Chapter 11 “Grandma”

No, this doesn’t fit. Maybe when I turn it – no that doesn’t fit either. I need a piece with the white of a cloud on it. There!

Satisfied, Jason added yet another piece to his puzzle.

He was sitting on a rug in his grandma’s living room. Grandma herself was talking to his mommy. Jason had tried to follow their conversation, but he had soon lost track.

Boring grown-up talk.

Sometimes, Jason heard his own name and he would try to listen what Mommy was saying about him, but he didn’t understand.

Now, I need a piece with grass on it. Maybe this one? No… This one then? Also wrong…

When the third piece didn’t fit either, Jason gave it up as a lost cause.

Getting to his feet, Jason made his way over to the dinner table where his cup with apple juice waited.

Mommy and grandma were still talking. Jason climbed on his mother’s lap.

“- Jason from school and everything. So that’s still a problem. Really mother, I don’t know where I would be if Clark didn’t pick him up.”

Jason rested his head on his Mommy’s chest as he drank deeply. His ear pressed to the thin fabric of her blouse, he heard the low drum of his Mommy’s heart and he wondered who played the drum. Where there little people inside you that drummed on your heart? Maybe they walked in through your mouth when you were asleep…

Jason decided he would sleep with his mouth closed from now on.

“This Clark, is he the same person from the funeral? The man who took you in?”

“Yeah…”

Jason’s eyed widened. When he sat like this, Mommy’s voice was much lower.

“He sounds like a good guy.”

“Yes, he is. Very nice guy.”

Mommy’s voice rumbled again and the slight tremor tickled Jason’s ear, causing him to giggle.

The two adults shortly paused their conversation to look at him before they continued.

“Friends like those are really valuable. Keep him close, Lois.”

Jason drained his cup and put it on the table before placing his thumb in his mouth, wanting to hear his Mommy’s low rumble again. It took a while, but he got what he wanted.

“It’s funny. If you would have told me weeks ago that I would grow to be so dependant of Clark, I would have thought you were mad. I always though he was a little weak…”

“You know what they say about still waters…”

“Yeah.” Mommy chest heaved with a big sigh, and Jason’s eyes, that had slowly been drifting shut, opened again. “Clark is stronger than I thought. Did I tell you he practically kept The Planet running all by himself? And he’s made good friends with Jason, here.”

Now that was something Jason understood, he pulled his thumb out of his mouth and nodded.

“Mr. Clark is nice! He picked me up from school and we went to the park and we saw a goat and it made a funny sound and we laughed really hard.” Jason told his grandma enthusiastically. “And then he said his Mom had three goats at home and they all make that funny sound and he promised we could go and see them someday.”

Jason would have seen his mother rolling her eyes at the mention of goats, if he had paid attention, but his mind was too full with the glorious fantasies of having three funny goats in his bedroom.

“That’s wonderful, honey.” His grandma smiled at him and the deep lines in her face became more prominent. Jason leaned over to trace them with his fingers. “Grandma, why is your face all wrinkly?”

Jason heard his Mommy gasp, and his grandma laugh really loud, although he didn’t understand why.

“Munchkin, why don’t you go and finish your puzzle?” Mommy whispered in his ear, and Jason slipped off her lap, his grandma’s laughter still in his ears.

“I’m sorry mother, I don’t know why he said-”

“All children of his age are straightforward like that. I still remember all of the things you said when you were little.”

Now where was I? Ah, yes. Grass. Where is the grass? I need more grass.

Jason looked around him for more pieces with grass, but couldn’t find any.

Maybe it fell under the rug? No, it’s all dark there. Maybe it’s under the table? When I loose my pencils, they’re always under the table.

Jason lifted the tablecloth and crawled under the coffee table. There was no grass in sight, but this was an excellent place to hide from his mother. He didn’t have to wait very long.

“Jason?”

Jason giggled silently and rolled himself up to a ball.

“Jason, where are you?”

“You can’t see me. I’m invisible.”

The floor underneath the coffee table was illuminated when the tablecloth suddenly lifted. Jason looked up to see his Mommy’s face in front of him, hanging upside-down.

“Jason, what are you doing there?”

“I was looking for grass.”

Mommy stared at him strangely. “Grass doesn’t grow under the table, Munchkin. Come out, were going home.”

Jason scrambled out from under the table and allowed his mommy to squeeze him into his jacket.

“Bye Lois, take care of yourself. And call me when you need to talk. “ Grandma turned to Jason and sank through her knees to hive him a hug. “Bye Jason, sleep tight.”

Jason gave his grandma a sloppy wet kiss on the cheek before darting after his mother and climbing into his seat.

“Bye grandma, don’t forget to sleep with your mouth closed tonight.”