Chapter 2

Great-Grandma Miley

The trip home with great-grandma Miley was worse than the trip to pick her up. Well, at less it was for Jill. Great-grandma Miley and Jill's mom and dad spent the whole trip catching up with each other. Jill dealt with this by putting on her ipod and listening to her tunes.

When they picked great-grandma Miley up from the retirement community, she had not changed that much from the last time Jill had seen her. Her hair still was full; full bodied and still was down to the middle of her back. Jill remembered been told that great-grandma Miley had worn her hair like that since she was a teenager. The only difference being the rich light brown had turn to a silvery white gray color. It was hard to say what the color of her hair was now. It was not silver. It was not white. It wasn't gray. It was just all of them. Great-grandma Miley was also said to have great skin and it showed now at this time in her life. She didn't have the baggy loose skin of old age, but she did have the smooth skin of a sixty year old. She also still moved with the grace of a dancer. Jill was envious of her because of that.

Jill looked down at her ipod as it started a new series of Hannah Montana songs. The music was from her Hannah Live album. She had always liked the picture of Hannah on the cover. As Jill looked back up, she noticed that great-grandma Miley was looking at the picture on her ipod screen. Jill stopped and took a closer look at great-grandma Miley. That was really weird. She looked like an older version of Hannah. You're crazy Jill. And with that thought, Jill went to looking out the window again.

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Jill was very surprised as they neared their house. There in the driveway was a car. But it was not just any car. It was the car of her brother Sam.

Sam had to leave for school three weeks before the start of school. It was called freshman orientation. Why the college thought someone would needed three weeks to get to know the campus was beyond her. Besides that, she missed her brother fiercely. They had always been very close and with Sam going off to college, things had been a little down for her.

"What's Sam doing here mom?"

"I don't know. You'll have to ask him when we get inside."

That wait took about five minutes. Sam was out the door and waiting on them to get out of the car in the garage. As soon as she could, Jill threw herself at her brother.

"Sammie!!! What are you doing here? I missed you so much! What is school like? I really missed you! When are you going back? Did I tell you that I missed you?"

"Yeah. I got that idea short stuff."

"Well?"

"Well what?" Sam played her.

"What are you doing here? Aren't you suppose to be at school?"

"Classes don't start until next week." Was all Sam offered as he helped carry in suitcases.

"So you missed me?" Jill asked with excitement.

"Not really."

Jill's excitement level dropped visibly. Sam took note of this.

"Come on short stuff, we IM each other almost every night. But I do miss not seeing you."

The words had the desired affect on Jill's emotions and she perked back up.

"So why are you here? And I see you've been busy too." All of great-grandma Miley's trunks and wardrobe trunks where downstairs in the family room.

"Well, when you told me about your assignment that Mr. Hall gave you and that you were going to get great-grandma, I just had to hear the stories for myself."

"You know about great-grandma?"

"Before I decided on a college. Dad told me it would help me pick one."

"What did you tell you?"

"Sorry short stuff, but mom told me not to tell you when I called her about coming home for the week."

Jill turned to her mom as all three of them came into the family room.

"That's not fair mom!!!" Jill complained.

"Well, I'll tell you what Jill. Now that grandma is here, why don't you go and get the key out of my jewelry box and bring you laptop." Her mom instructed her.

Jill did not need encouraging. She took the stairs two at a time going up. Once in her parent's room, she went over to the wooden jewelry box that her dad had ask a friend of his to make for mom as a wedding present. The jewelry box was a work of art within itself. Jill carefully opened the front door of the box and opened the bottom draw on the left hand side. This was the draw where her mom kept all the small keepsakes she had. In the bottom of the draw in a small envelope was the key. Jill had gotten in trouble once when she was younger for playing with the key. When Jill had asked her mom what the key was for, all her mom told her was it was a key to a treasure chest. Being young at the time, Jill was really impressed with the fact the they owned a treasure chest. But her mom refused to tell her where the chest was or what was in the chest. All she ever got was 'I'll tell you when you're older.' Jill guessed she was older now and soon would have her answers. Wait a minute. Didn't dad say that finding the answers could be just as important as having the answers? Jill thought about this as she went to get her laptop. Wait. Where was the laptop? It was in the car when we got home. I went and hug Sammie when the car stopped. I left in the car. Maybe.

Jill thought about the difference in having the answers and finding the answers. Having the answers meant that you already know what the answer was. But how did you know what the answer was if you did not find the answer first. Farther more, how could you find the answers if you did not know how to solve the problem. But how could you solve the problem if you did not know that there was a problem. But how did you know you have a problem unless there was something you needed that you did not have. Like my missing laptop, Jill thought as she looked in the car. So, this most be what my dad was talking about. Lets see here, Sammie, mom, dad and myself carried in the suitcases. But we did not carry anything in from inside the car. So if we didn't carry anything from inside the car, then great-grandma did. She said she needed to use the bathroom. The closest one is in the hallway between the kitchen and the family room. Everyone is in the family room now and great-grandma didn't have it with her. So, it's in the kitchen or the hallway. Jill smiled to herself for her 'finding the answers' thinking. She headed into the kitchen and sure enough, there on the kitchen table was the laptop and her ipod. Jill picked up the laptop and went into the family room smiling.

