by Kurt Winans
The fishing wasn’t very productive that afternoon as they just weren’t biting, but the two best buddies had a great time talking about the planets, outer space, and of course the events of 1897 when Grandpa Hank was only four years old. Upon their return to the house, Ross smiled at Jessica and showed her what their grandpa had given him. She returned the smile and told him she had seen it because the fishing pole had been hidden in her closet for the last three days. Soon their father Robert would be home from his day at the base, so everyone got cleaned up and began to prepare supper. As they ate the apple pie that Elizabeth Wright had sent over, Ross relayed a message of good will from her to his father. He appreciated the gesture, and asked Ross to be sure to thank her again the following morning for the kind thoughts.
Ross was awake somewhat earlier than normal, as the big day of his presentation was finally at hand. Jessica held the barn door open as he and Grandpa Hank carefully moved the model towards the old pickup truck. Ross placed his end on the open tailgate, and quickly jumped up to help guide the model into place. Everything about it was perfect in his mind, and he beamed with excitement as they closed in on Patty who was standing by the side of the road. As he had been instructed the previous evening, Ross ran up to the porch after helping Patty into the cab and thanked her mother again for the delicious pie she had given the family. Elizabeth asked Ross if his father had enjoyed the pie, and then smiled at the news that he had eaten two pieces. “The best way to a man’s heart…” she thought to herself.
When the group arrived at school on that Friday morning, Grandpa Hank helped Ross unload his model of the solar system that was covered with a sheet, and asked Patty to make sure Jessica made it to her classroom. Normally he would watch his independent granddaughter walk across the schoolyard and into the room, but his focus today needed to be on helping Ross carry his science project. Along the way, a few students took interest and began to gather around as they moved towards the classroom. Grandpa Hank had to eventually ask them all to back off a little to avoid the risk of either dropping or unveiling the hefty object.
Once inside, they placed the model on the table at the front of the class, and Hank moved over to shake the teacher’s hand. Ross was due to deliver his presentation when class began in about fifteen minutes, so he stood by the model to make sure no one peeked under the sheet. The teacher agreed to allow Ross and Hank to put the model back into the truck when he would return to pick up Jessica, and then Hank left for some of Mable’s coffee at the diner.
When Ross unveiled the model and began his report, the teacher stood in amazement at his efforts. His information about the solar system was concise, and the movement of the planets around the sun when Ross turned the old bicycle pedals was impressive. If only Ross had known enough to stop there, his presentation would have been perfect. Unfortunately he pointed out, and began to discuss, a figure of an alien species that he had placed on the small Styrofoam ball that represented Mars. Almost instantly the teasing from the entire class began in earnest, and the teacher was one of the most vocal. Ross thought to himself that he would never learn, as no one in this group of people would ever believe such a possibility could exist. The teacher informed Ross privately that he wanted to see him at lunch time, and that he would speak to his grandfather with the principal about this misguided and disturbing imagination when he returned to pick up the model.
The teasing from his classmates went on throughout the morning, and Ross couldn’t wait for the lunch bell to ring. He knew he was going to catch some grief from his teacher and the principal, but at least the constant ribbing from one or more of his classmates every few minutes would cease during lunch break.
Not long after everyone returned to the classroom, his Grandpa Hank showed up to help him remove the model. As they exited the room, one last round of ribbing from his classmates could be heard. Before Ross could return, he found himself standing outside of the classroom with head hung low next to his teacher and principal. Fortunately, his Grandpa Hank was at his side and defended Ross’ honor as the topic of his presentation was discussed. The two men from the school admitted that the work was deserving of an excellent grade, but wondered how such a bright and solid student could believe in the fairy tale of life on Mars.
