"And who was it you were talking on the phone with?" Grandpa asked curtly,
his face revealing nothing.
"The man who called yesterday. He said that he needed to speak with you."
"And you told him."
"That you were unavailable, like you told me. But he kept asking where you were. He said it was very important that he talked to you."
"And you've waited until now to tell me?"
"No he changed his mind. He asked if you'd be here tomorrow, and I, well I kinda let it slip that you were going to be out of town." Jonny looked up at his grandfather's curious eyes. This was the way he got when he wanted to know something. He would stop at nothing to get the truth. Like the time when Jonny had taken apart his grandfather's cell phone. He's sworn to his grandfather, that he'd found it that way. But his grandfather's eyes seemed to cut through his lies like a laser. It was funny, because for someone who could detect his lies the instant they left his mouth, his grandfather sure couldn't lie very well himself.
"What did this man sound like Jonny?" Grandpa said softening a little.
"He sounded like. umm, well like he was in a hurry. But he said that I shouldn't tell you about the phone call, and that it would only worry you."
"But he did tell you that Jennings Aerospace didn't exist?" Grandpa said, returning his eyes to the road.
"Well not exactly."
"Exactly what did he say about it than?"
"Umm. Exactly nothing." Jonny said, his tone defeated. "He never said anything about your company. I just made it up to see what you would say." Jonny sighed. His plan hadn't worked, and now he'd been forced to tell Grandpa everything. It was odd though, as he looked back to his grandfather, he noticed a smile on the old man's face.
"Jonny, forget the part about my company. Tell me about the man who called yesterday." Grandpa's tone was softer now.
"He spoke really funny. I don't know what it was. Fast, but kinda like the guys in the movies on TV."
"What channel?"
"PBS?" Jonny answered, more question than response.
"It's called a British Accent, Jon." Grandpa said with a small laugh.
"Oh, right. I knew that."
Ten minutes later they arrived at the apartment which Jonny and his grandfather shared.
"Maria will be here soon." Grandpa said as he set down the groceries on the counter.
"Yeah I know, and you'll be back on Thursday. Take messages on the pad, and don't start any fires, or take anything apart until you get back." Jonny said as he sat on the couch.
"Good. Well I'll see you on Thursday, Jonathan." Grandpa said, picking up his bags.
"Wait." Jonny said as he ran toward his grandfather. He stopped just a few short steps from him. " Does hat mean that when you get back I can start fires?" Jonny smiled mischievously.
"If you have to ask, than maybe you're not as smart as I thought you were."
"Well maybe if you were smarter you'd realize that you shouldn't have to tell me not to start fires all the time." Jonny laughed as he wrapped his arms around his grandfather's waist. "Be careful Grandpa, you're all I have left." He said softly.
Grandpa looked down at the top of the little boy's head, and tussled his hair.
"You be careful too, kid."
"The man who called yesterday. He said that he needed to speak with you."
"And you told him."
"That you were unavailable, like you told me. But he kept asking where you were. He said it was very important that he talked to you."
"And you've waited until now to tell me?"
"No he changed his mind. He asked if you'd be here tomorrow, and I, well I kinda let it slip that you were going to be out of town." Jonny looked up at his grandfather's curious eyes. This was the way he got when he wanted to know something. He would stop at nothing to get the truth. Like the time when Jonny had taken apart his grandfather's cell phone. He's sworn to his grandfather, that he'd found it that way. But his grandfather's eyes seemed to cut through his lies like a laser. It was funny, because for someone who could detect his lies the instant they left his mouth, his grandfather sure couldn't lie very well himself.
"What did this man sound like Jonny?" Grandpa said softening a little.
"He sounded like. umm, well like he was in a hurry. But he said that I shouldn't tell you about the phone call, and that it would only worry you."
"But he did tell you that Jennings Aerospace didn't exist?" Grandpa said, returning his eyes to the road.
"Well not exactly."
"Exactly what did he say about it than?"
"Umm. Exactly nothing." Jonny said, his tone defeated. "He never said anything about your company. I just made it up to see what you would say." Jonny sighed. His plan hadn't worked, and now he'd been forced to tell Grandpa everything. It was odd though, as he looked back to his grandfather, he noticed a smile on the old man's face.
"Jonny, forget the part about my company. Tell me about the man who called yesterday." Grandpa's tone was softer now.
"He spoke really funny. I don't know what it was. Fast, but kinda like the guys in the movies on TV."
"What channel?"
"PBS?" Jonny answered, more question than response.
"It's called a British Accent, Jon." Grandpa said with a small laugh.
"Oh, right. I knew that."
Ten minutes later they arrived at the apartment which Jonny and his grandfather shared.
"Maria will be here soon." Grandpa said as he set down the groceries on the counter.
"Yeah I know, and you'll be back on Thursday. Take messages on the pad, and don't start any fires, or take anything apart until you get back." Jonny said as he sat on the couch.
"Good. Well I'll see you on Thursday, Jonathan." Grandpa said, picking up his bags.
"Wait." Jonny said as he ran toward his grandfather. He stopped just a few short steps from him. " Does hat mean that when you get back I can start fires?" Jonny smiled mischievously.
"If you have to ask, than maybe you're not as smart as I thought you were."
"Well maybe if you were smarter you'd realize that you shouldn't have to tell me not to start fires all the time." Jonny laughed as he wrapped his arms around his grandfather's waist. "Be careful Grandpa, you're all I have left." He said softly.
Grandpa looked down at the top of the little boy's head, and tussled his hair.
"You be careful too, kid."