The Walkie Talkies [Part 1]

A Return to Twilight Story

Joey loves his grandpa. The kind of love nothing can come between, not even death. For Joey and his grandpa are about to return to twilight. A place where dreams and nightmares are more than figments of the imagination. And a pair of walkie talkies do more than keep open a line of communication between a boy and his grandpa.

“We can’t keep ignoring what’s going on here…”

Joey crouched beside his grandpa who sat in his rocking chair. Both of them looking up at beams and pipes and just above that the ceiling, separating them between the basement and the main floor of the house. A boy of twelve and an old man of eighty-seven, yet in this moment, with the frightened expressions on their faces, you couldn’t tell them apart.

“What are they talkin’ about, grandpa?” Joey asked, pressing himself deeper into his grandpa’s legs.

“Nothin’ we need concern ourselves with, Joey. Now,” grandpa said, patting his grandson on the shoulder to get his attention away from the argument happening above them, “I have a present for you.”

Joey’s eye’s beamed at the word ‘present’ as it had been a long time since his grandpa got him something. He knew it was because he didn’t have much money and he didn’t get out as often as he used to. His old car hadn’t moved from their garage in years. His smile grew even larger, imagining his grandpa saying they were going out for one of their joy rides. He really missed those. They’d speed up whenever pigeons were on the road to try and hit them.

And because one time they actually caught one their stupid nosey neighbor called the cops and grandpa had to hand over his license. And if that wasn’t bad enough he also had to promise never to take Joey out in the car either. This made Joey so mad he told both his parent’s, “I hate your stinkin’ guts!” And from that day forward he meant it. Especially, after they moved his grandpa down in the basement.

“What did you get me, grandpa? Show me. Where is it? Where is it?” Joey got up on his bare feet and stomped around the cold cement floor looking for something wrapped. He hadn’t noticed it when he first snuck downstairs before his parent’s were even awake and he’s always prided himself in noticing something out of place, especially if that something is a wrapped present.

“Alright now, Joey. Calm down. It’s not here,” his grandpa said with a chuckle. “I hid it in your favorite place.” Grandpa winked at him.

“But this is my favorite place, grandpa,” Joey said, plopping down on his grandpa’s musty bed. The sun’s beams were peeking through the curtains of the rectangular window above his bed and made Joey shield his eyes. He looked up when he heard his parent’s moving around above his head. They’ll notice he’s not in his bedroom soon and come looking for him.

“I know, Joey. I meant your other favorite place.”

Before his grandpa could say anything else, Joey shot up off the bed and made for the basement stairs. He stopped two steps up and turned back to his grandpa. He had no idea what the present could be but it didn’t matter. His grandpa thought of him and that was all that he cared about. He thought of him and bought him something. Which is more than he could say about his rotten parent’s who just argue all the time and only buy him presents on his birthday or Christmas. And he bets they only do that because they have to, not because they really want to. Not like his grandpa.

Joey ran back down the stairs and nearly toppled over his grandpa sitting in his rocking chair when he gave him a big hug. Then he dashed back up the stairs.

“Joey, you make sure you put socks and shoes on before you go out there, okay?” His grandpa shouted up after him.

“Yes, grandpa,” Joey answered, making sure to close the basement door quietly behind him. The coast was clear in the hallway but he stayed extra still and listened. He could hear them upstairs. Joey tiptoed to the front door and stuck his bare feet inside his rain boots. There hadn’t been any rain in weeks but they were the only shoes he could get on without needing to tie any laces.

He put his hand on the front door but stopped himself. If he went out the front door he was sure that nosey neighbor would see him and go calling his parent’s to tell them how their son was outside without a coat on, in just his pajamas. So Joey spun around, his boots squeaked on the floor and he winced. Would they hear that and come to investigate? He relaxed his shoulders and face when he didn’t hear anyone approach the landing.

Joey ran to the kitchen and through the back door before anyone could stop him. He knew exactly where this surprise present was that his grandpa said he hid in his second favorite place.

That place was his tree house.

