Queenie Baby: Pass the Eggnog (9 page)

"Granddad's making a snowman with the kids," Ashley said softly.

"I can't believe he's here after all these years." My mom sniffed loudly.

I watched my nephew Justin nail Granddad square in the forehead with a snowball. Granddad retaliated by hooking Justin's ankle with his cane. Justin shrieked as he face-planted into the snow. I smiled. Good one, Granddad.

"Why the tears, Mom?" I asked. "He's here now, so make the most of it."

"But he's sick," my mom wailed. "That cough is horrible; he might not have long to live. It's not fair!"

"Do we know what's actually wrong with him?" I asked. Granddad looked pretty good for a dying man. "I mean maybe he's just old and has a cold."

Ashley glared at me. "He went up to the mountain to die, Diana. Do you really think that means he's just getting a cold? Obviously, he's got cancer or something."

My mom gasped at the "C" word.

"See, that's not obvious to me," I replied. "Bill Sprague said he thought Granddad was sick, and he was afraid of leaving him alone on the mountain. Granddad just said he wanted peace. He didn't say a word about having cancer."

"But what about Granny Babs saying Granddad was going to be joining her for happy hour?"

"Really, Ashley? You're basing all this off a conversation Mammaw had with our dead grandmother?"

"Hey, she was right about finding Granddad!" Ashley pointed out.

I shook my head. "No, it was Mabel at the post office that was told us about the Sprague truck being around town. And, now that I think about it, Mabel's also responsible for Lindsey coming back to Kyle. No ghosts, just a nosy mail lady."

"Oh, come on, Diana," Ashley said, "even a Grinch like you has got to admit there's Christmas magic in the air."

I wasn't going to admit it to my sister, but things had been a little weird. I gave my mom a hug. "You've finally lost it, Ashley," I said as I grabbed a bowl of soup and half a sandwich wrapped in a napkin and headed for the door.

"Dress rehearsal's at seven," Ashley called. "Don't be late!"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Max was close on my heels when I reached my room. He must've sniffed out my sandwich, I decided, as I opened the door. I set my food on the nightstand and flipped on the gas fireplace. I sat down cross-legged on the bed and took a big bite of sandwich. Max stared at me with huge black eyes half hidden by the white bangs that all but rendered him blind.

"You need a haircut," I said, taking another bite of sandwich.

He gave me a look that said,
No, I need a sandwich
.

I handed him a stray piece of turkey. It was gone in an instant, and he continued with his intense stare. It wasn't actually begging, more like he was staring me into submission.
Look deep into my eyes
… I giggled and handed him another piece. It was working.

I finished the sandwich and took a few sips of delicious soup. Max lost interest and curled up in front of the fireplace when he realized I wasn't going to let him share the bowl with me. With finally a few minutes to myself, I mentally replayed the last twenty-four hours. Granddad, the ghosts, Kyle and his wife. It was a lot to take in. Not to mention my mysterious mirror messages. What did they mean anyway—help, hope—I didn't get it. I could see the first one could have been a message to help find Granddad, maybe the next message was about having hope for the future? I wasn't really great at puzzles. I'm pretty sure the ghosts were wasting the messages on me.

I brushed off the crumbs and got down to business with my guitar. First, I worked on a few songs that weren't about Christmas to get me warmed up. I even ran through "San Antonio Rose" which reminded me of my promise to Granddad. Maybe if we were all still functioning after Ashley's rehearsal, I could sit down with him and teach him a couple of chords. The thought made me shake my head again at this surreal day. Giving guitar lessons to my long lost Granddad on his Rolls Royce of a guitar—unbelievable.

I worked tirelessly on Christmas carols for an hour. I was jingled-out but victorious when I finally finished at seven. Max raised his head when I flipped off the fire and grabbed my dishes in one hand and my guitar in the other.

"You ready for this?" I asked him.

He stared blankly at me, his upper lip curled over his teeth giving him a perpetual haughty look. "You'd better be glad she didn't decide to do
The Grinch
. You would've been wearing antlers and pulling a sleigh."

Max made a sound in the back of his throat and jumped to his feet.

