Grandad slept until dinnertime. Then he ate in his room. I visited with him before I went to bed.
“I am sorry I have been such a sleepy-head,” said Grandad. “Come sit down and tell me how your book sharing went.”
“Everyone liked my report a lot,” I said. “Ms. Colman told me that The Velveteen Rabbit is one of her favorite stories.”
“I am so glad,” replied Grandad. “And what about the other books?”
I told Grandad about My Grandson Lew, Everett Anderson’s Goodbye, I Hate English, and a few other books kids shared.
“Those sound like very good books,” said Grandad. “Maybe you could borrow some from the library and read them to me.”
I thought that was a gigundoly good idea. We talked some more. Then Seth told me it was my bedtime. I kissed Grandad good night.
“See you in the morning,” I said.
I went upstairs and climbed into my warm, cozy little-house bed. I fell asleep right away.
A few hours later I heard the noises. I had been sound asleep. At first I thought I was dreaming. But when I opened my eyes the noises did not stop. They were coming from downstairs. I heard people running. I heard Granny calling for help. I was confused. And scared.
“Mommy! Mommy!” I called.
“It is all right,” replied Mommy. “Go back to sleep.”
The next thing I heard was Granny talking on the phone. I heard the words “heart attack.”
I jumped out of bed and ran to the head of the stairs. Andrew stumbled out of his room and stood next to me.
“Mommy!” I called again. “What is going on?”
“Grandad had a heart attack,” replied Mommy. “You and Andrew stay upstairs.”
“What did Mommy say?” asked Andrew.
He was too sleepy and too little to understand. I led him back to his room and tucked him into bed.
“Everything will be all right. You go back to sleep now,” I told Andrew.
I said it just the way Mommy would say it to me. I ran to my room and took Goosie in my arms.
“Something terrible is happening to Grandad. I am so frightened,” I said.
I held Goosie tightly while I listened to the voices downstairs.
Waiting Up
I could not stay in bed any longer. I got up and went back to the head of the stairs. I brought Goosie with me.
I could not hear everything the voices were saying. But I heard “still breathing” and “ambulance” and “emergency room.”
“Mommy? Is Grandad going to be okay?” I called.
Mommy came to the foot of the stairs and looked up at me.
“We are taking good care of Grandad. We need you to stay upstairs. I know it is difficult, but try to go back to sleep,” said Mommy.
“I can’t sleep. I am too worried,” I replied.
Just then we heard an ambulance siren in the distance. It grew louder and louder. Then it stopped. I heard doors opening and slamming shut.
“Be a good helper and go back to bed, Karen,” said Mommy. “I have to stay downstairs now. I promise I will come sit with you in a few minutes.”
I wanted to be a good helper. So I went back to my room. I looked out the window. I could see the ambulance outside. The light on top was flashing as it went round and round.
I heard strangers’ voices and more noises downstairs. Then I saw a stretcher being carried out of the house by people in white coats. I could see the shape of Grandad lying on the stretcher. I could not see his face. I wanted to see his face.
They put the stretcher into the back of the ambulance. Granny climbed in. Then they closed the door and sped away. Seth followed the ambulance in his car.
“Oh, Goosie! They took Grandad away,” I exclaimed.
Then I began to cry so hard I did not think I could ever stop. Mommy came in and put her arms around me. She led me to the bed and rocked me until I stopped crying.
“Will Grandad be okay?” I asked.
“I hope so,” replied Mommy. “The doctors will take very good care of him at the hospital. Seth promised to call later to tell us what the doctors say.”
“I want to stay up till Seth calls,” I said.
“Karen, you have school tomorrow. You need your rest,” replied Mommy.
“I cannot sleep, Mommy,” I said. “I want to wait up with you.”
Mommy took me to her room and we cuddled up in her big bed together. We rested until the phone rang. Mommy picked up the phone, said hello, then listened.
