Precious time

Grandfather spending time with his granddaughter.

Jane is standing at the door of her grandfather’s study. She is dressed in the dress her grandparents gave to her for her fifth birthday. White with pink frills on the neck, arms and hem. It immediately became one of her favourite dresses. She is holding two life size dolls. Hanna is on her right and Judy is on her left. She is observing her grandfather, who is sitting in a large armchair reading the new book he bought today.

She stands in silence for a few moments. Then enters the room and walks over to her grandfather.

“Excuse me please granddad.”

“Yes Jane, how can I help you?” he asks as he continues to read.

“Is it time?”

Her granddad stops reading, raises his head and looks at the clock on the wall. He checks the time, and then turns to Jane.

“No Jane, it is not time,” he answers as he looks into an expectant face.

“Thank you, granddad,” she says.

“You are most welcome Jane.”

Jane turns and exits the room in silence.

Three minutes later Jane is at the doorway of the study. She observes her granddad for a few moments. He is still reading his book. She sees his lips move a few times and he is smiling. She enters the room and walks over to him.

“Excuse me please granddad.”

“Yes Honey, how can I help you?” he asks as he continues to read.

 

 

“Is it time?” she asks looking expectantly at her granddad.

He stops reading and looks up at the study’s faithful timekeeper. He turns to Jane.

“No Honey, it is not time,” he answers as he looks into an expectant face.

“Thank you, granddad,” she says.

“You are most welcome Jane.”

Jane turns and exits the room with her two playmates.

 

Three minutes later Jane is at the entrance of the room. She watches her granddad closely. He is still reading the novel.  She slowly walks across the room to him.

“Excuse me please granddad.”

“Yes my love, how can I help you?” he asks as he turns a page.

“Is it time?” she asks more expectant than before.

Her grandfather stops reading and raises his head. He looks at the hands of his old time companion. After a few moments, he turns to Jane.

“No my love, it is not time.”

“Thank you, granddad,” she says.

“You are most welcome my love.”

Jane turns hugs her friends tightly and walks out of the room.

 

Three minutes elapse before Jane reappears at the doorway. She stands longer than before as she examines the expression on her granddad’s face. She kisses her two play friends and walks over to her granddad.

“Excuse me please granddad.”

“Yes my precious, how can I help you?” he asks as he continues to scan the page before him.

“Is it time?”

Her granddad throws his head back and roars with laughter. He closes the book and puts it on the table beside the chair. He stands and looks down at Jane’s smiling face.

“Yes my precious, it is time.”

“You can hold Hanna. She likes it when you hold her,” she says as she lifts Hanna to him. He takes Hanna, bends down and kisses Jane on both cheeks. She holds his hand and they walk out the room side by side.

Granddad laughs when they walk into Jane’s playroom. She has the table set with four bowls and two covered containers. The containers are filled with the fruit which Jane and her grandmother had picked earlier from the garden.

“You can sit in this chair granddad. Hanna can sit next to you.” She says pointing to the chair directly in front of him. As he is sitting, she and Judy walk around the table and sit in the other chairs.

A smiling Jane serves cubed fruit to her granddad, Hanna and Judy.

“You can eat as much as you like granddad.”

“Thank you very much sweetheart,” a grateful grandfather replies. He silently says a prayer of thanks for the 5 years old miracle sitting before him.

Author's Note

I wrote this a long time back. Be gentle.