Yard Sale Chapter 2

Chapter 2

As the boys struggled with the tables, us thinking the three of them would lift one at a time, Mike and I began to bring out the copious amounts of overflowing heavy boxes. We placed them appropriately then carried out more. I was amazed at the look of the front yard after all the boxes were in their right place. When I put the last box down, I stretched my back, my hands on my hips. I was shocked at the volume of things we had to sell! ‘It’ll never be done!’ I said to myself, shaking my head. Then I scrunched up my eyebrows confused, ‘will it?’

When I snapped out of my trance, I noticed that there were more boxes than tables. I looked around for the boys to see how they were doing. I saw my poor grandson Robert, the youngest, trying to drag a table all by himself. The little guy was really struggling. The table was bigger than he was. Although he was nine, he looked like he was only about five against it. I ran over to help him. After all, I didn’t want to be the one to give a nine-year-old a hernia!

‘Where are your brothers?’ I asked him as he grunted and groaned against the weight of the table. I put my hand under it, and together we set it up.

‘Where are your brothers?’ I asked again as he was doubled over trying to get his breath back. He just pointed to the garage.

I left Robert on the lawn and scanned it, looking for Mike. He was nowhere to be seen. He must have gone inside the house because I could hear my darling wife talking a million miles to the dozen. I wasn’t getting involved, so I knew that I would have to be the one to give out to the boys. Hell, I found it hard to do with my own kids, never mind my grandbabies. I timidly walked into the box less room and eventually found Michael and Jeffrey under a table that should have been on the lawn at that stage. I went on my honkers, my right knee cracking, because I wanted to be at their level. They both had earbuds in their ears.

‘Are you comfortable there?’ I asked sarcastically, but got no response. Michael had his eyes closed, and Jeffrey was playing air guitar.

‘Why aren’t you helping your brother?’ I asked them. Neither acknowledged my existence, so I tapped them both on the foot. Michael jumped so high that he hit his head off the underside of the table. Jeffrey took out one earbud and looked at me as if I was an alien. He was a weird child. Always had been. But he was my grandson and I loved him.

I got that they were fifteen and thirteen respectively, but puberty was no reason to leave their little brother doing all the work. I saw Michael nurse his head as I began to stare into Jeffreys eyes, and he stared straight back into mine. It was as if he was scanning my soul. I found it hard to not break the stare, but I knew, being the grandpa, that I had to hold his gaze until he looked away to ensure he would continue to respect me.

I heard footsteps approaching. They sounded light against the concrete floor, but not too light, so it definitely wasn’t Robert. My theory came into fruition when Jeffrey looked away. The kids face dropped, his eyes widened as he saw the army green sneakers coming towards him. His father’s feet were gaining ground on him, fast, and his whole demeanour changed. He, tugged on Michael’s top to try and warn him, but it was too late.

I didn’t even hear what Mike said to his boys, I was just relieved that I could blink again, my eyes were as dry as a bone. ‘I won!’ I said to myself. I had won the staring contest. I had the respect still in my back pocket. I felt joyous, until, that was, I realised I’d have to get up off of my honkers and stand once again. I used the table to help my weary bones lift my overweight body back to my usual six-foot two stance. Feeling lightheaded, I held onto the table, afraid I was about to faint. I had just gotten up too quickly was all, but I seemed to be doing that a lot lately.

After a minute of Mike on his honkers, the boys left their sanctuary and began lifting the tables with gusto. He had threatened them not with their mother, but their grandma. Ellen could be a very scary lady when she wanted to be. Just the threat of her wrath set the proverbial match under them.

Mike got up and pointed his index and middle fingers towards his eyes and then his index fingers towards the boys, as if to say, ‘I’m watching you!’ and they began to move even quicker. Finally, we were a well-oiled machine!

Mike patted me on the shoulder smiling, ‘it works every time!’ and let out a little giggle. I smiled back at him, nodding my head in agreement. I know that Ellen has made me do things from time to time over the years, especially when the kids were small, from fear of repercussions.

With the bigger boys now pulling their weight, and Mike and myself helping, the tables were out in no time. I overheard him telling the kids that grandma was coming out to see the contents of the boxes on the tables in a minute. They really began to move then. I looked over as the speed in which they were moving had slowed.

