by Lance O. Redding –
Grandpa sat in a chair in the lounge of the care center for the elderly with his eyes closed, his head hung low, and his hands folded across his lap. To any onlooker, he would appear asleep, and that’s exactly what he wanted. If he was sleeping, they wouldn’t bother him.
But Grandpa Sorenson wasn’t asleep. Grandpa Sorenson almost never slept, because he was, in fact, a Super Hero.
Like all people, though, even Super Heros get old, and when his wife had passed away a few years ago, his children came and told him he’d be better off in a care center, where he could meet new people, socialize, and have help whenever he needed it. His children all lived far away, now. His son was a doctor in Miami, and his daughter was a Professor in California. He was proud of them, and loved them very much, but he knew the last thing he needed was to be stuck inside a care center. Old Folks’ Home is what it is, he thought to himself. He chuckled out loud, but tried to stop himself to not ruin his disguise of sleep, so instead, it came out as a sort of loud snort that sounded like a mix between an elephant and a monkey.
Luckily, no one was close enough to bother him, and truth be told, no one would say much to him if he didn’t say something to them, first. Grandpa was sort of a loner at the home. He just didn’t fit in. Oh, the others all pretended to be nice to him, but they were just being polite. When he didn’t play their old-people games, or watch their old-people shows, the others gradually stopped inviting him to join them, and now, it was rare for anyone to even say hello to him as he walked down the hall.
Well, thought Grandpa, I don’t need them, anyway. They’ll all be gone in a couple of years, but I’ll still be here. Strong and able, and ready to save the world!
That sounded like a good idea, actually. Just what the doctor ordered. A good, exciting adventure would help clear the head, get the blood pumping, and break up the never-ending boredom of his new home.
But if he opened his eyes, or got out of his chair, the nurses would pounce on him. Those cursed nurses!, he thought. Why can’t they leave me alone? But he knew why. Because they were curious. They were on to him. They knew he wasn’t nearly as weak and feeble as the others. If only he hadn’t stopped that car from hitting Old Betty. Of course, he couldn’t have let it hit her, either, he supposed. Unfortunately, Betty had talked. Why didn’t the nurses just ignore her? Chalk it up to dementia?
Well, it is what it is, he decided. And I’m not going to just waste my life away, sitting here, afraid of some silly nurses. They can’t prove anything, anyway. Let them have their suspicions. I’m off to find adventure, danger, and hopefully a few people who will appreciate a helpful hand, even if it is an old Grandpa’s.
Grandpa stood up, and with an agility that all the other grandmas and grandpas envied, made his way to his room to gather his things. As he passed room number 45, though, he heard a sound that stopped him dead in his tracks. His Super Hero ears zoomed in on the sound. Yes, sniffles, he thought. Someone has been crying. He shook his head and tried to ignore the sound, to continue to his room, but his Super Hero heart wouldn’t let him. Here was someone who needed help, and needed it now.
He looked at the nameplate by the door. Mrs. Fettington. Oh no, he thought. Why her? She’s probably just crying because she woke up too late and missed Wheel of Fortune. But even though his mind didn’t want to be there, his heart moved his feet forward, and before he knew it, he was softly knocking on the door. It wasn’t closed all the way, and opened slightly when he knocked.
“Yes,” came a soft voice from inside. “Who is it?”
Grandpa cleared his throat. “It’s me, Mr. Sorenson. I heard crying. Is there anything I can do to help?”
“Oh, no, Mr. Sorenson. I’m sorry to have disturbed you. Please pay no attention to me,” and she started crying all over again.
Grandpa came into the room and sat on the chair next to her. “Please tell me all about it,” he said.
She proceeded to tell him all about her son, and her two grandchildren, and how they were coming to visit her in just a few hours for Christmas, and she didn’t have any presents for them. It wasn’t that she didn’t have any money – she just couldn’t get out of the home anymore. Her legs didn’t work right, and she got weak so quickly. She worried that this might be the last Christmas she would ever see her grandchildren and son again, and wanted to give them something special. She knew exactly the toys that they wanted, if only she could get them, somehow.
“Never fear, my lady,” said Super Grandpa, feeling enthused because he had just found a mission. Now, shopping might not seem all that adventurous to some of you, but to a man, in New York City, at Christmas time, it’s one of the scariest events of the year. It was perfect.
Mrs. Fettington gave him some money, and then he grabbed his jacket, scarf and hat, and stepped out his door.
“Mr. Sorenson,” said a nurse as she came toward him down the hall.
“Mr. Sorenson, we need to take your blood. We need to do a test.”
Grandpa didn’t stick around. He walked briskly the other way, pushed open the door, and ran around the corner of the building. He looked around to make sure no one was looking, then flew off into the air above.
He landed on the roof of the mall behind a large snowdrift, and quickly made his way down the stairs and inside. People were everywhere! Hundreds, even thousands of them, coming and going in all directions. It was complete mayhem. Grandpa knew exactly what to buy, and exactly what store it was in, but it was going to take Super Hero powers to get there and back to Mrs. Fettington in time.
He assessed the situation. He was on the third floor, and the store he needed was on the first. He looked at the stairs. Jam-packed with people. Then he saw the escalators. They were packed, too, but the handrail was completely open.
“Look out below”, he called, as he jumped onto the rail and slid past everyone. “Woohoo!” he called out, truly enjoying the ride.
With Super Speed he ran to the store, and bought the presents. Then he flew back to the home, and gave the gifts to Mrs. Fettington just as her grandchildren knocked on the her door.
“Thank you, so much!” said Mrs. Fettington, as tears filled her eyes. “You will never know how important this is to me. You are my hero.”
She gave Grandpa a hug, and a small kiss on the cheek. Grandpa blushed, but inside, he felt his heart swell with gratitude. And as he watched her grandson open the model spaceship, and her granddaughter open the fairy castle, tears crept into his eyes, as well.
Super Grandpa slipped out of the room and went to his room. He laid down on his bed, and for the first time since coming to the new home, he was pretty sure he had just made a new friend, and he was happy.
the end.
Question Time
1. What did Grandpa Sorenson use as a disguise?
2. What did he hear as he walked to his room?
3. Why was Mrs. Fettington crying?
4. How did Grandpa Sorenson get past the crowds on the escalator?
5. How did he feel after helping Mrs. Fettington?
