�Alice!� Grandma called. �We�re going!�
Grandma was standing at the edge of the lawn with an old man from the dominoes table. Alice ran to them. She stuffed the stems in the front pocket of her overalls.
�This is my granddaughter, Alice,� Grandma said to Dominoes Man.
He bent over and patted Alice on the head. With his finger, he plucked something from underneath her eye. Dominoes Man extended his finger in Alice�s d irection to show her. It was an eyelash.
�Make a wish,� he said.
Alice did as she was told, and then asked, �You can make wishes on eyelashes?�
�On loose ones, yes,� he said, patting her head again.
�If you keep on wishing for something, will it come true?� Alice said.
�Yes, yes,� Grandma said. �Now, let�s go.�
She took Dominoes Man�s arm and they began walking. Alice trailed behind them. She tugged at her eyelashes.
When the three of them got to the house, Grandma unlinked her arm from Dominoes Man and handed Alice the house key, telling her to go inside. Alice allowed Dominoes Man to pat her head one last time. She walked up the steps to the house, unlocked the front door, and went inside. From the living room window, she watched Grandma play with her clip-on earrings and talk to Dominoes Man. They shook hands, and Grandma squeezed his, before she went up the steps and came into the house.
She joined Alice at the front window. Dominoes Man saw them and smiled. Grandma smiled back and waved.
�Grandma,� Alice said, �how come Jenny has a grandma and a grandpa?�
�Your grandpa�s with your parents,� Grandma said, between clenched teeth as she continued to wave.
�Why do we live so far away from them?� Alice said.
Dominoes Man had walked off. Grandma didn�t answer her, but looked at her own reflection in the window. She traced the lines around the mouth. Alice returned to tugging at her eyelashes.
�Alice, stop that,� Grandma said. She turned away from the window and towards her granddaughter. �Listen. Can I count on you to be on your best behavior?�
Alice stared at her.
�Can I expect you to be a good girl and go up to your room to play quietly, if Grandma asks you to?� Grandma said.
�Can Jenny come over to play with me? I know she moved, but she said that maybe she could still come play sometimes. And I could go to play with her at her house, too.�
�Will you be a good girl for your grandma?�
�Can Jenny come over? Can she? Can she?� Alice jumped up and down.
Grandma rubbed her forehead before speaking again. �You can play by yourself. Where�s that nice little bear I got you? The one you named Lucky?�
Alice sniffed. �Jenny calls him Sucky.�
Grandma sighed. She looked at her pocketbook, which she was still holding. She opened it, and took out her wallet. Alice watched her count the green bills inside.
�How about we go to the toy store and pick you out a nice new toy for you to play with,� Grandma said after she finished counting.
�Anything I want?� Alice said.
�Nothing too big. Or loud.�
Alice closed her eyes. She remembered a television commercial, and then knew what she wanted.
They didn�t take very long at the toy store. Alice pulled the toy she wanted from its shelf, and showed it to Grandma. It was a plastic troll doll, with fuchsia hair that stood on its end and a fake ruby in its gut. Grandma made a face.
�That�s what you want?�
Alice nodded. Grandma looked in her pocketbook for her reading glasses, but couldn�t find them. She asked Alice to read the price tag.
�Four dot nine nine,� Alice said.
�That�s all you want?�
Alice nodded again and Grandma shrugged. They went to the silver-haired man behind the counter to pay, but Grandma first put on some lipstick and a smile. Grandma�s eye-batting earned Alice and herself free lollipops before they left the store and walked home.
�What are you going to name it?� Grandma said on the walk.
Fairy Godmother,� Alice said, �because it�s going to make my wishes come true. The TV said so. You�re supposed to make a wish on the troll�s jewel tummy. I bet it works better than white pom-poms, eyelashes and birthday candles.�
home || blog ramblings || answers to unasked questions || throw laurels or tomatoes || received laurels and tomatoes || email