You're Not Always Alone for the Holidays
(Here is the 7th installment.)
Mary's view
My friend Gray should be showing up soon. I asked him and his grandfather to have dinner with my family. It seems that Gray isn't happy here. I hope that he starts to like it here, after all he is about the only one who comes to the library on a daily basis. I can hear my father talking with Saibara. My father just loves to talk about plants so much, that he doesn't always see that it can bore people that are not interested in plants.
"Mary, go see if your father and Saibara need a refill on their cups of tea. "
"Yes mama. Papa, Saibara, do you need any more tea. "
"Oh yes, thank you sweetie. ", said my father.
"Yes, I could use another cup. "
I take their cups to the kitchen. As I'm filling them I hear a knock on the front door.
"Mary, you'll need to answer that, I'm still cooking here. "
"Yes mama. "
I take the cups of tea to my father and Saibara, as I head to answer the door.
I opened the door, and Gray was standing there. He look nice, I didn't know that he has two hats with the word Uma on it. I always see him wearing the blue one. Where did he get the black one?
"Hi Gray, I'm glad that you could join us for dinner. "
"Thanks. "
There was something different about him. It looks like that there is a small grin on his face. Is he happy to have dinner with me?
"Is there something wrong? ", he said.
"Oh no Gray, there is nothing wrong. Please come in. "
"Is my grandfather here yet? "
"Yes, he is talking with my father. Well my father is doing most of the talking. "
"About plants? My grandfather must be falling asleep. "
"Mary, get Gray a cup of tea and have him join your father and Saibara. Then come help me with the cooking. "
"Yes mama. "
Gray stepped closer to me, "It sounds like your mother doesn't like me. "
"I think it might be that you are from a large city. She doesn't fully trust people from cities. "
Gray gave a grunt, "That isn't nice. Not all of us from cities are jerks. "
"Mary, will you come and help me in the kitchen? "
"Coming mama. Gray please join my father and your grandfather. "
When I went to the kitchen my mother asked me, "How can you like that boy? Don't you know that city boys are dangerous? "
"Mama, I don't think that everyone who comes from a city is bad. "
"Well I do. Every boy that I have meet, that have come from the city, have been rude to me. "
"But Gray is learning to be a blacksmith. If Saibara dies, who will take over being the town's blacksmith? "
"W,w,well I guess that it might be Gray's father. He should come back to Mineral Town. He shouldn't be living in the city. It's a horrible place. "
"But if he doesn't want to come back mama, then it would have to be Gray that takes over. "
"Why do you like Gray anyway? "
"He is the only one that comes to the library every day. "
"Well I don't want to see you get hurt. Get him a cup of tea. "
I get Gray a cup of tea, and hand it to him.
"Thanks. "
"You're welcome Gray. Ummm, I thought that I saw a smile on your face when you showed up. If it isn't snoopy of me to ask. Is it because you are glad to join me for dinner? "
He looked at my father and Saibara, then whispered to me, "It's partly that. The other part, well don't tell anyone but Ann. I suggested that Cliff should join Ann and Doug for dinner. "
"Gray, that is so sweet of you to do that. "
I just knew that Gray was nice, I just wish that my mother could know this. She should see that not everyone from the city is bad. There are nice guys, they are just rare. I hope that next year my mother doesn't mind me asking Gray to have dinner with us for the Starry Night Festival.