Just Visiting (6 page)

“Does Phin come out on this?” Madison asked.

Gramma shook her head. “Nope,” she explained. “Comes through this door back here.”

She pointed to a metal door with a coded alarm on the lock. Madison stared at the knob until a handler finally came through with a dog carrier. Inside was a Pekinese, and he was acting yippy.

Madison looked up at Gramma. “But where’s Phinnie?” she asked. As soon as she said the words, the handler came in again, lugging Phinnie’s crate.

“Rowrooooo!” Phin barked as soon as he was brought into the terminal. “Wooooooorf!”

Madison ran over to the crate and peered through the bars. “PHINNIE!”

“Rowrooooo!” Phin barked again.

The handler helped Madison unhitch the crate and reattach Phin’s leash. The pug was twirling and twisting all over the place. Once out of the crate, the first thing he did was scoot right over to Gramma Helen, and give her a big lick on the face.

“Oooooooh!” Gramma squealed. “Stinky little dog kissies! How delightful.”

Madison chuckled.

In Gramma’s world,
everything
was delightful.

G
RAMMA HELEN’S CAR SMELLED
like roses.
Lots
of roses. Madison noticed a funky air freshener die-cut in the shape of a red flower. It was hanging from the dashboard. The smell was overpowering. Even Phin was sneezing.

Their first stop after leaving the airport was the supermarket. Gramma needed milk and some other basic food groups. They parked in the shade, cracked open a window, and left Phin in the car.

Everything about the store was different from Far Hills. Little tables were set up all over the place where people could taste samples of top-selling food items and read magazines. It was like a supermarket library and cafe in one.

Shopping with Gramma was an adventure. Anytime Madison pointed out that she liked something, it got tossed into the cart. Madison didn’t mind being spoiled, though.

Madison marveled at how everyone in the store seemed like Gramma’s oldest friend. She’d never considered that her grandmother would have BFFs the same as she did.

On the way out of the market, Madison spotted a red-white-and-blue poster tacked to a bulletin board. It looked a little like the billboard outside the BBQ restaurant and the flyer from the beach back in Far Hills—only this one said much more. Just as Dad had predicted.

Winnetka was holding its own Fourth of July extravaganza with a carnival, BBQ, and fireworks, too. Madison wondered if maybe the celebration here could possibly be
better
than the one back home.

As she and Gramma drove from the store toward the house on the lake, Madison rolled down the window and took some deep breaths. Even the air was different here. Gramma described the places in town as they passed: city hall, the
real
library, her favorite florist shop, and even a pet shop.

“Hey, look, Phin!” Madison cried out. “A pet store!”

Phinnie barked from the backseat.

“It’s so peaceful here,” Madison said to Gramma. After driving for only a few miles, she’d almost forgotten all her reasons for feeling sad. She still missed her friends … but Madison was getting more and more excited about being in Winnetka.

“Heeeere’s my driveway,” Gramma pointed out as they drove onto the smooth blacktop. “Just had it paved again. Isn’t that super? Do you remember coming here when you were just a pipsqueak?”

“Gramma!” Madison laughed at the old nickname. Madison nodded even though she didn’t really remember much about the place.

“Well, you’ll have plenty of time to get acquainted with me and my neighborhood on this trip,” Gramma Helen said with a big grin.

As soon as the car stopped, Madison jumped out with Phin, who wandered around Gramma Helen’s front yard, sniffing trees. He seemed to like the new surroundings. So did Madison. She glanced around for herself.

Gramma’s house looked like a storybook cottage. The family had owned it for so many years—since Mom was a little girl—and Gramma claimed that it grew cozier and cozier with each year. At one time it had been reserved just as their summer house when the family moved to downtown Chicago. But now, Gramma lived by Lake Michigan all year long. She’d sold the city house long ago.

The pretty white porch was set off beautifully against the woodsy landscape, and the yard was wide open except for a jam-packed clothesline off to the side. Gramma didn’t believe in clothes dryers.

Directly next to Gramma’s house was another, more contemporary cottage with gigantic windows. Gramma said a family named the Millers lived there. On the opposite side was a plainer-looking house with yellow curtains and a weather vane. Her best friend, Mabel, lived there.

Around toward the back of Gramma’s house was a rickety old wooden dock where Grandpa had used to moor his fishing boat.

“Let’s head inside for some lunch,” Gramma said when they hopped out of the car. “I’m starved.”

No sooner had Madison entered the kitchen than Gramma began heating up some kind of brown stew. She had it prepared on the stove already. Madison laughed when she saw—and smelled—it. Gramma’s food always smelled weird, but tasted great. She’d even set aside a goody bag of food for Phin.

Phin’s nose was going crazy.

“So we’ll eat and then play some cards,” Gramma Helen announced. “You still good at crazy eights?”

Gramma was addicted to cards. Madison had to play three games of crazy eights before she was finally able to sneak Phin away for a short walk.

When they went out, Madison and Phinnie strolled past some of the other homes in Gramma’s area. Kids were running through sprinklers on one lawn, and it reminded Madison of home. She and Aimee always cooled off that way in the summer.

What was Aimee doing right now? Madison wondered.

On the way home she bumped into Mr. Miller, the neighbor with all the windows. He introduced himself and his own dog, Cha-Cha, a terrier. Madison almost laughed out loud when she heard the dog’s name. Cha-Cha and Phin seemed to “sniff” it off perfectly.

Gramma had turned on her afternoon soap operas and mystery programs by the time they returned to the house. She was sitting in the kitchen with a cup of tea, knitting blue and gold afghan squares.

“I’m making a blanket for the neighbors’ new grandchild,” she said, knitting one and purling two. Madison marveled at how her grandmother always kept herself busier than busy.

