Jess and the Runaway Grandpa

by Mary Woodbury

Talkingstick Press

This revised edition of Jess and the Runaway Grandpa is published by: Talkingstick Press #404, 10319 111 Street Edmonton, AB T5K 0A2 Copyright (c) Mary Woodbury 2011. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior permission from the publisher. Originally published in 1997 by Coteau Books. Editor: Barbara Sapergia Cover art and design by Robert Woodbury Original photography by Debbie Parsons Models for cover: Natalia Young and Bill Freed ISBN: 978-0-9868347-1-4 Lyric excerpts of Youll Never Walk Alone by Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein II, (c) 12945 Williamson Music. Copyright Renewed. International Copyright Secured. Used by Permission. All rights Reserved. Digitally printed in Canada by PageMaster

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chapter 1 Orange Socks............................................. 1 Chapter 2 On the School Bus ..................................... 8 Chapter 3 Ernie in the Morning ............................... 12 Chapter 4 Ernie Makes Plans ................................... 17 Chapter 5 Water Bombs ........................................... 21 Chapter 6 Flight ....................................................... 29 Chapter 7 Brian, the Deputy .................................... 37 Chapter 8 Where Are We Going? ............................ 42 Chapter 9 The Old School........................................ 50 Chapter 10 Keep the Home Fires Burning ............... 58 Chapter 11 In the Woods ......................................... 65 Chapter 12 Ernie Forgets ......................................... 71 Chapter 13 The Hunt Begins.................................... 75 Chapter 14 Setting up Camp .................................... 83 Chapter 15 Brian, the Hunter ................................... 90 Chapter 16 Jess Faces Trouble ................................. 94 Chapter 17 Brian, the Investigator ......................... 101 Chapter 18 Ernie Awake at Night .......................... 106 Chapter 19 Night Fright ......................................... 108 Chapter 20 Jess Goes Fishing ................................ 112 Chapter 21 Jess Thinks Things Through ............... 116 Chapter 22 Brian Finds a Clue ............................... 125 Chapter 23 Jess Makes a Tough Decision ............. 133

Chapter 24 Brian Leads the Way ........................... 141 Chapter 25 Ernie in the Boat .................................. 145 Chapter 26 Jess Gives Her Best ............................. 148 Chapter 27 Look Homeward .................................. 157 Chapter 28 In the Hospital ..................................... 159

I dedicate this book to Greg and Janelle Caldwell, and the thousands of children who know first-hand what it is like to lose a grandparent to Alzheimers. With thanks to Colleen Hefferman and her students in Smith and Athabasca. Without their interest and encouragement this book might have gone out of print permanently. Ten percent of the price of each book sold goes to the Alzheimers Society of Canada.

Chapter 1 Orange Socks

he day after her cat Midas died Jessie Baines put on a pair of orange socks. It didnt matter that they didnt match her bright purple track suit or her lime green sports bag or her worn white sneakers with purple laces. What mattered was remembering Midas. Midas had been one terrific pet. A ball of golden fuzz when they had picked him up at the SPCA, he had grown into an impressive giant. On that first day when the kittens tiny, sharp, pins-and-needles claws had kneaded Jesss arm leaving marks, her dad had chuckled, That kitten has the Midas touch. He changes everything he touches. But my arm hasnt turned to gold, Daddy, Jess had retorted, being a lippy six year old at the time. Now, six years later; Midas, the huge purring orange machine, had been run over by a speeding half-ton, and would only live in Jesss memory. Thats where her dad lived too. Hed moved East shortly after Midas had arrived. Jess and her mom, Naomi Baines, held a memorial service for the cat in the back yard by the cedar deck. The vet gave them Midass remains in a Cougar winter boots box. Ernie and Ruth Mather, their old friends from next door, and Brian Dille and his dad Sonny, from down the street, came to the funeral. Everyone shared stories of Midas except Ernie, who was losing his memory. He stood silent, grey head bowed, rocking back and forth slightly, humming a hymn. Ruth had a black bulky sweater wrapped around her sturdy

Mary Woodbury

compact body. Her arthritis complained on damp days. Remember how he chased magpies in the yard, Ruth sniffed. Caught some, too. Jess could remember showing Midas off proudly to the Mathers when she was young. Theyd made a big fuss of her and the cat. They always had. Back then shed called them Grandma and Grandpa. Her real ones were distant in more ways than miles, as her mom said. The Mathers had adopted all of them. Especially after the Bainses had bought the house next door. The firemen had to rescue him from Mathers elm tree once, Brian added. He was not a damsel but just dismal in distress. Jess glared at Brian from under lowered eyelids. Couldnt the clown be serious for one minute? He had the loudest purr of all the cats on the block, Sonny Dille sighed. He loved green olives. Naomi shoveled clay and sand onto the boot box. The dirt thudded on the cardboard. The smell of damp, turned earth, and early crab-apple blossoms filled the air. Jess squeezed her stinging eyes shut and pictured Midas eating olives. Without the pits, Jess whispered. They sang Memories from the Musical Cats. Naomi led the chorus with her husky alto voice. Tears made two thin rivers down her plump cheeks. She wiped them away leaving a smudge of dirt on her chin. Jess was tempted to take a Kleenex, dampen it, and wash her mothers face for her. Naomi cared so much for every living thing. She worked too hard, Ruth Mather said. That was why Jess had to be a big girl and help. Answer the phone, take messages, make sure Naomi ate good food. One of Jesss friends at school had said she envied Jess because she had a mom that was more like a big sister who loved pets, and lots of moms

Jess and the Runaway Grandpa

didnt. Poor Midas. Everything Jess thought about reminded her of the cat. What are we celebrating? Ernies white hair blew in the stiff May breeze. He was wearing his blue windbreaker and matching polyester blue pants. Silver-rimmed glasses perched on his long pale nose. A grey stubble of a beard sprouted on his prominent chin. His cheeks were smooth and pink, but his neck and hands were wrinkled. He had too much skin for the size of his skeleton. Never a big man, Ernie had shrunk since he retired either that or Jess had grown really fast. Jess shivered like someone was walking on her grave. Poor Ernie, hed been like a grandpa, a really great grandpa. Now he was more like a kid. It scared her when he didnt remember who she was. She wanted to scream at him when he did dumb things. Jesss eyes filled with tears. She took the cats stuffed mouse with its chewed tail and missing eye out of her pocket and tossed it onto the cats coffin. Everyone else threw some earth into the hole. Her mother planted a rosebush, the sweat joining the tears and the smudges of clay on her flushed face. They all hugged each other, except for Brian and Jess. The two of them stood awkwardly for a moment, hands by their sides. Jess cried silently, mopping her tears with a hankie that Ruth had passed her. Midas had a great life. Ruth patted Jesss hand. He died running. I dont think he would have wanted it any other way. Its been a purr-fect afternoon for an interment, Brian said. Too bad Grandpa Ernie missed it all. He rolled his eyes skyward. Jess wanted to bop him on the head. What an insensitive clod hed turned out to be. She couldnt talk as they filed into the house for tea,

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