On their walk home from school that afternoon, Patty listened intently to Ross as he described some of the teasing he had endured throughout much of the day. She was his most trusted friend in their general age group, and he knew he could talk to her about any subject without fear of repercussion. They discussed how well the presentation had gone up until the point where he brought up the concept of alien life, but her reply was one that he didn’t expect. Patty informed him that even if he really believed in such life, he should just keep it to himself. The words were strangely close to those of his Grandpa Hank’s, which of course added instant merit to their meaning.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at Patty’s house to the welcoming smile of her mother Elizabeth. When she asked Ross how his presentation had gone, he replied that it went well and he had received an excellent grade for his efforts. Mrs. Wright was glad to hear the news, and then turned for the house thinking Patty was on her heels. At that moment Patty leaned into Ross to tell him how proud she was of him for not mentioning the aliens to her mother, and then gave him a kiss on the cheek. It was the first time a girl other than his mother or kid sister had done such a thing to him, but he didn’t seem to mind. He smiled as she backed away and walked towards her house, and after waiting until she was inside he ran down the dirt road towards his house.
When Ross arrived at the house, Jessica and their Grandpa Hank were waiting for him on the front porch. She held the barn door open again while the two of them removed the model from the old pickup truck and carried it into the workshop area. Ross could tell that his grandpa was upset about something, so he pressed to discover what it was. Hank told Ross that he was happy to defend him against his teacher and principal, but it wouldn’t have been necessary if he had just kept his opinion about aliens to himself. He said, “You should always give your teacher the respect he or she deserves, but don’t trust that particular teacher with any aspect of your bright future. Just finish your last week of school in his class, and then move on to more open minded people.” What Hank didn’t tell Ross was what the teacher had said to him while Ross was helping Jessica into the truck. Although the principal didn’t agree, the teacher felt that Ross should discuss his vivid imagination with a psychiatrist as soon as possible.
That evening the family enjoyed a nice dinner, which was topped off by what remained of Mrs. Wright’s excellent apple pie. Grandpa Hank announced that he and Jessica were going to make Ross a special Saturday morning breakfast in honor of his excellent grade on the presentation, and take them both to a movie later in the day if they got all their chores done in time. Ross thought that was a great way to start off the final weekend of the school year, as he smiled at his adorable little sister.
BOUNDING DOWN THE stairs after a lengthy sleep, Ross found Jessica and their grandpa hard at work on a breakfast fit for a king. His place at the table was already set, and Jessica had picked some fresh daisies from the garden for the center vase. Their father Robert was still asleep, and Grandpa Hank informed the two of them that he probably would be for quite some time. After the children had gone to bed the previous evening, Robert had fought another battle of depression with the bottle over the absence of his wife Janet. Although he was always in top shape for duty at Fort Hood, the extra time at home on the weekends occasionally led to such an event. Jessica asked Ross to sit down, as she and grandpa would take care of everything. She brought him a glass of milk, while Grandpa Hank brought over a plate of homemade biscuits and gravy with sausage and eggs on the side.
The three of them had another great time together, and the food kept coming until Ross could hardly move. He thanked them both for the fantastic breakfast, and their efforts on his behalf, then stood to do the dishes. Gr
andpa Hank said he would take care of the dishes if Ross would do him a small favor in return. The pie plate of Elizabeth Wright needed to be returned, so Grandpa Hank thought it would provide a good opportunity for Ross to help his sister with some exercise for her bad leg. Ross was glad to take on the chore, because he knew Jessica needed to keep exercising if she ever wanted to get out of the brace, and he could visit with Patty by doing so.
With pie plate in hand, the two of them set off on the trek down the dirt road. Ross was careful to move slowly enough that Jessica could keep up with him, but he also wanted her to press the pace a little bit. About twenty minutes later they arrived at the home of the Wright’s, and walked through the gate of the white picket fence. Ross knocked on the front door, and Patty soon answered with her customary smile. A few seconds later, Elizabeth arrived while wiping her hands dry on her apron, and invited them to sit on the front porch for a spell. It was rare that Jessica would walk that far without stopping, so Ross graciously accepted the offer so his little sister could rest before the return.
