Campfire Road

Cherry Tanbrough

Grandpa counts the one dollar bills into Jake's hand, "... nine, ten, eleven, twelve and thirteen.
"Plus, one to grow on.

"Now isn't that better than spanking?"

Jake puts the money in his jeans' pocket, "Yes, Grandpa, thank you."

Grandpa messes his shaggy light-brown hair, "Happy birthday.

"Get the flowers.
"Let's go before your old man wastes your whole birthday."

Jake hurries the few feet to the kitchen, smoothing out his hair and collects the spring flower bouquet. "Are you up to the walk or do you want to drive this year?"

Grandpa puts his straw cowboy hat on, "Both.
"I thought we'd go to the fishing store.
"If my count is right, you've saved up enough for that pole you want."

Jake hurries to join him at the door, "I'll have a few dollars leftover. Might be enough to get that fancy lure."

Grandpa gets the door and steers Jake out onto the saggy old porch, "It's a waste. Best to catch the bait fish."

Jake waits as Grandpa locks up the little trailer, then follows the fit old man down the creaky steps.

Jake still beats him into the blue and white eighty-eight Chevy.

When he starts it up, Jake teases, "She's twice as old as me now.
"Don't ya think it's time for a new truck?"

Grandpa works the wheel as he chuckles, "No, but if I don't stop getting old, I'm going to have to get her power steering fixed."

Jake laughs and tries to get the radio to get a station.
He's not managed to in the minute it is before Grandpa turns into the cemetery, so Jake turns it off.

"Grandpa, I was wondering, why?
"I don't mind coming here every year, but why do we?
"Mom's not here."

Grandpa parks in the middle of the single dirt lane, "Well, Jake, it's about silly little girls.
"When your mother was just the little girl living next door, she was a chatterbox.

"Every Saturday, I'd be out trimming the trees or tending your grandmother's garden.
"She'd wander over with her pigtails and chatter on and on.

"Now and then, she'd say something that would stick me good.
"Almost every time a birthday would come up, she'd ask why a birthday is about the one born, they didn't do any of the work.
"She always told her mother, thank you, on her birthday.
"When she started dating your dad, she made him get your grandmother flowers on his birthday.

"So, every year I've made you bring her flowers on your birthday."

Jake wonders, "Was she always a chatterbox?"

Grandpa nods firmly, "Pretty much."

Jake takes the flowers as he gets out.
He waits for Grandapa and they walk together to the family gravesite.

The double space has the large stone with the family name on a banner and two lists of smaller names with dates.

Jake puts the flowers in the dusty cup and scares a lizard out of it.

They stand reverently in the dry desert air for a long moment, then Jake asks, "If we'd not gone fishing, would we have fit down there with them?"

Grandpa has a deep breath, "Lots of room down there still.
"Everyone was cremated.
"Only my grandfather was buried whole, he's at the bottom."

Jake recalls, "He got this gravesite for the family so we'd all be together."

"Never thought your dad would get in before me."