Week 8: authorial presence: problem/situation/question/explanation piece

We pull into the parking lot of the Big Dipper, the one and only ice cream parlor in West Enfield. Travis and I jump out of the truck, we run towards the ice cream counter. I look back and my grandfather is still standing next to the truck with the door open. I run back to ask him what I can get. I run around the side of the truck and he quickly put a glass bottle behind the seat, he looks up and smiles at me.

“Grandpa does it matter what I get?”

“Whatever you want sweetie.” he says.

I take his hand and we make the short walk to the counter to order our ice cream. It a beautiful summer day, the three of us sit on the tail gate of the truck in the parking lot. I tried to eat my ice cream as quick as I could, but it still dripped down my hand onto my shorts. We sat feeling the warm summer breeze and finished our ice cream cones. I listened to Travis and Grandpa talked about planning a fishing trip to Jo-Mary Lake in a few weeks. Slowly we all make our way inside of the cab of the truck and make the short trip back to our house.

We cost into the driveway say our goodbyes and climb out of the truck. I look over to the house my Mom is coming towards us,

“Kids your Dad needs you in house.”

Thinking that Dad is going to put us to work we don’t move very fast. After we got inside the house I look out the front window, I see Grandpa and Mom talking. She waves her hands around and he shakes his head at her.  Then I see him back out of the driveway and she quickly walk back into the house.

Once she was back in the house she looked to us and says,

“You guys can either go outside or upstairs to our rooms.”

I knew that something wasn’t right so I didn’t make any kind of fuss and we went right upstairs. Travis and I quietly sat down right next to the door in his room; his room is closest to the stairs. That way we can try to hear what Mom and Dad are saying.

She picks up the phone

“Mom, did you know?”

“How could you have not known, MOM?”

“He was driving with the kids in the truck.”

“Is he home yet?”

“I have no other choose then to call them … I know he’s my father.”

“He didn’t care when he picked the kids up.”

“I’m sorry; it’s what I have to do.”