Good Samaritan
Tony woke slowly, and it took a minute for him to realize that he was not in his own bed in Washington, but was in his bed at his grandfather's house in Pennsylvania, instead. Jumping up he raced to the bedroom next door, but a look in the room told him the bed was made and his dad was already gone. Taking the stairs, he made his way to the kitchen where his grandfather was squeezing icing on a pan of cinnamon rolls just out of the oven.
"There's my favourite grandson," Jackson boomed, and Tony raced to him, giving him a hug around his legs. "I just took these out of the oven and was thinking I wished I had a six year old boy to come help me eat them."
Tony nodded and climbed onto the chair with all the phone books on it. That was Tony's seat at the table, because the books served as a replacement for the booster seat Jethro forgot to bring, and he still wasn't big enough to reach the table. He was a tiny child, but Ducky and his paediatrician assured his father that he would be at least six feet tall as an adult. His grandfather served him a warm, gooey pastry with a glass of milk.
"My daddy already left, didn't he?" Tony asked, a little hurt that his father was gone all ready and he couldn't tell him bye.
"Don't you remember he told you last night that he would have to leave to go back to Washington before you woke up? He has work today. He left before it was even light outside. I do know, though, that before he left he kissed you good bye and made sure you were covered up and sleeping soundly." Jackson smiled in understanding. "So, that leaves you and me, and you on spring break. It looks like we had better find some fun things for a little boy to do for the next week while you're here."
Tony nodded agreeably, and stuck his tongue against the opening he'd gotten by losing his first front tooth. He was pretty sure that he could make an inroad into the neighbouring tooth if he spent some time trying to wiggle it. Another loss would mean more money in Tony's pocket. It still felt funny and neat to realize there was just space there, where a tooth had once been.
Jackson smiled at Tony's fascination with his loss. Tony was such a cute kid. He was all boy, tough and adventurous, but was also very loving and thoughtful. His brown hair was flecked with some blond and he had dazzling green eyes. There was no question that he was a beautiful child. Despite his small size, Tony was a natural at sports. His father and Jackson's son, Jethro Gibbs, had done a wonderful job bringing him up as a single parent. Jethro couldn't have done such an exemplary job without help, though, in Maria Osirio, Tony's Abuela, who was the second most influential person in the little fellow's life. Jackson leaned over and reminded Tony, "Remember that you can call your daddy and Abuela if you miss them too much." Tony brightened and started eating his breakfast with gusto.
They talked about future plans, and once Tony finished eating, Jackson sent him up to get dressed and make up his bed. They spent a couple of hours in the store before Jack turned it over to his helper. Tony loved the store, mainly because he was blessed with a curious nature. He quickly memorized where everything was on the shelves, what the prices were, and the importance of the appearance of the products for sale. Jack had moved with the times and had a computerized cash register. On a prior visit, he had taught Tony how to figure sales taxes, and Tony showed a gift for mathematics. Around two or three each afternoon three of the retired locals would join Jack in the store, talking and rocking in chairs located in one of the store's front corners. The four men had four lifetimes of experience to communicate, and Tony loved hearing their stories and joining them as they shared recollections.
Jack and Tony walked around the main two blocks of Stillwater before lunch. The town was small and offered the barest of essentials, but its charm also came from the fact that it wasn't crowded and everyone knew everyone. Jack and his wife had moved there right after they married, and Jack had gone to work immediately in the coal mines. The next year their son, Leroy Jethro, was born, and Jack vowed to get out of the mines to provide his family a better way of life. With a friend he opened a general store there, the only general store in the area, and managed to provide a good living for his wife and son. Eventually, with his partner's own move, he bought out his partner and became sole owner. The store was a Stillwater landmark, and Jack kept it open Tuesday through Saturday. He had a teen- ager who helped after school and on Saturdays, which was the reason Tony and Jack were able to sightsee through the town.
Everyone they passed knew Jack, and they were smitten with his adorable grandbaby. One woman outside the gas station pinched Tony's cheek and bubbled, "He's just as good looking as Leroy was at that age." Others wondered out loud if Tony would be as athletic as his father. Tony quickly tired of stopping every few feet so his grandfather could introduce him yet again to someone else. Nevertheless, he displayed the good manners drilled into him by Abuela, and smiled politely.
Spotting the American flag and the post office symbol kaddycorner from them, Tony tugged impatiently at Jack's hand. "Grandpa, can we go to the post office? I like going there." Jack excused himself from his neighbour and he and Tony fell in step. "I like the post office," Tony elaborated. "When Ducky takes me he allows me to weigh things on the scale. I know how to read how heavy things are. Sometimes Abuela lets me use the copier, and when my daddy takes me, we look at the different kinds of stamps." His grandfather nodded approvingly, and they crossed the street and entered the building. Jack actually did have business to conduct there, and once through the doors, Tony raced straight to the counter with forms, pulled out one, found a pen, and started writing. Jack laughed out loud and joined the small line waiting for service. "Tony, come here, why don't you, and we can buy some postcards to send to Washington?" Tony skipped over, pen and forms clutched in his hand.
The man already being served at the counter was obviously having trouble getting across his wishes to the clerk trying to help him. He repeated carefully, "Necesito alquilar un apartado postal."
The postmaster shook his head from side to side to show that he didn't understand Spanish and the man tried again. "Por favor, me alquiler de una caja para el correo." The postman shook his head sadly, and shrugged his shoulders.
Tony had been listening to the exchange, and turning loose of his grandfather's hand, he went up to the counter. He had to tilt his head back to look up, and the clerk leaned over the counter and said, "I will help you in just a second, son, but right now I need to understand what this man wants."
Tony answered, "He wants to rent a mailbox from you."
