Grandma makes a run for her room first, scuttling away as fast as she can. I’ve never seen her move that fast before. Her sagging pantyhose ultimately slows her down though, allowing me and Toni to catch up to her.
The three of us quickly collide shoulder to shoulder, forming a clog in the narrowest artery of the hallway, all vying for escape from Mom, who’s now walking up behind us clapping her hands together, prodding us along.
“C’mon, Go, Go, Go!”
Grandma’s squared heels drag against the green shag carpet enough to make friction, shocking me every time I come in contact with her electrically charged dress.
I’m fourteen now, still the smallest, so the first to break free from the three person clog and arrive in the safe zone, my bedroom. Toni scrambles into my room behind me, old army buddies. We lie side my side on our stomachs on my bed like old times.
But Toni and I can’t sit still for long. We have to keep busy nowadays. There’s too much to do to always be lounging around. Everybody knows that you’re wasting your life if you’re not making the best of your time, working hard, getting things accomplished.
“Let’s rearrange your room.” Toni is always full of bright ideas to pass the time. “We can hide your trash can here and move the bed this way so you can face the window…”
With a great whomp, George flops his suitcase down on the living room floor.
“Hi George,” I call out a greeting as loud as I can from my bedroom way down the hall. I think it’s important to say “hi” and “how are you” make a person feel welcomed. After all, it must be hard to be moving into a strange house.
But George doesn’t answer me. And I know he heard me because I can hear him say, “How about a nice glass of Coke?” to Mom. And I can also hear Mom jumping to it, clinking ice in a glass and hssssssssssssst, opening a hissing soda bottle.
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