Why can’t he be like other people he sighed That was on Thursday Dad came out of the dental surgery hung his white coat on its special hook and padded around the house winding up the clocks He always did that on Thursdays There were nine of them I followed him around Can’t we take Grandpa out of there I asked No said my father winding up the grandfather clock in the dining room Why can’t he live in the old people’s home here Then we could see him every day We had a rest home next door to our house On our street there were usually plenty of old people wandering around who didn’t really know where they were Grandpa could join them Then he could come over to us for dinner I could see him as much as I wanted This isn’t Grandpa’s part of town You know that 4
Well he could live with us He could sleep in my room I said no said Dad He can’t walk upstairs His heart’s too big and weak And he’s too sick and angry and stubborn and crazy You know what happened last time That was just bad luck I said Bad luck Dad snorted He’d just had his broken leg pinned Then he decides to have a go at lifting a great big rock and it breaks again You call that bad luck I like him not being the same as other people I said Shall we visit him on Saturday We’ll see said Dad I knew what that meant When Saturday came around Dad would say that unfortunately he had too much to do He sat down in his special armchair put on his headphones looked at the ceiling and turned the 5
music up loud enough to deafen any thoughts he had inside him I’m going on Saturday in any case I said I like Grandpa And I don’t want him to be lonely Dad nodded He hadn’t heard a word 6
I used football training as my excuse I asked for my weekly allowance It would be enough for tickets Then I packed my bag with the football socks blue shorts and proper football boots I’d insisted on getting I had to think of everything If you want something to eat look in the fridge 2 7 said my mother pickled herring herrings Thanks I said I made one cheese sandwich and one with That surprised her Have you started to like
