Read Online Departures by Robin Jones Gunn - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Robin Jones Gunn
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composure.
“Are you okay?” Christy asked, offering him a hand to help him.
Matt took her hand and pulled himself up. She noticed how rough his skin was. Her dad had rough hands like that, which Christy always had considered evidence of hard work.
“I think I can fix it,” Matt said to one of the older church gentlemen, who was more concerned about the broken chair than he was about Matt.
“No, this one’s ready for the junk heap,” the man said, carting off the pieces.
Matt’s mom and Christy’s mom had made their way over to the group surrounding their table. “Glad you could make it,” Matt’s mom said.
“I told you I’d be here in time to take down the tables,” Matt said.
“Well, I didn’t think you’d start ‘taking down’ the chairs,” his mom said with a light tone to her voice.
“Hey, I didn’t do that on purpose,” he spouted.
“I know, I know,” Mrs. Kingsley said quickly. “Your father wants to see you. He’s in the kitchen.”
“You’re in trouble now,” Christy teased.
“I’ll be back,” Matt said, giving Christy’s elbow a squeeze. Christy smiled and noticed that more than half the guests had left. Her grandparents were seated one table over, sipping ice-cold lemonade andsaying good-bye to another couple who was leaving. Christy noticed Grandma and Grandpa were holding hands. It was so cute. She didn’t remember ever seeing her grandparents hold hands before. She had seen them kiss and hug, but hand-holding seemed so sweet and innocent.
Christy slid into a chair next to her grandma and smiled at the loving couple.
“What was all the commotion?” Grandpa asked.
“It was Matthew Kingsley,” Christy said. It surprised her that she used his full name, as if she were in grade school, tattling on him. “Matthew leaned back in one of the folding chairs, and it broke.” Then, for good measure, to prove to herself she wasn’t tattling, she added, “It wasn’t his fault. Mr. Gundersen even said the chair was ready for the junk heap.”
“That’s how it is with us old relics. Comes a point when we’re all ready for the junk heap.”
“Not you, sweetheart,” Grandma said to him with one of her charming smiles. “You’re as strong as you were the day we met.”
“When did you two meet?” Christy asked.
“Oh, you know the story,” Grandma said. “It was at a church social in Baraboo. He came to my house the next week to see me and then kept coming around until I finally said I’d marry him.”
“That’s right,” Grandpa said. “Her mother told me to hurry up and marry her so I’d stop eating them out of house and home. She said if we got married she would only have to feed me on holidays and occasional Sundays.”
Christy smiled. She had heard some of these kidding lines before. “How did you know Grandpa was the right man for you and that you were ready to get married?”
“You’re not thinking of getting married, are you?” Grandpa asked.
“No, of course not. I mean, eventually, yes. But not now.”
“You’re too young,” Grandpa said.
“I’ll be eighteen on the twenty-seventh of this month,” Christy said with a wry smile. She knew her grandmother had barely turned nineteen when she and Grandpa were married.
“You have a lot of time,” Grandpa said.
“I know. But when that time comes, how will I know if he’s the right one? How did you know?” She noticed that her grandparents had done a nice job of avoiding her question.
“You tell her, dear,” Grandpa said to Grandma. “I’d like to hear your answer.” He seemed fairly serious.
“All right,” Grandma said. She let go of Grandpa’s hand and reached across the table to take both of Christy’s hands in hers. Her new position caused her orchid corsage to bunch up on her shoulder and rest against her chin. Christy felt as if she was about to be told a great secret.
“It’s a choice, you know,” Grandma said, peering through her bifocal glasses and looking
“Are you okay?” Christy asked, offering him a hand to help him.
Matt took her hand and pulled himself up. She noticed how rough his skin was. Her dad had rough hands like that, which Christy always had considered evidence of hard work.
“I think I can fix it,” Matt said to one of the older church gentlemen, who was more concerned about the broken chair than he was about Matt.
“No, this one’s ready for the junk heap,” the man said, carting off the pieces.
Matt’s mom and Christy’s mom had made their way over to the group surrounding their table. “Glad you could make it,” Matt’s mom said.
“I told you I’d be here in time to take down the tables,” Matt said.
“Well, I didn’t think you’d start ‘taking down’ the chairs,” his mom said with a light tone to her voice.
“Hey, I didn’t do that on purpose,” he spouted.
“I know, I know,” Mrs. Kingsley said quickly. “Your father wants to see you. He’s in the kitchen.”
“You’re in trouble now,” Christy teased.
“I’ll be back,” Matt said, giving Christy’s elbow a squeeze. Christy smiled and noticed that more than half the guests had left. Her grandparents were seated one table over, sipping ice-cold lemonade andsaying good-bye to another couple who was leaving. Christy noticed Grandma and Grandpa were holding hands. It was so cute. She didn’t remember ever seeing her grandparents hold hands before. She had seen them kiss and hug, but hand-holding seemed so sweet and innocent.
Christy slid into a chair next to her grandma and smiled at the loving couple.
“What was all the commotion?” Grandpa asked.
“It was Matthew Kingsley,” Christy said. It surprised her that she used his full name, as if she were in grade school, tattling on him. “Matthew leaned back in one of the folding chairs, and it broke.” Then, for good measure, to prove to herself she wasn’t tattling, she added, “It wasn’t his fault. Mr. Gundersen even said the chair was ready for the junk heap.”
“That’s how it is with us old relics. Comes a point when we’re all ready for the junk heap.”
“Not you, sweetheart,” Grandma said to him with one of her charming smiles. “You’re as strong as you were the day we met.”
“When did you two meet?” Christy asked.
“Oh, you know the story,” Grandma said. “It was at a church social in Baraboo. He came to my house the next week to see me and then kept coming around until I finally said I’d marry him.”
“That’s right,” Grandpa said. “Her mother told me to hurry up and marry her so I’d stop eating them out of house and home. She said if we got married she would only have to feed me on holidays and occasional Sundays.”
Christy smiled. She had heard some of these kidding lines before. “How did you know Grandpa was the right man for you and that you were ready to get married?”
“You’re not thinking of getting married, are you?” Grandpa asked.
“No, of course not. I mean, eventually, yes. But not now.”
“You’re too young,” Grandpa said.
“I’ll be eighteen on the twenty-seventh of this month,” Christy said with a wry smile. She knew her grandmother had barely turned nineteen when she and Grandpa were married.
“You have a lot of time,” Grandpa said.
“I know. But when that time comes, how will I know if he’s the right one? How did you know?” She noticed that her grandparents had done a nice job of avoiding her question.
“You tell her, dear,” Grandpa said to Grandma. “I’d like to hear your answer.” He seemed fairly serious.
“All right,” Grandma said. She let go of Grandpa’s hand and reached across the table to take both of Christy’s hands in hers. Her new position caused her orchid corsage to bunch up on her shoulder and rest against her chin. Christy felt as if she was about to be told a great secret.
“It’s a choice, you know,” Grandma said, peering through her bifocal glasses and looking
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