Grandpa's World Tour
Arin's POV
I was so excited about our class' fieldtrip to the science museum that I couldn't sleep. I couldn't wait to watch movies with Jordin and Chuck in the IMAX theatre. Sofia would be in another theatre with the other fourth graders. As I tossed and turned, I had visions of us eating Gummy Bears while watching a movie about the ancient lives of pharaohs. This fieldtrip was even more important because it was my mommy's turn to be a chaperon. But I wasn't worried. I knew she wouldn't embarrass me. She knew how much this meant to me. The outcome of this fieldtrip determined if I got a good part in the second grade reproduction of Annie. Even though my teacher, Ms. Sukkot, would never admit it. Ms. Sukkot was an odd woman with a slight hunchback and red-rimmed glasses. She never spoke of a wife or husband but she always talked about her cats, Stanley and Jerome.
"Who lives in a pineapple under the sea?" my SpongeBob alarm clock sang as I woke up rubbing the little bit crust from my eyes. The sun beamed through my window, blinding me for a couple seconds. I couldn't believe that it was 8 o'clock in the morning already. My heart felt like it was going to explode out of my chest. I got dressed, grabbed my Sandy the Squirrel sunglasses and ran downstairs. When I made it to the last step, I noticed my little brother Camden playing in his walker. I didn't feel like walking around, so I jumped right over him. My sunglasses flew out of my hands.
"Arin, slow down!" my mama warned. "You could have hurt him."
"OMG, Are my glasses okay?"
"Apologize to him!" my mama demanded.
"Sorry" I said in the same tone that I told grandma I liked her moo-moo with the cows on it.
As I sat down eat my breakfast, I noticed that something was terribly wrong. My mama and mommy were both dressed in their dark blue scrubs.
"Mommy, you're not wearing that are you?" I asked.
"Arin I have to tell you something," she said
"No!" I yelled. "You promised that you would take us. Mama?"
"I'm sorry but they called me in and you know that your mama has to work today too," she said while putting her hand on my shoulder. "But don't be worry, we found someone else to go with you guys."
A few seconds later there was a knock at the door. When I opened it, I saw this older gentleman. He was dressed in a neatly pressed shirt, dress pants and shiny shoes.
"Hi grandpa!" I said. "When did you get here?"
"Woah!" Sofia yelled as she ran downstairs. "Grandpa you're here!"
"Hey sweet peas," he said. "I flew in yesterday and I wanted to surprise you guys. So are you both ready for the museum?"
"Thanks for doing this dad," my mama said while as she gave him a hug. "I know you just wanted to come and relax. I owe you big time."
"Hey, don't worry about it" he said while twirling my sister around by her arms. "I'll take any excuse to be with my granddaughters."
After me and Sof finished our breakfast, my mommy cleared the dishes off of the counter. She put them in the dishwasher and grabbed Camden's diaper bag from the play room. Mama picked Camden up out of his walker and Mommy returned with the diaper bag. After a ton of kisses goodbye and promises to behave, they left. Sof, Grandpa and me left shortly after.
It was 9:15 am exactly when we finally arrived at Clinton Elementary. All the buses that were going to transport us to the museum were already there. They were lined up so neatly. They looked like a really long No. 2 pencil.
We jumped out of the car as soon as Grandpa turned off the engine. Sofia saw Zola and their other friends waiting outside and ran to be with them. I decided to go find my friends instead of following behind my sister like I often did. I tugged on the glass doors at the front of the school with all my might. When I finally got the doors open, I saw Jordin standing outside of Ms. Sukkot's class. We talked about how much we missed each other and complimented one another's outfits. There was one person missing from our family reunion, Chuck.
"Have you seen Chuck yet?" I asked.
"No I haven't seen him yet," Jordin answered.
"Aw man, I hope he comes," I said. "It won't be the same without him."
"Let's go pick our seats on the bus," Jordin said pulling me towards the door.
As soon we burst through the doors and landed outside, I noticed my grandpa standing by the third bus.
"Oh! Sorry Grandpa!"
"Did you forget someone?" he asked with a smile as we approached him.
"No silly" I said as I gave him the biggest hug possible.
"And who is this lovely lady?"
"Grandpa that's not a lady, that's Jordin."
"Oh, I see."
"Hi um Arin's Grandpa?" Jordin said unsure of what to call him.
"Colonel Robbins but you can just call me Colonel"
"Okay!"
As we continued to wait in the cool air, I noticed Sofia and her friend's walking over.
"Grandpa, this is Megan, Rachel, Natasha, and you remember Zola? Right?"
"Of course I do sweet pea" he said while giving them all a firm handshake. "It's good to meet you all."
"Grandpa, can we get on this bus?" I asked pointing to the bus behind us.
