Part 1:
“Trapped in my house … a prisoner … no way out.
Cupboard is empty. Fridge is empty. No food in sight.
My only thought is survival.
I eat the dog first, using only my bare hands.
Then I cut off my foot, raw hunger making me eat my toes.
Oh, I’m glad Barbara didn’t live to see this. Eating my own toes!”
“Grandpa, you’re not gonna have to eat your foot.”
“My license, Ricky! I’ll lose my license for sure!”
“It’s probably just a moving violation."
“If I can't drive? I'm a shut-in! You gotta help me, Ricky. You gotta help me!”
*********************************
“Grandpa Hatcher passed a stopped school bus,” Rick said.
Dale and I looked up from our pizza.
“The red lights were flashing, the STOP sign was out. Only moments later did he glance back and realize it."
Cupboard is empty. Fridge is empty. No food in sight.
My only thought is survival.
I eat the dog first, using only my bare hands.
Then I cut off my foot, raw hunger making me eat my toes.
Oh, I’m glad Barbara didn’t live to see this. Eating my own toes!”
“Grandpa, you’re not gonna have to eat your foot.”
“My license, Ricky! I’ll lose my license for sure!”
“It’s probably just a moving violation."
“If I can't drive? I'm a shut-in! You gotta help me, Ricky. You gotta help me!”
*********************************
“Grandpa Hatcher passed a stopped school bus,” Rick said.
Dale and I looked up from our pizza.
“The red lights were flashing, the STOP sign was out. Only moments later did he glance back and realize it."
“Maybe they didn’t get his license plate,” Dale offered.
“School buses in this state have cameras. To record every stop. They got it. He wants me to ‘do’ something. What can I do?”
“Genevieve,” I said. “Right? She’s a teacher. She’d help!”
My brother shot eyes at me like poisoned arrows.
“We haven’t spoken in a while. I think she’s seeing someone else.”
“Yeah, because you cheated on her. With Lindsey in the sales department.”
“Where'd you hear that? Not true. Gossip or whatever.”
“Or whatever,” Dale snorted. “Lindsey in sales.”
“You don’t even know who that is! Eat your pizza.”
“Go ahead,” I said. “Just text her.”
Genevieve Hayes: five-foot-four, volleyball fit, auburn hair.
Way too good for my dog of a brother.
“School buses in this state have cameras. To record every stop. They got it. He wants me to ‘do’ something. What can I do?”
“Genevieve,” I said. “Right? She’s a teacher. She’d help!”
My brother shot eyes at me like poisoned arrows.
“We haven’t spoken in a while. I think she’s seeing someone else.”
“Yeah, because you cheated on her. With Lindsey in the sales department.”
“Where'd you hear that? Not true. Gossip or whatever.”
“Or whatever,” Dale snorted. “Lindsey in sales.”
“You don’t even know who that is! Eat your pizza.”
“Go ahead,” I said. “Just text her.”
Genevieve Hayes: five-foot-four, volleyball fit, auburn hair.
Way too good for my dog of a brother.
“Glad you texted me, Hatcher,” she said. “He passed the bus this morning. Nothing’s happened?”
“Nothing.”
“Not surprised. I bet they’ll wait till Monday to alert the police.”
“They’d do that?”
“The head Transportation boss, Joe Fardelee? Kind of a slug.”
“Hey, why don’t we fix this ourselves?” Dale whispered.
“Did that dog … did he just say something?”
“No, no,” Rick laughed. “Isn’t that right, NON-TALKING dog?”
“Come on Rick,” I said. “We can trust her.”
“Fine. Yes, he can talk. And he’s not a dog. He’s a lion.”
“Hi Genevieve!”
“Nothing.”
“Not surprised. I bet they’ll wait till Monday to alert the police.”
“They’d do that?”
“The head Transportation boss, Joe Fardelee? Kind of a slug.”
“Hey, why don’t we fix this ourselves?” Dale whispered.
“Did that dog … did he just say something?”
“No, no,” Rick laughed. “Isn’t that right, NON-TALKING dog?”
“Come on Rick,” I said. “We can trust her.”
“Fine. Yes, he can talk. And he’s not a dog. He’s a lion.”
“Hi Genevieve!”
“Oh, Hatcher,” she chuckled. “You were never boring.”
“I could blink us in,” Dale added. “We could find the footage on the computer and delete it, I bet.”
“I know the passwords,” Gen said. “I’ll help.”
“Breaking and entering is a sketchy idea, don’t you think?” Rick asked.
“It’d be fun to mess with that idiot Joe. He goofed up my class field trip, then blamed me!”
“With Dale around, what could go wrong?” I asked. “We’re in and we’re out.”
“Grandpa was pretty upset. I don’t think he even told Mom, I was the first one he called. Ok. Let’s do it. But no mistakes.”
“Nice and easy,” I said.
“Smooth as silk,” Dale grinned.
“It better be. Oh, it better be.”
*********************************
~Now I’ve seen some things (some thingggs),
~And I’ve paid my dues (my duuues),
~But all that ain’t nothing, baby,
~Next to the Vehicular Grandpa Blues.
“I could blink us in,” Dale added. “We could find the footage on the computer and delete it, I bet.”
“I know the passwords,” Gen said. “I’ll help.”
“Breaking and entering is a sketchy idea, don’t you think?” Rick asked.
“It’d be fun to mess with that idiot Joe. He goofed up my class field trip, then blamed me!”
“With Dale around, what could go wrong?” I asked. “We’re in and we’re out.”
“Grandpa was pretty upset. I don’t think he even told Mom, I was the first one he called. Ok. Let’s do it. But no mistakes.”
“Nice and easy,” I said.
“Smooth as silk,” Dale grinned.
“It better be. Oh, it better be.”
*********************************
~Now I’ve seen some things (some thingggs),
~And I’ve paid my dues (my duuues),
~But all that ain’t nothing, baby,
~Next to the Vehicular Grandpa Blues.