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It was pouring with rain that dark night as 15 year old Snake, Big Billy, and Grubber saw Lil Arturo scurry to the back of a Mack Super-Liner truck they were hiding in. Arturo rushed into the back, panting and gasping for breath. His fellow gang members looked at him and took notice of his panting.
"Hey, Arturo, take a breath, will ya?" said Ace suddenly. Arturo looked at him and reached back his breath.
"Hey, Ace, those bug eyed girls who destroyed Townsville are walking around outside. I heard them talking about not knowing where they were and how bad their day's been. They're coming towards our alleyway. Should we do something?" explained the short teenager.
Ace remained silent, thinking about what to do, for a little while and then finally spoke up.
"If they come through here, we'll ambush 'em. I wanna see how destructive they're made out to be," he said with a smile.
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"And that'sss exsssactly what happened. We ambushed the girlsss, but they didn't ussse their powersss on usss. We didn't know whysss, but we were glad. But then a flying garbage can lid flew outta no wheresss and knocked ussss out cold. We didn't wakesss up until the nexssst morningsss. It wasssn't untilsss a few dayssss latersss when we ssssaw thossse girlsss again, thisss time, usssing their powersss. They sssent us to jail and we ssshared a sssscell with Mojo Jojo and Fuzzy Lumpkinsss. We'd been fighting them ever sssince," explained old Snake.
The teens and kids were enjoyed the story they heard.
"Did I ever tell yousss about the time we got sssuperpowersss?" asked old Snake.
"You told that one to us 3 times before," said Billy.
"Oh…" said old Snake.
Then, old Snake began to cough violently. His grandchildren and great grandchildren backed away, hoping not to get his old germs on them.
Tanya, Bill's wife, stepped forward and led them away.
"Kids, he needs some rest. I think you need to let him have his space. How about you kids go and get yourselves something to drink from the machines?" she said as she pulled out some money..
"Oh, Tanya, it'sss okaysss," said the old green man.
"No, dad, I really think so. Come on, kids, let's go," she replied.
The grandchildren and great grandchildren looked back and gave their old family member a hug and kiss goodbye.
First, it was Lillian, then Harris, Kim, Hannah, and then Alicia. After them came the boys. After making sure the grandchildren and great grandchildren were out of the room, the old man gathered the young boys around him and whispered to them.
"You know, I see so much of my old fellow gang membersss in you boysss. I guesss that'sss why when I foundsss out you were all going to be boysss, I suggested your namessss when you were born," whispered the old man. The boys nodded, knowing they had been told this before. John put his mouth to his Great grandpa's ear.
"But Papa Sanford, does this mean you love us more than everyone else. I think that's favoritism," he said. Old Snake shook his old head.
"Oh no, I love all membersss of my family equally. That'sss why I wantsss yousss, Alicia, Kim, Harris, Hannah, Lillian, along with your mothers, my granddaughtersss, Lindsey, Katharine, Wendi, and my granddaughter in law, Taylor, and my grandson, Trent, and grandsons in lawsss, Tom, Sssam, and Ssspencer, who're your fathersss," replied the old man.
"We know that, grandpa," said young Ace.
Snake's son, Bill, stepped up and led them away.
"Alright kidss, you should go," said Bill.
The little green boys were led out of the room. As they went away, they waved their goodbyes.
"We love you, great grandpa," said young Arturo.
"I love you too, boysss," replied old Snake.
When the boys left the room, old Snake turned his head to the side and sighed.
"I don'tsss have much time left, do I'sss?" asked the old man. Michelle, the old fair skinned woman sat on the bed with him.
"I'm afraid not, dear," she said as she took hold of her old husband's hand. The older woman in her mid forties with green skin, black hair and grey strands named Ivy, began to let tears run down her eyes. Old Snake looked up at her and tried to comfort his daughter.
"Don'tsss worry, Ivy. We'll sssee each other againsss sssoon," he said. Ivy hugged her old father tightly.
"But, dad, I don't wantss you to go," she sobbed. Her husband, Ben, touched her shoulder in comfort.
Bill started weeping as well. He did not want his father to go either. Then his wife, Tanya, wept, then Snake's wife, Michelle, then Ingrid wept, and soon everyone was weeping. Seeing his family weep made old Snake weep as well.
After all of the weeping began to cease, old Snake began to make his last comments.
"Bill…" he said. His son stepped up.
"Yesss, sir," replied Bill.
"You're the head of thisss family now. Take care of them, underssstand?" said the old man. Bill bowed his head.
"Yes, dad," he said, his voice cracking.
"Tanya…" said the old man. His daughter in law stepped up.
"Yes, dad," she said.
"When you leave here, I want to look in the drawer in my bedroom. There you'll find my will, and what I'd like at my funeral. I trust you to find it," he said, knowing that Tanya was excellent at finding things. Tanya nodded and hugged him.
"Ivy…Ben…" said old Snake. His daughter and son in law stepped forward.
"I wantsss yousss to forgive your brother, Bill here, for breaking your doll when you two were little. I know after all thisss time, you ssstill haven't forgiven him…" he said. Ivy looked at Bill and smiled.
"Yes, father," she said.
"Ben…" whispered Snake.
"Yes, dad," replied Ben.
"Take care of Ivy. You know you both love each other," said the old man.
"Alright, I will," returned Ben.
"Michelle…" said the old man. Snake's wife stepped forward.
"Yes, Sanford?" asked his old wife.
"Don't forget me. No matter what happensss, jussst pleasse don't…" he said. Michelle kissed his hand.
"I love you," she said. Snake leaned over as hard as he could and kissed his wife.
"I love you too, Michelle," he said soothingly.
"Ingrid...Viper…" he said. The pregnant woman and her husband stepped forward.
"Yes, sir," they said.
"Whether that child of yoursss iss a boyss or a girlss, I wantsss yousss to let him/her know that Great Grandpa, Sanford/Snake lovesss him/her ssso much…" whispered old Snake. Ingrid and Viper smiled, with tears rolling down their eyes.
"Yes I will," they said.
"Taylor, Katharine, Wendi, Lindsey, Trent, Tom, Sssam, and Ssspencer…" said the old man.
The grandchildren and in-laws he spoke of stepped forward.
"Make sure those boys stay out of trouble. We love them, so make sure, please…" said old Snake. The grandchildren and in-laws nodded and then hugged and kissed their grandfather.
"Let me ressst. Pleassse…" said old Snake weakly.
His family did not want to leave him, but they did anyway.
After the family left, old Snake reached his old arm over the side of his bed and weakly pulled out an old brown book, which contained lined paper. Snake saw the black pen stuck in side the spiral of the notebook. He took it out, clicked the point up with his bony finger and opened the book up to a clear, clean page. He pressed the point of the pen. He started writing, and writing, and writing.