Chapter Two: Grandma and Grandpa

I came out of the car and out of nowhere I heard a voice I was craving to hear since I was a kid. 

"Strawberry!?" Grandma shockingly called from somewhere above. I looked around to search where she is and when I looked up beside the building of the coffee shop, 

"Grandma? What are you doing up there?" I whispered asking in case if the people sleeping in the bences beside the trees around would wake up. And grandma turned around to get down.

I'm surprised to see Grandma still awake at this hour and felt weirdness to see her up there in the new building. I felt overwhelmed, seeing a new building beside my grandparents' coffee shop. 

Now grandma is walking towards me, wearing that sweet as ever curve called smile.

"You didn't call you were coming over. What happened, why are you crying?" she asked worriedly as she walked closer.

"Grandma," I sniffed trying to find what words am I gonna say.

"Yes baby Strawberry?" she asked while hand combing hair.

"Grandma, can I stay here until the summer ends?" I could feel Grandma feels sorry for me hearing my voice fade as I say something.

"Of course darling, of course. Why not? Come on, let's go up stairs and drink coffee." she said holding my arm to invite me walk with her in the stairs. "Ooh I miss Coffee." she giggles raising her head like dreaming something in the stars.

Grandma is always an angel. I wish a lot people could be just like her. But I wonder why Grandma misses coffee when she is acrually surrounded by coffee because she owns a coffee shop. What does she mean by saying she misses "coffee"? It really sound to me like there is something.

Grandma took me to the other side of the shop where the stairs to the 3rd floor is located since the shop is already closed. And then out of the cold breeze Grandma whispered to my ear, "Don't tell your Grandpa you saw me there in that building."

I nodded and didn't give her a sign that I was wondering if couples like them also do secrets.

When grandma finally got into the last step, grandpa opened the door with that funny shocked face of him. I don't know, Grandpa stares at Grandma like it's always the first time. Sometimes I wonder if Grandpa is forgetful or is he just so in love with Grandma? It's just irresistibly sweet to imagine that they're at their 70's and they've been married fir 40 years I guess.

"Sugar, where have you been? I thought you were making me tea, you left the kettle on and now the water is cooling." He said. Oh Grandpa, you're so cute when you don't know something.

"I just went somewhere. Tadaaaaa!" Grandma says, grabbing my arm close to them.

"Oh sweet sugar coated baby strawberry, what took you so long to visit us?" Grandpa cried as he come closer to me to wrap me with his hug and Grandma joined too. It's just so cute that he still calls me like that.

"I'm sorry Grandpa, I was just so busy at school. Hope I'm not too late." I said while feeling the warmth they're giving me. And they tighten their hug which made me feel what they want to say is that, "It's okay, we still do love you more."

The next minute they finally let go from embracing and invited me inside. Grandpa turned the kettle on——again humming a song so familiar to me. I sat on the couch near the door full of Grandma's handwriting. Grandma Fuchsia really is such a writer that even doors and walls are papers to her to write on. Maybe this is the reason why she told me way back when I was seven that, "Passion is what makes you the best version of yourself, it's when you place the signature of your heart to anything and everything." And I guess I understand that now.

Grandpa Martes handed me a cutie cup which made me talk to myself and says, "Aw I remember this cup."

"Thank you Grandpa" I smiled.

"Don't thank me yet, take a sip first." he said and went to turn off the annoying TV saying things about the weather. I mean. . . it's December of course it shows, Christmas is coming and why are you people still overeacts? It's midnight already, why so nonstop eh?

I took a sip and, "Grandppppaaa, you know I hate tea right? Grandmmmmmaaaaa!!!" I cried.

"Creamer, what have you done!? Stop teasing your grand daughter." From the kitchen she said, sounded upset.

Grandpa laughed at me and went to hug Grandma who just came out from the kitchen.

"Hey, you told me to do that." He whispered to her ears.

I threw them an upset look and they both chuckled, giggling from looking at my face as they realized that I heard what grandpa whispered to her.

"Here, I made you your favorite juice." Grandma smiled handing me a glass of strawberry juice with strawberry bits and cube milk. 

"Thank you Grandma. . ." 

"You grow up too fast sugar coated baby strawberry, but you can still be fooked by us. Why is that?" Grandpa says chuckling.

"Creamer..." Grandma tries to stop him from teasing me.

I took sips of my favorite strawberry juice as I just let them talk beside me drinking their cup of evening tea. They talked and talked and talked and I didn't hear those as my eyes saw a lot of gifts piled to form a christmas tree. They don't have christmas lights or any sign of spirit of christmas here except for that christmas tree which seems so rich style. I wonder what those are containing.

"Strawberry? Baby? Hey, Scarlett!?" Now I'm slowly hearing Grandma's voice.

"Oh, Uhh where are we again?" I asked shaking my head and sipped again. Grandpa found where I was looking at and,

"That's not a christmas tree, that's just a pile of birthday gifts." he says.

"You still don't celebrate christmas?" I asked chewing the strawberry bits.

"Your Grandpa's birthday was yesterdat and he wished, he hoped and he prayed to see you again. Now you're here and that's enough baby Strawberry." I looked at them and hugged Grandpa again. It's funny how I feel them as my parents than mom and dad.