What took place a short time later caught them all by surprise, as sirens could be heard approaching from a distance. Rumley was a quiet town that was rarely disturbed by the shrieking sounds of sirens, so people took notice when they were heard. Soon the sheriff’s car and an ambulance created a long trailing dust cloud as they roared by on the dirt road. At that point there was only one place they could be heading in such a hurry, and Ross instinctively knew it was bad news. He turned to Mrs. Wright, and asked if she could keep an eye on Jessica while he found out what was going on. He needed to run home, and he could cover the distance in significantly less time without his sister by his side. Elizabeth gave a positive silent nod, and then shouted her support to the family as Ross was through the front gate in a matter of seconds.
Robert Martin had smelled his father Hank’s great cooking from his upstairs bedroom, but had not stirred in time to join the group for breakfast. More than an hour had gone by since the aroma of biscuits and gravy had wafted into his room, and he wondered if there were any leftovers for him to enjoy. As he lay in bed attempting to shake away the cobwebs of the previous night’s depression, he heard the loud noise of crashing dishes from the kitchen below. Thinking that Jessica or Ross had dropped something; he got out of bed and made his way to the bathroom for his morning ritual. A few moments later he exited his room and made his way to the stairs, but heard no sounds of the mess being cleaned up. Robert called out the names of his children and father while descending, but once again was greeted with silence.
Feeling somewhat perturbed at the lack of response, he arrived at the bottom step and slowly rounded the corner into the kitchen. His pace then instantly quickened, as his father Hank lay on the floor with broken dishes surrounding him and the tap water still flowing at the kitchen sink. Kneeling next to the motionless body, he attempted to bring him back to consciousness, but Hank was pale and unresponsive to the efforts. Robert quickly sprang to his feet and raced for the phone to get some help. Within five minutes he heard the distant sound of sirens approaching, but it would make no difference as Grandpa Hank was already gone.
The sheriff pulled up to the house in a cloud of dust with the ambulance just seconds behind, while Robert stood waiting for them on the front porch. He waved them all past as he informed the medical team that the body was in the kitchen. As Robert strode in behind them, the sheriff began to ask him questions of how the events had unfolded, and if anyone else was in the house. At that moment Robert realized that he didn’t know the whereabouts of his two children, and the only person who could shed some light on that particular question was lying dead on the kitchen floor. With a new cause for panic, Robert began to call out their names while frantically searching the house. The search soon led to the outside area of the property with the help of the sheriff, but it seemed unlikely that the kids would be hiding with all the commotion currently at hand. Just then Ross came running past the tire swing in a full sprint, and he didn’t even slow down until his father arrested his movement at the base of the front porch steps.
Ross was greeted with multiple questions concerning where he had been, and did he know where his sister was. Through a series of half sentences as he tried to regain his breath, Ross informed the sheriff and his father of returning the pie plate, and Jessica’s security at the Wright’s house down the road. Then it was his turn to ask some questions about the ambulance and his Grandpa Hank, but the verbal answer of the horrible truth became unnecessary as the medical team emerged from the house with a sheet covered occupant on the gurney. The men from the ambulance reported to all present that it appeared to be a massive heart attack, and there was nothing that anybody could have done for Hank. The news was shocking to Ross, whose last words to his grandpa had been along the lines of “See you in a little while.” Hank had been so full of life just a short time before as they ate breakfast together, and now he was gone forever.
With the body loaded into the ambulance, Robert assured the sheriff that he would come down to the hospital later that day to fill out whatever forms were necessary, but first he would need some time to gather up Jessica and have a talk with his two children. The sheriff nodded with agreement, and then followed the ambulance towards the hospital.