"Sure sweetie"
I was surprised that my sister and her friend's didn't argue for a different bus. As we boarded, Sof and her friends headed towards the back, while Jordin and I took a seat up front near Grandpa. After took our seats, I noticed that the bus was starting to fill up.
"I hope Chuck comes soon," I said.
"Me too," Jordin said. "Oh there he is!"
"Chuck over here!" I yelled out the window as the little red-headed boy ran towards the bus.
"Yes he made it," Jordin said.
Chuck got on the bus and took the seat right across from Jordin and me. Next to Jimmy Vega. He was a chubby guy with spikey black hair. He was known in class as a gassy guy. It was either coming out of his mouth or his bottom. I remember one time he burped in my ear. It was disgusting. The last person to get on the bus was Ms. Sukkot. She was wearing a tan trench coat that came passed her knees. She sat in the seat right in front of my Grandpa.
"Why hello there" she said as she turned around to greet him. "You must be Sofia and Arin's grandfather."
"Yes, I'm Colonel Robbins" he said. "Nice to meet you."
"It is very nice to meet you too" she said with a wide faced grin.
"Watch it lady, he's taken" I whispered under my breath.
"What?" Jordin asked.
"Nothing."
Ms. Sukkot told the driver that all of the children were accounted for and we took off on our hour and a half long journey.
Twenty minutes into the bus ride, I realized that I hadn't introduced Chuck to my Grandpa yet. But before I could get the chance my friend spoke up for me.
"Chuck this is Arin's Grandpa, Colonel Robbins," Jordin said.
"Hey Mr. R," Chuck said as if he had known my Grandpa for as long as I have.
"Hi Chuck," Grandpa said raising his hand anticipating a high five.
A few seconds later the bus driver gave us a treat by turning on the radio. All us kids loved to listen to the radio. Grandpa decided to tell us a story to keep the bus ride interesting.
"Did you guys know that I used to sing back up for Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5?" my Grandpa asked as the song Hold My Hand played in the background.
"Really?" Jordin asked. Her eyes were as wide as our dog Meatball's when Camden rolled over his tail.
"Yeah" my Grandpa answered. "It was on the Jackson Reunion Tour when the band got back together for one night only."
"How did you know the Jacksons?" Chuck asked. Which was precisely what I wanted to know since I had never heard this story before.
"Well I didn't actually know them," he said. "It kinda happened by accident."
He told us that he met Michael on his first solo tour. He said that he was a paramedic at the time and Michael always had to have paramedics at his shows in case any of his fans fainted. This story had the attention of every kid on the bus including my sister and her friends.
"The show I met him at was in Madison Square Garden in Burbank California," he said. "A fan had fainted so I took her back stage and gave her some water. As I treating the young lady, Michael came backstage for a wardrobe change. He asked me if she was ok and I said she would be fine. I also took the opportunity to show him how big of a fan I was by singing his song Billie Jean. He told me that I had an excellent voice and invited me onstage to sing with him. I agreed and the rest is ancient history."
"Wait a minute," Jimmy Vega said. "So, he just asked you to come onstage even though he didn't know you?"
"Yep," my grandpa said with a grin. "He said that I had a golden voice."
"That's cool!" Jimmy yelled.
"How did you get on tour with the rest of the Jacksons?" Chuck asked.
"Well Michael called me up and asked me to sing on the reunion tour because one of his backup singers had gotten sick," Grandpa answered. "I said yes because I had always wanted to meet the rest of the Jackson 5."
"Is Randy, from American Idol, Michael's brother?" Jordin asked.
"Yes and I met him there too."
"Wow!"
We were so interested in the story that we didn't notice that the bus had stopped. We had finally reached our destination. We got off the bus in a single file line and headed into the museum. We looked at butterflies and learned about gravity. All of us second graders from bus 3 stayed with Grandpa the entire time. We never left his side.
On the way home grandpa told us how he met Lady Gaga's father in a mall and how he sang with some guy named Elton John. I listened in amazement. I had no idea that my Grandpa knew all of these cool people. When me, Sof and Grandpa got back home, both of my moms were already there. Mommy was cooking dinner while Mama played with Camden.
"How was the fieldtrip?" Mama asked
"It was really fun!" I said and Sof agreed. "How come you never told us that Grandpa sang with Michael Jackson?"
"What are you talking about honey?"
"Grandpa said that he sang with Michael Jackson at Madison Square Garden in California! And this guy Elton John!"
"Arin, Madison Square Garden isn't in California and Grandpa never…"
"Grandpa never what Mama?" I asked. My mom looked at me, then at Sof, and lastly at Grandpa, who gave her a wink and then looked away.
"Never mind baby," she said while putting Camden in his high chair. "So you guys had a good time huh?"