My Grandma and Me
BY DIANA PISHNER WALKER
“Tell me about the good old days, Grandma,” said young Ace to his “not so old grandma”.
“Good old days? Is that what they still call them? They weren’t all good my sweet grandson” said grandma.
“Well tell me about when you were little? You know, young like me?” Ace continued to inquire.
“Ok what would you like to know about?” answered grandma
“Did you have cars? What was your school like? OH WAIT! Grandma did you have schools?” asked Ace
“Oh my goodness yes I went to school and yes there were cars I went to a Catholic school,” Grandma replied.
“Seriously did you just sit around talking about God all day?” asked Ace with such a puzzled little face. No sweet boy, but HE was definitely in our minds all day. My school didn’t have as many students in a class as yours and sometimes two classes were together”
“You mean like second and third grades in the same room? I don’t think I’d like that!” Daddy said when he went to Catholic School he had to wear the same thing as everyone else! Gross!” shouted Ace.
“It wasn’t so bad at my school we were like one big family. We all took care of each other. It was the same way in my high school” Grandma explained. “Your dad did wear a uniform. I did too. That wasn’t so bad either. Everyone still looked different, do you understand?” asked Grandma
“Grandma, tell me about your house. Was it like mine? Did you have a bike?” Ace continued to ask.
“Well, let’s see. It was a smaller house than yours and I lived next door to my grandma and grandpa.” Ace interrupting said, “Now that I would love, especially when you cook pasta. Yumo!”
“You like my pasta huh?” asked grandma proudly. “I had a bike. It had a basket on it and a bell”
“I suppose it was pink too huh Grandma?” said Ace just shaking his head and rolling those big blue eyes.
“It was” grandma laughed. “How did you know?”
“I gotta go, grandma, mom is here to pick me up. Will you tell me more again?” Ace asked
“Yes, of course, don’t forget your book bag and put your toboggan on it’s snowing, again!” Grandma warned
Little Ace took off to his mama’s arms. She always picks him up when she gets off work. There was that little bit of time where he needed a babysitter after school until mom or dad got off work.
(Ace had two older brothers that were both in high school and always busy after school let out, so for about an hour or so a day it was grandma and Ace time.)
The following week after school.
“Hi, Grandma It’s me Ace. I’m back at your house. Where are you? I smell cookies! Please tell me I smell cookies” said Ace.
“Hi-Ace. Yes, you do smell chocolate chips! Grandma answered.
“YAY! May I have one or five please?” Ace asked.
“How about two and a glass of milk?” Grandma asked.
“Ok thank you”.
Ace was enjoying his cookies when he looked up at his grandma with those big blue eyes, and after a twitch of his mouth to the left and then to the right he said: “Grandma I was thinking about something.”
“You were huh? How was school today?” asked Grandma
“It was ok. I was thinking about if when you were my age you kinda liked somebody, like a boy, like a boyfriend or something. Was grandpa your boyfriend?” Ace asked
“No, I didn’t meet Grandpa until I was in college and I had a lot of friends, some were boys” Grandma teased.
“Grandma! You know what I mean!” Ace said.
“Yes, Ace I had boyfriends” Grandma answered in between giggles.
“Like more than one? Are you kidding me?” Ace laughed.
“Well, my first boyfriend was in first grade. Do you want to know how I knew he was my boyfriend?” She asked.
“Yes!” Ace exclaimed.
“He gave me a yellow duck eraser. His favorite eraser!!” she explained.
Ace broke out into hysterical laughter “Grandma, that’s it? No flowers that he might have accidentally pulled out of his mom’s flower garden when he wasn’t supposed to?”
“Hmm, nope, just the eraser. Ace, do you as a second grader have a girlfriend?” she asked.
“No grandma, well kinda, I don’t know. Ok maybe” he stammered
“So, she’s just a special friend that you like a lot that happens to be a girl right?”
“Yes,” he giggled” I didn’t kiss her or anything like on TV”
“Well, that’s good! A first kiss is very special and I think you need to be a little older”, Grandma warned.
“Grandma, did you kiss the boy that gave you the duck eraser?” Ace asked.
“Heavens no! My first kiss was in the 6th grade. We used to ride our bikes together and then have a Popsicle on the picnic table outside of my house.” “Grandma explained to Ace.
