Old Stories Part I: The ABC Generation Series Ch2

This is part 2 of Chapter Two. Enjoy! 

The plane landed in Texas right on time. Amy crawled from her seat and glared at Bri and Cindy. “Let’s go.”

The two youngest ABCs pulled themselves from their seats and followed older sister to the airport. Finally the three collapsed onto the chairs, waiting for their grandparents.

“My dearies!” came a voice. “They’re here, David, they’re here!”

Suddenly someone was pulling Amy into a huge. “Why, Amanda, you’ve gotten so tall,” said Grandma.

“I’m a few centimeters taller than Mom,” said Amy happily. She hugged Grandma tight. “I’ve missed you, Grandma.”

Now Grandma moved on to Bri. “And this is Bri!” She scooped the girl up. “I’ve missed you three.”

Bri didn’t say anything. Amy didn’t blame her. She didn’t know Grandma very well.

Grandma held Bri out and shoved her beside Amy. “Oh, my goodness,” gasped Grandma. “You two are the same height.”

Cindy stood up and went to stand by Amy. “I’m taller than both by an inch,” she boasted. “Look.”

Grandma studied the three girls and clapped her hands. “Why, yes, you are. Thirteen, twelve, and eleven.”

Then Cindy ran over and hugged her grandma. Even though she didn't know Grandma at all (less than Bri) her out-going-ness proved her to be jovial to all.

Amy studied her grandmother. Her cheeks were rosy and her hair still brown. She had walnut eyes and was shorter than all three of them.

Jolly and sensible.

Now here came a man who was as tall as Daddy and looked nearly exactly like him, but his hair was white. He had laugh-wrinkles around his blue eyes. He smiled and stroked his beard.

“My, my, my, Tabatha,” he said. “Haven’t they grown.”

Grandma chuckled. “Come say hello, David.”

Papa walked over and pulled each girl into a hug. Amy and Cindy giggled, Bri looked uncertain.

After the girls had gotten into their grandparents’ car, Bri leaned over and said, “Papa smells like cows.”

“Of course!” giggled Amy. “He’s a rancher.”

Cindy giggled. “Silly Bri.”

Bri frowned at her. “I’m older than you, Cindy,” she reminded. Amy glared at her. “You don’t have to say that, Bri. That’s just weird.”

“Girls, don’t get into a pickle,” said Grandma. “Let’s have a nice time, okay?”

“Good idea,” said Amy, glancing at Bri. The girl looked angry. Amy sighed and turned back to her window.

“Before we go home,” said Papa, “I’d like to stop by Safeway and get groceries.” He winked at Grandma, who shook her head and sighed.

Amy smiled. “What’s this about, Papa?”

“Oh, nothing,” Papa laughed. He winked again, this time at Amy.

Amy chuckled.

When they stopped at Safeway, Papa wanted only Amy to come with him.

“You behave, David,” Grandma called after them. “Don’t do anything silly.”

Papa waved her off. “Ah, I wouldn’t do anything of the sort.”

This Safeway was really small, smaller than the small one in California. Amy was amazed as Papa led her into the tiny store and straight for the donuts. They picked them out—maple bar for Amy, apple-fritter for Bri, and sprinkled for Cindy—and then Papa let her get an Odwalla for each ABC—green for Amy and Bri and mango for Cindy—before leading her to the checkout. They went to number five where a handsome man with tousled black hair and dark eyes stood. Beside him stood a younger version, but he had blue eyes.

“Who’s that?” Amy asked, looking at the boy.

“My good rancher-friend, Kyrie Nichols, and his son, Chase.” Papa grinned. “Kyrie’s wife, Hannah, was—and is—Tabatha’s best friend from kindergarten, despite the age difference.”

Now Chase turned their way and saw Amy. Blushing, Amy ducked her head. Whoa. Chase is cute.

He was one of the cutest boys she had ever seen. And suddenly, Amy felt all whirly inside. Of course this wasn’t a crush yet — you don’t just get crushes on random boys in the store — but she did admire Chase, and maybe they’d get to know each other.

“Hannah and Kyrie, along with Chase and his sister Lola, are coming for dinner Saturday night,” Papa continued.

Amy nodded and then felt nervous, for it was their turn to check out. She lifted her head and avoided Chase’s gaze.

“Howdy, David!” Mr. Nichols slapped Papa on the back. “How are ya?”

“I’m fabulous, since my three granddaughters are here.” Papa put his arm around Amy. “This is Amanda Key, my first born granddaughter. She’s thirteen.”

“Howdy, Amanda,” said Mr. Nichols. “Call me Kyrie.”

