The Lopsided Grin

With a click, the doorknob swiftly turned. Cautiously, Rebecca opened the familiar door and padded across the squeaky floorboards. She held a large box in her hand, and she plopped it down in the living room, striving to think of what to take and what to leave. Looking at the chocolate-brown curtains that draped the windows and the cherry sofas that sat in the center of the living room, tears began streaming from Rebecca’s eyes as she thought of her grandfather and all of the memories that lived in the small, homely house, where she had spent her childhood years.

A small girl sat near the convivial crimson flames, attempting to warm up besides the fireplace. Grandpa tucked the magenta polka-dot blanket carefully around her, cautious to not miss one spot. Once he was done, he tenderly placed her on to his lap. His large, creased hands held the pages of the book, and as he turned each page, he gently nudged her side. Rebecca took in his smell of pine while listening intently as Grandpa articulated every syllable.
“Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!” Grandpa exclaimed, while trying to imitate the rabbit’s voice in Alice in Wonderland. Rebecca looked from the story then turned to glance at her grandfather’s face, fixed on the words of the book. When he read, his deep-brown eyes always held an intense concentration, and his forehead would form in to vague lines. When Grandpa finally noticed her staring at him, he would halt his storytelling and give her his renowned crooked smile.

Kolter Elementary was decorated in hearts and messages, all for the grandparents to read. The vivid pinks and ruby reds accentuated the bland colors of the school, as grandparents from far and wide piled in to the cafeteria. Rebecca stared down at her lunch, her mouth contorted into a frown, for she knew that her grandfather could not take time off work that day and would be unable to make it. She picked up her spoon limply and began to drink her soup alone.
“Rebecca, I’m over here,” shouted a familiar voice from across the cafeteria, while waving his arms frantically. Hearing a vague noise calling her name, Rebecca looked up and saw none other than Grandpa himself under the great banner that read Happy Grandparent’s Day! She leapt from her chair in joy and sprinted in to Grandpa’s arms.
“I thought you weren’t coming,” she explained, “I got you something, though. Hold on one second.”
She then ran to her cubby and hurriedly pulled out the card she had created, a vanilla sheet of paper decorated with numerous multi-colored hearts. It read “Happy Grandparent’s Day” on the outside, but on the inside, along with the minor decorations, there was a picture of a small, wooden house surrounded by towering trees. In front of the house stood a burly man and a small girl, about half his height. The girl looked from her home-made card to her grandfather, anticipating the smile, and he never failed to deliver.

Beginning the strenuous task of picking up the most significant items in the house, Rebecca ventured to Grandpa’s bedroom, modest, with a queen bed in the center, adorned in a light-brown color. On his bed stand stood numerous photos, one of which Rebecca immediately noticed, which showed an aged man and a small girl under a bright banner that read Happy Grandparents Day! Tears began to come in torrents, and she held her head in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably. Rebecca wiped her face and deemed the photograph worthy to put in her box. Unable to look at the picture any longer, she turned her attention to the piano sitting in the far left corner of the room. Grandpa’s music had always been personal; in fact, he had shared his music with just one person, Rebecca. The woman strolled over to the piano, and sat at the bench, her hands resting on the keys.

An adolescent was clothed in a bright-green sweater covered with miniscule reindeers. She looked down at the sweater in embarrassment but decided to put on a good act because she knew her grandfather meant well when he purchased it. Sometimes, he just forgot that she wasn’t a child anymore. Rebecca then picked up a small gift, decorated with cursive letters that read Merry Christmas! She crossed her fingers as Grandpa gratefully accepted the present and began to slowly unwrap the paper. Inside, there were a few sheets of music. She quickly explained, “I learned how to write music in class, and I composed this one all by myself. Would you play it for me?”
He nodded with the silly grin plastered on his face. Grandpa strolled over to his piano and set the music down. He stared at the notes in intense concentration, and his fingers began to slide across the keys, effortlessly.

Rebecca glanced at the sheets of music. Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she remembered the piece, and her fingers began gliding across the black and white keys. She noticed the penciled markings on the music sheets and started playing the original version, realizing where the music was from. With this understanding, she played the new song, which flowed and soothed her, something she couldn’t even attempt to do when she first wrote it. It took a true musician’s ears to improve a piece as much as Grandpa had.
Once finishing the song, Rebecca spotted a tissue box on the small shelf adjacent to the piano, and as she reached over, her hand nudged an aged, vanilla sheet of paper folded in two halves. On it was a colorful picture of what looked to be a log cabin and a hefty man right beside it. On the man’s left stood a little girl with pigtails. Gently, she flipped through the card, now years old. Her sobs began to turn in to merely a few sniffles and dried tears.
She carefully placed the card in the large box that sat on the floor beside her. Rebecca decided it was time to venture in to the other rooms as well. She heaved the box and placed it on to her side, one hand firmly on the bottom. The photograph, sheets of music, and aged card stared at her from the inside, and Rebecca now understood she was looking at Grandpa’s memories, his passions, and his past. With a click, Rebecca turned the doorknob of the bedroom, and as she glanced back for one last time, a silly lopsided grin began to form on her face.