6) The Autumn of 2004, as told by Dani Pierce
The first week of school was always a rush. It was Dani's fourth year, so she knew what to expect. She had seen the kids around as third graders, and had reports on their academic strengths and weaknesses. It was now a matter of setting expectations and finding personalities.
At 1:30 pm on the third day of school, Dani shuttled her charges outside, made them run two laps around the beaten dirt track. She was lining them up when a voice cried out, "Look, Ms. Pierce!" Jaden, her little punk rocker in the Catholic girl skirt and oversized safety-pin, pointed at a refurbished lime yellow Thunderbird, model year 1967 or so. The car pulled up in the parking lot as the kids began to whisper quietly. Out strolled Papa and BJ in sunglasses and Hawaiian t-shirts.
"Welcome, fourth graders of Ms. Pierce's class!" boomed Papa. "You may call me Hawkeye, and this is my best friend, BJ! We're here to challenge you, change you and champion you!" BJ began passing out pencils with big brightly shaped erasers and Dani handed out lined paper.
BJ took over. "You have twenty minutes to describe our car, and write it down on the pieces of paper Ms. Pierce is handing out. Make it at least four sentences long. And we mean good sentences. The winner gets their picture with the car upon the achievements board, as well as this mighty lei!" He held out a bright pink flower necklace. "Go!"
The kids took quickly to the task at hand. Dani saw Caleb, already her class leader, raise his hand and ask BJ, "What kind of car is it?"
"Good question, young man," he responded. "It's a Thunderbird."
The kids scribbled away, scratching, erasing and pausing to think. At 2 o'clock, Dani collected the papers and sat on a bench to read. Papa cried out, "If your birthday is in January through June, come with me! Everyone else, with BJ!" and pulled out 'Hoot' to read, BJ doing the same. The kids sat rapt with attention under the trees, listening to the novel they were going to start the year out with. Twenty minutes after that, Dani pulled the class together, having quickly graded the papers.
"For third prize, Foster! Please read us your description." Dani handed the paper to him, her smart but shy boy. He had great grammar but needed life to his writing.
"For second prize, Gina! Please read as well." Gina read haltingly. She had lots of life in her writing, but not a lot of polish. This one would be easier to fix.
"Our Grand prize winner, Shondi!" Shondi, a cute girl with pigtails and beads sticking out all over her head, took her paper back and read to the class. "Seeing the Thunderbird reminded me of going to a diner for dessert. The car is like a big piece of key lime pie with whipped cream on top. I pick the dessert out from the shiny display at the window. I hope it drives as good as it tastes!"
Papa gave Shondi a boost and helped her climb on the hood of the car. Dani snapped two pictures of the proud student with her camera, and herded the kids back inside to get ready to leave.
"Everyone, say thank you to BJ and Hawkeye!" The class chorused "Thank you" and a few ran back to get hugs. "We'll see them next Monday, don't worry." Dani called to her charges. The laughter and excitement about writing were a nice way to start the school year.
A few weeks later around dusk Dani made her way up the hill back to her apartment. She ran the Town Lake Trail a few times a week, visiting the bats under the bridge and experiencing firsthand how melty Austin was, even near night. She slowed to a walk, attempting to cool down but not accomplishing much. She saw Andrew walking further up the hill. She wolf-whistled to get his attention.
"Andrew!" she called to him, starting to jog up the hill to join him.
"Dani?" he turned and waited for her. "I'm proud of you, attempting to run in this heat. See why I go in the mornings?" He smiled at her.
"Too early," she groaned, smiling back nonetheless. "I need to be a school by 7:15 am."
"What are your plans for tonight?" he asked, knowing where she was most likely headed.
"Papa and BJ come visit my class, and they take turns reading a novel to the kids. This first one is "Hoot" by Carl Hiassen, and they made a movie about it. We are going to watch the movie together, and see if it is close to the story." Dani explained. "Want to join us? After I clean up, of course." She held her nose at him and grinned.
"You don't mind? I just don't want to intrude on your time with them," he asked her, coming to a stop at the front of her complex.
"I think they like having another doctor around. It reminds them of their glory days," she told him honestly. "Besides, maybe with a guest they will keep the running commentary down." Andrew agreed, and they parted ways. She cleaned up quickly and walked over to the condo complex and let herself in.
"Papa, BJ, I'm home," she called out. She slid the dvd into the player and plopped on the couch.
"I've got popcorn," said BJ as emerged from his room, veered by the kitchen, grabbed a big bowl and sat next to her.
"And I've got apple-carrot juice," said Papa, walking from the kitchen, as he handed out glasses and sat down.
"Oh, I invited Andrew over. I saw him walking around and figured he might be a little lonely." Dani said. She pressed play on the remote. The screen filled up with light, and the three of them began munching and sipping away.