“What did Seth say? How is Grandad?” I asked when she hung up.
“Seth said Grandad is resting in the coronary intensive care unit,” replied Mommy. “Seth and Granny will be coming home soon.”
I knew what the coronary care unit was. Grandad had been in one before in his hospital in Nebraska. That is where they take care of anyone who has had a serious heart attack.
Suddenly I felt very tired. Mommy walked me back to my room and tucked me into bed.
“Get some rest, sweetheart,” she said.
Mommy kissed me on the forehead. I fell asleep.
Two Good Ideas
The next day at school, I felt awfully tired. I also felt sad, worried, and confused.
Seth had called the hospital first thing in the morning. The doctors reported that Grandad’s condition was very serious. They said that in the next few hours they would know more about whether he would get better.
Granny and Seth were going to spend the day at the hospital. I thought I should be there, too, in case Grandad wanted to talk to me. Mommy said she would take Andrew and me to visit Grandad after school.
I was glad Ms. Colman picked Omar to take attendance that morning. I was too sleepy to take attendance. But I was not too sleepy to have a good idea.
“I think we should put Hootie’s name in the attendance book,” I said when Omar handed the book back to Ms. Colman. “After all, he is part of our class.”
“I like that,” said Ms. Colman. “Here, you may write his name in the book.”
Cool! I was making an important addition to the class attendance book. I was finally starting to wake up and feel a little better.
“I think we should get another guinea pig to keep Hootie company,” said Addie. “That way he will have someone to talk to and he will not be lonely.”
Wheee! Wheee! Hootie started whistling in his cage. I think he liked Addie’s idea. We all did.
“Let’s talk about this,” said Ms. Colman. “Are we ready to take care of two guinea pigs? It means feeding two, providing water for two, and cleaning for two.”
“I am ready!” I replied.
“We will all take turns caring for the guinea pigs,” said Sara.
“All right, then,” said Ms. Colman. “We should try to get a male guinea pig since Hootie is a male. If we get a female, we might be overrun with baby guinea pigs.”
That did not sound too bad to me. But I guessed Ms. Colman thought she would have enough babies to take care of with her own on the way.
It was Wednesday. We agreed to go to Noah’s Ark pet store on Monday.
“I will call the store to make sure there are several guinea pigs for us to choose from,” said Ms. Colman. “I will have permission slips for the trip ready for you tomorrow. Please make sure you give them back to me by Monday. Otherwise you will not be allowed to go to the store. Any questions?”
No one raised a hand.
“Do you have any questions, Hootie?” I asked.
Wheee! Wheee!
I do not think Hootie was asking a question. I think he was just very excited about the news.
Visiting Grandad
After school, Mommy was waiting outside in the car with Andrew. She was going to drive us to the hospital.
“How is Grandad?” I asked.
“No better, no worse,” Mommy replied. “Now remember, you and Andrew will not be allowed to go into the coronary care unit. You will have to visit with Grandad from the hallway.”
&nb
sp; “But I want to give him a hug and a kiss. That always cheers him up. And maybe he will want to hold my hand,” I said.
“I am sure he would like to hold your hand, Karen,” said Mommy. “But children are not allowed inside the unit. That is the rule.”
Boo. I would just have to wave and blow him kisses.
Mommy parked the car in the hospital parking lot. I had been to the hospital lots of times. I was there when I broke my wrist roller skating. I was there when Nancy had her appendix out. I was there after Bobby fell through the ice on Stoneybrook pond. (That was kind of my fault because I did not warn him the ice could be thin. I was very sorry about that.)
I had been on a few different floors. But I had not been on the sixth floor yet. That was where Grandad was. And I had not been on the newborn baby floor yet. That is where Ms. Colman would be in a few months. Maybe I would get to go there then.
We stepped into the elevator and I pressed six. When we stepped out, we followed the arrows to the coronary care unit. I could see Grandad through the glass. My stomach did a flip-flop. Grandad’s skin looked gray. He looked worn out. I started to cry a little and Mommy took me aside.