“So have a seat and tell me everything,” Gramma said.

“Everything? Like what?” Madison asked. During their card games, she’d already filled Gramma in on the basics: school grades, friends, and even Dad.

“How are your files?” Gramma asked. “I see you brought your laptop here, so you must be keeping up with them.”

Gramma always remembered to ask about the
really
important things.

Madison stood up, leaned over, and gave her a big hug and kiss. “I am so happy to be here,” she said. “My files are great.”

“I just want you to make yourself at home, dearie,” Gramma went on. “I want this to be a great vacation. I know it’s hard without your pals…”

Madison sighed.

“I set up a little table in the back guest room for you and your laptop,” Gramma said, winking. “So you can e-mail them.”

Madison hadn’t noticed it before, so she dashed into the other room to check it out. Indeed, there was a small table near a phone jack, a chair, and even a jar with pencils, pens, and a ruler. It inspired Madison to pull out her computer immediately.

“Do you mind if I try it out?” Madison asked.

“Go on, Maddie,” Gramma called back. “That’s what it’s there for.”

Madison quickly plugged in the modem and logged in to check her e-mailbox. Someone would have written by now, she thought.

But the message on-screen read otherwise.

Mailbox is empty.

Madison clicked the mail icon again. Not a single friend (or enemy) had written a note? She hadn’t even received any spams or messages from unknown sources.

Mailbox is empty.

Madison had to find out what was happening. Where was everyone? Immediately she opened a new e-mail and started to type.

First she wrote to her BFFs back home.

From: MadFinn


To: BalletGrl, Wetwinz


Subject: WHERE R U GUYS???


Date: Sun 29 June 3:12 PM


Where r u guys??? I am here at my gramma’s house and I MISS YOU SO MUCH. You would like it here. Gramma’s house is on a small pond and she has a wooden dock, but we’re only a little walk from the big beach on Lake Michigan. So I can go to the beach, too. Are you spending every day at Lake Dora? I bet ur having the best time getting ready for the carnival and all that, aren’t you? You have to write and send me details!


I MISS YOU!!! Did I say that already?


p.s. Phin misses Blossom, too, LOL


p.p.s. HB! xoxoxxo,


Maddie


After hitting SEND, Madison typed a couple of other e-mails to Dad, Mom, and even Egg. There was a definite theme:

WRITE!

She sent her third note in two days to Bigwheels.

From: MadFinn


To: Bigwheels


Subject: R U OUT THERE?


Date: Sun 29 June 3:41 PM


Did you get my other e-mails? R U still in Oregon or another state? I am FINALLY here with my gramma Helen and my dog. I love her soooo much. She always plans stuff for us to do. She says she wants to teach me how to knit. My grandmother is so smart about things. She cooks fun food and plays the piano and all sorts of other stuff. You never told me about ur grandmother. Do you have one or two? Are they nice?


BTW: what do u do all day inside a camper when ur driving around? Does ur little sister get on ur nerves? I will try to find an e-postcard from here that will make u laugh.


Yours till the globe trotters, MadFinn


Madison marked the entire e-mail as priority, with a red exclamation point, and then she typed an extra P.S. in big, capital letters.

P.S. WRITE BACK SOON! PRETTY PLEEZ?


Madison left TweenBlurt.com to visit her own personal files next. Without friends to chat with all the time, Madison could always talk to her files—especially when she had a lot on her mind.

Summer Vacation


Rude Awakening:
I’ve got a case of the summertime red, white, and blues.


Gramma says my summer visit will be a real blast, but I’m not sure. Can I have fun on the Fourth of July without my BFFs?


For a few minutes today I thought I could. Of course, being around Gramma is the best. She always is laughing. But even though Gramma is fun, I can’t talk to her about boys. And Phinnie is fun, but he only speaks dog. LOL.


I did see a sign that says fireworks displays are here in Winnetka just like at home. Maybe I will have a good time—if Gramma goes with me.


What are Aimee and Fiona doing at this exact moment back in Far Hills? Aimee’s probably with her Russian ballet friend Sasha buying chocolate cows at Freeze Palace. Fiona and her old BFF Debbie are probably off somewhere gabbing at the mall. Egg and Drew are at the lake, I bet. And Hart is somewhere having fun, too, still laughing about our splash fight. Hopefully he’s not with Ivy.


Am I missing all the fun? It’s hard to think about. So I’ll try not to—as if that ever works.


After logging off again, Madison and Gramma hung out together in the living room—just talking. Madison had only been at the cottage for a few hours, but she already felt like she was at home.

“When do I get to meet Mabel?” Madison asked, looking out the window over at her neighbor’s house. She was eager to meet Gramma’s best friend and guessed that Mabel probably knit and played crazy eights, too. Maybe they’d have a three-way card game?

“Oh, we’ll see Mabel tomorrow,” Gramma said. “It’s my first day with my only granddaughter! I want you all to myself right now.”

Madison grinned.

“Hey, did I ever show you these?” Gramma Helen said, holding out two very fat scrapbooks that appeared to be overflowing with photographs and papers. On top of one Madison saw gold, embossed letters: FRANCINE. On the other she saw: ANGIE. One was obviously devoted to Mom. The other one was for Mom’s sister, Aunt Angie.

Madison had never seen either book before, so she and Gramma sat together on the living-room sofa to take a look.

Gramma cracked the binding of Mom’s book first, just as the phone rang.

“I bet that’s your Mom right now,” Gramma Helen said.

And it was.

Madison grabbed for the phone right away. “I love it here!” she gushed to Mom, explaining how she and Gramma Helen had shopped and played cards after leaving the airport.

But in spite of all her good cheer about Gramma’s place, Madison was happier than happy to hear Mom’s voice.