Summer was his favorite time of year. But then again, that's what most kids would say. School was nothing but a memory, fireflies danced in the warm air, and stars shone bright in the night sky. Grandpa would set up the tent in the backyard and for a few weeks each summer, Colton Alexander would go on all kinds of adventures, even if they were mostly imagined. He had conquered the great land of Itsa across the Granjer Isles just west of the Open Sea. He had defeated fierce creatures that threatened his home atop Mt. Kill A Man Tomorrow. And he had saved his Damn Fool in a Dress from being eaten by tigers. She lived on the other side of the fence and every now and then Colton's grandparents would let him venture over to the other side to spend some time with Avery Spring. Her parents worked far too much and she was left to the easily distracted attention of her older brother Addison.
Colton's mother and father had passed away so long ago that he had no memories left of them. Grandma and Grandpa Langer were all that he knew. They had brought him this far in life, and he was sure that after completing the second grade, he was capable of anything, but more importantly that they would always be there.
He had always been a rowdy child, climbing trees, breaking vases, and even once starting a small fire by trying to use the toaster to melt the prisoners he had captured while playing with the Cowboys and Indians that were once his father's. But his grandparents didn't hold that against him. They loved him the only way they knew how. And they showed it every day.
Most people in town knew Grandpa Langer because he was a sort of hero from fighting in World War II, and those that didn't know his story soon found out. He loved recounting his days on the European front and Colton always listened, poised at the edge of his seat, ready to hear the exciting details of his grandpa's tails of combat.
Grandma Langer was famous throughout the county for other reasons. She made the best desserts you could possibly devour. Her specialties were pies of any flavor and chocolate chip cookies, all of which took home more than one blue ribbon at the County Fair each fall. She didn't like the attention much. She just smiled a lot and nodded her head in appreciation when people recognized her or complemented her delicious treats. It was Colton though who benefited most from her skills in the kitchen.
There wasn't a dinner that went by without dessert being served. It didn't matter the circumstances, cake, pie, cookies or a tart of some flavor made its way to the table between Grandpa and Colton. Even as a boy, Colton knew his grandma took pride in her skills in the kitchen. She had learned from her mother, who had learned from her mother and so on. It was tradition and the recipes were a family heritage. From time to time, he liked to help Grandma bake, but mostly he just liked to lick the spoon after she was done mixing the batter.
He always had a smile on his face and that made Grandma and Grandpa all the more happy. It was extremely rare for tears to fill his big blue eyes, but when they did it broke their heart to see them roll off his cheek. One time in particular happened in the first grade. Jimmy Bartholomew had pushed him off a swing and pushed his face into the dirt. Later he said he didn't know why he did it but he had seen it on TV. This only reinforced the idea to the Langers. They didn't own a TV and after this kind of outburst, and from a first grader no less, they vowed to never let one enter their home.
It was that summer, the one after the second grade, when Colton's life began to really change. He began asking a lot of questions about living with his grandparents and where his Mom and Dad were. It was difficult and painful for the Langers. They didn't want to hurt him. It hurt enough to think of the story themselves. But Colton insisted on knowing what had happened to his parents. He feared, like many children who don't know their parents, that they didn't love him and that they had simply abandoned him.
The Langers tried to distract him and persuade him to concentrate on enjoying his summer, but as the weeks drug on his persistence only grew stronger and his smile seemed to fade away into the pale skin of face. He refused to go out and play but retreated to his room where he spent most of his time sitting on the bench at the window, staring at the willow tree as its limp branches swayed with the gentlest of breezes.
On a gray and chilly July afternoon, Grandma Langer found Colton where he had been for much of the past week. His head rested on the cool glass that separated him from the rest of the world. She plodded carefully across the old wooden floor and found a spot on the corner of his bed. She looked at him and willed him to be happy again, to be that boy she remembered. But he was fully committed to knowing the truth. She knew this would not end until he knew. And so, while Grandpa fiddled yet again in the garage, she leaned forward and grasped Colton's hand. His head turned to hers and she offered the comfort of a warm smile. At first he seemed so brave as she recounted the fateful day five years prior. The day the plane lost contact with the tower and simply vanished from the radar. The day that Hollings and Angela Alexander disappeared forever. But the tears came.
He seemed so fragile in that moment. She pulled him from his seat and wrapped her arms around him. He felt the warmth of her love but couldn't find comfort in her embrace. He missed them. He didn't remember them, but he still missed them. She squeezed him tighter but he only cried more. She rocked him gently and hummed the song she had when he first came to live them. It helped, if only a little, as his sobbing slowly ebbed.
She raised her head, tears filling her own eyes as well. And watched the rain fall on the other side of the glass.
No comments:
Post a Comment