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When Jill came into the family room, great-grandma Miley was sitting in the middle of the couch with her mom and dad on either side of her. Sammie was sitting in a love seat that was across from the couch. He was telling great-grandma what college was like for him so far. Sammie stopped when she came into the room.

"Go ahead and pick out a trunk sweetheart." Her dad told her. Jill handed her laptop to Sam and asked him to start it up for her. Jill then walked over to the trunks. So, these are the treasure chests that this key opened. Now all she had to do is to pick one. Since the trunks where in the front, she pick the one that was closest to great-grandma and pulled it over in front of the couch. She handed the key to great-grandma and quickly sat down on the love seat with her laptop on her legs.

"It's been so long since I last looked at this stuff." Miley mumbled to herself. Her hand started to shake as she went to put the key into the keyhole. She slowly turned the key and a click could be heard. Dad got up and lifted the lid up and back on the hinges. Mom was right it was a treasure chest! From where I was sitting, I could see a small box about the size of a CD case but it was taller than a CD case. It was sitting on what looked like a bunch of photo albums. There was also a ball of some kind in there too. But I couldn't make it out from where I was sitting. I was holding my breath. When did I do that? I let it out and watched as mom took out the small box and great-grandma took the photo album that was on top.

"Is this what I think this is grandma?" Mom asked as she looked at the object that was inside the box.

"Yes it is. It was the first of four that he and his partner Cooper won."

"What is it mom" I asked her.

Mom closed the box and held it out. Sammie got up and took the box and sat back down by me.

"This is the first scrape book I made about my brother Jackson." Great-grandma said as she opened the book and Sammie was sitting down. Once Sammie was sitting down by me again, he handed me the box to open. I slowly reached for the lid. So, this is something that was won. What could it be? I lifted the lid and it swung back on its hinge. Inside the box was a shiny gold disk with a blue ribbon connected to it. On the surf was the Olympic rings with the roman number MMVIII and the name of the city Beijing and some kind of art symbol I could not make out.

"Is this an Olympic gold medal great-grandma?" Sammie asked.

"Yes it is. Jackson and his partner Cooper Lawson won it. That was the first of four they won in the Olympics."

"Wait a minute. You mean your brother won four Olympic gold medals?" I asked.

"Yes for beach volleyball. Lawson and Stewart were the world's best for eighteen years."

"Lawson and Stewart?" Sammie asked.

"Yes. Stewart was my maiden name."

"Jill, did you know that Lawson and Stewart is the measuring stick for beach volleyball players to this day!" Sammie told me.

"Yeah. No. I had no idea." I was just a little dumb struck. So, my family did something after all.

"Are the other ones in there great-grandma?" Sammie asked.

"No. He gave me his first one only. It was for all the support that I gave him. I was at every one of his matches."

"How did you do that with your schedule grandma?" Dad asked.

"It wasn't easy let me tell you. But he was always there for me, so I was going to be there for him."

"What's the ball in the trunk great-grandma?" I asked.

Dad reached into the trunk and pulled out the ball. It was a volleyball. I could see that there was writing on it too.

"This is the volleyball that Jackson score the winning point with to win their first gold medal. It says: To my sister Miley, This ball is proof that you never stop believing in my dream as you followed yours. With all my love, your brother Jackson Rod Stewart. Then over here Cooper wrote this: To Miley, The best cheerleader anyone could ask for. Love Cooper Lawson."

Sammie took the gold medal back to dad and took the ball from great-grandma so we could look at it closer. When I looked up from the ball, tears where coming down great-grandma's face.

"Are you alright great-grandma?"

"Yes. It's just that after these ten years, I still miss Jackson. We were as close as you and Sam. Although he would never admit to it in public." Great-grandma laughed.

"What's in that box there grandma?" Mom asked.

Great-grandma pulled the box out and looked at it for a second before taking the top off it. She laid the lid down and gently moved the tissue paper aside to reveal a tank top.

"This is the tank top and shorts that Jackson wore in their first Olympics. I paid to have them specially made for them."

As she lifted the top out of the box, Jackson's number was still on the shirt. The tank top was white in color and had a stylized American Flag on the front with U.S.A. above the flag. On the back of the tank was his team number, 383. Above the number sheet was his last name, STEWART.

"Cooper's number was 384."

