Teddy's tale of time

Teddy’s tale of time

This was supposed to be the happiest day of my life. I finally get to meet my grandfather. I have heard the most amazing stories of his travels from my family. My mom said that when he was only 10 years old, Grandpa Buck fought off a lion with only a spoon. The closest I have gotten to meeting gramps is over a call when I was 8. Now I’m 15.

A little bit about me. I am in the 10th grade, doing okay. I have made the football team every year, mom thinks that I got grandpas fighting genes. I think it is because my dad's brother is the coach, and pays him to put me one the team. I am an only child. I still don't have a girl friend, but I have a lot of friends. Most of them are fake. They only hang out with me because my dad has money.

Jack is a real friend though. We have been best buds since we we young, my parents weren't fighting, and we didn't know what money was. I guess all of that has changed now. Jack has been the only constant in my life. I can talk to him about anything and he understands like the exact same thing has happened to him. It hasn't though. His parents love each other. He also has a really annoying little sister. Sometimes I'm jealous of Jack. I don't tell him that though.

“Teddy! We leave in an hour! Are you packed yet?”

“Almost mom!” I called. Mom says that I’m just like gramps. He was famous for being late to things. Always had something more important to do mom says. I just think he was an introvert. Today I fly from Washington, (home) to Wyoming, to Missouri. Gramps is going to catch his flight from Florida where he is studying alligators, to meet me. Mom calls it meeting in the middle. I say that I have farther to go.

“Teddy!” mom yelled again. “Come eat or your going to die of starvation!” Mom thinks that I never eat enough. She is like a young version of the storybook grandmother. Always trying to stuff everyone who comes through the front door.

“I’m coming down right now, just give me a minute to find my shoes!” I shouted. I had already found my shoes, I just wanted to say goodbye to the room that would most likely be an office for dad when I got back. My parents weren’t going on the trip with me. They said that they ‘needed some time to work out their differences.’ I don’t think that they understand how old I am. I know that they are getting divorced.

Jack said that if they do I could go live with him so I didn’t have to choose between my parents. I said that would be great, but I knew that I would probably end up living in my aunt’s house with my mom. The only reason that she married my dad was for his money. She never really loved him.

           “Teddy!!” this time it was my dad. “Alison told you to come eat, and you need to listen to her!” I guess my dad can’t even pretend to love her for my sake anymore.

           “Coming!” I grabbed my bag and ran down the stairs. To be honest, I was really hungry. I hadn’t eaten dinner because I don’t know how to cook, and my parents were “on a date” I knew that was just an excuse to not be around each other. As I walked across the threshold into the kitchen, I could hear my parents arguing again in the next room. It was the same argument every time. Mom wanted dad to take me so that I could have a good life. Dad didn’t want me because I was mom’s child. He hated her so much he couldn’t even look at me.

           Mom and dad acted normal in public. They pretended to love each other to keep their friendships. Sometimes I wished they would act like that for me, at least for a little while. As a sat down mom came in and put a large plate of waffles and syrup in front of me. I devoured it because mom said I only had five minutes to be in the car. After breakfast I grabbed my bag and ran to the car. I would be staying with gramps for 2 weeks, enough to at least get to know him and join him on some of his adventures. Mom took me to the airport, and within an hour I was on the plane.

           After 2 long plane flights, a taxi ride with a mean old grump, and a short walk, I was at my hotel. When I checked in, I asked if my gramps was here, and they gave me a key to his room. I got to mine and realized I was nowhere near him. I went back to the lobby trying to request a room change. And there sitting on the couch was my grandpa Buck.

           “Hello Teddy.” He said calmly. “Your mom said to meet you in the middle. I took that quite literally and sat in the middle of the lobby.”

           Mom was right. We really did meet in the middle. Just not in the way I suspected. We had only known each other for a minute, and I already felt like I knew everything about gramps. I had a feeling this was going to be a good trip. I had already forgotten about my parents fighting. Almost.

Gramps walked up to me gave me an enormous hug. I think that he is the only 75 year old man with muscles so big that they don't fit in sleeves. As soon as he hugged me, all of the sadness that I had been feeling rushed away. I was meeting gramps! that was when I realized that not only was this going to be a great time, but that I was going to have someone I could look up to.

           I only wished that I would have been the first to notice gramps. By now it was to late.