“Rawling, honey, I don’t know why you’re hanging on to making this grandma your own. Just let it go,” Randy says to me. We’re just lying around her nice living room, she’d been shopping again, now that her nice-man-of-a-husband has gotten a new job. I’d been over all afternoon and she’d done up my nails and my hair like she likes to do, pretending she’s got her own salon, Randy’s Rainbow. Now we’re sitting sipping sodas in the living room.
“Rand, honey, look around you,” I say to her. I’m pointing at all the nice things, seeing it must be a nice place to live, something she could think of if she’s ever scared, or running out of feeling at all comfortable in the middle of the day.
“What, you think a house is like a grandma?” she asks me.
“I think they are something like the same,” I say.
And I think they are. And then something crazy comes into my head. “Let’s drive by my grandma’s house, please.” I say please because I know she’s not gonna want to be driving by somebody’s house after dark and starring in their windows.
“Rawling, no. We’re not going to go snooping past that lady’s house. You’re out of your mind these days. I think you’re drinking too much coffee or something at the diner.”
“Come on, just a little drive-by, please?” I’m thinking what harm could it be, just taking another look. “Just drive by one time, OK?”
“Rawling, I’m not going to do it. You get this idea out of your head or you’re going to get some trouble started.” She’s being firmer than I thought she’d could be.
“Come on, you want some cake? Made it today, not from a box.”
“No, I’m gonna walk on home.” I tell her. I want to get out of her house and away from her, even though I love her, my best friend in the world. “You’re right, Rand. I’m just a tiny bit crazy about this. Guess I’m just tired.”
We give each other the hug I’ve come used to accepting from her.
“Tomorrow, I’ll drop by the diner tomorrow, OK?” And then I’m gone, walking the sidewalk past all the houses, one after another with the warm lights and I can see somebody’s having dinner, and some kid’s crying. A fellow’s watching TV and talking to somebody I can’t see. I’m kind of relieved when I turn to the street and see the diner. I don’t want to be watching anybody else right now.
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Okay, to be honest I just more or less chose this at random, because every piece you turned in was fabulous. I look forward to Rawling's voice every week - and every week I'm not disappointed. Her voice is just so wonderful - she can say the simplest things in the most poetic way. Write more!
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