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Authors: Patricia MacLachlan

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BOOK: Grandfather's Dance
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“How far does the ocean stretch out?” I asked.

“As far as you can see.”

“Just like the prairie here,” I said.

“Just like here,” said Anna, smiling.

“Then, when it finally rained, Papa came to surprise us. And the aunts loved him.”

“And I loved the aunts, too,” said Papa.

“And then we came home,” said Anna.

“And I was born,” I said.

“You were.”

Anna put on the wedding veil that Mama had pressed. She looked at herself in the mirror.

“You look beautiful,” said Mama.

Anna turned.

“I remember when you wore this, Sarah.”

Mama smiled. “You were a little girl when I married your papa. And now look at you.”

“Maybe I’ll wear the dress and veil when I marry my dog,” I said.

Anna laughed and put the veil on my head.

I stared at myself in the mirror. Anna saw my look.

“There is something about a veil, Cassie. It is like a spell cast over you. It makes you beautiful no matter how young or old or plain you think you are.”

 

My husband dog licks my cheek and whispers, “You have never been more beautiful. You’re more beautiful than a pot roast.”

 

We washed the floors in Caleb’s and Anna’s rooms. We moved three beds into Caleb’s bedroom for the aunts. We straightened and dusted and painted a table and bookcase blue.

“Blue looks nice in this room,” I said.

“All this trouble for old girls,” said Grandfather.

“You’d better be careful,” warned Papa. “Your small friend repeats everything.”

Grandfather straightened and looked around, alarmed.

“I have to watch myself all the time,” he muttered.

“He loves you,” said Papa.

“Well, I’ve had just about enough of his love,” Grandfather complained.

Then he looked at Papa.

“That’s not so.”

“I know,” said Papa.

4

A
surprise. Papa had gone off to town early on Zeke, the dapple-gray horse. Mama and I were baking bread when we heard the sound of a motor outside. Mama looked out the window.

“Oh my,” she said. “Oh my!”

She ran out, leaving the door open behind her. I took Jack’s hand and we followed her. Grandfather was coming out of the barn. He stopped suddenly and stared.

Zeke was tied to the back of a car. Papa untied him and took him to the paddock.

“A car! It’s beautiful, Jacob,” said Mama.

The car was a shiny dark gray with silver trim. It had soft seats.

Mama smiled. “You did this for the wedding, didn’t you?”

Papa nodded. “And for the aunts,” he said.

He looked proud, but when Papa talked about it he sounded like Grandfather.

“It may be beautiful,” he grumped, “but I’ll take Zeke any day. Zeke eats and takes me places and waits. He’s an old friend. He’s loyal. I don’t see anything loyal about this car. It doesn’t love me.”

Grandfather peered in the windows.

“Maybe it doesn’t matter,” he said.

Grandfather opened a door and got inside. He put his hands on the wheel for a moment, then rolled down the window.

“Maybe something so beautiful doesn’t have to be loyal,” he said to Papa.

Papa folded back the engine cover and looked inside. He shook his head.

“Too many parts,” he said. “Zeke’s beautiful. And loyal. Aren’t you, Zeke?” he called.

At the sound of his name, Zeke looked over his shoulder at Papa. Then he went back to eating grass.

“And Zeke loves me,” said Papa. “This car doesn’t love me.”

“Zeke,” whispered Jack.

 

We rode to town the next day. Grandfather had to see Dr. Sam, Justin’s father. We would buy food and supplies for the aunts.

Grandfather sat in front, next to Papa, because his legs were too long for the backseat. Mama and Jack and I sat in back, Jack on my lap, looking out the window.

“Bye-bye, Zeke,” called Jack, making Grandfather laugh.

“The aunts will love this, Jacob,” said Mama. “You can pick them up at the train in style.”

“Better than three old women on a dapple-gray horse,” said Grandfather.

Papa looked back over his shoulder at Jack, who sat quietly, looking at the prairie pass by.

“Zeke could handle it,” he said softly to Grandfather.

“Not sure the aunts could,” whispered Grandfather.

It was quiet in the car, except for the motor running. There was no sound of big wagon wheels turning, or wind whipping around our heads, or rain soaking us if it rained. Or worse, snow in winter. It was so quiet that Jack fell asleep long before we crossed over the railroad tracks and got into town.

There were horses and wagons and cars in town. Papa parked the car in front of Dr. Sam’s office.