Great-grandma slowly put the tank top back in the box and folded the tissue paper back on top of it before replacing the lid. Then she turned her attention back to the scrape book that was on her lap. I watched as she turned a few pages in the scrape book that she had on her lap. She found a page and looked at it for a while and then pick the picture up.

"Here is a picture of us after they got their medals." Great-grandma held the picture out to Sammie and me. Sammie got up to take the picture and sat back down so we both could look at it.

There was great-grandma Miley in between to guys. They both had their arms around her. In their free hands, they were holding up their medals. Great-grandma had her arms around their shoulders holding up her fingers in the number one sign. The happiness and joy jumped off the picture at you. Her brother was on her right hand side. He had blonde hair and the same blue eyes as great-grandma. Great-grandma looked to by two years older than me in the picture. I looked at her hair with envy. I wished my hair was as beautiful as that. Cooper was on her left. He was the tallest of the three of them and had the most gorgeous brown eyes.

"Who took the picture?" I asked.

"Daddy did. His name was Robbie Ray Stewart." Great-grandma paused as she said 'daddy' and Robbie Ray Stewart. It was like she was remember the way it felt to say daddy or Robbie Ray again. The way her eyes focus on something else that only she could see made me start to feel bad about myself and the way I was acting before. I got up and handed the picture back to her. She put it back where it was in the scrape book.

"Great-grandma, I think we should take a break right now and get something to eat and maybe let you rest a little bit too. That sound okay to you?"

"Yes it does Jill. Thank you."

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I helped mom make supper as Sammie and dad helped great-grandma get settled into the guest bedroom. Mom and I didn't talk too much. I had a lot to think about. Here I was so sure that I had a boring family when the truth was my family had a four time Olympic gold medallist and had set the standard for what beach volleyball players strive to achieve. I'm going to have to do some research online to find out more about Jackson and Cooper. Moreover, I was going to have to figure out how I could do my presentation too. Maybe great-grandma would let me borrow the gold medal and volleyball to show everyone at school during my presentation. I must admit that I was finally getting excited about the project.

"So great-grandma, was Jackson the only volleyball player in the family?" Sammie asked as we sat round the table.

"No. My grandma was on the first women's volleyball team for the U.S. back in 1964." She answered.

"Are you serious?" I asked.

"Yes. She was the one that get Jackson interested in volleyball in the first place."

"Did they win any medals?" Wow, this would be great to have two medallists!

"No they didn't Jill. They lost in the round robin part of the tournament."

"That's to bad."

"For grandma, it was one of the greatest times of her life. She was so excited about blazing a trail for all the women to follow her. Did you know that when the women's team won the gold medal for the first time, the time threw a party for the 1964 team for making it all possible for them?"

"What was your grandma's name?" I asked her.

"Elizabeth Ann Stewart. She was twenty-eight when she played in the Olympics."

"Why was she so old when she played?" Sammie asked.

"It was just the way things were back then." Great-grandma answered.

"Do you have any pictures of her great-grandma?" I asked.

"Sorry. Cameras were not as common back then as they are today. A matter of fact, they were just starting to come out with colored film."

"You mean they only had black and white."

"Hard to believe. But remember, everything had to be invented at some point in time." Great-grandma laughed as she told me that.

"Besides Jill, your great-grandkids will probably find it hard to believe that we still had film at this point in time." Dad told me.

"But we really don't use film anymore dad."

"True, but we still have it on the market don't we?"

"Well yeah. I guess I see your point."

"Here mom, let me get the dishes." Sammie offered as mom started to gather the now empty dishes.

"Do you want to go through more of the trunks Jill?" Great-grandma asked.

"No. Not right now. I want to go to my room and do some research on your grandma. What would that make her to me anyways?"

"She would be your great-great-great-grandma Stewart honey." Mom answered. She was always good at family relation stuff.

"Thanks mom." I got up and headed to my room. I couldn't what to get started on finding out about my great-granduncle Jackson and great-great-great-grandma Stewart.

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It was around ten o'clock at night when I took my first break. I couldn't believe it was that late! It only felt like I was working for thirty minutes. I started to go downstairs when I saw great-grandma sitting in bed going through some of the scrape books. I knocked on her door.

"Come in Jill."

"Great-grandma," I started, "I have to apologize to you."

"Why?"

"Well, I thought it would be a waste of time to have you here to tell me about everything."

"And now?" She asked me as she raised her eyebrows that must have been familiar gesture.

"I'm looking forward to it." I smiled at her.

"Come here." She held out her arms to me for a hug. I walked over and hugged her.

"You know, in many ways, you're a lot like me."

"Really?"

"You'll see as we go through more of the trunks." She told me with a knowing smile.

"What's this big secret about you anyways?"

"That you'll just have to wait and found out about as we come across it in the trunks."

Grrr! Is the whole world conspiring against me?