Sunshine In My Boots

Grandpa's Walk of Life

Monday

8/27/2019

San Mortian, Bangarago

Maya P. Tawek

I'm making my way to my grandfather's house on a plane, and right about now I just want to jump out of the window, which is not going to happen because two security officers are watching my every move, every second of every hour until my grandfather picks me up. I look outside my window hoping that I can go home soon. I start to look around the plane and I see two of my many cousins huddled together before they get split up into different foster homes. Since I was the eldest girl of my generation I got to choose between foster care or living with my grandfather. I jumped at the opportunity right away to go with my grandfather, and Jordan, who I was sitting by, is the eldest boy in the generation so he got to go to grandfather's house too. Most of the plane ride, Jordan and I talked about how we feel about the other kids and how long we are going to have to stay in San Mortian.

We finally arrived to our destination. Jordan and I were the first to get up, so we went to the exit. Before we walked off we hugged every single cousin and watched all of them split up to various amounts of foster families. After the last one left Jordan and I got off the plane and ran to our grandpa at first sight. When grandpa asked where our luggage was, it was hard to tell it was just us and journals we got from the foster care facility. Then, after a long walk through the airport to the parking lot, we finally got in grandpa's car and started to drive off.

We made it around fifteen minutes down a very bumpy and dusty road in grandpa's old jeep when, BOOM, a tire went flat. Grandpa asks us if we're okay, we replied yes and Jordan admitted that it gave him a bit of a jump scare. I never would've thought that I would hear those words come out of a tough guy's mouth. Grandpa told us to stay in the car as he went to check the tire, when suddenly, a man in a truck came zooming towards us, stopping in just enough time so that it wouldn't crash into us.

The man came out of his truck and, using a weird accent, said, "Got a flat tire do ya?"

"Yeah. I probably ran over those dang nails," grandpa replied. After a while, grandpa gestured for us to come over and, I'm assuming, meet the man that almost ran into us. "These are two of my grandchildren," he exclaimed. He turned to us and gestured to the man, "and this is my friend, Mr. Kierst, his sister babysat you guys when you were very little."

Mr. Kierst shook our hands. "Oh. What a firm handshake you got there," he pointed out when he got to Jordan.

"Thanks," Jordan replied.

"you lift?" Mr. kierst asked.

"yes, Sir." replied Jordan

At the time Mr.Keirst waved at some kids in his car in a girl and a guy came out. The guy came over and gave me a puzzling look and shook my hand. Mr. Keirst told them who we were and the guy apparently named Even got a very surprised looked on his face. Emma his sister had a very surprised look on her face too and Jordan and I were very puzzled. Even asked us

"Don't you remember us? we went to the waterpark almost every day of the summer."

Jordan and I looked at each other and a lightbulb went off. "I remember that,Emma and I always would flip the tube over on the slides and you guys would go snoop out the lady's even though you were twelve".Jordan and Emma were smiling at each other,and me and Even started chuckling because we know Jordan and Emma still like each other. Grandpa told us to get in the car because we have to get to the ranch before dark. So we said are goodbyes and hooped back into the jeep and grandpa and Mr. Keirst got a new tire on. We started to drive off and Jordan fell asleep on the car ride to the ranch. When we got to the ranch grandpa told us where to sleep and that we should get a shower and then get to bed.

I couldn't fall asleep so I looked out my window to find my grandpa feeding the cattle and the swine,and later on shave the wool off the sheep.All these things were supposed to be done during the day, but grandpa can't do all of it on his own during the day.I felt so sad for him,but I got so tired I couldn't tell him I was sorry before I went to sleep.