"But mom I don't see why we have to go to this stupid party." Gilbert Beilschmidt whined to his parents "Gilbert you're thirteen years old. You need to stop this whining." His dad started the car and headed away from their apartment, Gilbert huffed and started out his window while his little brother Ludwig continued to try and eat all of his jelly beans "Ludwig if you continue to eat those jelly beans you'll be sick by the time we reach Grandpa's house." Their mom looked over the seat and warned the younger brother who promptly shoved the candies in his basket he brought fearing a stomach ache before dinner. "Gilbert tell me a story!" The younger demanded and Gilbert sighed in response "Fine I guess." he got into a story about a man eating other men, Ludwig started crying at the part when the cannibal attacked the police officer and their dad had had enough "Gilbert knock it off!" "But dad he asked me to tell him a story!" Gilbert countered but his dad wouldn't have it, so he stared out the window wondering what the girl next door Elzibeta was doing, probably with that Priss, he had a great prank too just for Priss but ended up going to Seder.
They finally reached their destination after an hour or so drive from their lofty New York city apartment to the old side of New York, they had to climb two sets of stairs and an elevator until they got to their Grandpa's apartment, once inside they gave Gilbert no mercy. Tons of relatives—aunts, uncles, cousins twice removed pulled at his cheeks and ruffled his hair "Oh my he's grown into such a skinny boy! He'll never make the wrestling team in high school like that!" One uncle said and his Aunt Cherie gave him a giant wet kiss to his cheek leaving a red lipstick stain "What a sweet boy you have there Laurie" "Oh I know but he can be a handful." His mother said with a wink to her older son who couldn't help but smile, he knew she liked to joke about all those detentions he got for numerous things. His favorite great uncle, was sitting on a chair next to their grandpa who was watching a video on Adolf Hitler and his Nazi army, the old man with graying blond hair long and some of it in a braid cursing the TV in German. His whole family had been German but Jewish, Gilbert's mom and dad had never went to the synagogue with the others but they always celebrated Passover with the family, Ludwig was soaking up all the attention he could so Gilbert slipped away to Great Uncle Fritz. "Ah Gilbert, hallo." The tired familiar weary face smiled at the boy and they exchanged hugs "How've you been Uncle Fritz?" Gilbert asked finally smiling wide "Oh, getting old, the same old same old; and you? You haven't been in any trouble recently?" "Weell…it depends on what you mean by trouble." Gilbert replied with a mischievous grin. The old man laughed and nodded "I understand, you'll always be my little troublesome nephew." eventually the TV was shut off during the conversation and they all had to move to the table.
Gilbert eagerly looked at the bottle of wine being passed around; he was 13 so during dinner he could finally drink. Even if it was wine he didn't care, Uncle Fritz handed Gilbert the bottle and his mom gave him a look "Gilbert is still just a child, he's too young Fritz." Gilbert was about to protest when their grandpa cleared his throat "Gilbert is a young man there for he deserves to drink the wine." Thank god for grandpa, Gilbert poured the drink into his wine glass feeling totally like one of the adults and not like a kid like Ludwig. "Grandpa, can I go hide the blanket now?" Ludwig asked smiling wide having finished his dinner in record time, silly childish games Gilbert didn't need to worry about; "Yes you can." The old man nodded with a rare smile and the child slipped out of his seat grabbing the item from the seat across, symbolizing something Gilbert had forgotten, he continued to listen to the older adults talk and he spot it, his grandpa's number tattoo. He started to remember when he was seven, he had saw the tattoo and grabbed a marker and wrote some on his arm too, he showed his grandpa and the old man grabbed his arm and started screaming at him in German, his face was so red and full of anger, the others finally pulled grandpa away and his parents had to explain why he was so ad at the young Gilbert. Needless to say, they never brought it up again. The woman all looked at the clock and grinned "Ludwig it's time, we're coming to find it!~" They all called, Gilbert watched as they all left, Fritz, his dad two uncles and Grandpa were all still talking about pointless history. Ten minutes later Gilbert had finished his glass and the women finally came back, Ludwig proudly walking ahead of them "They didn't find me Gilbert!" Ludwig exclaimed happily and Gilbert smirked and winked at the little kid "That means you get more candy, congrats." The little kid ran happily to grandpa who gave him two handfuls of chocolates and jelly beans, the old man then turned to Gilbert with a smile "Gilbert how about you open the door and welcome the Prophet Elijah into our home." Gilbert looked at the adults and then shook his head a little wary "But no one is out there! It's just opening the door to nothing." But Fritz put a hand on his shoulder "Come on Gilbert, it isn't that bad. Just open the door" The man smiled at Gilbert and he was defeated.
With all eyes on him as he walked to the door he mentally cursed them all 'it's just a door! When I open it nothing will happen' he thought angrily, he put one hand on the door handle and looked back at every one "What are you waiting for child? Open the door." Grandpa urged, Gilbert sighed angrily in his head and opened the door, to find a grass field and a blue sky. Gilbert blinked and stared with wide eyes "Grandpa! What happened to the hallway?" he asked not believing it "Grandpa? What are you on about now child? Quick close that door, are you waiting for someone to walk through the door?" He turned to see a woman scowling at him, wearing rag looking cloths and an apron; he looked back outside and closed the door. He couldn't help but wonder what had happened.