Amy shook hands. “Glad to meet you, Kyrie. Call me Amy. Most everybody does.”

“Alright.” Kyrie’s eyes twinkled. He poked his son. “This is Chase. He’s fourteen.”

Amy smiled shyly at him and made eye contact. Just like that, whoosh. The air left Amy and was replaced with — what? Oh, bliss! Sparkles and diamonds and —

“Howdy, Amy.” Chase stuck out his hand.

Amy barely saved herself. She forced her brain to focus and shook Chase’s hand. Oh, my word. Chase’s voice! It cracked!

Oh, oh, oh! Amy’s heart melted.

Kyrie and Papa talked on and on, with Chase and Amy trying not to make eye contact. Amy once and a while glanced at Chase, but then Chase would glance at Amy and then both would avert their gaze.

Amy grinned. Maybe we could be friends. I’d like to get to know him.

—

About the time when Amy fell for Chase, Cindy was practicing her rubik's cube algorithms. She twisted and turned the rubik’s cube until —

“Yes!” Cindy waved the cube in the air victoriously. “I solved it!”
“Nice!” Bri, over her scare of Texas, glanced at Cindy’s rubik’s cube and then at hers. It was still sorrowfully scrambled.

“Here.” Cindy twisted her cube until it was scrambled and then showed Bri step by step how to solve it.

“Oh! Cool.” Bri gazed at her beautiful cube. “Grandma, why did Papa only want Amy to go with him?”

Grandma twisted around in her seat and grinned. “Can you keep a secret?”

“Oh, yeah!” said the two ABCs in unison.

“Alright.” Grandma smiled. “Papa doesn’t like thinking that his precious granddaughter’s could fall for a bad boy.”

“What?” Bri wrinkled her brow. She thought of boys as people to play with, not boyfriends. Besides, lots of boys were insane, like Amy’s buddy, Henry. Why would Papa want his granddaughter to like

someone who loves insanity?

Cindy smiled. “I’ve gotten crushes on a few guys, but they’re all Christians, like us.”

Grandma nodded. “Papa’s afraid a dashing young man will come around and lead you three astray.”

“Never,” Bri spat vehemently.

“Phooey!” Cindy exclaimed just as vehemently.

Grandma chuckled. “My best friend, Hannah Nichols, has a boy the age of Amanda. I think Papa wants them to meet each other . . . as friends. Chase is a devout Christian young man and very polite and considerate.”

“Ooooh,” Cindy giggled. “Match making.”

Bri swatted her. “Oh, be quiet. That’s gross.”

“Shh,” said Grandma. “I might do some matchmaking myself.”

“What?” Bri shrieked. “If you try to get me to like a boy, I’ll knock that young man into the next century!”

Now Cindy dissolved into laughter. Grandma laughed too until Papa and Amy were spotted.

“Now, shush,” Grandma instructed. “Don’t tell Amy or David.”

Cindy swallowed her giggles and Bri stopped glaring. Now Amy was slipping into the car and Papa took his spot at the steering wheel.

Bri took one look at Amy and gulped. Amy’s eyes looked smitten and daydreamy.

Ew! Bri thought. If Chase did that to her sister, she never wanted to meet that crazy creature.

“Smitten, eh?” Cindy said quietly so Amy didn’t here. She elbowed Bri and giggled.

“So,” Amy chirped, breaking from her daydream, “where are we going next?”

“The ranch,” Grandma told them. “So you three can settle in.”

“And then I’ll apoint you your horses.”

Bri gasped. “Horses!” Now this was something she loved. Boys, no, horses, yes. And she loved cars a bunch; she and her friend Tony. But horses? Mixed in with frogs and lemurs, horses were her favorite animal. Amy enjoyed horses, but adored dolphins. Cindy died for cats.

“Yes, horses.” Grandma turned around. “Cynthia, dear, what’s wrong?”

Bri twisted to look at her younger sister, whose face had become pale.

“Horses,” Cindy croaked. “I’m scared of them.”

“We took horse lessons for two years before Cindy fell off,” Bri explained. “She’s been terrified ever since.”

“Oh, sweetie, don’t be scared,” said Grandma. “Horses are wonderful.”

“Give me cats!” Cindy cried. “Not horses.”

“I like horses.” Amy shrugged. “I’d rather have dolphins, though.”

“You three are gonna hafta have horses,” Papa boomed, turning the car onto a gravel boulevard. “We’re on a ranch, not in the city.”

“California, you mean,” Amy interjected. “Sacramento, California is perfectly fine, Papa.”

Papa snorted.

“Now, David, behave,” Grandma chided. And the rest of the drive passed in silence.

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