“Grandad will feel better if he sees you smiling,” she said.
I wanted to help Grandad feel better. So I wiped away my tears and practiced smiling for Mommy.
“That is much better,” she said.
Andrew and I walked to the glass wall and waved to Granny and Grandad. (Granny was sitting in a chair by the bed.) As soon as Grandad saw us, he smiled. Then he said something I could not hear. Mommy poked her head in the room to find out what he was saying. When she came back to us, she said, “Grandad wants to know how school was today.”
Andrew nodded his head a lot. That was his way of saying preschool was very good.
Then it was my turn to answer. I mouthed “Hootie.” I knew Grandad would understand because we had just been talking about Hootie. I had told him how we thought Hootie was lonely.
I held up one hand to show one guinea pig. Then I held up my other hand to show a second guinea pig. Grandad understood that we were going to have two guinea pigs in my class. I was glad. I did not want him to miss out on any news while he was sick.
Then Granny came into the hall to tell us Grandad was feeling a little tired. Andrew and I waved and blew kisses to Grandad. Then we all went home.
Seth returned to the hospital after dinner, but Granny stayed home to rest. She looked as though she had grown older overnight. She looked gigundoly tired.
I went to her room to keep her company before bedtime. I sat by her side and held her hand.
“I love you and Grandad so much,” I said. “I am glad you are living here. Do not worry. Grandad will be okay. Then we will all be together again.”
“Grandad and I love you very much, too,” replied Granny.
I kissed Granny on the cheek. Then I went upstairs to go to sleep.
Sad News
On Thursday morning, Mommy sat across from Andrew and me at the breakfast table.
“I have sad news to tell you,” she said. “Your grandad died during the night. He simply was not strong enough to live any longer.”
At first I just sat there. I was not sure I heard Mommy right. But I could tell from the look on her face that I had. I burst into tears.
“No, Mommy, no!” I said.
I cried and cried and cried. So did Andrew. Mommy held us and stroked us until we stopped.
“You do not have to go to school today if you do not want to. You can stay home with me,” said Mommy. “Have your breakfast now. Then you can decide.”
Andrew and I thought about it during breakfast. We both decided we would feel better if we went to school.
“I will call your teachers to tell them what has happened. That way you can talk to them if you need to,” said Mommy.
When I entered my classroom Ms. Colman took me aside and said, “I am so sorry about your grandad. I am here if you need me.”
After attendance Ms. Colman asked Leslie to pass out the permission slips for our trip to the pet store. Grandad would have liked to hear about our trip. I would have gone into his room after school and told him all about it. Now I would not be able to.
I started to cry a little. Leslie saw me.
“Crybaby, crybaby, dry your little eye, baby,” said Leslie.
“Please go to your seat, Leslie. I will finish handing out the permission slips,” said Ms. Colman.
Ms. Colman knelt beside me. She whispered in my ear, “May I tell the class about your grandad? I think it would be easier for you if they knew.”
I nodded.
Ms. Colman returned to the front of the room. “I have some sad news, boys and girls,” she said. “Karen’s grandfather died last night. This is a very hard time for her. How many of you have lost someone close to you?”
A few kids raised their hands. I did not feel so alone with my sad news anymore.
“How did you feel then?” asked Ms. Colman.
The kids took turns telling how they had felt. Sad. Lonely. Frightened.
“My dog, Rusty, got run over by a car,” said Ian. “At first I did not feel anything at all. Then I started crying so hard.”
“We are talking about difficult feelings,” said Ms. Colman. “Sometimes we do not want to face them. It is better if we do. It helps to share them, too.”
“Right after my grandma Betsy died, I felt sad all the time,” said Audrey. “Then after a while, I started to feel better. I think about Grandma Betsy a lot. So she is sort of still with me.”