I wanted them to take pride in their work. I asked the three of them to join me in a huddle, trying to boost morale. Michael was almost the same height as me. All the Malone’s were tall people, Patricia ended up being five foot nine inches. Even though Mike was a Cooper, he was tall too, coming in at six foot one. The boys had every chance in the world of reaching that six-foot mark!

Once we were in the huddle I gave, what I thought to be, an excellent pep talk.

‘OK guys, were short of enthusiasm here. I know grandma wants us all to do a great job in memory of nana. You all loved nana right?’ The three boys nodded their heads in unison. I continued, ‘well now is your chance to shine! I know a yard sale is nothing exciting, but it must be done! For nana!’

The kids nodded their heads again, the eldest, Michael, getting the message loud and clear. He was very close to nana, poor kid. Being fifteen, he was the first grandchild for us, and first great grandchild for nana. She adored the boy! She loved all of them, but Michael always made sure to spend time with her whenever they visited. He watched ‘The Price is Right’ and ‘Jeopardy’ with her, two of her favourite shows. He knew exactly how she took her brandy…neat!

I sometimes couldn’t tell whether he had some or spilled some on himself after each visit when it was time for them to go home. Knowing nana, it was the former.

I felt a tear pass down my cheek as I looked at the boy. I never thought that this day would be hard for him! the thought of having a yard sale for the soul purpose of getting rid of a loved one’s belongings is heart wrenching at the best of times.

I watched as he emptied the contents of one of the boxes, a faint smile on his face as he touched something which I’m guessing reminded him of her. I wiped away my tear and went over to the boy. I put my hand on his shoulder and squeezed it. He looked at me, tears in his eyes.

‘If there’s something you want to keep kiddo, just put it in an empty box.’ I smiled at him. ‘You know, to remember her by!’

He nodded. ‘We always joked about this one!’ he smiled. I was shocked because that was the most I had heard him speak since they moved in. ‘She always said it reminded her of the war.’ His tears began to fall. ‘And this one, this one she always said reminded her of pop when he was alive!’

‘You’re finding this hard, aren’t you?’

He nodded.

‘If you don’t want to take part, that’s ok too!’ I beamed down at him, and reached out to wipe the tears from his cheeks. Instead, he pulled me into an embrace, and sobbed into my shoulder.

With one hand on Michael’s back, the other on his head as I stroked his sticky, oily, gelled hair. ‘Its going to be alright son!’ I told him. ‘Besides, with the remodel almost finished, your gonna be living in that same house that you have all these lovely memories with each room you go into.

He took a step backwards and wiped his eyes with the sleeve of his shirt. Then he sniffled inwards a couple of times. I wished I had a hanky or a tissue or something, but knew there would be none in these pants.

‘I’m almost a man now grandpa,’ he started, ‘I have to deal with real life problems without taking the easy way out.’ He looked me dead in the eye. ‘This yard sale is for all of us! Nana would be proud of me for taking part!’ his bottom lip trembled.

‘Well, I must have underestimated your maturity young man!’ I said with an open smile. ‘For you to be able to think like that is something a man would do!’ he nodded, and wiped his eyes a final time. ‘You can still go around all the tables and pick things to keep, okay?’ He nodded and went to scour the other tables for sentiments of nana.

After that surprising talk with Michael, I looked around and not only did I see ellen, Patricia and little Kate lending the crucial hands we needed to fill the tables, but people had started to arrive. Mike was rushing around trying to collect the freshly emptied boxes to make more room for the patrons.

We were a close-knit family, so we weren’t into gossip or chit chat with the other neighbours, but when we saw them they began to ask questions. I wasn’t sure if I should answer them truthfully, and looked to Ellen for guidance.

Some of the older families on the street had brought baked goods, thinking we were having a yard sale for a charity. Little did they know, nor Patricia and Mike, that all proceeds were going towards the remodel.

Patricia and Mike were practically building a second house beside nana’s old place, and myself and Ellen wanted to contribute something. Ellen would have a better knowledge of this because Mike always kept his lips sown shut when it came to finances, but I wasn’t sure that the profit they had made on their old house was going to cut it. I wasn’t about to insult them with a cheque, so Ellen suggested we do this for them. A sentiment I wholly agreed with!