was Denise who was mad at her grandfather. They were in the living room and she asked him to turn off the TV so she could study. He did what she asked but he wasn´t happy about it. ´´I can´t even watch my favorite TV program anymore, ´´ he grumbled as he left the room.  Time passed and the arguments between Grandpa and the older kids became more and more frequent. Ivan and Denise decided to talk to their father.  ´´We´re sorry, Dad, ´´ said Denise. ´´We are trying to get along with Grandpa but he is really impossible.´´  ´´So what do you want me to do? ´´ William asked. ´´Send him to a nursing home? ´´  ´´Maybe it´s the best thing, Dad, ´´ Ivan said,  ´´What are you talking about, Ivan? ´´ William was angry.  ´´This is Grandpa´s home now. Am I clear? ´´  ´´But Dad…´´ said Denise, trying to speak.  ´´I don´t want to hear anymore. One day you´ll be sorry for what you are saying, ´´ their father said gravely. Then, he turned his back and walked out of the room.     CHAPTER 4     The following Saturday was a big day for Ivan. It was Young Scientist´s Fair. The fair took place at school every year. But this year, Ivan and some of his classmates were presenting a project.     When Grandpa got up that morning, Ivan and his friends were already in the garage finishing up their project – a remote-controlled model car.  ´´Do you need any help, boys? ´´ Grandpa asked as he entered the garage.  ´´No, thanks, Grandpa, ´´ said Ivan coldly. ´´We are already leaving for school.´´  ´´Are you coming to the contest, Mr. Meyer? ´´ asked one of Ivan´s friends.  ´´Of course I am, ´´ answered Grandpa. ´´And I´m going to bring my tools. You may need them.´´     At 10 o´clock, Grandpa and the rest of the family left for Ivan´s School. When they arrived, the contest was just starting. But something was wrong. Ivan was running towards them. And he was obviously upset.     ´´Grandpa, Grandpa! Thank goodness I found you!  What´s up, Ivan? ´´ asked Grandpa.     ´´The remote control. Remember? It was perfect this morning when you came into the garage. But now, it´s not working.´´ Ivan was trembling. ´´And we have to present our project next. You know all about electronics, don´t you, Grandpa? Do you think you can fix it? ´´  Well… Let´s have a look! ´´ Grandpa replied.  Denise was in bed when Clara acme over on Monday afternoon. She had the mumps and the doctor told her to stay at home for two weeks. Ivan was going to bring her class work from school and Grandpa was going to take care of her.  ´´What about your math test next week? ´´ Clara asked. ´´You are going to Miss It.´´  ´´No. I´m not. Grandpa talked to the principal this morning and they are going to let me take the test at home.´´  ´´Wow! Grandpa is really great, isn´t he? ´´ Clara added.´´ It´s good to have him around after all.´´  ´´You know you´re right! We were talking about that when you came in, ´´ Ivan replied.  Just then, Grandpa opened the door.  ´´Do you kids need anything? ´´ He asked.  ´´No, just you Grandpa, just you. Come on in! ´´ said Denise.