His parent’s were against Joey having a tree house. He wasn’t exactly the best student in school and he didn’t exactly do all his chores when he was supposed to. But when his grandpa came to live with them, without their knowing, he hired someone to come and build his grandson a tree house while they were away on their “second honeymoon.” This was long before the dead pigeon incident and taking away his license. Back when his parent’s were thrilled to have grandpa stay with them. A free babysitter was how they first saw it. The best time ever was how Joey saw it.

When they came back from their trip to find a tree house in their backyard they were furious. That was when the fighting started. First they were a team, agreeing that it was a mistake to have grandpa come live with them. But it didn’t take long for them to start fighting against each other. Grandpa was my mother’s father, after all. And so she found herself defending his actions against her ogre of a husband. Doors slammed all the time. Meals were eaten in silence.

But Joey didn’t care. He could escape whenever he wanted to his tree house. And whenever their arguing got really bad, that is where they always knew they could find him.

He stood below the tree house stairs and looked over to the window where he knew his grandpa could see him if he stood up and walked over to the head of his bed to look out his tiny window. Joey had to shield his eyes from the sun but he could just make out his grandpa’s shadow. He also saw the curtain in his bedroom move! One of them must’ve just opened his bedroom door. He quickly took hold of the wood ladder step and started to climb. After years of doing this he figured he could reach the top in less than five seconds.

When he reached the top he threw his body through the square hold in the floor of his tree house. He knew there would be several blankets and a pillow to break his fall. Maybe he hadn’t been seen? If he had, either one of them would open his bedroom window all the way and shout for him to “get out of that tree house and back inside this instant!” But he didn’t hear the familiar screech of his window being opened nor any shouting. He was in the clear for a few minutes longer.

He looked around from where he was on his side but couldn’t see anything. He rolled over onto his back to marvel at his artistry. On the ceiling of his tree house he managed to hang paper airplanes and other paper crafts he made with his grandpa’s help. Just a piece of string and some gum can do wonders. His grandpa was right about that.

Joey reached over with his left hand to sit himself up and his hand felt it instantly. He sat up and tossed his pillow out of the way to reveal a walkie talkie! He’d always wanted one but his parent’s claimed it was a waste of money.

“Besides, who would you talk to with it? None of your friends live close enough,” they said. He hated when they agreed with each other. It was few and far between but it was always whenever he asked for something.

Joey picked up the heavy rectangular walkie talkie and pressed it tightly to his chest in delight! But where was the other one? Before he could look around he heard static coming from the walkie talkie in his hand. He held it up and tilted his head wondering who could be on the other end.

JOEY, DO YOU COPY? COME IN, JOEY.

Joey’s eyes lit up. Of course!

YES, GRANDPA. THIS IS JOEY. OVER.

He’d heard this is how people communicate over walkie talkies and he’d pretend he was a fighter pilot talking to Mission Control when he played pretend with his grandpa. Back when grandpa was more agile and could climb the ladder into Joey’s tree house. That was a long time ago, now.

JOEY, I HEAR THEM CALLING FOR YOU, SON. YOU BETTER GET BACK HERE. OVER.

Joey got on his knees and slowly raised his head to look out the window of his tree house. He could just make out his mother in the kitchen, banging and slamming things. Even this far away Joey flinched as if he could hear the sounds she was making.

EAGLE ONE COPIES. OVER AND OUT.

Eagle One was Joey’s pilot name. His grandpa said every pilot needed a cool name that was used when communicating over the radio. Joey hid the walkie talkie under the pillow before climbing down out of his tree house. He wanted to bring it inside and up to his bedroom but he knew he would never get it past his parent’s. He’d have to wait till after school when he could get it while they were both at work.

Joey never did get his walkie talkie that day after school. Because on that day, his parent’s both came to pick him up early. Together.

They took Joey to his favorite pizza shop and let him order an entire cheese pizza just for him to eat. They even let him have a large coke and when he belched neither one of them reprimanded him for it.

It was only after Joey’s second belch that he realized something wasn’t right. Why did they pick him up early? And why did his principal look so serious when they walked him to their car? They mentioned going to get pizza and Joey was so excited he never stopped to ask questions. The last time they let him have pizza was just before they brought him home and told him that his turtle, Stewart, was dead. He was devastated. But they surprised him even more than just with pizza because waiting for him in their living room was grandpa who would be staying with them for a little while.