Ashley was in full flip-out mode when I entered the living room. Costumes littered the floor. My nephews and niece were rooting through the discarded finery like pigs in mud. Furniture had been moved haphazardly to create a "stage area" between the living room and the dining room. Dan was standing on a ladder hanging a collection of red sheets that served as the curtain for the stage. The Grands were wearing bits and pieces of their Army costumes: Aunt Pearl had on a jacket buttoned one-off the whole way up, Mammaw was wearing a hat that rested just below her eyebrows, Uncle Grover was wearing army green trousers, shiny shoes, and a wife-beater T-shirt, and Granddaddy Hacker had a holster strapped to his waist, a green cap on his head, and an army canteen to his lips.

My dad was standing in the doorway. I gave him a nudge. "What's in the canteen?"

He sighed. "Moonshine. They found it in the stuff from the attic."

I gasped.

Ashley looked up and shrieked. "They're all drunk as skunks!"

Granddaddy Hacker toasted me with his canteen.

"Not drunk enough," Aunt Pearl called and wrestled the canteen away from Granddaddy.

"I am not drunk," Uncle Grover insisted, his words slurring together.

I looked around for my mom and Anne. They must've had their guard down to let this happen. "What happened?"

"Happy hour," my dad replied.

"Yikes. Where's Mom?"

"In the kitchen with Anne making coffee to sober these nuts up," he replied.

Ashley came over and thrust a bundle of clothes my way. "While Victoria was helping me clean up the costumes, Mammaw got a call from Granny Babs. Time for happy hour! They were all doing shots of the stuff when I came in here to set up the stage."

"Where's Granddad?" I asked, dropping the clothes on the couch.

"He's having a private happy hour with Babs in the den," Mammaw replied, adding softly, "She said it was time."

Something in her words made a chill run down my spine and a horrifying thought occurred to me. "No—not yet!" I cried and raced across the room. I had to get to him before it was too late. Maybe I could talk Granny Babs into letting him stay just a little longer. I hadn't had a chance to teach him to play a song on his guitar.

I tripped over a box as I crossed the threshold of the makeshift stage, grasping at the red curtain Dan was hanging as I went down. I quickly jumped back up; a lifetime of klutziness had taught me how to bob and weave in these situations.

I heard Dan's cry of surprise and glanced back just in time to see the ladder topple over. Ouch! Dan wasn't quite as experienced. No time to stop now. I sprinted through the dining room and into the kitchen. My mom and Anne looked up guiltily from a half empty bottle of wine.

"What now?" my mom demanded.

"Granny Babs is going to take Granddad," I panted, the words sounding crazy even as I said them.

My mom gave me a funny look and then realization dawned on her face. "No!" she cried and rushed past me.

I was on her heels as we banged into the door to the den. She struggled with the knob. "It's locked." Her voice was ragged.

I banged on the door with my fist. "Granddad! Open the door."

"Here's the key," Anne called coming from the kitchen. My dad and Dave were behind her.

I took the old-fashioned metal key in my shaking hands and put it into the lock.

"Hurry up, Diana."

"I am, Mom." Jeez. I was under a little pressure here.

The lock clicked, and we all rushed into the room.

A fire burned in the stone hearth. The Gibson guitar gleamed on a stand to the right. A small lamp on the roll-top desk was the only other source of light. Granddad was on the over-sized leather couch. His eyes were closed; his chin resting against his chest. His feet were propped up on the coffee table where two empty glasses sat.

"Granddad," I called softly. No response.

"We're too late," my mom moaned. Dave was at her side pulling her against him, and patting her back.

I walked over to the couch. My mom was crying as Ashley and the rest of the crew arrived. The Grands stumbled into the den behind her.

"What's going on?" Ashley asked, taking in the scene.

I leaned over and called more loudly, "Granddad?" I studied his chest for movement.

"Oh, my God! He's dead!" Ashley cried dramatically. "Dan, get the kids out of here."

Dan dropped the paper towel he'd been holding to his forehead to staunch the flow of blood from the head wound he'd received from my ill-fated rush out of the living room, and ushered the kids back out the door.

"The cancer took him from me just when he was finally back in my life," my mom wailed.

"Didn't know he had cancer," Granddaddy Hacker chimed in. "But sure 'nough looks dead to me."

We all looked at Granddad's still form. I was starting to agree. He hadn't moved an inch since we'd walked in the room.

