The Granny Game (2 page)

Carly looked in the dresser mirror. “Goody!” She touched her hair and the bow. Then she turned toward Abby. “Why didn't Mommy ask Granny Mae to come?”

Abby smiled. “I think you know why.”

Carly wrinkled up her nose. “I do?”

Abby leaned down. She whispered in her sister's ear. “Granny Mae is crazy for sweets. She only has eyes for junk food and goodies.”

“
That's
not why!” Carly insisted. “It can't be!”

“Ask Mom,” Abby said. “You'll find out.”

Carly shook her head. “
You
ask.”

“I don't have to. I know I'm right,” Abby said.

Carly tossed her head. Her ponytail brushed against her cheek. “Okay, I'll see
for myself.” She dashed out of the bedroom.

Abby sat on the bed and sighed.

When would her sister ever believe her?

Abby helped Dad carry the suitcases to the car.

Her parents kissed her good-bye.

They kissed and hugged Carly, Shawn, and Jimmy, too.

Dad's face was serious. “Please obey your grandmother.” He looked at each of them.

“We will,” Abby said. She glanced at Carly. “Won't we?”

Carly was trying to keep from smiling. Abby could tell by her sister's flat lips. A giggle might burst out any minute!

Jimmy was whispering to Shawn in Korean.

Abby recognized several words.

Jimmy was telling Shawn something about broccoli.

Abby listened more carefully.

Oh no!
she thought. Shawn was telling Jimmy not to eat the broccoli!

Dad caught Abby's eye. He must've heard, too. “Now, boys,” he began. “You must eat your vegetables while we're gone.”

“We
have
to?” Jimmy whined.

“Grandma will be in charge of you,” Dad said.

Jimmy's eyes rolled around. “Green vegetables make little boy very sick.” He was pointing to himself.

Shawn's face was droopy, too.

But the boys weren't going to fool Dad. Probably not Grandma Hunter, either.

“You'll eat whatever your grandmother makes,” Mom said. Her words were firm.

Jimmy started to groan.

He held his stomach.

He pretended to be too sick to stand up.

Ker-plop-ity!
He fell over and slammed onto the floor.

Then . . . Shawn and Carly fell over, too.

There were three kids on the floor, faking it good.

Abby shook her head. She felt like joining them, but she knew better. Her parents were watching.

“We're counting on you,” Mother said. She was giving Abby “The Eye.”

“The Eye” was nothing to fool around with. It meant important business.

“No funny stuff,” Daddy warned. “We want a good report when we return.”

Suddenly, Abby wished she wasn't the oldest. Why did the oldest kid have to behave the best? Always!

She guessed she knew why.

It was important to be a good example. For Carly, Shawn, and Jimmy.

“Okay, enough of this,” Dad said. He looked at the wiggling threesome on the floor. He snapped his fingers. “C'mon! Up you go!”

Shawn, Carly, and Jimmy were on their feet. But they were still holding their stomachs and moaning.

“Don't worry,” Abby told her parents. “I'll make sure everyone obeys Grandma.” She glanced at her sister and brothers. “
All
weekend!”

“Since when is Abby the boss?” Carly said, making a face.

Mother and Daddy set her straight. “Abby's the oldest. She's going to help Grandma,” Dad said. “End of story.”

Carly made another face. A pickle face!

What a weekend
, thought Abby.
What a wacky weekend!

THREE

Grandma Hunter arrived in a yellow taxi cab.

She stepped out, wearing her pink Sunday dress. And a pretty apron. A single strand of pearls hung around her neck. And there were earrings to match.

“Let me look at you, children.”

Smack!
She planted a kiss on each face.

Jimmy turned around. When no one was looking, he wiped off the kiss.

Abby saw him do it. She frowned hard at him.

Jimmy shot daggers with his eyes.

But Mother and Daddy didn't notice. They were smiling, almost too pleased. Especially Mother.

Grandma Hunter greeted Mother and Daddy. “My grandchildren and I are going to have a splendid time.” She glanced at Abby and the others. “Aren't we, children?”