Who needed a stupid turtle who didn’t do much of anything exciting when he had grandpa staying over. Not Joey. Joey was the happiest he had ever been on a day that could’ve been very sad for him.

And here he was, faced with his last two slices and his father willingly getting his son a refill on his coke, and he knew something wasn’t right.

“What’s going on?” Joey finally asked. He had been afraid to ask but he just had to. He was fresh out of pets. Stewart being the last one and all. And as far as he knew, his father’s father kicked the bucket long before Joey was even born.

Joey’s mother turned her head away and looked out the window, pretending she didn’t hear his question. Joey didn’t think about it much before, but his mother was wearing sunglasses. He can’t remember her ever wearing sunglasses. Didn’t even know she owned a pair. His father came back wearing the fakest smile on his face and sat down on the other side of Joey.

Suddenly, Joey felt claustrophobic and his stomach made a strange sound like he was going to be sick.

“Uh, dad, would you excuse me. I need to use the bathroom,” Joey managed to say. His dad nodded and let his son get up from his seat. Joey had never spoken so politely before in his life and as he walked towards the pizza shop bathroom he glanced back to see his father take his mother’s hand in his to console her!

Joey stopped and spun around. Stomping back towards their table. His arms crossed. Tears stinging his eyes. He wanted to speak but the words were stuck in his throat, along with most of his greasy cheese pizza.

His parent’s couldn’t say anything as they saw their son standing in front of them, shaking in anger and confusion.

Joey doesn’t remember much about the rest of that day. Just that they rode home in silence. He skipped dinner that night. And he was allowed to miss school for several days.

The first day Joey knew what happened was real was when he woke up before sunrise several days later, crept downstairs, and tried the basement door handle only to find it was locked.

In a panic, Joey ran to the kitchen and looked around, his eyes stinging with tears. He found the basement key hanging on a hook and grabbed it. He unlocked the door and ran downstairs, ignoring the pain his feet felt, slamming down on the concrete floor.

The basement was cold and dark and musty. Not much different than it always had been. But something…someone…was missing. It was too quiet now. He couldn’t hear the faint breathing of his grandpa. Or even the sound of him rocking in his rocking chair. In fact, he couldn’t see his rocking chair! Where was it? Even his bed was gone! Impossible. How could they get rid of these things without his knowing. Without telling him?

Joey walked over to where his grandpa’s things used to be and saw a stack of boxes there instead. He wanted to go through them, remember his grandpa for a while. But it still hurt too much. He wiped tears from his eyes and blinked a few times before he turned to go back upstairs.

The sun started to rise outside, its beams shining in through the curtained window, right on a suitcase tucked behind some old stacks of magazines and newspapers. Joey remembered that suitcase. It was the one his grandpa had with him when he came to live with them. Suddenly, Joey had an urge to open it. He guessed it would be empty or if not, maybe it had his grandpa’s clothes. Something he could keep to remember him by.

Joey lifted it from behind the stack of magazines and newspapers with some effort and laid it down to open it. As he suspected, it had a few clothes, neatly folded. Almost too neatly. As if this was packed a while ago. Joey lifted a few shirts and found, tucked at the bottom, the other walkie talkie.

Joey plopped down on the floor and let tears stream down his cheeks one last time. That’s it. He’d only allow himself one more cry.

He didn’t want his parent’s to see him crying again. He heard them talking about sending him to talk to someone. He knew what that meant. A shrink. Joey didn’t want to talk to no shrink. He needed them to think he was fine. That he could handle the wake today.

They sat him down and talked to him about it. An open casket and all that. It would be hard. And if he didn’t want to be in there with grandpa, he could just sit outside. But that his friends would want to see him. That’s why they needed to do this.

Well, Joey needed to talk to grandpa. It didn’t matter one bit to him that he was dead. What did Joey know about dead? He’d never been to a funeral before. But if this would be the last time he’d get to see grandpa then there was just one thing for him to do.

Joey nodded to himself and took the walkie talkie with him, leaving his grandpa’s clothes behind in the suitcase right where he found it. Today, Eagle One was on a mission; Operation talk to grandpa in 3, 2, 1…

To be continued…