Grandfather opened the door.

“We’ll meet you at the store when you’re ready,” said Mama.

Anna worked for Dr. Sam. Her eyes widened when she came out of the office and saw the car.

Papa laughed.

Anna hugged Grandfather and peered into the car.

“How does Zeke feel about this?” she asked Papa.

“He’s on a little holiday,” said Papa.

“For the aunts,” said Jack, his thin voice startling everyone. And then he added what Papa was afraid he would. In a clear voice, so easy to hear, like a little bell in the wind.

“Three old women on a dapple-gray horse.”

 

That night Grandfather had to move into Jack’s bedroom to make room for all the people who would come to the wedding: the aunts, William, and Caleb—who would be home from school. Jack was very happy. He sat on his bed and watched Mama and Papa move Grandfather’s bed in.

I carried in some shirts to Grandfather.

“This is not forever,” Grandfather said to Jack. “You understand?”

Jack smiled at Grandfather.

“This is my bed, pal. And that is yours,” said Grandfather, pointing.

“Pal,” said Jack happily.

“All moved in?” asked Mama at the door.

Jack looked up.

“Pal!” he repeated.

“Thank you for this, John,” Mama said to Grandfather. “I know this isn’t the way you’d want it to be. You look tired. Are you all right?”

“Old,” said Grandfather, sitting down. “Older every day.”

He took some pills out of his pocket. I knew he had gotten more pills from Dr. Sam.

“Well, I thank you, John.”

“You bet, Sarah,” he said.

“You bet, Sarah,” Jack said.

 

“Do you have a story today?” asked Ian.

Ian and I rode home. It was the last day of school. We had packed up our notebooks and said good-bye to Mr. Willet. The day was warm. Summer was here.

“Do you?” he repeated. “Have a story?”

“I’m out of stories,” I said. “My head is busy, Ian. The aunts are coming tomorrow. The wedding is a week after.”

Grandfather’s getting older. Older every day.

“A happy story about a wedding would make me sleepy,” said Ian. “A hero’s wedding.”

Ian could always make me smile.

Prairie dogs scampered alongside the road.

“Once there was a strong and brave prairie dog,” I said.

Ian laughed.

“What was his name?”

“Monty.”

“How brave was he?” asked Ian.

He laid his head on my back, and I hoped he’d fall asleep soon so I wouldn’t have to make up a long story.

“He could fly as high as the clouds. He saved lost cattle and put out fires. And once he tied up a robber.”

“What was the robber’s name?”

“Ian,” I said. And Ian laughed again.

“Was he nice?”

“Oh, yes, he was kind and good. They gave him a huge wedding party in town, and all his prairie dog friends came. There was dancing.”

“Who did he marry?”

“The Princess Prairie Dog.”

“Was it a happy wedding?” asked Ian, yawning.

“Yes. It was the best wedding in the world.”

I reached down to pat Molly’s neck. It was warm from the sun.

“The end,” I said.

Molly walked on. Ian didn’t ask any more questions. Just as he had said he would, he had fallen asleep.

 

That night, when I woke in the middle of the night and went downstairs to get a drink of water, I looked in Jack’s bedroom. In Grandfather’s bed was Jack, curled up like a small cat under Grandfather’s chin. Lottie and Nick slept on Jack’s bed.

5

T
he aunts wore hats.

The car drove into the yard in the late afternoon, and the aunts got out, wearing dresses with lace trim, and stockings and hats.

Even Aunt Lou, who Caleb told me usually wore overalls and worked with animals. She walked over to the paddock fence. Zeke and Bess and Molly came over right away so she could rub their noses. Two of the sheep came, too.

Grandfather and I watched through the upstairs window as Mama and Jack went out for hugs and kisses.

“The ship of aunts has arrived,” said Grandfather softly. “Aren’t you going down?”

I nodded.

“You’ll be nice, won’t you?” I said to him.

“I will be as charming as a prince,” said Grandfather.

“We’ll see,” I said.

I left Grandfather laughing behind me. I went out to hug Aunt Harriet and Aunt Mattie and Aunt Lou.

 

Aunt Harriet surprised Grandfather right away. She brought her flute, which did not impress Grandfather.

“You don’t have to like it,” she told Grandfather when she saw the look on his face. “I didn’t bring it for you.”

