In Parched Gardens: Book 1

Chapter 16: But if She Did

"Grandpa," Fin started, "I've got it. Please. You really don't need to help."

His grandfather patted him on the back as he walked up to him and toward the open trunk of the car. "If you won't let us give you anything for it," his grandfather replied, "I can at least help."

"Ok, Grandpa," Fin replied. He handed the old man two bags, slipping all of the remaining bags up his arms so that his grandfather wouldn't insist on any more. "But how about I put everything away when we get inside?"

His grandfather laughed. "I'll sit," he started, "but only if the coffee's ready."

The two walked through the front door and Fin saw his grandmother through the entry to the kitchen. She looked up at the two of them and seeing her husband with the bags, looked at Fin, nodded her head side to side, and smiled slightly. "Come in, come in!" she said to Fin. "Just set the bags down on the kitchen table."

The two placed the bags on the table and Fin breathed in the smell of fresh coffee. Two mugs steamed with coffee on the kitchen counter. "Would you like anything in your coffee, Finegan?" she asked him.

"No, thanks Grandma," Fin answered. "Black's good with me."

"You sure?" his grandmother asked him, stirring sugar and some creamer into her husband's mug.

"I'm used to it this way, but thanks though," Fin answered.

His grandfather sat down at the table, sipping his coffee, but his grandmother insisted on helping. Apparently everything from the store had very particular spots they needed to go. Fin called out the grocery items and handed them to his grandmother as she walked around the room and occasionally around the corner to the pantry. Soon, the groceries were put away and the three of them sat at the kitchen table, sipping coffee and talking. As they sat, they heard birdsong from the open kitchen window at the back of the room. The window opened to the porch there. The porch was probably Fin's favorite part of the house. There was a two person hanging swing there, several comfortable rocking chairs, a few wind chimes dangling near the lip of the roof that shaded the porch, and several bird feeders. Along the edge of the porch, his grandmother cultivated many flowers which she often cut for the vases around her house. Bumblebees, dragonflies, and hummingbirds often buzzed around the flowers and feeders. And just beyond the porch, the splash of wings in a birdbath could often be heard.

"So, have you been up to anything lately?" his grandmother asked Fin as they sat.

Fin thought about it for a moment. "Well, actually just the other day I hung out with Isaac and Natalie again."

"Oh, what a sweet girl!" his grandmother added, and his grandfather shook his head, smiling.

"Yeah, we ran into her at the bowling alley," Fin continued. "She had a friend with her that I've talked to a couple times at the grocery store. We all had fun, I think."

"Is that shoddy bowling alley really still open?" his grandfather asked. "That place was grimey when I was young."

"Well they've actually done a really good job restoring it," Fin answered. "It's honestly pretty nice now."

"Huh," his grandfather answered. "Well I'll be. Wish they would've fixed it up a long time ago."

"You know," his grandmother started, "your grandfather was actually quite the bowler back when we were young."

"Really?" Fin asked.

"He really was," she answered. "He was captain of the bowling team at Allbrook High School for, what was it William, three years?"