Shine Bright (Part Three)

Shine Bright (Part Three)

Part Three: Those boots are so neat

"Dear, if you would be so kind as to go down by the garage, there are some other boxes there. I told the taxi driver that he could leave them there. Could you bring those in for me too?" her grandmother asked, as she bent down to loosen the laces on her boots.

"Those boots are so neat, Grandma, so modern." said Mandy.

She had expected her grandmother to dress like all grandmothers do, and this was certainly not typical grandmother attire. She looked more like an elderly fashion model.

Mandy did not say anything else, but simply headed out the doorway towards the garage, to bring in the other boxes.

She took a deep breath and could sense that there was some bad weather heading their way.

"Oh no, a storm is coming. I sure hope that dad and mom got away ok."

So far it had been a very dark, damp December. There had not been even a hint of snow.

Everything looked so dreary and dark, except when her dad had put up the Christmas tree lights and turned them on. When he had plugged them in, somehow everything seemed to come alive and glistened mysteriously because of the fog.

"You can put on the Christmas lights, but don't forget to turn them off at night," her dad had told her. Now she was wishing that she had put them on for her grandmother's arrival, even though it was still daylight.

Mandy was quite surprized as she looked at the huge stack of gifts beside the garage door. Every one of the boxes had been gift wrapped just like the others. "Wow!" said Mandy. "I cannot believe this."

She picked up the rest of the presents and carried them to the door. Her grandmother was waiting there and helped her to stack them up against one wall.

"These will have to go under the tree later," her grandmother said. "But let's just get them out of the way for now. Where's your Christmas tree? Downstairs? Some of these are for your dad and your mom...and I brought one for Doris too."

"Where is mine?" Mandy asked herself, but was a bit ashamed as there was no tree to put them under. In fact, because she had been so difficult about having her grandmother stay with her for Christmas, her parents had decided not to get a tree before they left. That would be her job, they told her. Otherwise the three of them would have put it up and decorated it together.

"No snow and no tree. No parents at home for Christmas. Just one strange grandmother, who I don't know at all and a whole pile of presents for everyone but me. Well, maybe there is at least one for me in this pile. This should prove to be interesting," Mandy decided silently. "Maybe I can salvage Christmas after all."

"We still have to get a tree, Grandma," Mandy said. "Dad and mom were too busy getting ready to go, so the Christmas tree decorating gets to be our job. Mom said that Doris would help us.
Here, let me take your coat and hat. Grandma, would you like a cup of mint tea? Dad told me that he always used to pick fresh mint for you, so that you could enjoy a cup of tea."

Mandy was becoming more than anxious to help her grandmother, after having seen the huge pile of presents. She decided that she should try to make a good impression, just in case.

"Do you have Earl Gray tea?" her grandmother asked. "I would really enjoy that."

Just as Mandy headed for the kitchen, the phone rang. She raced for it, almost falling, as she tripped over a scatter rug. "Mom, Grandma's here," she said excitedly to her mother, as soon as she heard her voice on the phone. Tell dad to come to the phone. And mom, she is beautiful. I am making tea for her."

"Dad's on the phone, Grandma," Mandy said, as she handed her grandmother the phone. She pulled out the china tea pot from the hutch and one of the country garden teacups that her mother loved so dearly. "I'm almost scared to use these," she said to herself. "I just hope I don't break one. Mom would never forgive me."

"Your mom and dad are just leaving the airport now," her grandmother told her a few moments later. The flight had been delayed because of the bad weather, but they were to take off shortly.

"I should have said goodbye to them," Mandy said. "What if they never come back?" she thought to herself.

"I said it for you, sweetie," her grandmother reassured her. "Your dad and mom said that you were a bit upset because they were going away. I told them that you and I were going to be just fine together. We are, right?"

"Thanks, Grandma, here is your tea." said Mandy, handing her a cup and saucer. "Probably it was just as well that you talked to them. After all, I get to talk to them all the time."

"If you had not been here, I would have had a chance to talk to them myself," she thought angrily. "After all, they are my dad and mom, and not yours. Oh why did you have to come?"

Mandy remained silent watching her grandmother closely as she drank her tea. She offered her grandmother a tea biscuit and just as she started to speak, her words were cut short as the doorbell rang. "Grandma, I am really glad...."