I have my old red and green shirt on and I walk over to Grandpa. “Is it time to do it?” He doesn’t hear me, he’s kneeling down fiddling, using a feather to tickle the flower’s inside. He has told me that it is his secret for growing huge, prize-winning veggies.
I try again “Hey, Grandpa!”
”Oh, hello youngster, have you come to help?” I hold up my trowel, “is it time to do it, yet?” “Do what?” I remind him “Grandpa, you said we were going to do the highsints!”
Blankness. “The highsints,” I repeat. An uncertain smile passes across his face. “Highsints, oh yes, we were going to lift the hyacinths.”
I climb up onto his knee and we survey the garden. This is our special place, shared only by him and me. It was for big boys, ‘not for silly little kids.’ He gives me a hug and we sit for a few moments longer.
We saw a family of fairies yesterday, just behind the clump of agapanthus. Their buckets and spades, with their Mum carrying towels, makes me think they were headed to the beach. Grandpa thought the suggestion was impossible, as the nearest beach was miles away!
Last week, as we were digging over the strawberry bed, we had actually seen two wombats, a possum, a goanna, a numbat and several galahs. They were all sitting in the old apple tree. The possum was eating an apple and asked whether last year’s bumper strawberry crop would come again.
The clear blue sky was swallowed by puffy white clouds, the breeze picked up and I got goosebumps on my arms. “Better head indoors for a mug of hot chocolate,” Grandpa says. Mum has made some pikelets and with the plastic step in position, I get the knife and spread strawberry jam thickly. I just love strawberry jam and I remember making it last summer, with Mum and Nannie.
Mum suggested Grandpa supervise bath time. There was a bit of splashing, some spillage as the soap passed around our pits and bums. We all sang ‘Old Macdonald’s Farm’ as Nannie arrived with towels.
I no longer wear pull-ups, not like my dorky brother, or little sister – she still wears a nappy! I’ve just gotta be careful with the drinking and have a big pee before story-time.
I stood on the step and helped make the Pizza base. The other kids help putting pineapple chunks, mushrooms, ham, cheese and as an experiment, strawberry marshmallows on top. It came out of the oven hot and steamy. Yum o!
Teeth cleaning – I love the frothy fizz, and the loo. In bed, Grandpa climbs in between us. He reads about the old bloke who swallows the chook. We all yell the chorus; “By crikey, that’s crook!” Mum and Nannie come in ‘shooshing’, and there were kisses and cuddles. A final dash to the loo, and they reject my calls for more stories.
I love sleeping over at Nannie and Grandpa’s.