Granny's SETI Goblin

Free Clinic

"I don't want to go." I sat beside my daughter, who had the most miserable expression I'd seen on her in 19 years of life. She held a backpack with woefully little room for 65 years of my collection. Outside the window of the bus, I watched old mansions of Inman Park with their dead trees and bushes. I guess that's me, now.

"Granny, I don't want you to go, either." Luna, my 4 year-old granddaughter, hugged me with her smelly goblin toy my daughter's sorry ex gave her for her birthday last week. Already, her dog Bully gave his opinion of the toy, and no amount of scrubbing makes it smell better. "I decided you need Dromie more than I do." She pressed the toy into my arms. A pointy ear snagged one of her twin braids. Her hair was lighter brown than ours.

As if I don't have enough nightmares! This thing had an evil smile, a green plastic face with pointy ears, and enough teeth to chomp my arm. Blue eyes and a softer plastic body didn't make it very comfortable to hold. It probably started life as a Halloween yard decoration, as faded as it is.

I showed her Andromeda in my telescope but she calls it Dromie, so now this ugly toy has the name. Luna had tears in her blue eyes. "He's the best toy. He listens to all my problems." She gave a dramatic sigh. Everything's dramatic for this wannabe little actress. She could pass for white with that tan skin. Gwen's medium brown and I'm dark, but my mama was blue-black. Luna has her blue eyes.

"Then, you should keep him—"

"Mama won't let me. You'll keep him safe for me, won't you?"

The screeking of bus brakes gave me an excuse not to answer. I wasn't so sure I wanted a free clinic giving me a referral to a nursing home.

We got off the bus and my daughter Gwen dropped her bomb. "Mama, I'm getting a divorce. We're locked out. That's why I'm doing this." Her green eyes filled.

I nearly lost my grip on my walker! "We're homeless? But, you've got rights! Bubba can't keep our things—"

"Mama, he threatened me with his .45! He warned me to leave the key on the kitchen table. I don't know where Luna and I are goin'. I'm takin' her to pre-school, then I'm job-huntin' again." She sobbed.

I tried to hug her and the walker creaked.

"Mama, just hold onto this. I stuffed a few clothes in Luna's backpack, and a few in mine. I know this clinic's new, but maybe they'll let you sit there long enough for me to find us a place. I put your meds in your bag. There wasn't room for clothes, but they'll put hospital gowns on you in the nursing home, anyway."

I already panted. The walk from north from Ponce de Leon Av went on forever. I had to sit in my rollator often. A pleasant day, but cold. When I put my right hand in my pocket, there were snacks. I gave a pack of peanut butter crackers to Luna.

"Dromie needs that. Here, Dromie." When she pressed the end against his mouth, it opened! I wasn't expecting it, and the teeth went down on my finger and crackers crunched.

"Ow!"

"Bad, Dromie! Don't bite people!"

The mouth opened. My finger had a cut! It's mechanical, too? Who would build something like that, for a kid? Gwen produced a used paper napkin from her pocket. No trace of the crackers.

Gwen's brown eyes rolled. "If you get hungry later, I'm not puttin' my hand in there! He got me good after the party." She rubbed her hand, which had a jagged cut on the back. It's red.

"Did you put anything on it?"

"Yeah, an' Bubba hit me. His first aid kit is off limits." My daughter got teary. I thought he just yelled. Now I noticed how big her right shoulder was.