The Secret Door

The Secret Door

It's a rainy Saturday morning at the Tanner's home. Grandma Sarah always baked her magical cinnamon sprinkle cookies when it rains. My little sister Lisa and I love to help grandma bake. Grandma Sarah opened the bottom cabinet and took out a large floral bowl. She placed the bowl upon the kitchen countertop. Grandma opened up the refrigerator to get out the eggs, butter and cream. The flour, sugar and spices were inside the pantry.

“Will you go into the pantry for me Maya?” asked Grandma.

“Yes ma'am,” I answered.

Grandma's pantry always smells of sweet cinnamon. I hoped down off of the stool by the counter and opened the pantry door. I have gone inside the pantry a hundred times for grandma. Something seemed a bit odd today. There was a light that was coming from underneath a wall behind the shelves. I climbed upon a stool that was left inside the pantry. Grandma had stacked boxes of cereal and noodles to hide the door. I was curious to see what was behind this strange door. I moved one of the boxes of cereal and the door slid open. I looked back at the door of the pantry to see if grandma was coming. She had left out of the kitchen, and this would give me time to check out what was inside this room. I tip toed inside. The room was very dusty and smelled moldy. There were spider webs along the ceilings and the walls. I could see an old staircase going downward. I felt along the walls to see if there was a light switch. I was scared to death of spiders and didn't want one to bit me. I could hear grandma voice talking to someone on the telephone. I ran back out of the door and pull shut the door quickly. I moved the cereal box again and the pantry cupboards moved back together hiding the door.

“Maya, what is taking so long?” grandma asked.

I'm coming,” I answered.

I quickly grabbed the sugar, flour and cinnamon spices from the shelves and shut the door. Lisa was standing upon the stool stirring the eggs and butter mixture in the bowl.

“I'm helping,” said Lisa.

Grandma turned on the stove for it to preheat for the cookies. I was anxious to ask Grandma what was the in the door behind the pantry. I didn't dare from fright. Grandma always called it being fresh when we were asking too many questions. I helped Lisa with the mixture, and we formed the cookie dough into little balls with our hands. We rolled them into a bowl with cinnamon sugar and placed them onto the cookie sheet. Grandma put them inside the oven for us.

“Give them eight minutes.” said Grandma. “Then they'll be ready.”

I helped Lisa down off the stool. We went into the living room to watch Inspector Gadget cartoon on television. I wanted to tell Lisa about the hidden door inside the pantry but didn't dare. Lisa was still young, and she might would have told grandma about me finding the door. The whole house began to smell of fresh cinnamon. We rushed into the kitchen as grandma was bent over getting the cookies out of the oven.

“Have to wait until their cool,” said Grandma. “Don't want you to burn your tongues.”

I didn't care about burning my tongue. All I wanted do was taste the delicious soft, chewy goodness. Grandma got two small dishes down from the cupboard for me and Lisa. She took the cookies off the cookie sheet and placed them onto the cookie plate. Grandma gave me and Lisa a large cookie each to eat. We both took a bit of the cinnamon cookie. The cinnamon sugar made the cookie have a delightful crunch.

“Take your cookie into the living room,” said Grandma.

“Okay,” said Lisa.

Grandma started to clean up the kitchen. As we sat on the couch watching TV, I began to tell Lisa about the secret door behind the pantry.

“What do you want to do?” said Lisa.

“I want us to sneak inside,” I said. “I want to know what is in that room.”

“I don't want to get into trouble,” said Lisa.

“We won't if we don't get caught,” I said.

“No, I'm not going,” said Lisa.

“Chicken,” I said. “I'll do it myself.”

Lisa licked out her tongue at me. Grandma usually takes a nap after she cleaned the house. This would give me a chance to find out what was located inside the room of the secret door.

“Girls,” said Grandma. “If you're through eating your cookies bring the plates in the kitchen.”

“Coming Grandma,” I said.

I went back into the living room and waited for grandma to go into her bedroom. Lisa had stretched out onto the couch and fallen to sleep. Grandma finally went to her bedroom. I waited until I heard her sit down onto her sofa inside her bedroom. I got up off the couch and quietly crept to her bedroom door. She was still awake, and she spotted me peeping in her room.

“What is it Maya?” asked Grandma.

“Nothing,” I said.

Grandma smiled and looked at me. I wanted to ask her what was in the hidden door in the pantry, but I couldn't get the words out to say anything.

“I was just seeing what you were doing,” I said.

“Only relaxing Maya,” said Grandma. “Would you like spaghetti and meatballs for super?”

“Yes!” I shouted.

“Alright then,” said Grandma.

I went back into the living room and sat down onto the couch. Lisa had awoken watching he television. I heard snoring coming from grandma's room. I got up to check to see if she was sound asleep. Grandma was sitting on her couch with her head tilted to the side asleep and snoring. I left out of her room and tipped towards the kitchen. I slowly opened up the door to the pantry. I moved the cereal box to the right again and the hidden door opened. I stepped inside and felt the wall for the light switch. I found it and not without getting spider wens all over the arm of my long sleeve t-shirt. I looked all around the room. There were more bookshelves along the walls. I saw the down staircase and carefully walked down. There was an old lamp located on a table. I turned it on. The only thing inside the room was old antique furniture. There were somethings in a box that was my grandfather's. Some pictures of him and some more men on a navy ship. There was a large gold photo album sitting on a box on a table. I open the photo album and look inside. There was pictures of grandma and grandpa's wedding. Grandma looked the same way she did back then. The only change was her hair is gray today. Grandpa looked so handsome in his white navy uniform. I closed the photo album and sat it back onto the box on top of the table. There was nothing inside the room but memories of grandpa and grandma together. Dad always told us that grandma was a hoarder and she couldn't throw anything away. I understood why she couldn't throw things away. They were her memories that had with the love of her life, and she wanted to keep them close to her at all times. Close to her heat hidden from everyone behind this secret door. I went upstairs out of the room and cut off the light switch. I moved the cereal box back to the left closing the door to the hidden room. I closed the pantry door softly. When I turned around, there stood grandma holding Lisa's hand. She wasn't mad she just looked at me and smile.

“Curiosity kills the cat,” said Grandma. “I had a feeling that where you were Maya.”

“I'm sorry,” I said.

“Don't be sorry child,” said Grandma. “I'm not mad at you.”

I should have asked her what was behind the door. To my surprise grandma wasn't upset at all. She didn't even tell mom and dad what I did. I asked her a lot of questions about our grandpa. He had died before we were born. Grandma said the next time Lisa and I came for a visit that she would tell us stories about grandpa as a navy man on his large ship.