“So you know some of the feelings Karen might be having now,” said Ms. Colman. “Maybe you will try to help her to feel better.”
Natalie touched my arm and smiled at me. Then Ricky passed me a note. It was from Leslie. It said, “I am sorry.” I turned to her and smiled. My classmates were being gigundoly nice.
“I am going to read the book that Ricky brought to class on Monday,” said Ms. Colman. “It is called Everett Anderson’s Goodbye.”
I liked listening to the story. I especially liked hearing the end again: “Whatever happens when people die, love doesn’t stop, and neither will I.”
After school I went home and cried and slept and slept and cried. And then I started to feel a little bit better.
Saying Good-bye
Saturday was Grandad’s funeral.
“Are you sure you want to go?” asked Seth when I finished eating breakfast. “You do not have to go, you know. It is perfectly all right for you to stay home.”
Mommy and Seth had told me the night before what the funeral would be like. They said that Grandad would be in a casket. A minister would say a few words about Grandad, and then some prayers. Then everyone would drive to the cemetery. The minister would say more prayers and we would put flowers on the casket. This sounded like a very good way to say good-bye.
“I want to be there,” I said.
Andrew had decided to stay home. Kristy was going to baby-sit for him.
I went upstairs to get dressed. I put on my navy blue jumper and tights, a white turtleneck shirt, and my shiny black dress-up shoes.
Mommy peeked into my room to see if I needed any help. I did not. I was ready to go.
“You look so pretty, Karen,” said Mommy. “I know Grandad would be proud of you.”
I cried a little because Grandad could not see me.
A few minutes later, Daddy brought Kristy to the little house. He gave Andrew and me big hugs. Then he gave Mommy, Seth, and Granny beautiful flowers and told them how sorry he was that Grandad had died.
The rest of the day went by in a blur.
We drove to the funeral parlor in Stoneybrook. Mommy’s and Seth’s friends came to the service. Some of them brought flowers. (Granny’s and Grandad’s friends were in Nebraska.)
The minister said kind words and a few prayers just the way Mommy and Seth had said he would. He even said my name. He called Andrew and me Grandad’s beloved grandchild
ren. That made me feel proud.
The next thing I knew we were in the car again, driving from the funeral parlor to the cemetery. It was windy and cold at the cemetary. But it was pretty and quiet, too. The minister handed us each a flower. He said more prayers. We took turns putting our flowers on the casket. By the time we were done, it looked very beautiful.
I felt bad for Granny. I could see she was trying to be brave. But she looked sad and lost. Seth put his arm around her. I slipped my hand into hers. Mommy put her arm around me. We huddled together in the cold.
“It is time to go now,” said Mommy.
I waved good-bye to my grandad. Then we turned and started home.
A Friend for Hootie
When I woke up on Monday I did not feel so good. Mommy felt my forehead.
“Honey, you do not have a fever. You are probably worn out from the weekend,” she said. “You can go to school if you like and rest when you come home.”
I definitely wanted to go to school. It was the day of our trip to the pet store. We were going to get a friend for Hootie.
I dressed, ate a little breakfast, and met Nancy at the bus stop. I felt better by the time we reached school.
Omar’s father was in the room talking to Ms. Colman. Mr. Harris had taken the morning off from work to come with us on our trip. He had come with us to the pet store when we picked out Hootie, too.
“All right, class, please settle down,” said Ms. Colman. “I am going to assign partners. The bus will be here any minute.”
I got to be partners with Hannie. Nancy was partners with Audrey. We were going to sit in one whole row across the bus.
“Please remember our bus rules,” said Ms. Colman. “Stay in your seats. No hands out windows. And no shouting. The bus driver needs to concentrate.”
We marched out of the classroom and onto the yellow bus that was waiting outside. As soon as we were on our way, we started singing one of our favorite bus songs, “A Hundred Bottles of Pop on the Wall.” We were down to thirty-six bottles of pop by the time we reached the pet store.