She also brought a deck of cards and invited him to play. They played many games, and Aunt Harriet beat Grandfather every time. While Aunt Mattie helped Mama with her dress for the wedding, Aunt Harriet kept winning into the night. Lamplight fell across the cards on the table long after Jack had gone to bed.

“I’m not amused,” said Grandfather as Aunt Harriet won again.

“That’s all right. I am,” she said.

“Me, too,” I told her.

 

Aunt Lou was up early, dressed in overalls. She and Papa sat at the table drinking coffee and having a peppy discussion. Jack sat between them, his head turning from one side to the other as they talked. I stood in the doorway, listening.

“Why?” asked Papa.

“I want to,” said Aunt Lou.

“Do you have a permit to drive?” asked Papa.

“Yes,” said Aunt Lou quickly.

Papa smiled slightly.

Jack smiled, too.

“Well . . . where is it?” asked Papa.

Aunt Lou took a deep breath and went to find her bag.

“Good morning, Cassie,” said Papa.

“Good morning,” I said, coming into the kitchen. Grandfather came after me, pouring coffee and sitting next to Jack.

“Pal!” said Jack.

“Pal,” said Grandfather, putting his hand over Jack’s hand.

Aunt Lou handed Papa a folded piece of paper.

“Here.”

Papa looked at it, then at Aunt Lou.

“This says
Lou can drive
, signed,
Horace Bricker
.”

Aunt Lou nodded.

“Yes, Horace taught me how to drive. That’s proof.”

Papa’s mouth opened. He looked at me, then closed it again.

“How about,” said Papa slowly, handing the paper back to Aunt Lou, “you drive on the tractor roads that go through the meadows. Could you do that?”

“Oh yes!” said Aunt Lou happily. “You didn’t think I wanted to drive on the main roads, did you? With all the fools out there?”

She tapped Grandfather on the shoulder.

“How about it, John? Want to go driving? Past the slough and across the far meadows? We can go fast!”

She stopped and looked at Papa.

“We
can
go fast, can’t we?”

Papa put his hands over his eyes and leaned on the table.

Jack put his hands over his eyes and leaned on the table, too.

 

We speed across the prairie, birds scattering, prairie dogs disappearing down their holes. Grandfather sits in the front seat next to Aunt Lou. He laughs. I sit in the back.

The slough whizzes by.

Zeke and three cows lift their heads and watch us pass.

Sheep scatter.

Grandfather and Aunt Lou laugh. We drive up a hill and all I can see is the blue sky above and around us.

I hang on to a handle in front of me. I’m scared.

And then, after a moment, I begin to laugh, too.

 

Mama, Papa, Jack, Aunt Mattie, and Aunt Harriet had gone to bed.

Aunt Lou and Grandfather drank tea at the kitchen table.

“That was very fast,” I said. “I’ve never gone that fast on the prairie. Except maybe galloping on a horse.”

Aunt Lou smiled at me over her cup.

“If I’d been writing in my journal, my dog husband would have chased the car,” I said. “I almost looked out the back window to see if he was there.”

Aunt Lou put down her cup.

“If he’d been chasing the car, I would have stopped for him,” she said.

“Thank you,” I said.

She looked at Grandfather.

“And how did you like the ride?” she asked.

“You’re a madwoman,” he said.

Aunt Lou smiled.

“I live life to the brim,” she said.

“And a little over the top, I’d say,” said Grandfather.

6

T
he next day Jack got sick. At supper he came into the kitchen, holding Aunt Mattie’s hand, his blanket trailing behind him. He climbed up on Grandfather’s lap.

“You want some soup, pal?” asked Grandfather. “Aunt Mattie made it.”

Jack shook his head and leaned back against Grandfather.

“He feels warm, Sarah,” said Aunt Mattie.

Mama leaned over and put her lips on Jack’s forehead.

“Oh, Jack. You
are
warm.”

She picked him up and sat him on her lap. Jack buried his head in her shoulder.

“He has a fever,” she said. “Cassie, would you get some juice, please?”

“Not a good time for him to be sick, is it? The wedding and all,” said Papa.

“There’s never a good time,” said Mama.

I poured orange juice and handed it to Jack. He shook his head.

“Come on, Jack,” said Grandfather, picking him up. “We’ll rock in the chair. We could, in fact, rock all through the wedding. They don’t need us.”

BOOK: Grandfather's Dance
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