Short Story

GRANDPA GEOFFREY NEEDS HELP

Mary Lister Ashby, Sherborne Scribblers

Tyson and his dad, Ian, sat in front of the television eating their cereal. Tyson was pleased. It was Saturday and there was no school for two days. Tomorrow would be Tyson’s ninth birthday and they were going to go bowling. His dad looked happier than he had been in a long time. They had started a ritual of looking at pictures of Tyson’s mum together each week and they had bought a small tree in her memory. Ian had put it in a pot and planned to plant it in their garden when they owned their own house again. ‘This tree was Maxine’s favourite.’ His dad could say her name aloud now. ‘How long ago did she die, Dad?’ Tyson felt he could ask questions about her too now. ‘It will be eighteen months ago tomorrow that she died. She was well enough to celebrate your seventh birthday with you. Do you remember? We had a party in the garden and Aunt Jacky and Uncle Clive came to stay.’ Tyson was not sure if he remembered but he nodded. It helped to look at the picture of his mum sitting on the swing with him. She wore a headscarf and had her arm around him. He took the cereal bowls to the kitchen. His mind had switched from the time with his mother and was whirring to find a place to settle.

Tyson went into the garden and kicked his football around. Then he remembered Grandpa Geoffrey. ‚That’s strange,’ he thought, ‘I haven’t heard from him for weeks.’ He remembered their trips together. They first went with Nancy to Chester Zoo and Grandpa did that magical thing of going through a wall on the platform just like in the Harry Potter films. This meant that they got from Basingstoke to Chester in record time. His favourite trip was to that island where they went fishing. Sometimes he thought that was just a dream. How could Grandpa make a Land Rover fly? Some weeks ago, he went with them both to the Eiffel Tower in Paris and Grandpa again worked magic. How could he fly down the side of the tower with just an open umbrella? ‘I miss him,’ Tyson thought. ‘Dad,’ he called through the kitchen door, ‘have you heard from Geoffrey and Nancy?’ ‘No mate, shall I give them a call?’ ‘Yeah.’

Soon after, Tyson could hear his dad talking to Nancy. ‘Oh no, I am sorry to hear that. Is he feeling better now? Surely, he has had his booster vaccination.’ ‘Oh no,’ thought Tyson, ‘not another person going to die.’

‘Tyson,’ his dad shouted, ‘would you like to see them this afternoon? Nancy has invited us to tea.’ ‘Well, he can’t be about to die then,’ Tyson thought. His grin gave his father his answer.

Geoffrey and Nancy lived in a bungalow on a quiet road on the edge of Basingstoke. The front garden was covered with white pebbles and fringed by narrow beds of tulips and forget-me-nots. The door chime made Tyson and his father laugh as it sang out Radio Gaga, one of Grandpa’s favourite tracks. Nancy welcomed them in, but Grandpa was nowhere to be seen. ‘He is down in his shed as usual,’ Nancy explained. ‘Go and find him Tyson and bring him back for a cup of tea in a bit.’ Tyson ran out of their tidy kitchen and down the path to the shed. Inside, Grandpa was sitting with his head in his hands. Tyson hovered on the threshold, feeling shy again as though they had only just met. ‘Ah, Tyson. Good to see you. I have been at a loss for what to do.’ Tyson waited. ‘You see, I have not been very well, and my mind is tired. The Land Rover is ready to fly again but where do we go from here? I have been to places beginning with A, B, C, D and E but I cannot think of where to go beginning with F.’

‘Why not France? The Eiffel tower was awesome,’ said Tyson, ‘and Mr Jordan, the geography teacher, has been helping me to speak French. Comment allez vous, monsieur?’ Grandpa did look impressed but then sighed. ‘It needs to be somewhere more exciting, like the Fiji Islands.’ ‘What about the Philippines? Our neighbour comes from there – she works in the hospital.’ Grandpa let Tyson down gently. ‘The Philippines begins with P, but we could remember that for later.’ They both then heard the bell ringing. ‘That will be Nancy calling us in for tea,’ Grandpa explained.

In the kitchen, Nancy and Ian were chatting. There was a big chocolate cake on the table and a big box next to it. ‘That’s his present for tomorrow,’ Nancy told Ian. ‘You are very kind,’ he said. ‘I am afraid his real grandmother does not keep in touch with us. She blames me for Maxine’s death. My parents live so far away, and we hardly ever see them. Tyson looks on you both as grandparents.’ Nancy smiled, ‘I think Tyson is the one to help Geoffrey recapture his magical powers.’

This was indeed the case. At that moment Tyson and Grandpa were in the garage checking over the Land Rover. ‘It is ready to fly. I will work on it, and we can try somewhere during your half-term holiday.’ ‘Can I help you?’ Tyson asked whilst buffing the green bonnet over with a cloth.’ ‘Of course.’ Grandpa began to feel better already. They joined the others in the kitchen and munched through a large slice of cake each. Again, Tyson felt the happiness that he was accustomed to feeling in Grandpa’s company.