Chapter 1
Grandma started acting strange...stranger than usual.
She was moody and accused the boarders of stealing things they didn't take. For days, even weeks, she would wander off and forget how to get back home. The police even had to bring her back a few times, warning us to keep a better eye on her.
So Grandpa and I tried to watch her and set limits, but it was hard. She resented the loss of freedom and we hated enforcing it, but we had to. She just kept getting worse…
By the time I graduated from eighth grade, Grandma was a completely different person…
Grandpa did his best, but taking care of Grandma and the boardinghouse were too much. So I helped out whenever I could.
Every morning, I woke up early to help with breakfast. The boarders ate first, then Grandpa and I ate with Grandma since too many voices around the dinner table rattled her…
"Hi Grandma," I said as I entered the dining room one morning, plates in hand. "It's time to eat."
She just stared off into space as she sat at the table. I set the food down in front of her, then picked up a napkin. When I put it on her lap, she suddenly grabbed my arm and looked up at me, her eyes shining as if she recognized me.
"... Miles?" she asked softly.
I flinched. She'd called me by that name before, but it still managed to catch me off guard.
I took a deep breath. "Yeah, it's me." The words left a bad taste in my mouth, but it was better to lie to her than upset her. I patted her hand reassuringly. "Why don't you eat before your food gets cold?"
That seemed to satisfy her. She grabbed her spoon and started eating.
I frowned and sat down. I tried to focus on my food, but I didn't want to eat.
I hated lying to her, but I didn't want to confuse her more. Not when her memories were fading. It wouldn't be fair…
She probably didn't even know who I was anymore…
I was just some boy who reminded her of her son…
...
I sighed, pushing the food around on my plate.
It was stupid to get worked up about this.
I'd been called many names before. I could handle this one…
Grandpa soon joined us. We talked a little, but we spent most of the time encouraging Grandma to finish her food. I forced myself to eat, despite my lack of appetite.
"So, Shortman, what're you gonna do today?" Grandpa asked me in the kitchen once we finished breakfast and gathered up the dirty dishes. He seemed eager to hear my plans.
"I was gonna do some work around here," I said simply as I placed the dishes in the sink.
"Nah, why don't you go outside? It's a beautiful day..."
I held back a sigh. Grandpa meant well but I couldn't ignore what was going on around here. I could see the strain the past few years had on him. Money was tight, and we'd already lost some borders over the years. The boardinghouse was practically falling apart. It was hard to keep up with all the repairs, much less keep the house clean…
… And with Grandma declining…
They needed my help...more than ever.
So I shook my head at his suggestion. "No, that's alright," I said and focused back on the dishes.
Grandpa's smile dropped, and he let out a deep sigh. "Arnold," he said, putting his hand on my shoulder. "I'm sorry to say this… but I'm kicking you out."
"What?" I asked, shocked. Maybe I had misheard.
"It's the last week of summer vacation. You should be out enjoying your last days of freedom..."
"It's okay, Grandpa. I'm fine."
"No, you're not." Before I could say anything else, he spun me around by my shoulders and led me towards the front door. "I want you to go out and I don't wanna see you until dinnertime..."
"Grandpa…" I protested as he pushed me along.
He ignored me as we reached the front door. He pulled out his wallet from his back pocket, took out some cash and placed it in my hand. "Now, here's a 20. Consider it an early allowance."
I tried to object, but he stopped me before I could say any more.
"Everything's fine here, Arnold. Go have some fun. That's an order."