"Jan I. Tor!" Hawkeye and BJ exclaimed as the actor from Scrubs appeared on the screen. Apparently he was the father figure in this movie. Dani groaned. Watching movies was always a challenge with the two of them. Adding a character from their favorite show? Hopeless. She hoped quotes from their favorite show would be kept to a minimum, but had her doubts.
Andrew quietly let himself in and sat on the floor, leaning up against the side of the couch. The third doctor watched as the two above chattered happily away. Dani shrugged and passed him the popcorn with a smile.
A few weeks later, Dani overheard arguing outside her window. Considering she was three flights up, the volume was impressive. She stuck her head out. Sure enough, her Papa and BJ were arguing over dinner.
"Hawk, I don't want to check out that band. We will see them at the Austin City Limits music festival next weekend," BJ helpfully pointed out. "Plus, if we eat inside it gets kind of loud. I would like to use my ears the rest of the evening."
"Hear? But I like to hear Americana, you like to hear Americana, it's un-American not to like hearing Americana. Plus it's right down the street. We can get barbecue at the same time," Dani could hear her Papa dangle the potential of delicious food as a bait for his reticent friend. "Mmmm, ribs!"
"Fine, fine, we will go." BJ threw his hands in the air in surrender. "But as your doctor, I don't recommend eating all what you are planning on eating," BJ cautioned him.
"And as your granddaughter, neither do I! Can you eat something healthy, Papa, please?" Dani called from above, conversing from three floors up.
"Healthy?" Papa cupped his hand to his ear. "I can't hear you. The music we are going to hear is too loud." She grinned at that.
"See? I told you," BJ pointed out. "Can you join us, Dani?" He yelled up to her.
"Sorry, I'm still working on lesson plans. Make him behave, BJ. We can eat unhealthy at the music festival next weekend!" She gave a wave, and watched as her grandfather and his best friend blew her kisses and wandered down the street.
The nights grew longer as the school year progressed. She had a good group of kids this year, so planning took less time than earlier years. Fall was always a wonderful time of year in Austin, as the temperature turned bearable and all the university students and activities returned to town. The twice weekly visits from Papa and BJ inspired marvelously written how-to instructions on yoga lessons, chess and Hawaiian shirts. She had even been the victim of a prank, directed by the two of them, albeit at a 9-year-old humor level, involving moving pieces of furniture in her classroom. Her fourth graders were happily writing a small novel about that.
Over Halloween, she helped decorate the third floor hallway along with Papa, BJ and Andrew for Halloween. There were only a few kids in the condo complex, but a determined Papa and BJ wanted to have a proper place for the them to trick-or-treat. Andrew put cobwebs in all the hard to reach places, while Dani covered the walls with pictures of pumpkins and witches, extra pictures courtesy of her class. BJ set up a skeleton with a stethoscope and a fake eyeglasses, nose and mustache set and Papa, well she watched her Papa rhapsodize about how much fun the little ones would have, comment on any extra set pieces they might add and fiddle with their decorations. BJ helpfully pointed out the average age of the trick-or-treaters was six, so they couldn't make the hallway too scary.
"Hawk, go do something besides mess with my masterpiece! Go knock on people's doors and tell them what we have planned." BJ directed him, swatting him away from waltzing with the skeleton. Papa set off for the first and second floors as they finished up. He returned in a few minutes, brimming with smiles.
"Plenty of people are coming up to pass out candy at seven. This is great! We've talked to everyone, except our very own crazy old man," he said, nodding at Peter Levin's door.
"Well, no time like now. C'mon Levin, come join us!" BJ knocked on his door. "I know you are right by the door anyway. We've got candy for you to hand out."
"No!" replied the muffled voice from the other side of the door. "I don't want any part of your stupid decorations or your stupid celebration."
"Levin! You don't have to do anything stupid!" Papa called out. "I'm sure appearing as yourself will be scary enough for the children."
The door opened. Peter Levin stood, backlit from the lights in his hallway, looking more eerie than he probably intended. "No!' he told them, and slammed the door in their faces.
"That went well," Papa remarked dryly, and they all laughed.
Her favorite prank of the fall happened in early November, before she, Papa and BJ departed for Chicago to stay with Ben Hunnicutt and his family for the week of Thanksgiving. Andrew inspired the prank. As part of his Austin education, he had happily joined the two gentlemen two doors down in having soup delivered, via bicycle. Peter Levin had of course objected to the coolers they left out in the hallway anticipating being filled with delicious soup, and complained, left nasty letters and even attempted to have them fined for 'devaluing the property.' So the three doctors, two retired, pooled resources and bought enough soup to blockade Levin's doorway. She could almost hear Levin yelling in the picture they took and proudly showed to her. Her favorite touch was the little stuffed wolf on top of the plastic container mountain. As BJ said, "He can truly cry wolf about the soup containers now." It was a win for all parties. Her two Gramps had fun playing a joke, Andrew was feeling more a part of their little community, Levin would hopefully leave the soup alone in the future, and the nearby homeless shelter had lunch and dinner for the day. It was a good way to prepare for Thanksgiving.