She walks into the room, her arms at her sides, her legs bouncing up and down, and her mouth set in a bright smile. I watch her with a smile as I cook dinner.400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡioWaSiLDyr
She looks at me and asks, “Can I go up to the attic, Grandmother?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡr82qb525BE
Grandmother. Never had I imagined that somebody would call me that.400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡKCzvGGa568
I nod. “Of course, Lila.”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡk33dm2ciJg
Her already-wide smile broadens even more and I chuckle as I watch her open the door and skip down the stairs, two at a time. 400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS8t11dqbed
A few minutes later, I hear the pattering of steps and the panting of the little girl. Before I can even tell her that dinner is ready, she exclaims, “Grandmother! What is this?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡH0oqehuc9G
“Yes?” I ask, with my back to her. But when I turn around, I am shocked to see what my granddaughter has found. I stammer in shock and disbelief, “I-I-I ...that's...oh wow.” 400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡsnfXw8Zr9o
My granddaughter stares at me in confusion. “What? What is it? What’s wrong?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAWmMeCY2s4
“Where did you find that?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjbKtpAdBTA
She shrugs, “In a basket in the back that also has a picture of you and Grandfather. And then I think there is another picture with you and the rest of your family.”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ2jnx4pOXoT
I walk over to her and give her a long, tight hug. When I step back, I whisper, “I found that and-” I smile. “-saved the world.” I laugh as I watch her face grow in delight. “It’s a gem that I found. I think I also have a map and a...a pendant.”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ6063V5jlEC
“Grandmother, where did you get that? Where did you find it?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ8omgCvpsIB
“Oh, oh, no. I didn’t find it. I was given it.”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLsk5bZo81c
“Uh-huh. By who?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡqKvFwTlJJN
“And old man. His name was -” I search through my memory, trying to savor everything that I had carelessly tried to forget. “-Let’s see...I think it was Divinos Palladium. Yes, I think that was it.” I watch her wait for me to say more. But, instead, I declare, “Okay, okay. Enough. Set the table, Lila. Hurry up, or else you’ll get cold soup for dinner.”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡVmWxxnzq8M
“Ew! I don’t want that!”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡOx4vuYQYig
“Exactly why you should hurry. Let’s go.”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ23nCWq897x
When we sit down and start eating, she asks me again, “So, is it true or not?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡT6yWSWNqGs
I look up at her. “What?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡahgWX0m0Qm
She sighs and I hold in a smile. “Grandmother! About the old man. Is it true or not? What about the gem? What’s that about?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡygg7Dt0aAR
“Everything is true. Everything. Oh, fun fact, Lila. I because leader of the whole city after I got rid of the government.”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjowlS6pEFR
“Really? Tell me more!”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡJp6GC0feB7
I rub my eyes and look at the clock.400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡTfWIuiVzfZ
6:30 p.m.400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡtr4VgrcGVp
I try to think back to the time that I was talking to my younger sister and brother. Way back when I was younger. When everything and everyone was younger. 400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ3wf4yN6pB6
I smile. Yes, that’s it. It always works on the young ones.400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡaPBwrinHv6
“Grandmother?”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡE5yKoleJKR
I look at Lila and bend down, putting my hand on her shoulder, looking her in the eyes. 400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGMm3cg7G8J
“It will take a long time to tell. It is a long story, yes. So maybe not today.” I look out the window and see the sun setting over the hills. My mind flooding with the priceless memories of my childhood with my parents and my siblings when they were four or five years old. And then I think of the old man. The wizard who was undoubtedly the most important person in my life. Even though no one may have known, I knew. 400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡNnJibWhaPE
Smiling, I say, “Maybe later.” I look back at my granddaughter, her hair glowing against the sunset. “Now,” I playfully groan as I stand back up and look down at her, “Let’s get you to bed or else your mom will get mad at me for keeping you up.”400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡX9f2kAk07S
As I walk up the stairs with the little bundle in my arms, I think, The old man. The adventure. The courage, and trust in him. The pressure and angst. But, it’s invaluable. And, hopefully, the children after me will experience everything that I did and more.400Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡ1mnItdDxn3
Lila is already asleep, with her head on my shoulder. I walk into her bedroom and stop as I am about to close the door. With one last look out the window, I turn my back and close the door, laying my granddaughter on her bed.
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