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GUARDIAN ANGEL I was so excited I could hardly wait any longer. It was Friday and school was almost done for the day. I looked outside and then at the clock, then looked at the clock again and back outside. It would be summer vacation in a couple of weeks and I already had everything planned out. I was going to bike with my friends and go to the pool and, best part of all, now that it was warm, Grandpa and Grandma would come to visit. I was especially excited to see them because they always wanted to do so many things with me. Grandpa loves nature. He loves to take me hiking and fishing as well as my favorite, canoeing. Whenever we go visit them Grandma always has cookies and sometimes cake baked for me when I get there. As I was sitting there daydreaming about all these fantastic things I was startled by the sound of the school bell. It was finally time to go home. I went outside like I do every day to wait for my mom to pick me up. She usually parks right across the street from the playground under an old oak tree. Mom likes the shade so the car doesn’t get too hot while she’s reading her book. Today I didn’t see her car parked along the street. I thought that was strange but then I realized why. Standing next to the playground gate stood my grandpa. I could pick him out anywhere. He stood at average height and always wore a sophisticated brown coat that grandma had given him two years ago for Christmas. He wore a brown hat with a brim all around, but these were not the characteristics that made him stand out. Grandpa wore glasses, and he had been wearing the same frames since the seventies. They were extremely large and, as my dad put it, “Larry, you know you could probably pick up cable with those things.” I never understood why that was so funny. Right after I saw my grandpa he spotted me and said “Hey buddy! Get over here and hug an old man.” I ran to him and gave him a big hug. I asked him where Grandma was and why I didn’t know they were coming. He said he wanted it to be a surprise and Grandma was busy making cookies at my house. I couldn’t have been happier. Grandpa said he could use the exercise, so we should take the scenic route home, and I thought that was a great idea. Now that I was with my grandpa we could have one of our talks, because no one talked to me like my grandpa does. He might be the cleverest man ever.