The Fugitive Grandma

Chapter 22 - Slow Boil

Every night for the next week, Johnny had the same nightmare. In the dream, he saw robbers enter his grandmother’s house. Stella was snoring in her bed and he couldn’t wake her up. He tried desperately to shake her out of sleep as the men searched every room, brandishing their guns and laughing wickedly. But nothing he did could wake her. Each night when the dream ended, Johnny sat up, sweaty and panicked in his bed sheets, terrified of falling asleep again.

During the school days, Johnny was tired and more distracted than ever. His grandma’s condition worried him, especially when he wondered what might come next. He kept thinking back on their last conversation about Little Red Riding Hood. He remembered the ending where the wolf got away with murder.

“What’s the matter, Johnny?” Sabrina asked at lunch one day.

“I think I am sick.” He excused himself, heading to the bathroom with one hand on his stomach. Across the cafeteria, he saw the Maguire twins eyeing him. They were probably still plotting the revenge they had warned him about.

After lunch, Johnny walked out to a basketball court near the soccer field at the edge of the school grounds. After a quick check to make sure no teachers or security guards were watching, he ran across the court into some bushes next to the soccer field. He crawled through the bushes and crossed the street, sprinting through a series of backyards.

Soon he was deep into the neighborhood, far enough that he barely heard the bell marking the end of lunch recess.

Johnny walked for an hour until he reached the house on Mariposa. The mailbox was overflowing and obviously hadn’t been checked for days. The flowers by the front porch were all either wilting or already dead. 

He saw Stella in the living room, staring at the TV even though it wasn’t turned on.

Finally, she noticed him with a soft, dopey smile.

“Good to see you kid. What are you doing here? Is it the weekend already? I can’t keep track of the days anymore.” Her voice sounded different to Johnny. It sounded older.

“No Grandma, I had a half-day off from school today. I figured I’d come by and see how you were doing.”

“That’s awfully sweet. Millie is coming over. We were going to play cards and cook dinner together. You’re welcome to join us.”

“That sounds good,” Johnny replied. Stella stayed planted on the couch, finally turning on the television at Johnny’s suggestion. He’d never seen her sit in one place for so long without moving. Around the room, the furniture was dusty and cluttered. He noticed spider webs in corners.

“Are you sure you’re feeling OK, Grandma?”

“Millie asked me the same thing. You don’t need to worry. Everything is back to normal. I am not one to fixate on the bad stuff. Let’s just have fun today like we always do.”

When Millie arrived, Johnny brought the playing cards and a jar of pennies from the bed room. He checked the drawer, looking for the gun, but it was empty.

 “Anyone getting hungry? I ‘ll start the water for the spaghetti,” Stella said after a few hands of Texas Hold ‘Em. “Once the water is ready,  I’ll heat up some tomato sauce  I have in the fridge. It’ll take some time so you can have a snack in the meantime if you’re hungry.”

“Do you have any cookies?” Johnny asked.

“We have chocolate chip cookies left over.” Stella carried the tin from the kitchen to the table and dumped some on a plate. “I don’t want any but you can help yourself, kid.”