Post by Deleted on May 2, 2016 19:48:56 GMT -6
The sound of a buzz saw filled my ears as I was sitting in my grandparents living room floor while watching Saturday morning cartoons. Still dressed in my Thundercats underwear with a large bowl of Cap'n Crunch held in my hands; I never had to worry when I was with grandma and grandpa because they weren't messed up like my parents – they didn't want to do things to me that would make Ron Jeremy blush. Wondering what my grandpa was doing, I put my bowl of cereal on the ground and rose to my feet, heading towards the back door which was where grandpa did a lot of his work out in the shed.
Turning the doorknob very slowly, I knew not to intrude on him but I was also curious because you know how it goes, children are always curious and I guess as they say – curiosity did kill the cat.
•Charles•: Grandpa, what are you doing?
I saw a lot of wood, some strange looking white plastic and of course, my grandfather standing there at the saw working on this project that I had no idea what it was. Stopping what he was doing, a smile came over my grandfather's face as he motioned for me to come in while also being generous enough to fill me in on what he was doing.
•Grandpa•: Well Charles, I make toys for a living. People send me orders of what they want and I make them, and that's what I'm doing right now.
Being a child of five years old, I was fascinated and who wouldn't be? To find out that your grandfather makes toys for a living, that has to be the coolest job in the world; wouldn't you agree? Walking around his workbench, still in my underwear and barefooted, I ran my hand along the strange white emotionless face of what would become the doll that my grandfather was working on. Already feeling connected to her, I didn't know that she would end up becoming my best friend and neither did he.
Needless to say, I sat in that shed watching my grandfather work diligently because I didn't want nothing to happen to her and this was the only place in the world that I didn't have to look over my shoulder or worry about Mama or Papa coming in behind me and beating me or worse, making me do things to them that was unimaginable, especially to that of a child.
As hours went by, grandfather managed to finish the project and I realized that it was the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen and grandfather could tell by the look on my face just how infatuated that I was with her.
•Grandpa•: You really like her Charles, don't you?
I didn't have to say a word, he knew and instead of selling her for money, he decided to give her to me so that I would have a friend, so that I wouldn't be alone when I needed somebody the most. Watching grandpa pick her up gently, he removed her off of the workbench and handed her to me. Holding her to the best of my ability, she was heavy but she was the most beautiful woman that I have ever laid eyes on and she made me feel so much different about myself. Smiling at my grandfather, he brought me in for a hug and then immediately started another doll since he has so much work to get done today.
Walking back into the house, I seen Grandma in the kitchen and she could tell by the look on my face that I was happier than I have been in a very long time because I finally had a friend, somebody that I could talk to, somebody that understood what I needed and who I was.
•Grandma•: She’s really pretty, isn't she?
I didn't answer her question but that's because I didn't have to, she could tell by the stupid grin on my face that I thought she was. As we traded smiles with each other, I headed back into the living room to watch more television and as I sat down on the ground and placed Elizabeth right in front of me – it was strange, almost as if she was staring right into my soul and I believe that she was. Not being able to focus on the television set, I stared into what would have been her eyes but all there was was hollow sockets with emptiness, nothing but shadows but that's not what I saw, no, I saw a beautiful woman – I saw my best friend.
•Elizabeth•: Hello Charles…
Lowering my head and getting this warm feeling throughout my body, I had never felt this sensation before, I had never known this kind of love until now. Blushing, I brought my head back up to look at her and finally gathering the words that I wanted to say, I realized that all I could say was hello in return.
•Charles•: H… Hello Elizabeth…
From that day forward, my life got better because even though my father would still change me forever? I still had somebody in my life who cares about me, who loves me and this is the fondest memory that I have because this is the day where I met my best friend and this is the day where I, just like my grandfather wanted to create life.
Turning the doorknob very slowly, I knew not to intrude on him but I was also curious because you know how it goes, children are always curious and I guess as they say – curiosity did kill the cat.
•Charles•: Grandpa, what are you doing?
I saw a lot of wood, some strange looking white plastic and of course, my grandfather standing there at the saw working on this project that I had no idea what it was. Stopping what he was doing, a smile came over my grandfather's face as he motioned for me to come in while also being generous enough to fill me in on what he was doing.
•Grandpa•: Well Charles, I make toys for a living. People send me orders of what they want and I make them, and that's what I'm doing right now.
Being a child of five years old, I was fascinated and who wouldn't be? To find out that your grandfather makes toys for a living, that has to be the coolest job in the world; wouldn't you agree? Walking around his workbench, still in my underwear and barefooted, I ran my hand along the strange white emotionless face of what would become the doll that my grandfather was working on. Already feeling connected to her, I didn't know that she would end up becoming my best friend and neither did he.
Needless to say, I sat in that shed watching my grandfather work diligently because I didn't want nothing to happen to her and this was the only place in the world that I didn't have to look over my shoulder or worry about Mama or Papa coming in behind me and beating me or worse, making me do things to them that was unimaginable, especially to that of a child.
As hours went by, grandfather managed to finish the project and I realized that it was the most beautiful thing that I have ever seen and grandfather could tell by the look on my face just how infatuated that I was with her.
•Grandpa•: You really like her Charles, don't you?
I didn't have to say a word, he knew and instead of selling her for money, he decided to give her to me so that I would have a friend, so that I wouldn't be alone when I needed somebody the most. Watching grandpa pick her up gently, he removed her off of the workbench and handed her to me. Holding her to the best of my ability, she was heavy but she was the most beautiful woman that I have ever laid eyes on and she made me feel so much different about myself. Smiling at my grandfather, he brought me in for a hug and then immediately started another doll since he has so much work to get done today.
Walking back into the house, I seen Grandma in the kitchen and she could tell by the look on my face that I was happier than I have been in a very long time because I finally had a friend, somebody that I could talk to, somebody that understood what I needed and who I was.
•Grandma•: She’s really pretty, isn't she?
I didn't answer her question but that's because I didn't have to, she could tell by the stupid grin on my face that I thought she was. As we traded smiles with each other, I headed back into the living room to watch more television and as I sat down on the ground and placed Elizabeth right in front of me – it was strange, almost as if she was staring right into my soul and I believe that she was. Not being able to focus on the television set, I stared into what would have been her eyes but all there was was hollow sockets with emptiness, nothing but shadows but that's not what I saw, no, I saw a beautiful woman – I saw my best friend.
•Elizabeth•: Hello Charles…
Lowering my head and getting this warm feeling throughout my body, I had never felt this sensation before, I had never known this kind of love until now. Blushing, I brought my head back up to look at her and finally gathering the words that I wanted to say, I realized that all I could say was hello in return.
•Charles•: H… Hello Elizabeth…
From that day forward, my life got better because even though my father would still change me forever? I still had somebody in my life who cares about me, who loves me and this is the fondest memory that I have because this is the day where I met my best friend and this is the day where I, just like my grandfather wanted to create life.