At that moment, the back door opened, and Great-grandfather wheeled himself outside. Slowly and carefully, Hannah stepped through the door behind him. Aunt Blythe followed, balancing a tray loaded with a pitcher of lemonade and five glasses.
"Come along, you two," Hannah called.
"Tarnation," Andrew muttered. "Am I going to have to see that jackass today?" Without letting me help, he levered himself out of the chair with his cane. "I bet Hannah woke the old coot up just to make me miserable."
When we joined the others on the porch, Great-grandfather refused to look at us. Keeping his head down, he fidgeted with the blanket on his lap.
"This is a fine way to greet me," Andrew said.
"Maybe he doesn't recognize you." Aunt Blythe bent down to peer into Great-grandfather's face. "Your cousins are here, Father. Can you say hello to Hannah and Andrew?"
"It's my house," he mumbled. "They can't have it."
Andrew looked as if he wanted to give his cousin a punch in the nose, but Hannah intervened. "We know the house is yours, Edward," she said. "Don't worry, we haven't come to take it back. Andrew and I have our own home."
Great-grandfather raised his head and stared at Hannah. "You never liked me. Neither did your brothers. I wasn't welcome in this house when you lived here. Now it's mine and not welcome."
Ignoring Aunt Blythe's protests, Great-grandfather wheeled himself toward the back door. "You and your Roosevelt," he muttered before he disappeared. "Too bad you women ever got the vote."
"Please excuse Father," Aunt Blythe said. "He's having one of his bad days."
Andrew snorted. "All of Edward's days have been bad, every blasted one of them."
Hannah rapped his fingers. "Don't be so ornery, Andrew. What will Blythe think of you?"
"I say what's on my mind. Always have." Andrew shot me a grin. "Isn't that right, Drew?"
Hannah frowned at her brother. "How on earth can Drew answer a question like that?"
My aunt didn't notice the warning tone in her cousin's voice, but I did. From the look she gave Andrew, I was sure Hannah knew everything.
"Come along, you two," Hannah called.
"Tarnation," Andrew muttered. "Am I going to have to see that jackass today?" Without letting me help, he levered himself out of the chair with his cane. "I bet Hannah woke the old coot up just to make me miserable."
When we joined the others on the porch, Great-grandfather refused to look at us. Keeping his head down, he fidgeted with the blanket on his lap.
"This is a fine way to greet me," Andrew said.
"Maybe he doesn't recognize you." Aunt Blythe bent down to peer into Great-grandfather's face. "Your cousins are here, Father. Can you say hello to Hannah and Andrew?"
"It's my house," he mumbled. "They can't have it."
Andrew looked as if he wanted to give his cousin a punch in the nose, but Hannah intervened. "We know the house is yours, Edward," she said. "Don't worry, we haven't come to take it back. Andrew and I have our own home."
Great-grandfather raised his head and stared at Hannah. "You never liked me. Neither did your brothers. I wasn't welcome in this house when you lived here. Now it's mine and not welcome."
Ignoring Aunt Blythe's protests, Great-grandfather wheeled himself toward the back door. "You and your Roosevelt," he muttered before he disappeared. "Too bad you women ever got the vote."
"Please excuse Father," Aunt Blythe said. "He's having one of his bad days."
Andrew snorted. "All of Edward's days have been bad, every blasted one of them."
Hannah rapped his fingers. "Don't be so ornery, Andrew. What will Blythe think of you?"
"I say what's on my mind. Always have." Andrew shot me a grin. "Isn't that right, Drew?"
Hannah frowned at her brother. "How on earth can Drew answer a question like that?"
My aunt didn't notice the warning tone in her cousin's voice, but I did. From the look she gave Andrew, I was sure Hannah knew everything.
( Mary Downing Hahn )
[ Time for Andrew: A Ghost Story ]
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