Chapter 53

We left the room and went down to the front desk and made arrangements to pick the car up out front. When we climbed in the car, I made sure we were buckled up. We headed for the freeway to go to Eastland Mall. When we got to the mall, the lot was packed full of cars.

"Looks like we got a long way to walk honey."

After walking for what seemed like 15 minutes we finally made it inside. I let her lead the way and just followed along. After about two hours of window shopping, I was totally worn out. We set down by the fountain in the center of the square, and just watched the people go by.

"Well, what are we going to do next?"

"I don't know, Grandpa, but I'm tired of walking. Let's go to White Castle and get something to eat. By the time we're done with that it will be time to go back to the hotel."

We walked out the side door of the mall and across the parking lot to White Castle's and got our food. As usual, I stuffed myself to the point I thought I was going to bust. I groaned as I stood up. We headed back for the car and Sandra laughed at me the whole time. I personally didn't think it was very funny. I knew sometime I was going to have to stop for some Rolaids. By the time we got back on the main road, I had heartburn so bad I couldn't swallow. Sandra was having a ball with my discomfort, and she suggested that we stop at a gas station to get something for my heartburn. Needless to say, we did just that. When we got back to the hotel there was a message waiting for us, it was from my friend who is the Police Chief. How he knew where we were at is beyond me, but he left a number for us to call.

We went up to the room, Sandra turned the TV on and I got on the phone. I called my friend and he told me that Sandra's so-called stepfather had hung himself in his jail cell last night.

"Well, Bill, if you're waiting for me to show sorrow, then forget it. What pissed me off is the fact that I couldn't get my hands on him for 10 minutes. I am not going to tell Sandra, because she doesn't care. He mistreated my ex-wife, Sandra's mother, and her. I do appreciate you calling to let me know though. If you're going to be home tomorrow, we might stop by so Sandra can see your wife."

"Harry, you and Sandra are welcome to come by anytime you want to. My wife will be overjoyed to see her again. I bet she has grown two feet since we saw her last. I am not going to tell her tonight because she would be up half the night. We'll see you two tomorrow, Harry."

When I got off the phone Sandra was watching a Harry Potter movie. This one was different than one from the cabin. I wasn't for sure how many of these movies there were, but I knew she liked them. I decided since she was watching TV I would go ahead and get a shower. I went into the bathroom and took my shower and I don't even think she realized I was gone. When I came out from the shower she was sitting in a recliner, with pillow and blanket watching Harry Potter. I figured by the time it was over she would be sound asleep. I decided to just leave her and her recliner and leave the TV on for her. Myself, I was beat and had a stomachache. The White Castles had done it to me again. I decided to go ahead and go to bed myself. I shut the lights out, got my hug and kiss and went to bed.

When I woke the next morning, Sandra was still asleep in the chair and Harry Potter was still playing. If I had slept in that position I would be crippled. I woke her up and told her to get her shower and get ready for the day. Since it was almost 10 o'clock in the morning, I called for room service. I ordered our breakfast and told him to bring up plenty of extra coffee for me. When Sandra came out of the shower I had to laugh. She was wearing one of the hotel robes that was at least three sizes too big for her. She had rolled the sleeves up but there was at least a foot of it still dragging on the floor.

"Don't laugh, Grandpa, I forgot to bring mine from the cabin so I had to try to make this one fit until I could get dressed. I am starving, is the restaurant still serving breakfast?"

"I already ordered from room service so you better get dressed unless you plan on eating in your tent."

"Very funny," she said as she ran back to the bathroom with her clothes.

The room service knocked and I let him in. He set up the table and I gave him a good tip as he left. I called to Sandra and told her that breakfast was here and she better get some before I eat it all. She came flying out of the bathroom without her shoes and socks and immediately plopped down at the table, taking her share of the eggs and bacon. I noticed she beat me to the orange marmalade and used every pack on her toast. I just shook my head and smiled at her antics. If I were a stranger, I would think she hadn't been fed for several days. I piled on what I wanted and sat back and ate my breakfast. She polished off everything after politely asking me if I wanted any more. She even used her fingertips to get the crumbs from her plate.

"That was a good start to the day, Grandpa, now I need to finish dressing and brush my teeth."

I almost choked on the sip of coffee I was taking when she said that. I could see right now, I was going to have to get used to having someone around that kept on the move at high speed all the time. I had plenty of coffee so I just sat and waited for my turn at the shower. If she was like every other teenager, I would be waiting awhile for her to finish. I was surprised when she came out about ten minutes later looking like she was ready for anything. She had jeans on and a short sleeved plaid shirt on with her hiking boots.

"Grandpa, you better get ready because I heard you on the phone last night, and I do want to see Aunt Joyce. I haven't seen her since I was four years old. Mom and I used to go shopping with her all the time and she was really nice. As much as I hated the way John treated all of us, he didn't deserve to die the way he did. I know you hated him but he didn't get that way until he lost his job and started drinking. That was the only time he ever did anything to us."

"I don't care about all of that Sandra. The fact that he touched any of you, whether sober or drinking was inexcusable. Also, he should have let me know about everything that happened to all of you. I made it clear to him when he married your grandmother if something were to happen he was to let me know immediately. That's why I blame him and hate him for his actions. I would have moved mountains to help all of you, if I had known what was going on. When I see Bill, I am going to give him hell for not telling me. He was supposed to be keeping an eye on all of you for me."

I went to the shower and was done with everything in about ten minutes. I went back out to the main part of the room and she was watching cartoons on TV. I gathered up my ID and put it in my pocket along with the cash I had got from the ATM at the mall.

"You ready to go kiddo? Let's go get the car and go to Westerville to visit some old friends. Tomorrow we go to the bank, and if everything goes right, we should be able to finish our business, and go visit my brother so you can meet him and his wife."

We went down to the garage and got the car and headed out. I hadn't been here in so many years it took me a few minutes to get myself out of the downtown area to get on the right road to get to Westerville. We pulled up in front of their house in about an hour and we had barely gotten out of the car when Joyce came running out and hugged Sandra up in her arms. I had to admit, she had put on a few pounds but she was still a pretty woman. I was left at the curb as they headed to the house with Joyce and Sandra talking a mile a minute.

I hadn't taken two steps when Linda came running out of the house and jumped in my arms, giving me a big hug and kiss. Boy had she grown up. My goddaughter was now a woman and she was beautiful. I remembered she was graduating this year and would be going on to college at Ohio State like her other two sisters. Man, where had time gone? The last time I had seen her she was in seventh grade with braces and pimples.