Shine Bright

Shine Bright


Part One: Someone is coming

"Oops," said Mandy, "That is not what was supposed to happen."

She quickly grabbed a paper towel and wiped up the orange juice, that she had just spilled on the table. "I am so clutsy. What a dummy!" She hurried to wipe up the mess and tidy up the kitchen. "I always make more mess than I need to. I have to learn to be more careful."

Just as she was finishing the breakfast dishes, the doorbell rang. She knew that it was her elderly grandmother who was coming over to stay with her over Christmas and New Years, as her parents were going to be out of town on holidays and had left earlier that morning, to take a six o'clock flight to Jamaica. Her parents had already decided that if Mandy's grandmother wanted to do so, she was going to be welcome to move in with them permanently. Mandy really did not like the idea at all.

"We really don't want to go anywhere at Christmas time, but that is the only time that we could book a flight, on such short notice. After all, my company is paying for our trip," her mother had told her. "You will be fine with Grandma. Besides which, Doris is here in the downstairs apartment and you can get her to call us, if there are any problems between you and Grandma.
Doris knows that Grandma gets the guest bedroom, and you can bunk in our room if you like. All three of you can watch our big flat screen tv together in the family room, if you want to do that.
You are old enough now so that it is not off limits to you. We trust you. You may have Hannah come over too if you want."

Hannah was her best friend.

"You are going to love Grandma, I promise you," her father had said to her, very gently. "I know, because she is my mother and she is such a wonderful lady. Anyhow, it is just about time that you really got to know your grandmother. After all, she is coming to stay here now, that is if she wants to live here."

He continued, "Don't forget that all the presents for Grandma and Doris are on the top shelf in the hall closet. The decorations are there too, so that you and Grandma can put up a tree together tonight, if she is not too tired from her long trip. I expect you to take good care of each other. I know you will. Just remember that I love you both."

"Where is my present?" Mandy wondered. "This is a fine state of affairs, having my mom and dad disappear at Christmas, and no present for me. And now I have to take care of an old lady too, possibly for the rest of my life." She remained silent, deep in thought.

"But I don't know Grandma at all!" Mandy had openly protested earlier, when she had learned that her parents were going away and that her grandmother was going to be there for the holidays, and that she might stay on after that too. "I only saw her one time and I was too little to remember. I was only two years old then."

She was really upset, but she was not being given any choice at all in the matter.

"I am so sorry," her mother had said calmly. "You two will be just fine."

Whether Mandy liked it or not, Grandma was coming on the ten o'clock plane, from Edmonton. Mandy had assumed at first, that her grandmother was only going to stay for two weeks. "This is not fair!" she had hollered, as the airport limosine drove off with her parents. "I should be going with you."

She stood there and waved goodbye, even though she was really angry and scared. "I could have stayed with one of my friends, instead of having to be with some dumb, old lady that I don't know. At least then I might have had some fun over Christmas."

"What if I don't open the door to let her in?" Mandy pondered. "Maybe then she will just go away and I will not have to spend my holidays with her. She could go live in a hotel."

Mandy knew in her heart, that she would never get away with that as Doris was downstairs, and that she might as well meet her grandmother now. "I know that this won't be any fun at all!" she said aloud, tossing the wet tea towel on the counter and reluctantly heading for the front door. It seemed like a million mile walk.

"Do I really have to do this?" she asked herself, stalling as long as she could. She peeked out the window and saw a taxi backing out of the driveway. She could not see anyone on the side walk.

"This is it," she said to herself. "It's now or never."