It took fifteen minutes for Arnold and Helga to walk from the school to the hardware store. He still hadn't told her where they were going, but he hoped she wouldn't be disappointed.
"We're here," Arnold said. "Jennings Hardware."
"Jennings Hardware," Helga echoed. Arnold couldn't read her expression. "This is our date?"
Arnold felt his face turn pink. "Well, I...thought you'd like the hammers."
"What?"
"I'm sorry," Arnold said. "I would've told you sooner, but...my parents were hovering over me, and—"
Helga bursted into laughter. She tried to speak, but Arnold couldn't understand her.
"I wanna buy something for Grandpa," Arnold said. He was too embarrassed to feel relieved that Helga clearly wasn't angry.
Helga stopped laughing, and wiped a tear from her eye. "Oh, Arnold! I never expected this."
Arnold checked his watch: 4:08 PM. "We better hurry. They close at five."
Sid's dad worked here as a sales associate, and Arnold found him in the cabinet hinge section. Helga had decided to follow him there; she apparently wasn't interested in hammers.
"Hi, um...Mr. Caporicci?" Arnold hoped he pronounced the name right.
"Arnold?" Mr. Caporicci looked surprised. "Hey there, buddy. How can I help you?"
"Do you have, um...safety rails? For toilets?"
"Toilet safety rails." Mr. Caporicci rubbed his chin. "Yeah, I've seen them. I'll lead you to the section."
"What's this about?" Helga asked Arnold. "Is Phil afraid he'll slip in the bathroom?"
"My mom was glad that Pragma had safety rails," Arnold said. "She probably thinks he'll be safer there, but I want him to be safe at home."
Mr. Caporicci led the kids to the bathroom section. "We got two different types," Mr. Caporicci said. "Feel free to compare them."
Arnold took mental note of the prices: one safety rail was $26.99, and the other was $37.99. He didn't have enough money for either of them.
"I'll buy one on Saturday," Arnold said to Mr. Caporicci. "Let's go, Helga."
As the two kids left the building, Arnold asked Helga if she wanted him to walk her home.
"What about your homework?" Helga asked.
Although he was worried about homework, Arnold was more concerned about Big Bob's dislike towards him. "On second thought, you should walk home alone. Your dad might get angry if he sees me."
Seeing Helga's disappointed reaction, Arnold placed his hand on her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Helga. Maybe some other time."
While his mom and grandmother made dinner, Arnold went upstairs to do math homework. He found Phil packing up his fishing gear.
"Grandpa?" Arnold's stomach twinged with anxiety. "I thought you weren't moving to Pragma 'til October."
"October's only six days away," Phil said. He tossed a pair of boots into the box he was packing. "Might as well get ready now."
"What's wrong with the boarding house?" Arnold asked. "I know Oskar is annoying sometimes, but do you really want to leave your son over that? He just came back from San Lorenzo!"
"It's not just Oskar," Phil said. "You know Mr. Hyunh likes to watch cooking shows. Then I miss my classic movies."
"But—what if—what if you—"
"Arnold, stop. I made up my mind." Phil closed the flaps of the cardboard box. "Can you go get the packaging tape?"
"Uh...sure. Where did you put it?"
"I think it's downstairs. Near the couch, I think."
Arnold went down to the living room. Miles and Ernie were sitting on the sofa, watching a game show. Mr. Hyunh was at work, and Oskar was...actually, Arnold didn't care what Oskar was doing.
"What's wrong, Arnold?" Miles asked. "I thought you were gonna do your homework."
"Grandpa wanted me to get a roll of tape. He's already packing for Pragma."
"He's really excited," Miles said. "He's been talking about it all day."
Another twinge of anxiety. Is it too late to change Grandpa's mind?