"We don't celebrate christmas here baby, we celebrate our anniversarry on that day." Grandpa proudly said taking a sip of his tea.

I smiled and refrained from embrassing. I wish it could always like this. The moment of drinking coffee or smoothie or strawberry juice or tea near the fire place on a cold weather.

"Now it's time to go bed. Strawberry, you have your own room here so go sleep there now." Grandma stood up commanding me to sleep.

"Sugar, let's just sleep like a family as always. You know, like the old times." Grandpa said helping me stood up and grabbed me to Grandma suggesting we should sleep together. Grandma sighs and I broke the silence, "Why don't we just sleep here? It's warm here and nice glow in the dark stuffs like this one." I took the shinny ball from the off lamp. "You know, like what Grandpa says, just like the old times. Please Grandma." I begged.

And Grandma with a pout face face looked at Grandpa as Grandpa went to the rooms right away to get pillows and blanket. "Alright great idea baby Strawberry, here we go" he cheered.

"I didn't say we're gonna agree with her, Creamer!! Where are you going!?" Grandma groans but she followed Grandpa to help him. Aw.... Isn't that cute? I thought they're gonna fight but instead they're doing the same thing. Aw... They're a best example for that word "love". I wish there's still a man out there like Grandpa.

I gathered all the cups and the glass I used earlier to the kitchen and cleaned them up. I noticed a picture frame above the glass and cups' cabinet which reminds me of someone. . . someone I met earlier, maybe someone I see at school and the same someone Grandma used to be friends with too. Oh! Mike Loret an african-american my neighbor since childhood and also my childhood friend. I mean. . . bestfriend. I wonder why his picture is here.

"I think it would be better if we sleep in the rooftop sometimes. What do you think sugar?" I heard Grandpa saying from a distant since I am in the kitchen.

"Go sleep up there alone!" Grandma murmured.

"Not at cold weather of course but during hot weather, summer I guess." He continued.

"It's not always hot in summer when the sun goes to sleep, the heat also goes to sleep. There are things we cannot dare to leave even if we do need to let go of it." Grandma replied.

And me standing five steps away from then, staring at their cute moments.

"Alright, alright you win again sugar cane ink." Grandpa planted a kiss on Grandma's forehead which I never saw dad did that to mom. I wonder why.

"Strawberry, don't just stand there. Come on let's sleep." Grandma says, inviting ne to come over and join them lie in the  floor being clothed with a thick furry blanket. I slept next to Grandma who sleeps next to Grandpa. We had our own blankets to be clothed by. Up until now I could see that Grandpa still don't want to let go of Grandma. He can't stand it to be far from her even a small steps away. I wonder what it takes to have someone like that and I wonder why my father isn't like that to mom.

"Where's the bed time story?" Grandpa asked holding her waist with a cute back hug. You people are just so phenomenal, you're making me cry.

"Why are you asking me that? That should be Strawberry's line." She teased him with her cute angry voice.

"Never mind, I'll go to sleep." then he made a snoring sound. Grandma slaps his face laughing. 

I wrapped myself with blanket, a hotdog pillow at my left side and a small cloth on my head so I won't have colds when I wake up. I got this idea from Grandma back when I was little.

"Grandma, I can't sleep." I said but I yawned. Oh I did not see that coming.

"Oh Baby Strawberry, sometimes we deny what we feel because we still wanted to have something we're scared of loosing." She replied facing me and turning her back in front of Grandpa.

"Uhh. . ." I said confused of what does she mean by that.

"That was a metaphor baby, just ask your Grandma tomorrow what does that mean." He says closing his eyes tryibg to sleep.

"Okay." I mouthed.

"Don't you dare teach your Grand daughter limits!" she whispered to him.

"It's because you said you can't sleep but you're yawning and that's a matter of denying what you feel." She continued.

"I ate a raindrop cake for dinner Grandma, and you gave me a strawberry juice. Does that gave me a side effect to loose my sleepiness?"

"No, unless someone put a wakenibg bean powder to that cake." she answered. Although I know Grandma is the best story maker for being such a writer, I do have second thoughts about that cake. But wait, wait, wait, wait! Who made that cake by the way? The last time mom made raindrop cake was last month, dad don't know how to make cakes, my cousins only eat cakes and doesn't know how to make it too. Whi made that cake? Wait a minute. . . . The sticky note! Who wrote that? Who the spy went to my house and put cake in my fridge? But. . Why?

"I don't know Grandma." I said yawning with my wet eyes which a tear might fall the next second.

"You know baby, I am really sleepy right now. Let's sleep now please." she whispered.

"Okay." I said. Then she closed her eyes and wrap her shoulder with Grandpa's arm which was in her waist. She opened her eyes again and said, "Sometimes you wouldn't know how sleepy you are until you close your eyes. Good night Strawberry."

With her closed eyes she said while smiling like it's the first time she had Grandpa. I wonder what's their secret for that road to forever story about love. 

I smiled wishing love would still exist at this time. I stared at the ceiling for a while and started to closed my eyes to try to sleep. The warmth of this place is making me so comfortable that I fell asleep for two hours. Before I closed my eyes, I checked the time which says it is 1:58am.