Read an Excerpt
1. Grandpa Walter?
The first thing Dottie saw when she opened the door was Grandpa Walter and the Chock full o’Nuts can.
Dottie was not expecting to see Grandpa Walter, much less the Chock full o’Nuts can.
It had been two months since she had seen either of them, and remembering that day always made her feel like she had swallowed an alligator.
(Nothing against alligators, but swallowing one did not feel good.)
“Mom!” Dottie shouted. “Grandpa Walter’s here.”
“Walter? Your grandfather?” Dottie’s mom shouted back.
“What other Walter do you know?” Grandpa Walter hollered from the doorway. He had to lean around Dottie because she hadn’t budged. It wasn’t that she wanted to block him from coming inside. It was shock that made her body stop working.
The shock was from the disbelief that of all the days Grandpa Walter might appear, he chosetoday. Most Thursday afternoons were not exciting. Most Thursday afternoons were simply the day after Wednesday and the day before Friday. But this one was different. This one had a plan. Animportant plan. In fact, the plan was so important that Dottie could call it amission.
“Mission,” Dottie whispered to herself. Why hadn’t she thought of calling it a mission sooner? Sam would like that word. Now that Dottie thought about it, Ima would like that word too. And considering how important Ima was to the plan—mission—it was nice to think that she was happy.
Dottie’s mom rushed over, slipped past Dottie, and swept Grandpa Walter into a hug. “Walter, you should have told us you were coming.”
“I wanted to surprise you,” Grandpa Walter said.
“Well, you did,” Dottie’s mom replied, laughing.
This was Grandpa Walter’s first visit without Ima. Of course, in a way Ima was with him. Just in a really different way.
Dottie eyed the Chock full o’Nuts can and tried to swallow the alligator down.
Dottie’s mom asked, “Does Frank know you’re here?” Frank was Dottie’s dad and Grandpa Walter’s son.
“I wanted to surprise him too,” Grandpa Walter said.
“He will be surprised.” Dottie’s mom smiled and nodded.
Dottie didn’t mind who Grandpa Walter surprised as long as he didn’t interfere with her plan. “I mean mission,” Dottie said under her breath as Grandpa Walter walked into the house, bringing the Chock full o’Nuts can with him.
2. Who Is He Talking To?
Dottie,” her mom said. “Bring Grandpa Walter’s suitcase upstairs, will you? I’m going to call your dad.” Dottie’s dad was at the bakery where he worked.
The alligator was still squirming around in Dottie’s neck, so she only managed to squeak and nod, which was good enough for Dottie’s mom. Before picking up the suitcase, Dottie stuck her head outside. No sign of Sam Batty. That was a relief. Dottie didn’t want to be late for the first day of her mission.
By the time Dottie reached the stairs, Grandpa Walter was already halfway up them—a second later, though, he stumbled and tripped.
This was not unusual for Grandpa Walter. He was a born klutz. He said so himself. He spilled food, broke glasses, fell off chairs, dropped plates, and he couldn’t catch a ball to save his life. Ima found it charming. That’s what she said every time. “Walter, you are charming.”
And Grandpa Walter would smile a tiny, crooked smile that showed how much he loved being charming to Ima. And then he would say, “If I wasn’t a klutz, we never would have met.”
This was true. Dottie knew the story by heart because Ima loved telling it. And every time Ima got to the part where Grandpa Walter dumped spaghetti Bolognese all over her, she would laugh so hard, she would snort. Ima loved to laugh.
Ima always ended the story by saying, “Worst waiter, best husband.”
Back on the stairs, Grandpa Walter let out a “Whoa!” as he grabbed the banister and then an “Uh-oh!” as the Chock full o’Nuts can flew out of his hands, and then an “Oh no!” as the can flipped through the air and landed right at Dottie’s feet.
The last time she had seen the Chock full o’Nuts can was two months ago at Ima’s memorial. This was the same day Dottie’s alligator appeared and the day Dottie decided she never wanted to see the Chock full o’Nuts can again. Not because the can was creepy. (Dottie liked creepy stuff.) She never wanted to see the can again because it hurt too much.
And now, here it was, gently rocking side to side until finally coming to a complete stop. Dottie couldn’t take her eyes off it.
Grandpa Walter trotted down. “Sorry about that,” he said, scooping up the Chock full o’Nuts can.
With the can gone, Dottie swallowed the alligator down and said, “No need to be sorry, Grandpa Walter. It was just an accident.”
Grandpa Walter looked confused and then said, “Oh, I wasn’t talking to you, Dottie.”
Dottie looked around for someone else he could be speaking to. There wasn’t anyone here unless you counted the Chock full o’Nuts can, and who would count a can?
It was true that Dottie was only ten and didn’t understand a lot of things. It was also true that she did not understand Grandpa Walter.Not at all. He was quiet and kept to himself. He didn’t tell stories or play games with Dottie or ask her any interesting questions. He didn’t watch TV with her or go see movies or read books to her. (In other words, he was nothing like Ima.)
He wasn’t mean. He was just who he was: Grandpa Walter. And to Dottie, Grandpa Walter was a mystery.
But as mysterious as he was, Dottie was pretty sure not even he would talk to the Chock full o’Nuts can.