“And?” asked Ace.
“And one day we both had Popsicle lips and he reached over and gave me a kiss.” Grandma laughingly explained.
“Oh geesh, grandma!” said Ace.
This time it was grandma who burst into hysterical laughter.
“Finish your spelling words now ok? Grandma asked.
The next evening Ace called his grandma and said, “Grandma it’s me Ace I’m going to face time you ok? Do you remember how we practiced?”
“Yes, yes I do. Ok” she said. Grandma answered the phone, and that beautiful little face appeared and said: “Hi Grandma, it’s me Ace.”
“I see that!” said Grandma
“I can’t come to your house today. I’m at my house, mommy got out of work early and picked me up so I’m not riding the bus to your house today. I got an A on my spelling test. I didn’t miss any!” reported Ace
Grandma’s heart melted just a little more as she said. “I’m just so proud of you! I will miss your visit today but I’ll be there to cheer you on at your ballgame this weekend”.
“Ok Grandma, see you then. I love you,” Ace said.
“Love you too! Bye for now”, grandma said as she struggled to decide which button to push to end the call
“It’s the red button grandma. Bye!” cried a little voice inside the phone.
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Four years later
“Hey Grandma, What’s up?” said Ace as he strolled through the door at grandma’s house.
“Hi, Ace, I didn’t know you were coming to see me!” exclaimed a pleasantly surprised grandma.
“Yea well, mom and dad said I have to. They don’t want me home alone. Can you believe that? I’m in the 6th grade!” Ace said, (and not very happy about it.)
“I understand. I’m glad you are here. Are you hungry?” asked grandma.
“I don’t know, maybe. Hot lunch was pretty bad today”, said Ace.
“I’m making a pizza, pull up a chair and talk to me. How’s school?” , Grandma wanted to know.
“It’s good I guess, my math grade could be better and I broke up with my girlfriend”, answered Ace.
“Girlfriend? I didn’t even know you had one, and you were always good at math what’s going on?” inquired a worried Grandma.
“I don’t know grandma can I go play some video games?” asked Ace.
“Yea, ok but remember grandpa and I are always here if you need to talk about anything”, answered Grandma.
“Ok grandma, love you. Getting a glass of chocolate milk”, he said.
6 years later
“Hi, Ace! It’s me grandma” said Grandma’s voice on the phone.
“Hi grandma, why are you calling me? ”asked Ace.
“Because I haven’t heard from you for a week and I miss you terribly. Why don’t you come for dinner tonight?” she asked.
“Can’t grandma, got practice and finals start tomorrow, gotta get stuff for prom too”, answered Ace.
“Prom? Oh my, well I hope to get to see you all dressed up” said a teary-eyed grandma.
Sure grandma, gotta go, love you”, Ace said.
“Love you too. Bye” said Ace.
Four more years pass and Ace is graduating from college.
“Hi grandma it’s me Ace how are you?” he asked.
“Oh Ace, it’s so good to hear your voice. I’m afraid I may not make it to your graduation or hear your speech. I’m not feeling well”, said Grandma.
“That’s what I hear. I’ll come by and practice so you can hear it. See you soon grandma, love you”, said Ace.
Two more years pass and Ace is getting married.
“Grandma, hello it’s Ace can you hear me ok?” he asked.
”Yes, yes my sweet boy. I know it’s your wedding day soon. Your dad is going to bring grandpa and me to the ceremony but I’m afraid I will be too weak to attend the reception. Please tell your bride not to count me for dinner. I’m so sorry”, she explained.
“It’s ok grandma we will have a video and a lot of pictures for you. It means a lot to me that you will see me get married. I know we haven’t talked much lately. You know I love you right?” he said.
“Yes, my sweet boy. I love you too”, answered Grandma.
One year later
“It’s me, Ace grandma. We all miss you so much. I wish you were here and that we had some more time together. We are taking good care of grandpa for you and I’m going to be a daddy. I love you, grandma”.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR – Diana Pishner Walker
Award-winning children’s book author Diana Pishner Walker resides in Fairmont, WV with her husband Mark. She is the mother of 3 children and grandmother of 3 boys, Ashton, Austin, and Ace.
The author shared that this young little guy in the story had a very rough beginning at birth and is a little miracle in our family.
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