Jessica was the first to notice the return of the two vehicles that had sped towards her house, but this time they drove by slowly with no sirens or lights turned on. Elizabeth Wright tried to get the attention of the sheriff as he drove by, but Robert had asked him not to do anything that might tip off little Jessica. Elizabeth knew all too well the meaning of an ambulance returning from a scene at a slow and quiet speed. Either everything was just fine, or the worst had happened. She also knew that whatever the case may be, she had an extra little girl to watch over until informed differently.
Following the suggestion of Ross, Robert agreed a long walk to clear his head was in order. That would ultimately be safer than driving over to the Wright’s place and it would give the two of them a chance to discuss how to break the news of Grandpa Hank’s death to Jessica. The time to cover the half mile walk was somewhere between the deliberately slow pace Ross had set with Jessica, and the frantic sprint of his return to the house. During the walk Robert and Ross had one of their best conversations in recent years. It was just a shame that such a devastating circumstance had been necessary to create more of an open dialogue between father and son.
As they opened and moved through the front gate, Elizabeth stood from the bench on the front porch. In an act of pure habit she smoothed the front of her dress to become more presentable for her company, but she knew it was wasted motion. The facial expressions of Robert and Ross showed her that her appearance would go un-noticed because the worst had happened.
Patty and Jessica were playing inside the house, so Ross was sent in to retrieve them while the two adults conferred. When they all returned, Robert picked up Jessica and put her in his lap as he sat down on the front porch bench. A few seconds later she was crying in her father’s arms, and Ross began to weep as well. He had been strong up to that point fearing that crying was a sign of weakness, but he knew that Patty and her mother wouldn’t hold it against him. A short time later Robert thanked Elizabeth for keeping an eye on Jessica, and she offered the service anytime he needed help. In spite of her leg now being rested enough for the walk home, Jessica rode home with teary brown eyes on her father’s shoulders as the three of them trudged onward in quiet contemplation.
NEWS OF GRANDPA Hank’s death spread through the town quickly, and the weekend went by in a blur. Robert had contacted Fort Hood to request some emergency leave for the arrangements of the upcoming funeral, and the elementary school had been notified that Ross and Jessica would be absent at least one day during their final week of class.
It was very strange for Ross and Jessica on Monday morning to be riding to school in their father’s car as opposed to Grandpa Hank’s truck, and Ross got a blank stare from his father wh
en he reached out his arm for the parting handshake. At the diner, Hank’s friends whom he shared coffee and conversation with every Monday through Friday raised their cups in tribute to a fallen veteran, and Mable shed a tear.
The funeral had been set for Wednesday morning before it got too hot, and the majority of the town came to the cemetery for the service. Before leaving the house that morning, Robert had a few quiet moments with Ross. He handed him a necklace with a small shiny emblem attached that had belonged to Grandpa Hank, and informed Ross that it had been his grandpas wish that he be given the necklace when he passed away.
Ross had of course seen the necklace many times before, and had spoken to his grandpa about the origin of the emblem on several occasions. He thought it had been a secret between the two of them, but apparently Robert knew all about the origin as well. Ross immediately put the necklace on, and then loosened his shirt and tie so that he could wear it inside of the clothes just as his grandpa had always done. Robert patted his son on the shoulder as Ross readjusted his tie, and then asked him to go check on his sister.
The family sat together in quiet reverence as the color guard from Fort Hood carried the coffin to the gravesite. One of the many arrangements that Robert had taken care of during recent days was to ensure that his father received a proper military funeral. Retired United States Army Major Henry (Hank) Martin would get the sendoff he so richly deserved, because his length of service during both war and peacetime had earned him such an honor. The only miscalculation on Robert’s part was the twenty-one gun salute, as the loud noise had startled Jessica and made her scream.
As the American flag draped upon Hank’s coffin was folded with precision into a white star-filled triangle of blue, the solemn sound of taps was played by the lone trumpet player nearby. All the retired and active duty military personnel in attendance snapped to attention and saluted their comrade in arms, while Mable, Elizabeth, and many of the other women shed several more tears.