3. What’s in the Can?
Dottie followed Grandpa Walter and the Chock full o’Nuts can up the stairs and down the hall to her room. Was the Chock full o’Nuts can going to stay in her room? She hadn’t considered that until now. If it were a regular old can, she wouldn’t have minded. Ima and Grandpa Walter’s house was full of Chock full o’Nuts cans.
The cans held marbles, pennies, and plants. One sat next to the stove for fat drippings. Kitchen utensils filled another, while others held pens and pencils, rubber bands, and even decks of cards. It was Ima who had read the words to Dottie when she was too little. “Chock full o’Nuts.” Dottie figured if a can saidnuts right in the name that there would be nuts inside.
She was wrong.
It turned out that those brightly colored yellow cans with the cheerful black and green lettering were filled with something else. Something horrible. Something that tasted like mud.
“It’s not nuts,” Ima had told her, and pointed to all the words on the can, including the small ones. “Chock full o’Nuts,” Ima read. “The Heavenly Coffee.”
“Coffee?” Dottie gagged. “Yuck.” Coffee would never be heavenly to Dottie, but Ima and Grandpa Walter drank it by the gallon.
But now there was a new can in town.
This can appeared at the celebration for Ima’s life.
This can was filled with something that wasn’t coffee.
This can was filled with Ima.
To be precise, this can was filled with Ima’s ashes.
4. What’s So Funny?
Dottie’s room was the smallest in the house. There was just enough space for a tiny desk, a bureau, and a bed. The bed was small, but Ima and Grandpa Walter always slept there when they visited. Ima liked snuggling and cuddling and smooshing close together. “Dottie,” she’d say. “Life is too short to waste being far away from people.” And then, she’d squeeze right next to wherever Dottie was sitting. Even if it was on her lap!
On these visits, Dottie moved into her sister’s room, which was larger than Dottie’s. Jazzy was four and had the kind of personality that needed a lot of space. Dottie never loved moving out of her room, but she loved Ima so much that she almost didn’t mind.
“Dottie,” her mom said, poking her head in the door, the phone pressed to her ear. “I’m still trying to reach your dad. Could you clear out a few drawers so Grandpa Walter can put his clothes away?”
“Sam and I have a—” Dottie started to say, before her mom interrupted.
“Sam can wait.”
Dottie disagreed, but the look on her mom’s face told her not to say so.
Her mom disappeared down the hall and Dottie gathered up clothes out of her bureau, ran into Jazzy’s room, dumped them on the floor, and then ran back. “There you go,” she said.
Grandpa Walter nodded.
Dottie waited for Grandpa Walter to say something more, but he didn’t. If Ima were here, she would have said something. Maybe even told a funny story about losing her suitcase, or else she would have given her a hug and said thanks. Grandpa Walter, though, was not a talker or a hugger.
“Well,” Dottie said. “If you don’t need anything else, I’ll be—”
“Dottie.” Her mom’s head popped into the room again, the phone still in her hand. “Could you unpack Grandpa Walter’s suitcase for him?” And she quickly walked away whispering into the phone before waiting for Dottie’s answer.
Grandpa Walter sat on the edge of Dottie’s bed with the Chock full o’Nuts can in his hands.
Again, Dottie wondered why he had brought the can. Why didn’t he leave it at home? On a shelf. Where it should be.
Dottie frowned at Grandpa Walter’s suitcase. She wished it were Ima’s. She loved putting away Ima’s things. Dottie and Ima turned it into a game. Ima gave clues and Dottie had to decide which clothes they were. Like,I’m always with another. (Socks.) Or, I’m a house with four open windows. (A sweater.)
The alligator stretched out in her throat. Dottie swallowed hard, trying to get it to move along. It didn’t listen, which annoyed her and explained the ferocity with which she unpacked Grandpa Walter’s clothes. (Ferocity was Sam’s word.) Dottie couldn’t recall what it meant but it sounded exactly how she felt. She pulled out five shirts, three pairs of slacks, three sweaters, seven pairs of socks, and one pair of sneakers.
All the normal stuff.
Then she got to his underwear.
Underwear is always funny. But Grandpa Walter’s was hilarious.
It had puppy dogs on it and bow ties, coffee mugs and teapots. One pair had chili peppers and one was covered with hearts. Dottie knew about this underwear because Ima had given them to Grandpa Walter on his last birthday.
Everyone had laughed when he opened it—even Grandpa Walter—and then he produced a box for Ima. (Grandpa Walter always gave Ima a present on his birthday.) Ima opened it and pulled out underwear. Underwear with puppy dogs, bow ties, coffee mugs and teapots, chili peppers, and hearts. They had given each other the exact same present!
Ima had laughed so hard that she peed her pants, which made her laugh even more. Even now, just thinking about it made Dottie laugh.
Grandpa Walter looked over. “What’s so funny?” he asked.
Dottie held up the underwear with hearts.
He nodded. “It’s all I’ve got.” The way he said this made it feel like he wasn’t just talking about the underwear, but Dottie couldn’t figure out what else he could mean.
When Dottie was finished putting away his things, Grandpa Walter stretched out on the bed and said, “Now we need a nap.”
Dottie wasn’t quite sure who else needed a nap except Grandpa Walter until he rested the Chock full o’Nuts can beside him.
Oh. Dottie didn’t think a can needed a nap, but she wasn’t about to ask. There was a mission to start.
