My Grandpa CAPTAIN TORY

   He told me that we would go later tonight. He said that he would tell me about her. He said that he would tell me about my grandma. She died a little over a year before I was born, so I never got to meet her. And ever since then he grandpa had lived with us. He said that we would go tonight after everyone else was asleep.

   I tried but I couldn’t sleep. I was too excited for getting to hear grandpa’s stories. I heard someone coming down the hall. Not knowing if it was my mom or dad I turned over in my bed and faced the wall so if it was one of them they would think I was asleep. I heard whoever it was open my door. But it was just my grandpa. He whispered to see if I was awake. I turned over and got out of bed, put on my slippers and grabbed a red, plaid flannel, button-up shirt that used to be my grandpa’s, as a light jacket.

We silently walked down the road, turned and went down an alley and turned again. We walked some more and then got to where we seemed to be going. We stopped at the railed edge of the look-out deck. Grandpa lit the lantern that he had brought. He held it up and started to talk. I started to listen up.

   “Over there was where I first saw her, your grandmother. Over there across the harbor. She was so beautiful, I couldn’t take my eyes off her. She was in the park on a walk with a friend. There was this little girl who was on a walk with her mother who was pushing a baby in a pram. This little girl ran up to your grandma and started talking to her. I watched how your grandma was so kind and gentle to this little girl. I loved that about her. I think it is safe to say it was love at first sight. I knew I needed to get to know her, but I didn’t know how to go about it.  Now I ran into a problem with trying to figure out how to introduce myself to her. I was super nervous. I knew that I should just go up to her and say hello. So I did. I said ‘Hello miss, I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Captain Tory.’ I was freaking out. I didn’t know if she was going to say anything and if she did what she would say. She said, with the biggest, most beautiful smile, ‘Hello. I’m Hazel Grace. How do you do?’ I think I was in shock. I stumbled over my next words telling her that I was doing fine. I asked if she would like to go on a walk with me. Thinking that she would politely turn down my offer I looked away. But much to my surprise she told her friend that she would meet her later. We walked around the park for a bit. I told her how I was a ship captain and that my crew and I were in town for a little while. We talked some more and then a couple more hours later of more talking, I walked her home. I asked if she was doing anything that Friday night and she wasn’t so I told her that I would pick her up at seven.”

   By this point I was getting really tired. But I didn’t want him stop. I had probably yawned a dozen times already. I think my grandpa caught on to that because he said “OK, sport, let’s get you home and put you to bed.”

  “No, grandpa, keep going.” I said as I yawned, again. I don’t remember much after that. Other than him telling me that he would tell me more later and walking home.