"Curse you, Babs!" Aunt Pearl cried, shaking her fist at the ceiling. "You couldn't stand the thought of Dub fancying me. Jealous 'til the bitter end!" Aunt Pearl's hiccup took some of the sting from her words.

We all looked at Aunt Pearl still wearing her army jacket and leaning heavily on her walker. I noticed she was missing one of her slippers. Good thing Granddad couldn't see her now.

A cold rush of wind flowed through the house, causing the fire to flare up.

"Best not make her mad, Pearlie," warned Mammaw.

Victoria and Jake came in behind The Grands. They were bundled up against the cold with grocery bags in their hands and confused looks on their faces.

"The haints took Dub," GranddaddyHacker announced. "Or might've been the cancer."

Victoria gave a startled cry. My dad gave Granddaddy a withering look.

Oh, brother. This was getting out of hand. I shook Granddad's shoulder. Nothing.

"I'll call for an ambulance," Jake said, reaching for his phone.

"Hold a mirror under his nose," offered Granddaddy Hacker.

I took a deep breath to steady myself. I had to admit I was feeling a little creeped out as I leaned over and pressed my ear to his chest.

I listened for a second…

"Hrumpp!" A loud snore erupted from his mouth.

I screamed and jumped off the couch, upsetting the coffee table and the glasses.

Everyone else shrieked in unison.

"He's alive!" my mom sobbed.

"Hallelujah!" cried Aunt Pearl.

Victoria made the sign of the cross. Granddad opened one eye and then the other. We held our collective breath. "Why're you all starin' at me?"

"We-we thought you were dead," I stuttered. He stared at me like I was crazy.

"Thought the haints had gotcha," Granddaddy Hacker chimed in.

"When Mammaw said you were having happy hour with Granny Babs, I thought that meant—" I paused, realizing how absurd I sounded.

My mom rushed over. "I was so terrified when I saw you lying here, Dad. I know you're not well, but I promise the time you have left we'll spend together." Her voice broke as she finished.

Granddad looked from me to her, and then at our audience. "You all know somethin' I don't?" he asked.

"You got the cancer," Granddaddy Hacker said matter-of-factly.

Granddad sat up straighter. "I do?"

"Don't you?" my mom and I said together.

"Don't think so."

"It's a miracle!" Ashley cried.

"Yes," agreed Mammaw quietly.

"Didn't you go up to the mountain to die in peace?" I asked. "Mr. Sprague said that you said you didn't have much time left."

"I didn't," he replied, "my lease was up in Sarasota, so I'd decided to move back here." He scratched his face. "That's a hoot him thinkin' I was on my last leg." Granddad smiled.

"So you're not dying, Dub?" Aunt Pearl asked, her words slurring a bit.

"Not any faster than you are," he chuckled. "I still got some spring in my step. Might even have a little oats left to sow." He gave Aunt Pearl a wink.

The lights flashed off and on, and the wind rattled the panes.

"Might want to wait on that Granddad," I said.

"I need another drink," Granddaddy Hacker announced. "Who's joining me?"

Aunt Pearl hooted her approval and clapped Mammaw on the back. My dad and Anne put the kibosh on the plan and ushered them up to their rooms. Uncle Grover was sleeping in the hall chair and had to be carried upstairs by Dan and Jake.

I let out a big sigh and sunk into an easy chair by the fireplace. "Feeling up to those guitar lessons now, Granddad, since you're officially with the living?"

"Can't wait!" he clapped his hands together and reached for the guitar. He showed it to my mom, letting her hold it.

Ashley sank down into the chair next to me. I glanced over at her. "You've got tinsel in your hair."

She rolled her eyes at me. "My play is ruined."

"It'll all work out. We'll get a fresh start in the morning."

"It's ruined," she said again. "It's hopeless. It was a stupid idea."

"That's the spirit."

"Oh, make jokes," she snapped and jumped to her feet. "I'm going to put the kids to bed and take a bath. I'm done."

No way was Ashley throwing in the towel. Though I did feel a little guilty as I watched her stomp off towards the door.

She stopped in the doorway. "I'm really glad you're not dying, Granddad," she said. Then added, "It's good to have you here."

"Me too," he chuckled. "And it's good to be here. Most excitement I've seen in a long time."