Suddenly, Grandma wanted to hug again, starting with the youngest.

Little Jimmy got squeezed almost to nothing.

Carly and Shawn were next.

And last, Abby.

Grandma's big, chubby arms pressed in around her. “My, my, you've grown,” said Grandma.

Abby was pleased about that. She was glad she was getting taller. The oldest kid should be the tallest kid.

Double dabble good!

Stepping back, Grandma smiled
sweetly. “I have the most delicious recipe for supper,” she announced. “It's a surprise.”

Abby shuddered.
Not tonight
, she thought.
Not the very first night
.

Then she caught her mother's eyes. Her parents had asked the kids to obey. They were expected to be polite. They must eat exactly what their grandmother cooked.

Yikes!

Abby was a jitterbox again.

Abby led Grandma to the guest room. “Here's where you'll sleep,” she said.

Silently, Abby waited.

At once, Grandma began to inspect! She ran her fingers over the dresser. And over the top of the mirror. She looked under the bed and behind the nightstand.

Abby was glad she had cleaned so carefully.

At last, Grandmà sat down. Her eyes discovered the flowers. “How very pretty,” she said with a sigh.

Abby grinned. “The flowers were Mother's idea. But
I
cleaned your room.”

Grandma was nodding. “Abby, you're an excellent housekeeper.”

“Thanks.” She stayed in the room. Her grandma might need some help unpacking.

Then Abby noticed a giant shopping bag. It was bursting with strange objects. Especially something round and silver.

Gulp!

The vegetable steamer!

Abby had seen the silver thingamabob before. It had come with Grandma the
last
time!

She thought of falling on the floor. She thought of holding her stomach. But Abby was the oldest. She
had
to behave. Dad and Mother would be unhappy if she didn't.

Abby didn't dare gag. She didn't dare faint on the floor. But she
did
take a deep breath. She'd have to eat steamed vegetables. Tonight!

“Grandma?” she said softly. “What's for supper?”

“Just you wait and see,” Grandma said. Her eyebrows flew up over her big blue eyes. She seemed terribly excited.

Abby got her hopes up. Maybe tonight's supper wouldn't include broccoli, after all. Maybe . . .

She crossed her fingers. She didn't hope to die, though. That came easily with eating yucky vegetables!

“Did you feed Daddy broccoli when he was little?” Abby asked.

A smile swept over Grandma's face. “Ah, broccoli,” she whispered. “Doesn't it have a nice ring to it?”

Abby listened. She didn't hear anything. “What ring?”

Grandma waved her hand. “Oh, never
mind that,” she said. “It's the taste that counts.”

“The taste?” Abby wanted to choke. How could Grandma think such a thing?

Grandma held up the vegetable steamer. “Do you have any idea about this marvelous thing?” She stared at it, admiring it. Like it was a treasure or something.

Abby tried not to frown . . . or cry. “Did my father eat broccoli when he was little? Did his brothers and sisters?”

“Is the sky blue?” Grandma Hunter replied. She touched the flowers in the vase. “Are these daisies yellow?”

Abby didn't get it. Why was her grandma asking questions right back?

Of course the sky was blue. And the flowers were yellow. Anybody could see that!

Grandma folded her hands in her lap. “Well, Abby?”

All of a sudden, she understood.
Grandma was trying to say that her children
did
like broccoli.

“They ate many kinds of vegetables,” Grandma added. “Back in those days, children weren't so picky.”

“So everyone ate broccoli in the olden days?” asked Abby.

Grandma laughed. “My dear girl. I don't think you understood a word I said.”

Just then Abby was wrapped into a big hug.

“I love you anyway,” Grandma said with a grin.

After that, Abby decided something. She would try to forget the broccoli question.

She would try
very
hard!

FOUR

“Eeyew, gross,” Jimmy said at supper. He was staring at Grandma's vegetable surprise.

Abby felt jittery. Her little brother had zero manners. None!

The dark green vegetable was smothered in cheese sauce. But the green yuck poked through anyway.